Chapter 195: Second Round Battle

"Hello! As the first competitor to step onto the battlefield in this Indigo Plateau Conference and the first to achieve a clean sweep, how do you feel right now?"

As Ron stepped off the battle stage, a group of reporters who had been waiting eagerly surrounded him.

"It was an exciting match."

Though Ron wasn't particularly fond of dealing with the media, he kept his response brief and to the point.

"Alright, moving on to the second question. What do you think of your opponent, Lando? Do you feel that he was too weak since you didn't even need to use your second Pokémon?"

"First of all, Lando was a worthy opponent. In this battle, we both gave it our all. I was just fortunate enough to seize the victory."

"Furthermore, every Trainer who makes it this far has endured countless trials and hardships. Even if their current strength isn't at its peak, they should never be labeled as weak!"

After casting a cold glance at the reporter, Ron refused to answer any further questions and walked away, pushing through the crowd.

Faced with the restrained killing intent emanating from Ron, neither the reporters nor the cameramen dared to stop him.

That last question from the reporter may have seemed like flattery on the surface, but in reality, it was a hidden trap.

Ron had actually been quite impressed by Lando's ability to remain composed and give his all despite knowing the overwhelming odds against him.

Yet, if Ron had responded carelessly, his words could have been twisted into a condescending remark, making him appear arrogant.

The narrative could have been spun to suggest that Lando was too weak, allowing Ron the opportunity for a clean sweep—implying that he wouldn't have won otherwise.

If such misinformation spread, it would deal a devastating blow to Lando while also putting Ron in a negative light.

And if Ron were to lose later on, the media would waste no time in bringing up this controversy to drag him down even further.

That was why Ron was so furious. If not for the fact that the person in front of him was a journalist, he might have taken action against them.

Back in his room, Ron gradually calmed down.

According to the tournament schedule, there was still plenty of time before his next battle, so he immersed himself in the training room.

Inside, his Machamp and the others silently carried out their training routines.

At this stage, significant level gains were unrealistic. The best they could do was fine-tune their condition and ensure they were in peak form for the upcoming battles.

For this reason, Machamp and Persian set aside their training in the Paper Art technique from the Six Powers and instead focused on perfecting the other four techniques.

Bellossom did the same, temporarily halting her Iron Body training and instead dedicating herself to refining a set of swordsmanship-based moves that Ron had developed for her.

Each of his Pokémon continued their own rigorous training, but Blaziken was the only one silently pushing itself even further, determined to master Shave—the last barrier standing between it and perfecting all Six Powers.

If Blaziken could succeed, its strength would increase significantly, giving it a chance to participate in battle.

Originally, Ron had planned for Blaziken to make its debut either in the first or second round. Even if it couldn't battle all the way to the finals, it would still have the opportunity to shine in the highly anticipated Indigo Plateau Conference.

Unfortunately, the first-round battlefield was a Water-type arena, eliminating any chance for Blaziken to compete. Now, Ron could only hope that the second-round battlefield would be better suited for it.

As Ron practiced his breathing technique, he continued refining his physical endurance.

Since starting his training in the breathing method, his muscles had been undergoing subtle changes, steadily improving his overall physique. Though the progress was slow, he could feel himself getting stronger bit by bit.

Moreover, the deeper he delved into the training, the more it helped stabilize his mental state.

Compared to when he first started, Ron could now perform two full sets of movements before feeling the same level of exhaustion as before.

Meanwhile, the Indigo Plateau Conference was still in full swing.

In the first battle of the afternoon, another Trainer achieved a clean sweep—this time, a competitor named Marco.

With the second one emerging, it wasn't long before a third and fourth followed suit.

By the end of the day, a total of five Trainers, including Ron, had advanced with flawless victories.

After watching their matches, Ron investigated their backgrounds, confirming that these competitors weren't secretly placed by the Pokémon League.

Each of them had been traveling for two years and had made a name for themselves with impressive performances. It was unlikely that the League had been planning their participation for that long.

Besides, if Ron were in the League's shoes, he wouldn't send in agents who stood out too early. Instead, he would plant competitors who seemed unremarkable at first but would ultimately defeat Ron at a crucial moment, delivering the most significant psychological blow.

After making a note of them, Ron focused on resting and preparing for his next battle.

To avoid giving the League any opportunities to trap him, he remained inside the Pokémon Center, waiting to see what moves they would make.

He didn't step outside until the second round officially began.

Once again, Ron was the first to battle.

This time, the battlefield was a Grass-type arena, and Ron was the first to send out his Pokémon and make the first move.

His opponent was another Trainer who had been traveling for just one year.

"Blaziken, time to battle!"

On the grassy battlefield, Ron's first choice was naturally the Fire-type Blaziken.

Seeing this, his opponent, Mateo, responded by sending out his own Fire-type Pokémon—Rapidash.

Just like Blaziken, Rapidash was also at level 36.

"Blaziken, use Agility to boost your speed!"

"Rapidash, use Flame Charge to interrupt it!"

Blazing flames engulfed Rapidash as it swiftly charged toward Blaziken.

Battling a Pokémon like Rapidash was always a challenge for Blaziken.

Among Rapidash's three possible Abilities, Flash Fire would neutralize Blaziken's Fire-type moves, while Flame Body could make close combat risky by potentially causing burns.

Only Run Away wouldn't pose a threat to Blaziken, but the chances of that Ability being in play were slim.

Flame Charge boosted Rapidash's Speed, yet it still couldn't catch up to Blaziken, whose Speed Boost Ability was now in effect. And with each passing moment, Blaziken's speed would only increase, allowing it to widen the gap between itself and Rapidash with ease.

Seeing this, Mateo remained unfazed, calmly directing Rapidash to continue its pursuit with another Flame Charge.

This alone was enough to deduce that Rapidash's Ability was either Flash Fire or Flame Body.

"Blaziken, close the distance and use Flamethrower!"

Once Blaziken had successfully activated Speed Boost for the second time, Ron decided to take the offensive—he needed to confirm exactly which Ability Rapidash possessed.

"Rapidash, charge straight through! Use Flame Wheel!"

Flames surged, completely enveloping Rapidash as it fearlessly dashed toward Blaziken's Flamethrower.

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