Chapter 59: I'm Laying My Cards on the Table
Chapter 59: I'm Laying My Cards on the Table
"Here he comes, here he comes! It's finally Basalt's turn. Go, Basalt!"
In the audience, Basalt's mom was overcome with emotion, excitedly waving her hands. His dad couldn't hold her back. "Calm down, calm down. We're so far away, he can't hear you no matter how loud you shout."
"None of your business!" Basalt's mom glared at his dad, who smiled sheepishly and didn't dare to say another word. There was a tigress at home; who could he reason with?
Not far from them, the handsome middle-aged man, Jack, wearing sunglasses, had also come to cheer for Basalt in the semifinals. When he saw Basalt projected on the big screen, a smile appeared on his face. His brand's clothes were getting a close-up!
This match wasn't just being watched by the several thousand spectators in the venue; many fans in Seaside County who couldn't get tickets would also be watching the live stream online. The key was, as the competition progressed, there would be many more close-ups like this.
Spending a few tens of thousands to achieve the advertising effect of a tournament sponsorship that would normally cost millions—the more Jack thought about it, the more he felt like a genius. Inviting Basalt when his popularity was still low and striking a deal with him was truly a stroke of genius.
In the aisle of the audience stands, the tall and fit Ms. Anya, dressed in a tight-fitting tracksuit, had also arrived. She had promised before that if Basalt could make it to the semifinals, she would come to watch him compete in person. Coming here now was her fulfilling that promise. However, the fiery gazes of the dozens of stinking men around her made her frown slightly.
"Basalt, Basalt, full of talent!"
"Talent is everywhere, Basalt is irreplaceable!"
"Go, go, go, handsome Basalt~~"
"Brother Basalt for the win, bring glory to our school!"
"Luke's Meowth, worthless trash, see you later!"
…
Compared to the subtlety of Boss Jack and Ms. Anya, the young ladies of the Basalt Fan Club were much more passionate. All sorts of cheers could be heard, one after another. This match didn't feel like a semifinal; it was more like a Basalt concert. Unfortunately, Basalt couldn't sing.
…
On the battlefield, Basalt and Luke took their respective positions. But compared to Basalt's relaxed demeanor, Luke was under much more pressure. In terms of strength, he was slightly inferior to even Wade, let alone Basalt, who had defeated Wade.
When the top four were announced, there were already voices online saying that he, Luke, had only made it into the top four through sheer luck. If it were truly about strength, his spot should have gone to Wade. This made Luke furious, and he was holding in a breath of frustration, wanting to prove himself.
However, when the match truly began, Luke still felt nervous.
"Both contestants, please release your Pokémon."
After the referee gave the instruction, the two threw out their Poké Balls at the same time.
"Meow~"
"Chari~"
Meowth and Drilbur appeared. After sizing up their surroundings, they fixed their gazes on each other.
While waiting for the battle to begin, Basalt carefully observed Luke's Meowth. Based on its previous battles, this Meowth had already displayed five moves: Bite, Fake Out, Fury Swipes, Double Team, and Taunt. Its moveset was quite reasonable. Also, this Meowth's ability was "Technician," which meant its boosted attack power would be very fierce. Combined with its swift speed, it was not to be trifled with. This Meowth was a typical example of a high-attack, high-speed Pokémon. With its rich moveset, it was understandable that it had made it to the semifinals.
"Both contestants, take your positions. The match… begins!"
With the referee's command, the second semifinal match officially started.
"Meow~"
Without even needing a command from Luke, the moment the referee's words fell, Meowth instantly transformed from its seemingly sleepy state into a battle-hardened hunter. Its gaze was cold, fixed on Drilbur, as it suddenly lashed out with a paw.
Whoosh!
The wind howled. A swift airwave, with the speed of a thunderclap that gives no time to cover one's ears, slammed into Drilbur's chest. Compared to Tyrogue, this Meowth's attack power was much stronger. On top of that, Fake Out was a same-type move for Meowth, and with the boost from Technician, its power was simply explosive.
"Chari~"
Basalt only heard Drilbur grunt, and its body was already sent flying backward involuntarily.
At the same time, the Meowth on the other side used all four limbs to rapidly charge towards the airborne Drilbur, clearly intending to press its advantage and defeat it in one fell swoop.
BAM!
Drilbur landed with a tumble, then fiercely extended a claw, digging it deep into the ground. It plowed a long mark on the ground before finally stopping its backward momentum.
"I knew you had this trick up your sleeve." The corner of Basalt's mouth curled up slightly.
Meowth's Fake Out was a known quantity, so he had been prepared for it long ago. He had also prepared for how to quickly adjust and counter-attack after taking a hit. Everything was under control.
"Chari~~" (▼へ▼メ)
Drilbur stabilized its body, raised its head, and stared coldly at the rapidly approaching Meowth, its face fierce. It was always getting hit by Fake Out, and the little mole was holding a lot of resentment.
BOOM!
Drilbur slammed a claw into the ground. Beneath the feet of the rapidly approaching Meowth, an area about 4 meters in diameter of soil instantly turned into rolling quicksand, attempting to swallow it.
But Meowth was simply too fast. And with a body as light as a swallow's, it was incredibly agile. Just as the ground collapsed and the quicksand began to roll, before the suction force became strong, it narrowly leaped out of the Sand Tomb's range.
"Not bad at all," Basalt's eyebrows shot up, not discouraged by the failed attack.
"Meowth, use Fury Swipes!" On the other side, Luke shouted a command. Meowth leaped up like a fierce tiger, pouncing towards Drilbur with ferocious intensity.
"Use Dig!"
With no other choice, Basalt gave the command to dig. If it were at full health, he wouldn't mind letting Drilbur go head-to-head with Meowth in close combat. But now, with only half its health left, Basalt, wanting to play it safe, wouldn't let Drilbur fight recklessly. Since he could use Dig, why would he stupidly fight with brute force?
CRUNCH!
Drilbur's body suddenly spun, transforming into a drill shape as it charged towards the ground. With dirt flying, a large hole was instantly drilled into the earth. As for Drilbur, like a fish in water, it had already vanished without a trace.
Meowth's pounce hit nothing but air. It was a step too late.
"Damn it!" Luke gritted his teeth, his face as dark as water. He knew he had already lost. Just like with Tyrogue, as long as Drilbur used "Dig," his Meowth was helpless. If this Meowth knew the move "Odor Sleuth," it might have been able to track Drilbur's movements and dodge at the moment of its attack.
Unfortunately, Luke's Meowth had not yet mastered Odor Sleuth. So, he had lost.
Luke also tried to have Meowth constantly run and change positions to prevent Drilbur from hitting it. But the Drilbur underground was not panicked, as steady as an old dog. If Meowth ran fast, it would just rest underground. In any case, if Meowth kept running at high speed, its stamina would quickly run out. The little mole was as steady as Mount Tai. But if Meowth didn't run fast enough, then it was no different from not running at all. It wasn't difficult for Drilbur to lock onto it from underground based on the vibrations.
On top of that, Drilbur's digging speed was very fast, and after using its Ground-type energy to vibrate the soil, the noise it made was particularly small. Meowth had no way to prepare in advance.
It had to be said, Dig was also quite a dirty move at this stage.
So, after a grind of a full five minutes and taking two hits from Dig, Meowth finally, unwillingly, lost its ability to battle.
"We have a winner! After defeating contestant Luke and his Meowth, contestant Basalt and his Drilbur have finally obtained a ticket to the finals."
"Let's give our warmest round of applause to congratulate contestant Basalt on entering the finals…"
The commentator's high-pitched voice rang out, his emotions running high. Seeing their idol advance, Basalt's fans were naturally very happy and cooperated by shouting loudly. The atmosphere in the venue reached its third climax.
After the shouts gradually subsided, the host, Hudson, appeared again in a timely manner, announcing a short intermission. After the contestants and their Pokémon had recovered their stamina and adjusted their states, the final match would begin.
…
In the contestant waiting room.
Basalt fed Drilbur a few Oran Berries and then sprayed some Super Potion on the little mole's chest. The little mole's injuries weren't serious to begin with. With its constitution, half an hour was enough to recover, so there was no need to go to the treatment center.
"Drilbur, next up is the finals. As long as you win the finals and become the champion, I will not go back on my promise to give you that Type Gem."
Basalt flicked Drilbur's big red nose, preparing to motivate the little mole.
"Chari~" (▼へ▼)
Drilbur nodded solemnly. I will definitely win this match!
"Basalt, I hope we can have a battle that neither of us will regret."
Just then, Luna, holding her Smoochum, walked over and looked at Basalt with a smile.
"Don't worry, I will go all out."
Basalt nodded in acknowledgment and shook hands with Luna. In any case, they were in the finals now. It was time to bring out his little mole's full strength.
Hearing the words "all out," Drilbur's eyes suddenly lit up. The corners of its mouth curled up slightly, full of excitement.
Finally, this moment has arrived!
Drilbur: (^ω^)
No more pretending, I'm laying my cards on the table!
I, the Flash, the Mole Emperor, Quicksilver, am invincible!