Kyle had once battled alongside his father, grandfather, and Cynthia.
He lost, of course—but he accepted those defeats. After all, he was still only at Elite level, while Cynthia and her family stood among Champions. He had always believed the gap was simply raw strength.
But he never imagined the environment itself could reveal such a glaring weakness in his battling style.
This match against Ash forced him to confront that truth.
His complete reliance on Fire-type Pokémon was not simply a stylistic choice—it was a strategic flaw.
And for that, Kyle was genuinely grateful to Ash.
He even thought, now more than ever, that Ash was the one truly suited to stand beside Cynthia.
However—he could not simply forfeit to acknowledge that.
Sam Blackstone could afford to withdraw from his match earlier without backlash because:
His battle had already been spectacular
His strength had been recognized
And, most importantly, Sam was from Kanto, so the local audience would not resent him
Kyle did not have that privilege.
He was from Sinnoh, and the first heir of the Varenza family.
If he surrendered here, it would not just be his reputation damaged—Sinnoh viewers would resent him, and the Varenza family would be shamed.
But if he fought to the end and lost, people would simply say:
"Ash is Champion-tier. Kyle is Elite-tier. He fought well. There is no shame."
That was why Kyle chose to continue.
And that determination earned even more respect from the spectators—and from Elder Sada Varenza, who watched silently from the reception room.
Ash also nodded.
Thanks to Cynthia, Ash didn't mind guiding Kyle a bit.
Kyle's mindset was good. His heart was in the right place.
With growth, he would become a foundation for the Varenza family's future.
But now—the battle had gone on long enough.
Pidgeot soared overhead, wings gleaming with condensed Aura-infused wind.
"Pidgeot—let's finish it. Spiral Gale Burst—continuous fire!"
"Pi—dgeoooot!"
Pidgeot formed multiple compressed wind-Aura spheres, launching them in rapid succession toward Magcargo.
Announcer: "Incredible! Ash's Pidgeot is unleashing that unknown spiral technique again! Can Kyle's Magcargo hold on!?"
It couldn't.
The power difference was simply too great.
Ash still had three fully capable Pokémon, while Kyle's last fighter was already exhausted.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The arena shook.
Even though Magcargo withdrew into its shell, Spiral Gale Burst struck internally.
No shell could protect from force that detonated from within.
In under thirty seconds, Magcargo collapsed.
Referee:
"Magcargo is unable to battle!
The winner is Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town!"
Announcer:
"That concludes the Top 8 match between Ash and Kyle Verenza!
Advancing into the Top 4—Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"
The crowd erupted.
"ASH! ASH! ASH!"
"He's incredible! His Pokémon look ordinary—but their power is unreal!"
"So it wasn't the Pokémon that were weak… it was the trainers before him!"
Cheers shook the stadium.
Kyle returned Magcargo, exhaling softly.
"…I lost. Thank you for the guidance, Ash."
He smiled—tired, but sincere.
"Next time, I won't be this easy to read. And—please take care of Cynthia. She's like a sister to me. So don't bully her."
After retrieving the Magcargo, Kyle Verenza walked over to Ash, extending his right hand. Ash returned the gesture, their handshake firm and straightforward.
"Relax," Ash said calmly, meeting Kyle's gaze. "Cynthia is my fiancée. I would never do anything to hurt her."
With the quarterfinals concluded, the matches for the day drew to a close.
By nightfall, only four trainers remained in the tournament.
Quarterfinal Results
Ash vs. Kazuya Verenza
Ito Makoto vs. Ferb Ignatius
Sam Blackstone vs. Tano Akiyama
Mugino vs. Giovanni
These determined the four advancing trainers.
Semifinal Lineup
Ash vs. Sam Blackstone
Mugino vs. Ito Makoto
The outcomes were clear.
Mugino unfortunately faced Ito Makoto, whose battle style was ruthless and uncompromising.
Mugino's Pokémon suffered severe injuries, forcing him to stop at the semifinals.
As for Ash's match with Sam Blackstone, it was nearly one-sided. Sam's strength was undeniable, but his arrogance held him back. His intentions weren't malicious—but with that mindset, he simply couldn't compete with Ash's clarity and resolve.
Now, all eyes turned to the finals—a match that everyone in both Kanto and Sinnoh eagerly anticipated:
Ash vs. Ito Makoto
A battle that would determine whose region stood stronger.
Because of the match's significance, the championship was scheduled three days later.
Tension grew across Kanto, especially due to Ito Makoto's harsh and widely criticized battle methods.
The decisive battle was approaching.
...
TN:
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