Damian's second Pokémon was a Parasect. Facing it, Natsui also switched his Pokémon, sending out his Charizard.
However, the battle against Charizard was a bitter experience for the Parasect; at one point, it was nearly burned into a roasted bug!
So much so that when Damian recalled the unconscious Parasect into its Poké Ball, its body was still emitting a bit of black smoke, giving off the smell of burnt, cooked meat.
Finally, with no other options, Damian had to once again send out his most trusted partner, the very Marowak that had brought him his final victory in the previous round's battle.
Natsui thought for a moment, then also recalled Charizard and let Haunter take the stage to get a feel for the tournament atmosphere.
When the match began, just as Damian was about to have Marowak give it its all for one last struggle, he found that this battle was somewhat subverting his understanding of things.
The opposing trainer didn't even need to give any commands; this incredibly strong Haunter had already completely gained the upper hand.
However, Haunter didn't seem to be in a hurry to end the battle. Instead, with a playful mindset, it toyed with Marowak, tangling with it bit by bit, running it in circles until Marowak's stamina was completely depleted, before ending the battle with a grin.
And what drove Damian the most insane, and what he was most helpless about, was that throughout the entire process, Marowak hadn't managed to land a single hit on Haunter.
Finally, the referee raised the colored flag in his left hand and announced the result of the match.
"All of the green corner's Pokémon have been defeated! The winner is the competitor from the red corner!"
When the result was announced, the announcer shouted, "Wow, an impressive match! Including these three duels, competitor Natsui has sent out a total of six different Pokémon to battle, and every single one has achieved victory with a huge advantage! His strength and momentum are in no way inferior to any of the top contenders for the championship. He has become a true dark horse!"
The audience gave Natsui a warm round of applause, and by winning this match, his base of supporters was also rapidly growing.
After the match, back at the same ice cream shop, Natsui, Koharu, Misa, and Masa sat at a table, watching the live broadcast of other matches on TV while waiting for the result of Ash's match.
However, unlike Natsui's 3-0 victory, Ash's battle was exceptionally difficult.
Both he and his opponent were down to their last Pokémon. At the critical moment, it was thanks to his Squirtle defeating the opponent's Nidorino that he finally secured the win.
"That was a close one," Koharu said after watching, unable to help but worry about Ash's condition. "It's only the second round, and it was already so tough. Will the matches ahead become even more strenuous?"
"It shouldn't be a big problem," Natsui explained. "Although this match was very risky and he almost lost, if you look, not only did Charizard not appear, but even Pikachu didn't enter the battle. He's probably hiding his strength."
"Does he still need to hide it at this stage?" Masa put his hands behind his head and lamented, "If he keeps hiding it, isn't he afraid he'll hide it all the way until next year? If it were me, I'd definitely go all out, play it safe, and aim for a stable advancement."
At that moment, Natsui suddenly noticed a biker in the corner, looking through his wallet and sighing silently.
Seeing this, he suddenly remembered that these people, unlike him and Ash, couldn't stay in the athlete's village with free meals.
They had to pay for all their own food, clothing, and lodging. Their daily living expenses were a huge cost.
"Misa, while I'm grateful you all came to cheer for me, is it okay with your jobs? And I remember, weren't some of you still in school? Since the thought is what counts, maybe you should head back. Cheering for me on TV is just the same."
Following Natsui's gaze, Misa instantly understood his intention.
"Don't worry, Big Bro. You don't need to worry about us," Misa waved her hand nonchalantly. "Actually, even if we didn't know you, we dregs of society can't sit still anyway. Every year at this time, whether it means skipping work or skipping class, we'd definitely come here to watch the matches and join in the fun."
Masa also said, "That's right, that's right! And I specially brought a lot of tents. Camping out in the wild with a dozen or so people like this is very interesting!"
Hearing them say that, Koharu couldn't help but look down at the tips of her shoes.
Isn't that too crazy?
In fact, a good girl like her would never, under any circumstances, be like them, willing to skip class just to come here and watch the matches.
If it weren't for her mother getting her leave from school, and her own strong desire to accompany Natsui to the competition, according to her life so far, she had always stayed far away from such out-of-line things.
However, since the topic of money had come up, Masa suddenly said, "By the way, Boss, did you know? I heard this year's prize money has increased compared to last year. If you win the championship, the reward is over three million!"
Koharu said in surprise, "There's prize money!?"
"Of course there is! Even for third place, it seems you can get over eight hundred thousand!" Masa shrugged. "The Pokémon League is loaded; they're not a stingy organization. Besides, why do these trainers go through so much trouble to participate in the Pokémon League? Besides fame, what is it for? Isn't it for this prize money!"
Prize money, huh...
Natsui nodded. If he could really win that prize money, then for a long time to come, he wouldn't have to worry about money anymore.
...
Although the tournament schedule was shortened due to the reduced number of competitors, the second round of matches still took a day and a half to complete.
However, compared to the first round, the timing was indeed much more relaxed. Each competitor had a long preparation gap, and they no longer had to fight with exhausted bodies into the night.
And besides the daytime matches, on the several streets next to the Indigo Stadium, every night, there were not only stalls selling merchandise but also various activities and performances.
Just like tonight, huge lantern floats decorated as Pokémon, playing dynamic music, passed in an orderly fashion through the streets, adding a thick festive atmosphere to the conference.
After dinner, Natsui and Koharu walked along the street, tasting snacks while enjoying the scenery along the way.
And when passing by a doll stall, Natsui even bought a cute stuffed toy and gave it to Koharu.
It was just that because he now had some fame, from time to time, spectators who recognized him would come up and greet him enthusiastically.
Besides asking for autographs, the most common request was to take a photo with him as a souvenir.
After dealing with a dozen or so groups of people intermittently, Koharu couldn't help but chuckle when she saw Natsui sigh helplessly.
"Natsui, you're a celebrity now!"
"What celebrity? More like just a name." Natsui shook his head with a wry smile. Although he had become famous, it hadn't brought about any change in his mindset.
He was still the same person he had always been and would not become arrogant or proud because of it.
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