Chuck recall Heracross into its Poké Ball but hesitated before sending out his third Pokémon.
Losing two Pokémon in a row, beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Logic told him that now was the time to forfeit; he still had nine more battles ahead!
This was his third time competing in the Gym Leader Qualification Tournament.
The first time, he wasn't strong enough; the second time, he stubbornly fought through four days but burned out completely.
This time, he didn't want to disappoint Bruno, didn't want his mother nagging him, and didn't want to see his father's graying hair as he kept managing the Gym alone!
"I forfeit…"
…
On the second day, Sato continued his winning streak, securing ten consecutive victories and once again drawing the attention of the entire tournament!
As of now, only two Trainers remained undefeated: Sato and one other contestant, who Sato hadn't yet identified.
All he had heard was that the mysterious competitor was incredibly strong and specialized in Psychic-type Pokémon.
Psychic-types, huh?
While waiting for their Pokémon to be treated, Sato and his friends gathered to discuss their battle records and exchange information on key opponents.
"My winning streak was broken by some guy named Wusong," Norman muttered, clearly annoyed.
"Lucian? That's the same guy who's undefeated like Sato, right?"
"Yeah." Norman nodded in response to Winona's question, but he wasn't as energetic as usual.
It was only the second day, and he had already lost a match... of course, he wasn't happy.
"What about you two?" Sato shifted the topic to Clair and Winona.
"I only lost three battles!"
Clair looked excited, this was a better performance than she had expected.
If she kept this up, she might actually pass the qualification tournament!
"I was close… lost four matches in total, two per day."
Winona seemed frustrated, but only because everyone else's records were better than hers. In truth, she was quite satisfied with her own results.
"You guys must be exhausted after two days of battles. Since I'm a Pokémon Breeder, once the Joys finish healing your Pokémon, I'll help reduce your fatigue."
Joseph had gradually stopped worrying about returning to Kalos. Since Sato and Winona were both competing, he had no reason to leave just yet.
"Wait, really?! Why didn't you say you were a Breeder sooner?!"
Clair immediately perked up, speaking without thinking.
"Heh." Joseph simply smiled without answering.
----
Once everyone's Pokémon had been fully treated, the group headed toward a small forested area near the Pokémon Center.
They found a large clearing, and everyone sent out their teams.
Sato's six Pokémon were all Dark-types.
Winona specialized in Flying-types, with her Altaria and shiny Swellow standing out.
Clair focused on Dragon-types, but since Dragon Pokémon were rare, her team was a pseudo-Dragon lineup at best.
Of course, being a member of the Dragon Tamer clan gave her the connections needed to register her team as official.
Her ace was her starter Pokémon, a Kingdra at Mid Elite level.
In addition, she had three Elite-level Pokémon: Gyarados, Charizard, and Ampharos; giving her incredible type coverage!
Meanwhile, Norman's team was even stronger than Sato's in raw power!
He had two Peak Elite Pokémon: Kangaskhan and Snorlax.
And four Mid Elite Pokémon: Linoone, Chansey, Vigoroth, and Pidgeot!
Norman had always acted friendly and carefree, never giving off the impression of a top-tier Trainer.
Aside from Sato, no one had expected him to be this strong!
"What about your Slaking?"
Sato distinctly remembered how Norman's Slaking had dominated the Young Elite Tournament.
"It's too lazy, there's no way it would fight for six days straight…" Norman sighed helplessly.
Everyone laughed at the explanation, it made perfect sense.
Meanwhile, Joseph quietly released his own Pokémon Florges and Wigglytuff.
"Florges, Grassy Terrain! Wigglytuff, Heal Bell!"
A lush green glow spread across the area, gentle energy filling the bodies of the Pokémon, bringing a soothing sense of relaxation.
At that moment, Wigglytuff held a tiny microphone and began to sing softly.
There was no drowsy feeling, only a soothing sensation that sent tingles down the spine!
A combination of Heal Bell and Sing!
That night, after returning to his room, Sato used his own method to relieve his Pokémon's fatigue.
Dark Energy massage!
Since all six of his Pokémon were Dark-types, the Dark Energy could be applied directly to them.
By coating his hands with a faint layer of Dark Energy, Sato could massage their muscles, allowing the energy to seep into their bodies.
This technique helped restore overused muscles, enhancing their endurance.
However, this required extreme control over Dark Energy; it was a wild and aggressive power by nature.
Applying too much would cause sharp pain, making it impossible for his Pokémon to rest properly.
Applying too little would fail to stimulate recovery, making it ineffective.
Each of his six Pokémon had different physical structures and could withstand varying amounts of Dark Energy.
Giving them all a full-body massage was a massive task.
By the time Sato finished, it was already past 1 AM.
He recalled his Pokémon into their Poké Balls to let them rest properly.
Instead of sleeping, Sato entered a meditative state. After using fine control over Dark Energy for so long, meditation would further enhance his mastery!
----
The next morning, Sato and his Pokémon were fully refreshed and headed to the battle grounds.
Many other contestants, however, were starting to show signs of exhaustion. Yawning, rubbing their eyes, barely keeping up with the tournament's intensity.
Winona and the others soon arrived as well; compared to the rest, they still seemed fine.
Joseph's Wigglytuff had proven incredibly useful.
Its Heal Bell and Sing combination not only helped Pokémon recover, but also relaxed Trainers, reducing their fatigue.
Because of this, they had already decided to return to the forest again tonight!
"Matchmaking for Round 21 begins now!"
As the screen displayed the random matchups, Sato's name appeared first!
His opponent was… Winona!
"Sato, do you know… you've earned yourself a new nickname?" Winona sighed as soon as she saw the match lineup. Before Sato could answer, her tone turned sharp. "The Successor Slayer!"
"Ahahaha! That's perfect!"
Norman burst out laughing, but suddenly felt two dangerously intense glares lock onto him.
"Uh… oh! My match just got assigned. I'll be leaving now!"
Norman ran off without hesitation, completely ignoring Winona and Clair's murderous stares.
"If this were a 3v3 Rotation Battle or a 4v4 Double Battle, I'd forfeit immediately! But since this is a 1v1 battle, I'm going all in!"
Winona declared firmly before heading toward the battlefield.