"Don't worry, I won't," Nathan replied with a smile and a nod.
"That's good to hear! Be sure to bring out your Volcarona!" Willow said excitedly, then immediately rushed into the contestant tunnel.
Nathan also stepped into the tunnel.
He was well aware of Willow's Pokémon lineup.
Her main partner was a Charizard — Old Flame.
The second was a Ninetales.
Pangoro could fight Ninetales, but from a type matchup standpoint, Willows's Charizard posed a threat to both of Nathan's Pokémon.
While pondering this, Nathan stepped out of the preparation hall and entered the battlefield.
On the commentary stand, the two commentators were already hyped up.
"Good afternoon, everyone! This afternoon marks the opening of the semifinals, and the very first match is between Nathan Vesper and Willow Blaze!"
"That's right! Both trainers are top-tier among rookie Trainers. Nathan has a Volcarona at the Elite level, while Willow's Charizard and Ninetales are formidable in their own right!"
As the commentators spoke, the referee raised his flag.
The match began.
Willow called out with anticipation, "Let's battle, Ninetales!"
A beam of red light flashed.
A graceful Ninetales, its coat shimmering with luster, appeared on the battlefield.
Ninetales — a Fire-type Pokémon — is renowned for its long lifespan, living for up to a thousand years. It could practically be passed down as a family heirloom.
This particular Ninetales had a powerful aura and was likely of the Commander class.
Nathan took out Pangoro's Poké Ball and calmly said, "Come on out, Pangoro."
"Raargh!"
With a roar, Pangoro appeared, eyes full of fighting spirit, staring down Ninetales without an ounce of fear.
By now, Pangoro had gained a wealth of battle experience — certainly a veteran compared to rookie Trainers.
That's why Nathan was confident in winning this battle.
"Pangoro, take the initiative! Dash in with Shave, then use Thunder Punch!" Nathan ordered.
Hearing this, Pangoro let out a roar, stepped forward, and launched like a cannonball straight toward Ninetales.
Willow quickly waved his hand and shouted, "Ninetales, don't let it get close! Use Quick Attack to dodge, then Sunny Day!"
"Woo~!"
Ninetales cried out, swiftly dashing away like a streak of light, putting distance between itself and Pangoro. Then it tilted its head back and let out a howl.
The temperature rose instantly.
The sunlight in the sky grew dazzling.
Sunny Day had been activated.
"Use Mystical Fire!" Willow followed up with another command.
Ninetales opened its mouth and spat a wave of scorching flames that surged toward Pangoro.
Nathan remained calm. "Dodge with Paper Art, then close the gap."
"Raargh."
At the sound of Nathan's voice, Pangoro's body began to twist and flow like a thin piece of paper dancing in the wind, letting the fire pass just inches from its side.
Then, Pangoro immediately charged toward Ninetales.
Ninetales had decent Special Defense, but its physical defense was average at best — and it wasn't good at taking hits. Knowing this, Willow wasn't about to let Pangoro get close.
Otherwise, just one Arm Thrust could really mess Ninetales up.
Without hesitation, she shouted, "Ninetales, use Fake Tears, then Fire Blast!"
"Woo~"
As Pangoro quickly approached, tears welled up in Ninetales' eyes, making it look pitiful and vulnerable. Pangoro hesitated for a moment, stunned by the display.
Taking advantage of that moment, Ninetales lifted its head and launched a Fire Blast.
The large, flame-shaped character "大" blazed across the field, roaring toward Pangoro with searing heat. It was nearly impossible for Pangoro to dodge at that distance.
"Dodge with Shave!"
Nathan's eyes gleamed with determination. He carefully judged the distance between Pangoro and Ninetales.
As Pangoro's form flickered and dodged the Fire Blast, Nathan gave the next command. "That distance is enough! Pangoro, burst your speed! End it — Swords Dance into Arm Thrust!"
Earlier, it was mentioned that Shave was a burst-type movement skill for short to mid-range distance — capable of extremely fast dashes.
The current distance between Pangoro and Ninetales was perfect.
"Raargh!"
Pangoro roared and vanished from its spot, launching forward with Shave. As it charged, it envisioned the audience cheering for it after victory, fueling its battle spirit.
As it neared Ninetales, Pangoro didn't hesitate and struck with a powerful Arm Thrust.
Its speed was so fast that Pangoro appeared as a blur in Ninetales' eyes.
Willow called out, "Flamethrower!"
Ninetales, being his second Pokémon, didn't know many moves. If it did, it might have avoided the attack. But now, it had no choice but to trade blows.
"Woo~!"
Ninetales cried out and unleashed a stream of fire.
Boom!
Both Pokémon were struck and sent flying, crashing into the ground and kicking up dust.
But compared to Ninetales, Pangoro got back on its feet quickly. Even though it had taken damage, it was still full of fighting spirit.
Ninetales, however, was clearly severely injured and struggled to rise.
"Finish it! Shave + Tackle!" Nathan ordered.
Without hesitation, Pangoro leapt into action.
The burst speed of Shave, paired with the forceful body strike of Tackle, made the attack faster and more powerful.
Just as Ninetales had managed to get back up, it was knocked down again — and this time, it couldn't get back up.
[Name: Pangoro]
[Abilities: Iron Fist (Increases power of punching moves); Sap Sipper (Grants immunity to Grass-type moves and raises Attack when hit)]
[Type: Fighting + Dark]
[Description: Pangoro, the Dauntless Pokémon. Evolution of Pancham. Hot-tempered and always looking for a fight. The bamboo leaf in its mouth acts as a sensory organ, detecting nearby movements.
[Level: 39 (Commander Tier: 31–40)]
[Moves: Shave, Iron Body, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Crunch, Hammer Arm...]
Originally at level 36, Pangoro had reached level 39 after yesterday's and today's battles.
The referee waved his flag.
Willow recalled Ninetales and said with anticipation, "Nathan, aren't you going to bring out your Volcarona? Your Pangoro doesn't stand a chance against my Charizard."
"Come out, Charizard!"
"Roaaar!"
With a red beam and a loud roar, a large figure appeared on the battlefield.
It radiated a powerful aura — with a strong, muscular frame and a serious expression, this Charizard clearly wasn't ordinary.
"As you wish." Nathan smiled and recalled Pangoro.
Pangoro wasn't suited to face this Charizard, due to both a level gap and a disadvantage in typing.
Besides, the difference in training time was obvious.
Charizard was clearly a long-term partner, raised by Willow since childhood. That made it even stronger than an average Pokémon of the same level.
This opponent could only be handled by Volcarona.
Nathan unfastened the Poké Ball from around his neck, the corners of his mouth lifting. "This battle's yours, Volcarona. End it as fast as possible."
A red light flashed.
Volcarona appeared once more, its overwhelming presence filling the arena.
Its blazing body was like a miniature sun, dominating the field from the moment it emerged.
..
Feeling the intense pressure radiating from Volcarona, Charizard's expression grew grim — but it didn't show fear. Instead, it raised its head and roared, spewing flames as if to show its fighting spirit.
The battle resumed.
Both were powerful Pokémon — but Volcarona was at the Elite level.
"Charizard, take to the skies!" Willow shouted, pointing. "Lock on to the target's position! Use Smokescreen to hide your movements, then Air Slash!"
As soon as the command was given, Charizard launched into action.
Its wings flapped and it dove low, spewing out thick smoke that formed a solid wall between it and Volcarona — obstructing visibility.
But Charizard had already locked onto Volcarona's location. With another powerful flap, it launched a blade of wind that sliced through the smoke and flew straight toward Volcarona — fast and deadly.
"Evade! Use Heat Wave with Whirlwind!" Nathan instructed calmly.
Volcarona shifted with a flicker, its body vanishing like a mirage as it easily dodged the attack.
Then, it flapped its wings — unleashing a blast of heat that surged forward.
Right after, Volcarona's wings stirred again, producing a powerful gust that amplified the Heat Wave into a scorching tempest. The smoke was instantly blown away, and the fiery wind swept across the battlefield — washing over Charizard.
Charizard's skin reddened from the heat, and a few injuries from the force of the wind appeared on its body.