This job is way more stressful than I expected.
He truly didn’t know how to spice up his commentary anymore.
His only saving grace so far had been praising Lapras to the skies. After all, what else could he talk about?
The Trainer munching on chips during a battle? Yeah, right.
If it weren’t for the fact that I need money right now, there’s no way I’d be doing this gig, Ice thought with resignation.
Honestly, so far, none of these rookie Trainers seem particularly impressive, he mused as he floated around the nine fields, waiting for the fourth round to begin.
But then something caught his eye.
“Hmm? There’s a Squirtle and a Bulbasaur on Field 8.”
Excited at the sight of a starter showdown, he swooped closer to prepare his commentary.
“Let’s turn our attention to Field 8! What a rare treat—both Trainers here have starter Pokémon! This is a clash between Squirtle and Bulbasaur!”
James let out a sarcastic laugh, his tone dripping with disdain.
On the field below, James’s face stiffened as he eyed the Squirtle released by Emma. Something about it seemed… different.
But he couldn’t quite figure out what it was.
His mood soured further as he thought about how he’d been reprimanded by the officials earlier. The memory only deepened his resentment, which he quickly directed at the boy Emma had called “Ethan.”
If it weren’t for that guy, James thought bitterly, Emma would never have rejected me.
His voice turned venomous. “I’ve already told you—your Squirtle doesn’t stand a chance against my Bulbasaur!”
“Wha—?!”
James’s smug laugh was cut short as a sharp Water Gun shot out with blistering speed and precision, striking Bulbasaur squarely.
The force of the attack elicited a pained cry from Bulbasaur: “Saur! Saur!”
James’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Emma’s Squirtle.
Just a few days ago, this Squirtle’s Water Gun didn’t even faze my Bulbasaur…
How could it suddenly pack such a punch?!
“Great job, Squirtle! Do it again!” Emma exclaimed with excitement.
“D-dodge it! Quickly!” James stammered, frantically issuing a command.
But it was too late. After already taking one hit, Bulbasaur was sluggish. The Water Gun, honed through countless special training sessions with Ethan’s Snivy, struck home again.
Bulbasaur staggered, unable to avoid the precise assault.
High above the field, commentator Ice couldn’t help but silently commend the performance.
That Squirtle’s accuracy and timing… clearly the result of rigorous training. Not bad at all.
Emma didn’t bother replying, her expression calm and composed. A satisfied smile tugged at her lips as she thought, Ethan was right—as long as I ignore him, he’ll get flustered on his own.
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As for whether I can win…
The referee’s call to begin the match echoed across the field.
Emma wasted no time. Her voice rang out confidently as she commanded, “Squirtle, show the results of your training these past few days—Water Gun!”
“Ha! Your weakling Squirtle’s Water Gun? Like it’ll even land a hit on my Bulbasaur!” James scoffed arrogantly.
“Huh, this Squirtle’s not bad,” Ice mused as he observed the match. “The mastery over Water Gun is quite impressive.”
Still, one thing puzzled him.
“Though… it doesn’t quite seem like something this girl could’ve raised herself.”
Emma’s face lit up with genuine surprise at Squirtle’s performance, as if she hadn’t expected it to reach this level.
Weird… Ice Li shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it. “Guess I’ll check out another group.”
With that, he directed his Aegislash to fly toward the Ninth Group’s match.
“Damn it! Sandslash, use a combo move!”
The buzz-cut boy’s voice rang out, tinged with frustration and disbelief as he faced Ethan’s Snivy.
Up to this point in the battle, he’d already commanded Sandslash to use three different moves: Rollout, Poison Sting, and Fury Cutter.
But none of them had managed to threaten Snivy in the slightest.
- Rolloutand Poison Sting were dodged with ease.
- Fury Cutter? Blocked cleanly by Leaf Blade.
It didn’t feel like a battle.
Instead, it felt as if Snivy was using Sandslash as a whetstone to sharpen its skills.
"That's enough, isn't it?" Ethan asked, his voice calm, as he communicated with Snivy through his Verdant Force ability.
"Snivy~," Snivy nodded, understanding the cue.
Ethan smirked faintly and issued a casual command:
"Use Vine Whip."
Sandslash, still rolling with the momentum of Rollout, had already unfurled its body mid-air, claws glowing menacingly with the white energy of Fury Cutter.
It looked like the perfect setup for a decisive blow.
But in the blink of an eye—
Two green vines lashed out like snapping whips, striking Sandslash with precision. The impact was so powerful it sent the Ground-type Pokémon hurtling through the air, spinning uncontrollably before crashing to the ground a full ten meters away.
This was the power of Snivy’s Vine Whip.
With its maxed-out Speed IVs and the mastery gained from countless hours of “weeding practice,” Snivy could unleash devastating strikes almost instantaneously.
The buzz-cut boy had been grinning moments earlier, confident as Snivy didn’t dodge Sandslash’s combo attack.
But now, with his highly anticipated combo move utterly countered and his Sandslash sent flying with a single whip, the buzz-cut boy’s eyes widened in shock.
"What the—? Are you kidding me?! How is this even possible?"
Sandslash lay sprawled on the ground, struggling to stand after taking just one hit from Snivy’s Vine Whip.
This only deepened the boy’s disbelief.
He knew his Sandslash inside and out—it might lack offensive power, but its defense and stamina were top-tier.
And yet…
“How can your Snivy be this strong?” he demanded, his voice tinged with frustration and disbelief.
Ethan paused for a moment, as if in thought, before replying with a nonchalant smile:
"If you have got questions, head to Neighbor's Breeding House in Willow Town. All the secrets to Snivy’s strength are there."
"Snivy~?"
Snivy turned its head, its bright amber eyes staring at Ethan in confusion.
How did this suddenly become about me?
"Relax," Ethan murmured through his Verdant Force, "just a little advertising."
"Snivy…"
Clearly, Snivy still didn’t realize it had become the centerpiece of its Trainer’s marketing strategy.
“Got it! Thanks for the advice!”
The buzz-cut boy gave Ethan a sincere nod of appreciation before retreating with his Sandslash in tow.
In his mind, this battle had been incredibly rewarding.
Especially after seeing Ethan’s calm and composed demeanor, both during and after the match, the boy felt like he had gained new insight.
As a Trainer, one must remain unfazed, as steady as a mountain, whether facing triumph or disaster!
“This Snivy…”
High above on Aegislash, commentator Ice couldn’t help but feel surprised as he observed Ethan and Snivy.
As a Gym-level Trainer, his perspective was far sharper than that of the average spectator, most of whom were here simply because it was free.
The bond of trust between Snivy and its Trainer was unmistakable, evident in every move and command exchanged during the battle.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk…”
Ice clicked his tongue as his gaze shifted toward the contestant seating at Field 1, where the Trainer of the powerful Lapras lounged.
So much pomp and circumstance… it’d be a shame if this whole setup backfired, he thought with a sly smirk.
An odd impulse stirred within him.
What no one besides Ice and the event organizer—aka the owner of the Wangwang Supermarket—knew was this: the tournament wasn’t entirely fair.
There was a degree of… manipulation behind the scenes.
The so-called “randomized matchups” weren’t exactly random.
As the commentator, Ice had a hand in determining which contestants would face off after the group stages.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
I should arrange it so Ethan and his Snivy can face the Lapras Trainer head-on.
If the two were to meet in a pure, unfiltered battle…
Now that’s the kind of match that’ll make this tournament truly exciting.