Chapter 49: VS the Bald Little Cutie
As contestants, Basalt and the other 15 who had advanced were taken to a nearby luxury hotel. If they wanted to eat, they could go downstairs for the buffet. If they wanted to rest, they could rest in their rooms. They just had to be back at the gymnasium by two in the afternoon to compete. It had to be said, an official tournament was an official tournament; the logistical support was very thoughtful.
In the buffet restaurant, Basalt was feasting with an open stomach. In contrast, on Drilbur's plate opposite him, there was only a single piece of braised pork and a few vegetables.
"Chari~" (▼皿▼#)
Drilbur was furious.
Why do I only get to eat one piece of braised pork, while you're stuffing your face with fish, meat, and shrimp? I'm the one doing the fighting, and you're just moving your lips on the sidelines!
Looking at Basalt, whose face was almost buried in his plate, Drilbur couldn't help but get angry.
"Nom~ nom~"
Basalt chewed on the delicious food. Seeing Drilbur's unhappy face, he quickly said earnestly, "Drilbur, I'm doing this for your own good! You're the one competing this afternoon. Maintaining your condition is the most important thing. If you don't practice restraint, what if you get an upset stomach?"
Shoving another chicken leg into his mouth, Basalt continued, "Your mission right now is to stay in top shape and keep winning this afternoon."
Drilbur: (fಠ_ಠ)f
The little mole was still unhappy. Whatever you say, you're always right!
"Sigh, you're thinking too small… your perspective is too small!" Basalt peeled another large shrimp and put it in his mouth, acting heartbroken as he said indistinctly, "It's just one big meal. If you ask for it, would I not arrange it for you?"
"How about this: I promise, as long as you win the championship, not only will I buy you a complete Ground-type Gem, but I'll also arrange three big meals like this one for you. All the braised pork you can eat. How about it?"
"Chari~~" (๑˘ε˘๑)
Hmm~~ alright then!
So, it seems I really did misunderstand Basalt. He was really just worried about my condition, not being stingy!
Sigh, I'm such a bad mole. The competition isn't even over, and I was already doubting my own trainer.
At this moment, Drilbur was filled with shame.
…
After lunch and feeding Drilbur some Pokéblocks, man and mole took a nice nap together. Before they knew it, it was almost two o'clock.
"Welcome back, everyone. We will now continue with the second and third rounds of the main tournament."
The host, Hudson, was also full of energy. Although he spoke very quickly, his enunciation was crystal clear. The guy was truly talented.
The competition continued according to the groups.
Luna's Smoochum once again one-shotted its opponent with a single Icy Wind.
Felix's Gligar, although it didn't get a one-hit KO, still won very easily with Poison Sting and Bulldoze. This was because Felix's opponent was Frank. Munchlax's Harden + Rollout combo was completely ineffective against the flying Gligar. Although Frank and Munchlax didn't give up, relying on the move "Round" to fight back, after three Poison Stings, Munchlax was poisoned, and its strength was greatly reduced.
In the end, Frank's journey stopped at the Top 16.
"Basalt, you're the only one left from our class now. You have to do your best!" Frank returned to the contestant waiting room dejectedly.
"Don't worry. I'm much stronger than you think!" Basalt smiled slightly and gave a thumbs-up, his teeth flashing, looking just like a certain ninja.
Frank was gone. Basalt now carried the hopes of the class and was still fighting.
Soon, it was Basalt's turn.
This time, his opponent was a skinny young man whose starter Pokémon was the Water-type, Squirtle. Basalt had seen him fight; his Squirtle's development of the Water-type was quite high, and its Water Gun was very powerful.
On the battlefield, the two trainers took their positions and released their Pokémon.
"Squirtle~~ Squirtle~~"
The bald little cutie, Squirtle, patted its own shell, then looked at Drilbur, full of energy.
Squirtle was a small, turtle-like Pokémon. Its body was light blue and was encased in a hard shell. The back of the shell was brown, and the belly was light yellow, with a white, wavy border between the two. In addition, Squirtle had a pair of large purple eyes, four limbs with three toes each, and a small, wave-shaped tail.
This was one of the few Pokémon in the world whose cuteness couldn't be hidden even by being bald.
"As expected, no opponent who makes it this far is simple. This Squirtle's shell looks very sturdy!" Basalt blinked, then looked at Drilbur's outstretched, sharp claws.
Hmm? My little mole has claws made of metal? Oh, then it's fine.
No matter how hard your turtle shell is, it's still made of bone. My little mole's claws have been enhanced with a special Metal Coating. Nothing to fear!
"Both contestants, take your positions. Let the battle begin!"
With the referee's command, Basalt's second match of the main tournament officially started.
"Squirtle, use Water Gun!"
The opposing trainer gave a decisive command. The Ground-type Drilbur had very poor resistance to Water-type moves. As long as Water Gun hit, it could definitely take away at least half of Drilbur's stamina.
"Rapid Spin, for a defensive counter-attack!"
Basalt waved his hand, unhurried.
FWOOSH!
Squirtle took a deep breath, and a column of water as thick as a human wrist shot out from its mouth. It was powerful and fast, shooting straight towards them.
"Chari~"
Drilbur let out a sharp cry, its body suddenly spinning, instantly becoming a vortex of energy that deflected the incoming jet of water, turning it into a fine mist that spread everywhere.
At the same time, the Rock-type energy on Drilbur's body began to gather. Behind it, a watermelon-sized rock projectile suddenly formed. Under the effect of the spinning centrifugal force, it traced a large arc, hitting the unprepared, still-spouting Squirtle from the side.
Combination Move: Spinning Rock Bomb!
After nearly three weeks of hard training, Drilbur had already preliminarily mastered the combination move. As long as it wasn't using a full-power Rock Tomb, its accuracy was more or less guaranteed. This was the first time Basalt had used it in a competition, and it had an instant, miraculous effect.
"Squirtle~~"
Squirtle howled in pain and was directly sent flying by the rock projectile. Perhaps due to a turtle's instinct, the moment it was hit, its first reaction was to retract its head and limbs into its shell. This caused its round shell to roll for a good distance.
"Heavens! What did I just see? While using Rapid Spin, Drilbur actually used the move Rock Tomb at the same time?"
The commentator shot up from his chair, leaning over the table as if trying to get a clearer view, his voice filled with excitement. "A combination move! That's a combination move!!!"
"Miles, as expected of your student. This Spinning Rock Bomb combination move is a true inheritance of your skills," Officer Tanaka chuckled from the guest panel.
In Seaside County, the strongest trainer was definitely not Coach Miles, but when it came to move development and research, Miles was the undisputed number one. This was because his area of research in university was skills.
"Chief Tanaka, you flatter me. But this kid, Basalt, does have talent. As long as he is taught with care, his future achievements will definitely be higher than mine." Coach Miles smiled.
Hearing this, Officer Tanaka was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected Miles's evaluation of Basalt to be so high. To have higher achievements than him, wouldn't that mean becoming a "Gym-leader level trainer"? The Gym-leader level was a major hurdle; in all of Metro City, there weren't many who had reached that level.
"Heh!"
Victor Wei sneered continuously, offering no comment. He's blowing smoke, isn't he? You think Gym-leader level trainers are as common as cabbages? But when it came to a battle of words, Victor was no match for Miles, so he didn't bother to argue.
Let Miles be arrogant for a little while longer. The truth will be revealed in the third round.