After the round of 128 to 64 concluded, the subsequent battles would not be so straightforward.
A large number of regional seed players were bound to clash, and it would co down to who had the worse luck in matchups.
This ti, there were less than two days of rest, so Aoki didn't venture out again, keeping his promise to train with Steven and the others.
To their surprise, they could clearly see that the strength of Aoki's Pokémon had improved significantly during their usual sparring sessions.
When they looked at Aoki again, their expressions shifted.
There was a growing sense that Aoki had undergone so subtle transformation, and his strength had surged.
Now, they wanted to face him in the competition less and less, because none of them were confident they could defeat him.
In fact, they even felt their chances of winning were slim.
Even Steven believed that, at best, his odds against Aoki were fifty-fifty.
That's right—fifty-fifty.
Of course, every trainer held so hidden trump cards, but these were reserved for critical monts and wouldn't be revealed prematurely.
...
The round of 64 to 32 concluded swiftly.
Aoki still hadn't encountered a seeded player. Though his opponents were competent, they were rely Elite-level Trainers, and they didn't push him much.
However, one key change was that, starting from the Top 32, all matches would be concluded on the sa day. To test a Trainer's ability to manage their Pokémon's stamina and strategize for prolonged battles, there would be no breaks between rounds from this point onward.
This ant that if a Trainer failed to properly distribute their Pokémon's energy and battle rotations, they might find their team inadequately recovered by the next match.
At the sa ti, many competitors clung tightly to their final trump cards, unwilling to reveal them prematurely.
This added a layer of unpredictability to the tournant's outco.
The day after the Top 64 matches, the Top 32 to 16 battles comnced, and from this round onward, the maximum number of Pokémon permitted per battle increased to four.
To secure a higher ranking, Trainers needed to carefully manage their team's stamina and battle frequency.
In this round, Aoki finally faced a seeded player from another region—Hachiku from Snowpoint City in the Sinnoh region.
Aoki had a faint recollection of this individual—in the future, he would beco the Snowpoint City Gym Leader.
Hachiku wasn't just a Pokémon Trainer; he was also a renowned actor, leveraging his fa from competitions to transition into the entertainnt industry.
In the future, he would hold considerable influence in Sinnoh's performing arts scene.
Hachiku represented a type of competitor who used tournants to build their reputation.
But his motivations weren't purely opportunistic—he genuinely loved performing. Given that he would one day own a Gym, financial stability was assured. His acting career was purely passion-driven.
Aoki walked through the competitor's tunnel onto his side of the battlefield.
From the Top 32 onward, only the most prestigious arena at the center of the colossal stadium would be used—a venue reserved exclusively for high-stakes matches.
Now, at last, it was ti for this stage to shine.
On the massive screen overhead, the portraits of both competitors were displayed alongside their battle records, including the number of Pokémon they had used so far. This allowed the audience to track the battle's progression in real ti.
Across the field stood a man in a blue suit, a cloth strip tied over his eyes, giving him the appearance of a rogue ninja. This was Hachiku—though younger than Aoki rembered.
The two had crossed paths before but had never spoken, so they were effectively strangers.
When Hachiku learned his opponent was Aoki, his expression soured.
He had high hopes for this tournant, aiming for at least the Top 16—a far more prestigious achievent than placing in the Top 4 of a regional competition.
But facing the No. 2 seed from Hoenn in the Top 32 was a brutal twist of fate.
He wasn't confident he could advance.
Still, the battle had to proceed. Even if he lost, he needed to demonstrate his strength to the world—it would only help his future acting career.
"Hachiku of Snowpoint City, Sinnoh, versus Aoki of Verdanturf Town, Hoenn! Let the match begin!"
At the referee's call, both Trainers hurled their Poké Balls simultaneously.
Aoki's choice was his Swampert!
After rigorous training, it had reached Level 45.
During this period, Swampert had undergone the most dramatic transformation—improving at an astonishing pace, though Aoki had taken care to mitigate the side effects of such rapid growth. Otherwise, he wouldn't have pushed his team so hard.
Hachiku, anwhile, sent out an Abomasnow.
A native of Sinnoh's frigid landscapes, this Pokémon thrived in icy environnts, enjoyed swimming, and could even create frozen pathways across lakes using its Ice-type energy.
This Abomasnow was one of Hachiku's ace Pokémon—and a key reason he would one day beco the Snowpoint Gym Leader.
Pokémon: Abomasnow (Light Blue)
Gender: Male
Level: 49
Type: Ice/Grass
Ability: Snow Warning
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Avalanche, Ice Punch, Focus Punch, Snore
Basic Moves: Ice Shard, Blizzard, Wood Hamr, ga Punch, Water Pulse, Roar, Powder Snow, Ingrain, Icy Wind, Mist, Tackle, Brine, Leer, Swagger, Brick Break, Outrage, Rest
Learnt Moves: Water Pulse, Snore, Low Kick, Iron Tail
TM Moves: Protect, Ice Beam, Shadow Claw, Giga Impact, Rock Slide, Frost Breath
As a pure Ice/Grass type, Abomasnow lacked strong resistances but also had no glaring weaknesses, making it a solid lead.
Aoki had been preoccupied with island exploration and his team's training, leaving little ti to research seeded competitors.
With an adaptable mindset, he had chosen Swampert—his most defensively sturdy Pokémon. Aside from a 4x Grass weakness, it had no exploitable flaws.
And the future Snowpoint Gym Leader didn't seem like the type to field Grass-types.
The Top 32 matches had begun, and it was finally ti for Aoki to unveil his true strength.
"Go, Swampert! Show them how much you've grown!"
"Hamr Earth Arm!"
The battlefield trembled as Swampert slamd the ground with overwhelming force.
Hachiku's eyes narrowed.
This wouldn't be easy.
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