Chapter 140: Battle Against Kenny, Muko Versus Ash

The third day of the tournament marked the second round of official matches. Cheng Cheng, Muzi, and Ash all successfully passed their respective battles. Additionally, Kenyan, Cameron, and Virgil also advanced to the third round.

Soon, the match-ups for the third round were posted. Muzi was paired against Cameron, while Ash was set to face an unknown opponent. Cheng Cheng, meanwhile, was matched against one of Ash’s companions, Kenyan.

On this occasion, the matches for Cheng Cheng and Muzi took place simultaneously, though in different arenas.

"Muzi, I won't be able to cheer for you this time."
"That’s fine. How about we see who finishes their battle first?"
"Sounds good. We'll meet at the main entrance of the stadium."
"It's a deal."

Cheng Cheng and Muzi parted ways, heading toward their respective arenas. Before long, it was time for their matches.

"The next match is between Kenyan and Cheng Cheng Hatake. This will be a three-on-three battle; the match ends when one trainer loses all their Pokémon. Trainers, please send out your first Pokémon."

"We’re going in! Go, Liepard!"
Kenyan’s first choice was Liepard. As a Dark-type Pokémon, it put Cheng Cheng at a significant disadvantage.

"Go, Gardevoir."
Cheng Cheng had considered using other Pokémon, but since he had made a wager with Muzi on who would finish first, he had to use his most powerful team to secure a quick victory.

"Liepard, use Shadow Claw!"
"Gardevoir, dodge it!"
Gardevoir ascended rapidly, evading the attack.

"Liepard, use Shadow Ball!"
"We’ll use Shadow Ball too!"
The two Shadow Balls collided in mid-air.

"Gardevoir, use Psyshock!"
"Gardevoir!"
The Psyshock hit Liepard, though it wasn't very effective.

"Liepard, use Shadow Ball!"
"Gardevoir, dodge!"
Liepard fired a barrage of Shadow Balls, but Gardevoir dodged them all with ease.

"Use Double Team!"
Suddenly, Liepard split into multiple images.

"Use Hyper Beam!"
All the Liepard illusions fired Hyper Beam simultaneously. Ordinarily, this would be nearly impossible to dodge, as one couldn't tell which was real. But for Gardevoir, this was no issue at all.

"Gardevoir, Thunderbolt!"
Gardevoir bypassed the Hyper Beam and struck the real Liepard directly with a Thunderbolt.

"Gardevoir, finish it with Shadow Ball!"
Gardevoir launched another Shadow Ball, and Liepard collapsed to the ground.

"Liepard is unable to battle! Gardevoir wins! Kenyan, please send out your next Pokémon."

"Return, Liepard. It’s your turn, Zebstrika!"
Kenyan sent out Zebstrika.

"Zebstrika, use Thunderbolt!"
"Gardevoir, Thunderbolt!"
Gardevoir countered with its own, though Zebstrika’s was slightly stronger.

"Zebstrika, Flame Charge!"
Zebstrika rushed toward Gardevoir, but Gardevoir flew high into the air, making it impossible for the opponent to land a hit.

"Use Thunder Wave!"
"Gardevoir, Protect!"
Gardevoir used Protect to block the attack.

"Gardevoir, Shadow Ball!"
"Dodge it!"
Zebstrika dodged the attack. It was incredibly fast; Cheng Cheng realized he needed a new strategy.

"Gardevoir, Psychic!"
Gardevoir used Psychic to restrain Zebstrika, lifting it high into the air. Then, she released the hold, letting Zebstrika plummet toward the ground.

"Gardevoir, Shadow Ball!"
The Shadow Ball followed, striking Zebstrika and slamming it hard into the earth.

"Zebstrika is unable to battle! The winner is Gardevoir."

"Return, Zebstrika. Damn it... the last one is up to you, Sawk!"
Cheng Cheng had expected a Flying-type, but it was the Fighting-type Sawk.

"Go, Sawk! Use Close Combat!"
Sawk charged at Gardevoir with great speed, leaping directly in front of her and landing a hit with Close Combat. Cheng Cheng hadn't reacted in time. *I was careless. I didn't think Sawk could jump that high.*

"Gardevoir, Shadow Ball!"
Gardevoir fired a Shadow Ball at Sawk.

"Sawk, use Karate Chop!"
Sawk split the Shadow Ball in two with a single chop. Cheng Cheng was stunned; he hadn't expected the Pokémon to be able to physically cleave through a Shadow Ball.

"Gardevoir, Thunderbolt!"
"Sawk, dodge it!"
"Use Jump Kick!"
Sawk charged again, kicking toward Gardevoir. But Cheng Cheng wouldn't be caught off guard this time.

"Gardevoir, Teleport!"
Gardevoir vanished from her original position.

"Gardevoir, Shadow Ball!"
As Sawk was descending, the Shadow Ball was launched at him.

"Use Close Combat!"
Sawk actually used Close Combat in mid-air, blocking the Shadow Ball. It had to be said, this Sawk was formidable in every aspect. However, Cheng Cheng had to end this quickly; he had no time to waste.

"Gardevoir, use Hypnosis!"
"Gardevoir!"
The attack landed, and Sawk quickly fell asleep.

"Use Dream Eater!"
The move connected, dealing massive damage to Sawk.

"One final Shadow Ball!"
The last Shadow Ball finished the job.

"Sawk is unable to battle! The winner is Cheng Cheng Hatake!"

Cheng Cheng had finally won his match.

"Gardevoir, please, Teleport!"
Gardevoir brought Cheng Cheng along, teleporting directly outside the main hall. Muzi was already waiting there.

"Hmph, I knew you’d use something like Teleport to cheat."
"How did you get here so fast?"
Cheng Cheng had fought as efficiently as possible, even using Teleport to save time, but he hadn't expected Muzi to beat him.

"Obviously, I just used Dragonite to finish him off quickly. His Hydreigon wasted a bit of my time, but he only brought five Pokémon—it was hilarious. If you can use Teleport, I can have Dragonite get me here fast too."

"So? You lost this time, didn't you?"
"Fine, fine. I lost, I lost."
"Since you lost, you’re treating me tonight."
"Aren't we supposed to eat at the competitors' building? The food there is free."
"Of course not! Humilau City has so many delicacies; how could I just eat at the building the whole time? I want to try other good food."
"Alright."

Cheng Cheng had no choice but to take Muzi to a restaurant outside. After the meal, Cheng Cheng’s wallet was empty again. Muzi had chosen nothing but the most expensive items, but Cheng Cheng found himself happy nonetheless. Forget the cost; he’d worry about the money later.

After eating, they spent some time exploring Humilau City before returning to the building to rest. They ran into Ash and his friends; Ash had successfully advanced to the fourth round.

Only four trainers remained: Cheng Cheng, Muzi, Ash, and Virgil. Next were the quarterfinals. Cheng Cheng remembered that in the original story, Ash had lost to Cameron in this round. But since Cameron had already been eliminated by Muzi, Cheng Cheng was curious to see if Ash would progress.

Soon, the match-ups were posted. To Cheng Cheng’s surprise, Muzi was paired against Ash. He had expected to face Ash himself. Cheng Cheng’s own opponent was someone unfamiliar, so he paid little attention to his own match, focusing instead on the battle between Muzi and Ash.

"The next match is between Ash and Muzi Saito. This will be a six-on-six full battle. The match ends when one trainer loses all their Pokémon. Trainers, please send out your Pokémon."

From this stage on, the full six-Pokémon roster was required, making the battles even more spectacular. This was the true test of a trainer's skill.

"Alright, I've decided on my first Pokémon. Go, Boldore!"
Ash sent out his first, Boldore.

"Boldore, huh? In that case, you're up first. Go, Goomy!"
Cheng Cheng was surprised that Muzi chose Goomy. This match-up didn't seem favorable for Goomy, and he didn't understand Muzi’s logic. He thought she might save Goomy for Ash’s Snivy, given Goomy’s Sap Sipper ability, but it seemed Muzi didn't even know about that ability. *I’ll have to tell her about her Pokémon's abilities later.*

"Boldore, use Rock Blast!"
"Goomy, use Protect!"
Goomy blocked the attack.

"Goomy, use Rain Dance!"
Goomy summoned rain, and a light drizzle began to fall.

"Boldore, use Flash Cannon!"
"Goomy, use Bide!"
Goomy endured the Flash Cannon. The damage was significant, but Goomy held on.

"Use Dragon Breath!"
After channeling the energy from Bide, the Dragon Breath was incredibly powerful, dealing massive damage to Boldore.

"Finish it with Muddy Water!"
Thanks to the rain, the field was already saturated. The Muddy Water created a massive wave that swept over Boldore, completely submerging it. When the water receded, Boldore was unable to battle.

"Boldore is unable to battle! The winner is Goomy."
"Return, Boldore. You did great."
"Go, Oshawott!"