Pokémon: Above the Top-Chapter 305: Countering Speed Boost

Sato and his companions originally thought their time aboard the cruise ship would be a bit boring, but the battle tournament on the S.S. Maria turned out to be extremely well-organized.

Including the ship's staff, there was hardly anyone who wasn't involved in this "grand event".

Compared to tournaments hosted by the official League, the battles here -without any age restrictions- were far more intense, fiery, and brutal.

Forfeit was not allowed. A match would only end when one side's Pokémon was defeated.

Here, the bottom line was: as long as it doesn't kill, it's fair game.

...And if someone did happen to lose a limb or two, well... too bad. They were simply outmatched.

Even if someone's Pokémon was "accidentally" killed, the Trainer responsible would merely be disqualified from competing. They'd still be free to walk away after getting off the ship.

Mark hadn't been able to successfully pester his way into competing that night and was in a sulky mood. Still, on the second day, he tagged along with Joseph to watch Sato's match; after all, it was pretty much the only entertaining thing happening on board.

Then, Mark witnessed a match where a Zangoose was strangled to death by its natural enemy: Seviper.

The staff removed the corpse and escorted the Zangoose's Trainer off the field.

The female host "righteously" warned against excessive damage to Pokémon, and the next match resumed almost immediately.

Only a few members of the audience chose to leave. The vast majority became even more excited and frenzied... then dove headfirst into betting.

After that, Mark never again brought up borrowing a Pokémon from Joseph. He also completely dropped the idea of ever participating in this tournament.

----

"Are you sure you still want to compete?"

On the third day, just as Sato -who now had two consecutive wins- was heading to the arena, Mark blocked his path and questioned him with a thick voice.

"Why wouldn't I? This is a great training opportunity," Sato replied, already well aware of what Mark, who saw his Pokémon as family, was worried about.

But Sato would never believe he lacked the ability to keep his partners safe on the battlefield.

It was just a match.

Compared to what he had experienced in his past life, this was child's play.

In fact, once Sato learned that the rules of this tournament were even looser than expected, it only made him more eager.

As he got closer and closer to becoming a full-fledged League Trainer, the ruthless decisiveness he had once honed through life-or-death situations had slowly begun to fade.

Even his Pokémon had grown used to the structured rules of League matches. But real battles were far crueler than people imagined.

Now, with such a great opportunity to train his Pokémon, Sato couldn't have asked for more.

Mark couldn't afford to lose, so he didn't want to compete. But even though Sato could afford to lose...

He wouldn't lose!

"I know what I'm doing."

Sato brushed Mark's hand aside and walked straight out the door. He had already promised Ariados that today would be its turn to shine.

At the arena, as soon as the staff saw Sato arrive, they immediately and attentively informed him of his opponent, the expected match time, and a few key notes.

There were plenty of contestants with two consecutive wins, but when combined with Sato's age, his performance was already starting to catch the organizers' attention.

After all, in a tournament with no age limits, young faces were extremely rare. Every time one appeared, it stirred up quite a buzz... and the bigger the buzz, the more money they made.

The house always wins. The only question is how much.

Still, because of his winning streak, Sato had to wait until 9:30 before finally being called up.

As expected, his appearance on stage stirred up quite a bit of excitement. He was handsome, young, and clearly skilled.

If they didn't fangirl over someone like him, then who would they fangirl over?

"The match will consist of three Pokémon per Trainer. When one side's [...]"

As the referee announced the start of the match, Sato and today's opponent simultaneously threw their Poké Balls.

Ariados and Ninjask appeared on the field at the same time, and the matchup instantly caused a stir among the spectators.

Thankfully, none of the rich ladies in the audience casually tossed their betting slips after wagering on Sato's victory; after all, he'd consistently delivered surprises.

Seeing his opponent had sent Ninjask, Sato immediately understood that the other side had clearly studied his lineup.

Over the past two days, he had mainly relied on Sharpedo and Ariados. Ninjask, to some extent, had an advantage against both.

Ninjask also had the Speed Boost Ability, and in terms of speed, Sharpedo couldn't keep up, plus, it was weak to Bug-type moves.

Meanwhile, Ninjask's Flying-type made it a strong counter to Ariados, who wasn't exactly fast. One Aerial Ace would be a nightmare.

"Ninjask, Aerial Ace!"

Sure enough, what he feared came to pass. Ninjask disappeared instantly upon hearing the command, reappearing right in front of Ariados in a blink.

Its speed was terrifying -even faster than Sharpedo's- though it lacked Sharpedo's sheer intimidation.

Thankfully, Sato had a countermeasure. There was one Dark-type move specifically designed to deal with fast opponents.

"Sucker Punch!"

Thwack!

Ariados struck second yet landed first; its pointed horn mysteriously hit Ninjask before Aerial Ace connected.

If the opponent was using an offensive move, Sucker Punch would definitely strike first.

"Again! Use Venom Drench!"

"Ninjask, dodge quickly!"

Ariados released Venom Drench as fast as it could, but Ninjask, relying on its speed, still managed to dodge.

"Ninjask, use-" The opposing Trainer suddenly froze... because he realized that any offensive move would just trigger Sucker Punch again.

But if Ninjask didn't attack, then what could it do?

Sato watched the opponent hesitate and let out a small chuckle, then continued issuing commands.

"Ariados, Shadow Sneak."

Shadow Sneak: a priority move. Perfect for dealing with speedsters.

Ariados's shadow suddenly stretched out, connecting with Ninjask's. A ghostly claw shot out and slammed Ninjask from the air straight into the ground.

"Ninjask, use Agility!"

"Again! Shadow Sneak."

Wham~

The priority effect of Shadow Sneak wasn't just for show. It knocked Ninjask down again... and this fragile speedster didn't get back up.

"Ninjask is unable to battle. Contestant No. 28, please send your next Pokémon..."

Ninjask could fly, and its speed made it hard for Ariados to land Toxic, but then, Sato's opponent sent a Golem and a Solrock.

While both Pokémon were strong counters to Ariados and highly resistant to poison, they were still worn down by pure toxic damage.

This was Ariados's first time using its Toxic without restraint, and the brutality of its effects gave the audience goosebumps.

They bowed to the bug...

From that point on, no contestant dared underestimate Sato again.

And while he gained a sizable group of fans, his perfect record of three wins in three matches officially earned him a spot in the advanced tournament bracket.