Kapitel 476: Taking the Spotlight
Glancing at the Krokorok for a moment, Yuga released his Bellossom.
The Krokorok's Intimidate ability seemed to startle Bellossom upon its appearance, but Bellossom quickly adjusted.
Due to her prolonged companionship with Absol, Bellossom had developed strong resistance to Intimidation. Furthermore, Bellossom primarily relied on special attacks, making Intimidate's effects limited.
After sending out Bellossom, the Krokorok forcefully lunged forward, using its Bite attack. It moved like a bullet, aiming directly for Bellossom.
Bellossom was highly skilled in evasion due to her extensive training, especially to enhance her performance in moves like Quiver Dance.
Faced with Krokorok's Bite attack, Bellossom gracefully dodged to the side, brushing against Krokorok's body. Then, she threw a bright yellow orb into the sky, and in an instant, the weather changed to Sunny Day.
Under the influence of Sunny Day, Bellossom's speed doubled, and Krokorok couldn't keep up.
Bellossom then danced gracefully, avoiding Krokorok's attacks while using Quiver Dance to strengthen herself. In the end, Krokorok fell to the powerful energy balls launched by Bellossom.
Watching Krokorok lying on the ground, panting heavily, Yuga thought it might have exhausted itself chasing Bellossom.
After defeating Krokorok, Yuga didn't recall Bellossom. Instead, he continued through the tower with her. Floor by floor, Bellossom consistently executed Quiver Dance, and by the time she reached the limit of six layers, her special attack, special defense, and speed had all reached their maximum potential. When her health was low, she used Giga Drain to recover from the opponent or relied on Grassy Terrain for continuous healing.
Throughout the 55 floors of the tower, each participant could use a maximum of twelve Pokémon, equivalent to two teams. Yuga had precisely twelve Pokémon, including Gengar and Mismagius.
During the challenge, participants could adjust the order of their Pokémon strategically. However, except during battles, they couldn't use recovery moves to heal their Pokémon during intervals.
For example, Yuga couldn't use Chimecho's Heal Pulse to recover Bellossom's health as they moved from one floor to another. Still, if Chimecho participated in a battle, it could use healing moves on itself and its allies if they were allowed to be on the same team.
Fortunately, Bellossom could create Grassy Terrain and utilize Giga Drain to recover her health during the transition periods, giving Yuga a significant advantage in a contest focused on attrition. Pokémon with recovery moves had a substantial edge in this type of challenge, but they were relatively rare, leaving most participants without such luck.
Because Bellossom grew stronger with each battle, Yuga's progress through the tower was rapid. In no time, he had left most of the other participants behind, and his performance was clearly displayed on the large screens in the first-floor hall, catching the attention of the referees.
"You folks from Hoenn have another promising talent," Lorelei remarked to Phoebe.
In the previous batch of matches, Phoebe's performance had also been impressive, and now, with Yuga's performance, Hoenn stood out among the six regions.
In contrast, the contestants from the Kanto region, although performing decently, didn't have anyone particularly outstanding.
Phoebe smiled in response to Lorelei's comment but didn't say much.
Siebold added, "It seems like this young trainer specializes in Grass-type Pokémon. I wonder if he has a mentor or any background in this field. Do any of you know him?"
Yuga had been using Grass-type Pokémon since the beginning of the challenge, except for his initial use of Charmeleon, which was why Siebold raised this question.
Drayden and Pryce, sitting beside Siebold, both shook their heads, indicating they didn't know Yuga.
At this moment, Professor Carolina spoke up, "When it comes to Grass-type trainers, Hoenn has one..."
Although Professor Carolina hadn't finished her sentence, everyone present knew exactly who she was referring to: Mr. Kuni'o, the eldest among the four Masters.
Professor Carolina was not only a renowned Pokémon professor but also Cynthia's grandmother, hailing from the Celestica People lineage, which had its share of prestigious individuals. With the wealth of knowledge about Master-level Trainers, she was well-informed.
Drayden spoke up, "This child can't be related to Mr. Kuni'o. If they were, there would be no need for them to participate in a competition like this."
The others nodded in agreement, finding Drayden's logic quite sound.
"You're all mistaken," Phoebe chimed in suddenly. "This individual is indeed Mr. Kuni'o's disciple, and in fact, his only disciple."
While Mr. Kuni'o taking Yuga as his student hadn't been publicly announced, he hadn't concealed the fact either. Furthermore, Mr. Kuni'o often sent Yuga items and supplies, so this matter wasn't exactly a secret among the Hoenn League's higher-ups, including Phoebe, who was one of the Elite Four members.
Although they all understood the situation, none of them had approached Yuga. Mr. Kuni'o was allowing Yuga to grow independently, and the others respected that.
Phoebe's revelation surprised the group.
"I see," Siebold commented.
During their conversation, Yuga continued to progress through several more floors with Bellossom. The large screen corresponding to Yuga displayed Bellossom's radiant performance, easily defeating a Liepard with a single dazzling gleam move.
At this point, no one was surprised by Yuga's speed in clearing the tower. As the disciple of a Master-level Trainer, his excellence was expected, and even if he performed exceptionally, they wouldn't be astonished.
Pryce added, "It seems Mr. Kuni'o's legacy will continue."
Pryce was the oldest among this group, having previously served as the Ice-type Elite Four member in the Johto region. After retiring from that position, he became a Gym Leader in Mahogany Town. However, in the presence of Mr. Kuni'o, he remained a junior, considering Mr. Kuni'o's advanced age.
Gym Leader Pryce," Phoebe added with a smile, "the participant named Sora from your Johto region in the previous batch also performed admirably."
Phoebe's comment was met with a simple nod from Pryce, who was known for his reserved demeanor.
In the previous batch of matches, Johto's Sora, Kalos's Grant, Unova's Roxie, and Hoenn's Gardenia all showcased remarkable talents. In this batch, Kalos's Viola, Unova's Marlon, and Hoenn's Yuga were currently leading the pack.
Among these participants, Yuga was the youngest, which initially surprised the referees, but they soon realized that the overall performance of these Trainers was impressive.
Only the Kanto and Sinnoh regions didn't have any standout participants, but they were not lagging behind the other regions. They simply lacked exceptionally prominent contestants.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein