The pace of the competition was fast, given the young age of the participants and the relatively low levels of their Pokémon. Each match ended quickly, with Surskrit and Poochyena match being the longest so far.
Although Yuga had registered early, the order of matches and opponents was randomly assigned, causing Yuga match to be scheduled later.
Rand had been watching every match on stage intently, seemingly enjoying the Pokémon battles.
As the competition reached the latter half and it was almost Yuga turn, a particular trainer captured everyone attention.
This trainer Pokémon was a rare Psychic-type Pokémon, Baltoy. Notably, this Baltoy was the highest-aptitude Pokémon Yuga had seen apart from Mr. Moore Charizard and Typhlosion.
Among the Yellow-aptitude Pokémon Yuga had seen so far, his own Absol, Mr. Moore Charizard and Typhlosion, and Flannery Quilava were examples. But there was a clear distinction between Pokémon of the same aptitude.
Consider Mr. Moore Charizard and Typhlosion; their aptitudes were already at the pinnacle of the Yellow tier, nearly reaching the level of a Blue-aptitude Pokémon. Yuga could discern this through his Insight skill, which allowed him to gauge the depth of their radiant colors.
Yuga Absol was relatively weaker among the Yellow-aptitude Pokémon, and Flannery Quilava was far superior in aptitude compared to Absol.
Yet, the radiance emanating from Baltoy was almost on par with Mr. Moore Charizard and Typhlosion.
The attention garnered by Baltoy and its trainer wasn't solely due to its rare aptitude. Their commanding presence on the battlefield also played a significant role.
Baltoy opponent was a Yellow-aptitude Nuzleaf, a Pokémon that had already reached its second evolution, making it quite remarkable in this competition.
Evolution of a Pokémon wasn't a simple matter; it wasn't guaranteed to occur when a certain level was reached. Otherwise, with so many matches already held in this competition, there would have been evolved Pokémon by now.
Given the participants' young age and the limited number of competitors, Nuzleaf was the only second-evolution Pokémon present, with a level of 33.
However, this Pokémon, with exceptional levels and evolutionary advancements, as well as an absolute advantage in attributes, surprisingly couldn't hold on for more than five minutes under the command of this Baltoy trainer.
As soon as Nuzleaf appeared on the stage, it took the initiative by using Leaf Blade against Baltoy.
The emerald green blades carried a fierce momentum towards Baltoy, but just as they approached, they abruptly stopped in mid-air and then fell to the ground.
Next, a red beam of light flashed across Baltoy, creating a brilliant firework-like display. Nuzleaf was sent flying.
Observing the scorched marks on Nuzleaf, everyone recognized it as Baltoy Hidden Power—a Fire-type ability that was effective against Grass-type Pokémon.
Despite being knocked down, Nuzleaf reacted swiftly. Disregarding its injuries, it got up and immediately charged towards Baltoy to continue its assault.
It was clear that the previous Leaf Blade had been blocked by Baltoy Psychic power. Consequently, Nuzleaf trainer decided against using Leaf Blade again and instead opted for a close-range attack, using Smack Down.
Being a Dark-type Pokémon, Nuzleaf wasn't afraid of Baltoy Psychic abilities.
As the charging Nuzleaf approached Baltoy, its trainer commanded it to use Rock Lock.
Nuzleaf, still in its rapid charge, was instantly surrounded by large rocks and subjected to their fierce pummeling.
Speaking of which, Baltoy was at a significant disadvantage in terms of attributes against Nuzleaf.
Its Ground type was countered by the Grass type of Nuzleaf. Despite their similar levels, the Psychic type of Baltoy was immune to the Dark type of Nuzleaf. However, even with these advantages, Nuzleaf had no chance against Baltoy.
After struggling for a while to break free from the rock confinement, Nuzleaf was struck by the Hidden Power of Baltoy the moment it emerged, rendering it unable to continue battling.
It wasn't until the host announced the victory of Baltoy trainer that Yuga learned the name of this Baltoy trainer—Robert.
Although the host had mentioned Robert name when he came on stage earlier, Yuga hadn't paid much attention at the time, so he hadn't remembered it.
At this point, Yuga truly began to take notice of this trainer named Robert.
Robert stature was similar to Yuga, and he appeared to be around the same age. He had short golden hair and a handsome face, exuding a dashing aura.
Speaking of the name Robert, it sounded familiar to Yuga, but he couldn't recall who he was exactly.
Robert splendid performance and formidable strength had attracted a crowd of people around him the moment he stepped down from the stage. He was showered with praises and compliments.
Interestingly, Robert seemed adept at dealing with people. His composed smile, elegant demeanor, and apt choice of words allowed him to gracefully dismiss the crowd attention.
"This guy is really impressive."
Rand, observing Robert being surrounded by the crowd, was in awe, his eyes filled with admiration.
Yuga pursed his lips, feeling somewhat displeased by the way Rand treated him and Robert differently.
Rand looked at Yuga incredulously. "Aren't you supposed to be worried about yourself right now?"
Yuga looked puzzled. "Worried about myself? What is there to worry about? Why should I be worried?"
"Your match is coming up soon. Aren't you worried about losing? Even if you win, you might face that Robert. Do you think you can beat him?"
Rand felt that Yuga was pretty carefree. He had seen Robert match, and Yuga wasn't even nervous?
Hearing Rand words, Yuga burst into laughter, patting Rand head. "What's this? Are you worried about me?"
Seeing Yuga mischievous expression, Rand swatted his hand away. "Who's worried about you!"
Yuga grinned and said, "There's nothing much to worry about. If I lose, I lose. As long as I do my best, it's fine.
Besides, I've only been a trainer for a short while. If I can easily defeat others, what's the point of their years of effort?"
Rand hadn't expected Yuga to respond this way. He found his words quite reasonable and merely glanced at him before falling silent.
After Robert match, there was another one, and Yuga heard his name being called out by the host, signaling that it was his turn to go. Without much ado, Yuga said to Rand, "Cheer for me from down here."
Having said that, Yuga dashed onto the stage without waiting for Rand response.