In the "2+1+1" match format, it was rare to see a Double Battle end in a clean 2:0 sweep.
But if it did happen, the winning side had to temporarily recall one Pokémon and proceed with a 4v2 single battle gauntlet against the opponent.
So, Will quickly recalled Starmie, leaving Mr. Mime on the field.
Having already lost two Pokémon, Ryoko quickly sent out her next one, it was clear she hadn't given up yet.
This Dragon-type Pokémon was one she had caught during her travels with Sato in the Village of Dragons. Despite its fearsome appearance, it had a surprisingly gentle nature.
Then, Ryoko went all out!
Haxorus's overwhelming strength completely caught Will off guard. Mr. Mime was instantly KO'd by a single Guillotine.
Even the Reflect Mr. Mime had set up in advance didn't do a thing against a one-hit KO move!
Next, Will sent Starmie back into battle. Sticking to his principle of avoiding close combat, he focused on long-range harass attacks.
But Ryoko didn't play by the book. She had Haxorus use Roar, forcing Starmie back into its Poké Ball. With no other choice, Will had to send out a new Pokémon.
Alakazam, another long-range specialist determined to avoid close-range fights.
Clearly, even Will had been shaken by Haxorus's terrifying offensive power. And to be fair, as a Psychic-type specialist, most of his Pokémon did rely on Special Attack…
The expectation was that Alakazam would slowly wear Haxorus down from a distance. But to everyone's shock, Haxorus turned out to be even faster than Alakazam.
The match devolved into Alakazam using Teleport nonstop to dodge Haxorus's pursuit.
But even constant evasion has limits. With sharp battle instincts, Haxorus eventually predicted where Alakazam would Teleport next and landed a decisive Dragon Claw, knocking it out instantly!
Terrifying power, blistering speed, and keen battle instincts… this Haxorus, who had never appeared before in Ryoko's matches, was clearly her true ace.
After losing two more times, Will brought out Starmie once again.
To everyone's amusement, Haxorus used Roar once more… and Starmie was forced back into its Poké Ball again.
According to League rules, moves like Roar and Whirlwind that force Pokémon to switch out cannot be used repeatedly.
But since Haxorus had already knocked out Alakazam, using Roar again wasn't a violation.
Usually calm and composed, Will finally started to lose his "cool". Not only had the advantage from the Double Battle completely vanished, but he was now being forced to reveal his full team early. The tide of battle had turned dramatically.
It wasn't until the referee issued a second warning that Will, face full of tension, sent out his fourth Pokémon…
He immediately triggered Mega Evolution, and a cloaked, even more handsome Mega Gallade appeared before the crowd.
Without hesitation, Gallade charged toward Haxorus!
Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Aerial Ace… a flurry of close-combat moves flowed from Mega Gallade with practiced ease.
This time, Haxorus couldn't withstand it. After holding out for over five minutes, it was finally felled by a Psycho Cut!
Then, Ryoko sent out her final Pokémon.
Another one that hadn't appeared before, and at first glance didn't look particularly powerful.
But when Sato saw Mawile appear… a sudden sense of foreboding surged in his heart.
The next moment, Ryoko's voice echoed through the speakers, loud enough for the entire arena to hear: "Mawile… MEGA EVOLVE!"
As expected, the brilliant glow of Mega Evolution bloomed once again. When the light faded, a fierce yet still adorable Mega Mawile appeared on the field.
What Sato understood even more clearly was that after Mega Evolution, Mawile gained the Ability Huge Power, which increases the power of physical moves.
Coupled with its already high Defense, Mega Mawile was a perfect counter to Mega Gallade, who specialized in physical moves but had relatively low Defense.
On top of that, Haxorus had already drained Gallade's stamina. Read full story at novᴇlfire.net
As expected, Mawile charged in for close combat.
The audience quickly noticed that Gallade was being completely suppressed, and despite Mawile's cute appearance, it fought with brutal ferocity.
Mawile relentlessly traded hits, using a damage-for-damage approach to force Gallade into retreat again and again.
When the referee finally declared Gallade had lost the ability to battle and Mawile was the winner, the crowd was left stunned.
'Mawile… defeated Gallade?
Both were Mega Evolutions… how could the difference be this big?'
The final showdown became a face-off between Starmie and Mawile.
Now that everyone had seen how terrifying Mawile was in close combat, Will naturally avoided a head-on fight. He continued commanding Starmie to kite it from a distance.
But Ryoko's training of Mawile had gone far beyond just brute strength. With access to Stone Edge and Sucker Punch, Mawile wasn't helpless against Starmie.
What Sato didn't know was that both of those moves were ones Ryoko had learned from him during their travels together…
Stone Edge: a long-range physical move, essentially the ace move of any physical ranged attacker.
Sucker Punch: an absolute priority move. If timed right, its unique properties allowed Mawile to close the gap instantly.
Both were physical moves and fully boosted by Huge Power, which meant Mawile's attacks landed with double force.
And just like that, the fragile Starmie was defeated by Mawile…
With this, Ryoko became the fourth Trainer to advance to the quarterfinals!
"Ryoko's progress is… terrifying!" Phoebe couldn't help but gasp as she watched Ryoko shake hands with Will from the waiting room.
"Yeah, she's gotten way stronger." Sato nodded in agreement.
Among all the participants in this tournament, the ones most familiar with Ryoko were probably Sato and Phoebe.
Back when they traveled together, Ryoko's strength was about the same as Joseph's… and Joseph was just a Breeder.
And now, Ryoko had made her way step by step into the Top 8!
Soon, Ryoko returned to the waiting room. Once a quiet presence in the background, she was now greeted with spontaneous applause from everyone there.
"Thank you," Ryoko said with a smile and a nod. "Calm and graceful" as ever, she seemed utterly unfazed by praise or criticism.
…It wasn't until she stood in front of Sato that she finally let a hint of pride and mischief show on her face.
"So? Did I surprise you this time~?"
"You did," Sato replied seriously with a nod.
…But before her smile could fully bloom, he added:
"But you still can't beat me."
"…Hmph, you big jerk!"