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Underestimating Misty was a mistake Hyde would soon regret.
His Qwilfish began the match strong, dodging Corsola's first move and countering with a [Water Gun]. But Misty calmly countered with [Mirror Coat] and at the perfect moment.
The water attack bounced back at Qwilfish, slamming into it with surprising force.
The timing was flawless so precise that Hyde didn't even have time to react.
To his surprise, his move had wounded his Pokémon.
Though Qwilfish wasn't severely hurt, thanks to the same-type resistance, Hyde's confidence took a noticeable hit. Still, he brushed it off, thinking Misty had just gotten lucky.
He ordered the next move.
Qwilfish inhaled deeply, its body swelling like a spiked balloon as it prepared a powered-up [Pin Missile].
Kai recognized the tactic instantly. It was a pressure-based charge an advanced variation that increased both the speed and strength of the needles, making them harder to counter.
It wasn't a move you saw often.
"Smart," Kai thought, slightly impressed. "That's an old veteran's trick."
Hyde might not have been flashy, but he had years of experience. Even if he wasn't a top-tier Trainer, he had some tricks up his sleeve.
Misty's mind raced. Mirror Coat wouldn't reflect physical projectiles like [Pin Missile], and Corsola didn't have the speed to dodge mid-air. Hiding underwater would take too long.
So she chose to fight fire with fire.
She ordered [Spike Cannon] a barrage-style move similar to Pin Missile in both form and function.
Corsola's horns glowed white, just as Qwilfish launched its enhanced needles.
Both attacks met midair in a flurry of explosive collisions.
BOOM!
The enhanced [Pin Missile] outspend the regular Spike Cannon, detonating early above Corsola and knocking it backward with a wave of concussive force.
Hyde saw his opportunity and shouted, "Go! [Tackle] now!"
Qwilfish dove from the water toward the recovering Corsola Hyde even smirked, believing he had the match in the bag.
But just as Qwilfish closed the gap…
Corsola got up.
Its angled body caught Qwilfish mid-attack, and in a stroke of bizarre luck, Qwilfish became lodged between Corsola's horns completely stuck.
The entire stadium froze.
Qwilfish was wriggling helplessly, caught between the coral spikes and unable to move. Corsola wobbled unsteadily, trying to shake the opponent off.
"No way…" Ash muttered from the bench.
The audience gasped, stunned by the absurdity of what they were seeing.
It was the second time that day a Pokémon had gotten trapped mid-attack. First, Ash's Totodile biting Kingdra's snout. Now this.
Hyde's face went from smug to mortified.
Corsola, now realizing it had the advantage, didn't hesitate.
Misty gave the order: "Now—[Spike Cannon]!"
At point-blank range, Qwilfish couldn't dodge or retaliate.
The attack hit full force.
The explosion sent Qwilfish flying skyward, spinning like a popped beach ball. After a few dizzy seconds, it crashed down on one of the stone platforms unconscious.
The referee raised his hand without hesitation.
"Qwilfish is unable to battle! The victory goes to Misty!"
Misty jumped in celebration, her face beaming.
Hyde stood frozen, completely blindsided by the way he lost.
The crowd roared.
Misty waved brightly to the stands, basking in the applause.
In the waiting room, Kai sat beside Ash, deep in thought. He hadn't expected two matches in a row, Ash's and Misty's, to end in such a comedic, chaotic fashion.
Neither had outplayed their opponents through strategy or strength.
They'd just… improvised.
"Looks like Misty's catching Ash's bad habits," Kai chuckled silently.
Still, a win was a win.
All three had now secured their spot in the top 32.
With their morning battles complete, the three regrouped in the main hall where they met up with Erika and Brock.
Both were full of praise.
They especially enjoyed the unexpected twists in Ash and Misty's matches, describing how the audience around them had erupted in laughter and excitement.
Ash and Misty, however, were a little embarrassed by the attention.
After lunch at the stadium's restaurant, the full results of the round of 64 were announced.
The trio was summoned for their Round of 32 matches.
Once again, luck was on their side none of them were matched against each other.
And this time, both Ash and Misty won through solid performances, defeating their opponents with clean tactics and no gimmicks.
Still, some fans seemed almost disappointed preferring chaos over competence.
Kai, on the other hand, remained consistent.
Using Blastoise once again, he dominated his match against a female Trainer, barely breaking a sweat as he cruised to a solid victory.
By the end of the afternoon, all three had advanced to the Sweet 16.
From here on out, the difficulty would spike.
There were no weak opponents left.
The real Whirlpool Cup was just beginning.
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