Pokémon: Master System.

"Saltstone Giant, hold the line and then unleash the Great Explosion!"

A shield of light appeared, and the Saltstone Giant used its Guard skill. Then, its body burst out with intense light and unleashed another massive explosion!

Chapter 256 Breaking the Tactics

"boom!"

A tremendous roar created a shockwave, and a strong wind blew.

The audience's attention was focused on the venue, where billowing black smoke obscured their view.

This was the third time that Salt Rock Giant had used its Great Self-Destruct, and the three Great Self-Destructs had successfully severely injured Xia Yu's three Pokémon.

"What should Xia Yu do?" Cheng Taiheng's voice rang out as he watched the billowing black smoke: "He has to find a way to break He Zhizhou's tactics, otherwise the Insect Armor Saint will use his Dream Talk skill again, and the resurrected Salt Stone Giant will use his Big Bang skill!"

"He Zhizhou is undoubtedly a true genius. He can use the Sleep Talk skill to use Resurrection Prayer without limit, creating a new tactic for the Insect Armor Saint."

"Xia Yu, you can do it! You can win!"

"Sigh, it's already great to have made it to the top four. This is the best result Star City has achieved in recent years. It's a pity that we could have gone a step further. We were just a little short of making it to the national finals."

…………

The audience began to chatter and cheer for Xia Yu, especially the local fans from Starlight City, who held up Xia Yu's support posters and shouted loudly.

This is the first time in so many years that Xingguang City has been so close to the national finals stage!

"Xia Yu! Go for it!"

"Never give up!"

"Xia Yu, you are the pride of our Starlight City."

…………

Cheers rose and fell, but Xia Yu's eyes were fixed on the black smoke. He wanted to make it to the national finals more than anyone else.

"Everyone, I will definitely make it to the finals!" Xia Yu's voice rang out, responding to his supportive fans. Xia Yu touched the jade pendant on his chest; if it really came to that, he would not hesitate to use Mega Evolution.

But now is not the time. He is not in dire straits yet, and he still has a sliver of a chance to turn things around.

He had already figured out his chance to turn things around, but it all depended on whether He Zhizhou would give him that opportunity.

Xia Yu chose the Lizard King for this final comeback; the Lizard King will be the key to victory in this match.

…………

Because the Lizard King has a very unique skill called Trouble Seed.

The "Trouble Seed" skill can not only change the opponent's traits, but also prevent the enemy from falling asleep.

With the Sleep ability, even if a Buggy is already asleep, it will be woken up and will no longer be able to use the Sleep move.

Since he couldn't fall asleep, he couldn't talk in his sleep, which meant He Zhizhou's tactics fell apart.

This is Xia Yu's hope for a comeback. Many times, most people only think of using Trouble Seed to counter the enemy's powerful abilities, such as countering Salt Giant's Clean Salt, but they overlook the fact that Trouble Seed can prevent Pokémon from going to sleep.

Now Xia Yu has to see if He Zhizhou will send out Insect Armor Saint. If He Zhizhou doesn't have any convenient options and directly sends out Insect Armor Saint, then Xia Yu can rely on the Trouble Seed to break He Zhizhou's self-destruct tactic and complete a comeback.

…………

Xia Yu was gambling, betting that He Zhizhou hadn't thought of this. His gaze fell on He Zhizhou, quietly waiting for him to change his Pokémon.

"Come back, Saltstone Giant."

Hearing He Zhizhou's voice, Xia Yu's heart pounded wildly.

Will He Zhizhou send out Insect Armor Saint?

The outcome hinges on a single thought!

Who would have thought that the key to victory in such a crucial match would ultimately lie in a single Pokémon substitution?

If He Zhizhou chooses to send out the long-haired troll, it proves that he is already prepared for the Lizard King's troublesome seeds.

After recalling the Salt Stone Giant, He Zhizhou took a Poké Ball from his waist and used the Big Bang move three times in a row, giving him the upper hand.

He only needs to keep using this tactic repeatedly, and when Xia Yu sends out the Buzzbat, he can send out the Longhaired Troll and use the Taunt skill to win the game!

He Zhizhou gripped Bugsera's Poké Ball and threw it out: "Go, Bugsera, keep using sleep talking!"

Seeing He Zhizhou send out the Insect Armor Saint, Xia Yu's heart finally settled down, and a smile appeared on his lips.

He won. He won the game.

At this moment, He Zhizhou also noticed the smile on Xia Yu's face. Why was Xia Yu smiling? What means did he have to break his tactics?

He Zhizhou realized something was wrong and kept thinking about the flaws in his tactic, trying to figure out which link had gone wrong.

Just then, Xia Yu's voice rang out: "Lizard King, use Trouble Seed. I told you I would definitely make it to the finals!"

Hearing Xia Yu's voice, He Zhizhou suddenly came to his senses.

Seeds of worry? The insomnia trait!

not good!

The Lizard King directly condensed Grass-type energy in front of him and released Trouble Seed, throwing it at Bug Armor Saint. Bug Armor Saint, specializing in both defenses and tankiness, naturally couldn't dodge the Trouble Seed.

The fluorescent green Trouble Seeds attached themselves to Insectivor, successfully changing Insectivor's ability to Insomnia, which also woke Insectivor from its sleep state.

"Seeds of trouble!"

"Beautiful! How come I didn't think of that? Just by using Trouble Seed, I can change the Insectoid's ability to Insomnia."

"The fact that Insect Armor Saint can't use sleep talking because he can't fall asleep is simply a stroke of genius!"

"Damn, how come I didn't think of that? Xia Yu's Lizard King used Trouble Seed when it first appeared. How could I forget?"

…………

Amidst gasps from the audience, Insect Armor Saint awoke from its slumber. Now, it has no skills left to use; it is completely powerless to use any skills!

Now it was just a punching bag. He Zhizhou's expression changed drastically, and the situation shifted at that moment.

In an instant, only one of his three Pokémon, Grimmsnarl, remained able to continue fighting. A support-oriented Grimmsnarl could never possibly defeat all three.

The Saltstone Giant has lost its ability to fight, and the Insect Armor Saint has no skills available.

"I won this match! Sorry, I have to go to the national finals."

Xia Yu smiled, remembering his promise to Teacher Long. He had a reason to win!

My Dragapult is waiting to evolve in the Dragon-type Secret Realm. Once Dragapult evolves, Xia Yu will have another Pokémon to use!

With the Lizard King's Trouble Seed skill hitting the Insect Armor Saint, this dramatic match took a major turn.

"Lizard King, it's our turn to counterattack! Use a sneak attack on their vitals!"

"Chamo!" The Lizard King, who had been suppressed by the Salt Stone Giant for a long time, finally got his chance for revenge and launched an attack on the Insect Armor Saint.

…………

The game proceeded smoothly from then on.

Although Xia Yu's three Pokémon were all seriously injured, he still easily won the victory.

With a Leaf Storm from the Lizard King, the long-haired troll was successfully defeated!

"The long-haired troll is incapacitated, and Xia Yu wins this match!" The referee's voice rang out, announcing Xia Yu's victory in the semi-finals.

A deafening roar of applause and cheers erupted from the audience!

"Xia Yu!"

"Brilliant!"

"Congratulations to Xia Yu for successfully advancing to the finals and qualifying for the national finals!"

"This match was truly spectacular. Although He Zhizhou ultimately lost, he demonstrated a brilliant tactic for us."

"The combination of the three skills—sleep, sleep talking, and resurrection prayer—is truly impressive. I believe that after today, many people will train such a Beetle Saint."

"Of course, the victory in this match belongs to Xia Yu and to Starlight City. If I remember correctly, this should be the first time in nearly ten years that Starlight City has entered the national finals. Let's give a round of applause to Xia Yu and to Starlight City!"

…………

Chapter 257 Post-Match Turmoil

Xia Yu successfully defeated He Zhizhou, once again achieving a comeback and advancing to the Xishu Provincial Finals, and then to the National Finals.

The moment Xia Yu won, the streets and neighborhoods of Starlight City erupted in cheers. Celebrating young people poured into the streets, took off their jackets, went shirtless, and swung their clothes around like atavistic gorillas, as if it were New Year's Day.

Xia Yu's battle uniforms sold out completely; the sewing machines in the factory were practically smoking from all the work, yet demand still couldn't meet supply. Meanwhile, many of Xia Yu's longtime fans, "mom fans," and even his detractors emerged online.

Some female internet celebrities have even jumped on the bandwagon, wearing only an oversized Xia Yu battle uniform to show off their good figures and cheer for Xia Yu.

…………

Xia Yu had no interest in the online frenzy for the time being; his attention was entirely focused on the final match in Xishu Province.

In this final match, Xia Yu will face the strongest opponent he has ever encountered in the competition, Li Shiyu, the favorite to win the championship in Xishu Province this year.

It was precisely because his opponent was Li Shiyu that, despite Xia Yu's numerous victories and miracles, no one was optimistic about his chances.