POKEMON : STARTING WITH FLASH METAGROSS

"Cubone!"

A red light flashed, and Rax's Cubone appeared in the ring.

Though not as rare in Kanto, Cubone was uncommon in the Sinnoh region, drawing a moderate amount of attention and chatter among the spectators.

"Buneary, let's go!"

Opposite Cubone, a timid Buneary took the stage. The small rabbit Pokémon seemed nervous under the crowd's watchful eyes, while Cubone stood relatively composed—though its stiff tail betrayed its unease.

"Cubone, focus! Let out a Growl!" Rax ordered.

Cubone hesitated briefly before releasing a sharp, intimidating cry. Startled, Buneary instinctively took a few steps back.

"Don't be scared, Buneary! Use Pound!" Nanci, the opposing trainer, shouted enthusiastically.

The Buneary hesitated but ultimately obeyed, its long ears glowing white as it charged forward.

"Cubone, watch its movements and Stomp!" Rax commanded calmly.

The reassurance in Rax's voice helped Cubone steady itself. Observing Buneary's shaky approach, Cubone realized its opponent was weaker than expected. Confidence surged. As Buneary closed in, Cubone stomped forcefully on the ground.

The energy from Stomp rippled through the floor, sending Buneary tumbling. Wasting no time, Cubone dashed forward and struck with its bone club.

Bang!

The bone hit its mark, and Buneary collapsed with spiraling eyes.

"Buneary is unable to battle! Cubone is the winner! Contestant No. 146, Rax Chand, advances to the next round!"

Applause broke out, though it was sparse. Cubone, however, turned to Rax with a glint of pride in its eyes, seeking approval.

"You adapted quickly and seized the opportunity perfectly. Great job, Cubone!" Rax praised, knowing how much this public victory meant to his partner.

Cubone narrowed its eyes in a grin but quickly turned its head away, trying to appear composed.

---

The tournament continued, and Rax and Cubone faced their next opponent: a Zigzagoon. Despite its energetic movements, it posed less of a threat than Buneary. Cubone easily defeated it with a combination of Stomp and Bonemerang.

By now, Cubone was starting to realize it might actually be strong. That confidence wavered, however, when Caizhong's Turtwig entered the ring again.

The small Grass-type quickly dismantled a Starly with precise Razor Leaf and Bite attacks. Watching Turtwig's prowess, Cubone's nervousness returned—after all, Grass-types held a natural advantage over Ground-types.

---

Rax's third match was against a Pachirisu. The Electric-type was at a severe disadvantage, as its moves were ineffective against Cubone's Ground typing. After being immobilized by Stomp, Pachirisu's trainer surrendered, cradling the defeated Pokémon protectively.

Pachirisu glared at Cubone, who didn't even glance back. Its focus was entirely on the looming challenge of Turtwig.

---

By the time only 11 contestants remained, most battles were one-sided. Some trainers even chose to forfeit rather than face difficult matchups. Caizhong was lucky enough to draw a bye for the round, advancing automatically.

Rax envied her luck briefly before stepping onto the stage once more.

This time, his opponent sent out a Starly. While Flying-types often held an edge in low-level competitions, Starly was no match for Cubone's precise attacks. After a quick takedown, Rax officially advanced to the top six.

---

The crowd had thinned significantly by this point, with eliminated trainers wandering off to shop at the newly opened Galaxy Department Store. Rax waited patiently for his next match, but the delay stretched on. Eventually, a staff member approached him, whispering something in his ear.

Rax's expression shifted slightly, and he nodded. "Sure, I'm fine with it."

The staff member visibly relaxed and scurried off. Shortly after, the host made an exciting announcement:

"The final six contestants will face off in an all-out melee! The ranking will be determined by the order of elimination!"

While unconventional and arguably unfair, the format promised to be a crowd-pleaser. Even shoppers returned to the field, eager to watch the chaos.

---

The final six trainers took their positions on the central platform, each standing in their own corner.

Rax's Cubone was joined by:

Caizhong's Turtwig,

A Starly,

A Glameow,

A Trubbish (Garbage Cloak form),

And a Roselia.

Among the six, only Turtwig and Cubone remained in their base forms. Still, neither of them was underestimated, as their prior performances had left strong impressions.

---

As the match began, the trainers and Pokémon eyed each other warily. No one made a move right away, knowing the first to act could become an easy target.

Finally, the stalemate broke. Starly darted toward Turtwig, clearly perceiving it as the biggest threat. Simultaneously, Roselia launched Magical Leaf at Cubone.

"Really? I'm the second biggest threat?" Rax muttered, slightly amused but alert.

"Cubone, move toward Trubbish!" he commanded.

Trubbish's trainer, a timid housewife named Harumi, was caught off guard. Before she could react, Rax called out, "Let's form an alliance! I'll handle Glameow if you focus on Starly!"

Rax's logic was sound. Trubbish, as a Poison-type, had four-times weakness to Glameow's Fire Fang. Meanwhile, its Poison typing gave it strong resistance against Grass moves, making it a potential counter to Turtwig later.

Harumi hesitated but ultimately nodded, realizing the advantage of teaming up.

With the alliance secured, Rax and Cubone turned their attention to Glameow, preparing for the next phase of the battle.