...then why are you doing it now? I mean, Glalie aren't exactly stone walls, but...

Backstage

-Ren thinks for a moment-

Ren: Joseph, when was the last time you sent a flying type with full health and decent special defense into single digit health with one attack without a lot of buffs and debuffs in place? If the answer is along the lines of "when I was fighting a weaker trainer" or "when I was fighting a mon that hadn't been trained a lot", then I think I know why we are hitting so hard when we don't do it otherwise... Our mons' strength has grown well beyond a normal contest mon's. And to add more proof; unless I'm mistaken, the Grass Knots Pheonix and Catherine took in your battle looked like the barely hurt them. Even with resistances factored in, they should have taken more damage than they did.

-Ren looks at Rio and Kitsune.-

And if you need further proof, the last time the three of us fought Tristan, because he raises his mon with defense in mind, it took several attacks before damage started to add up. Of course, how much damage an opponent has taken doesn't matter when you're hit by a Sheer Cold or Horn Drill. That's why Tristan's team is so effective in contest battles; very few mon are trained to overcome defensive mon. And since Tristian mon are purely defensive, odds are that his mon's one-hit-knock-out moves will connect before his mon will faint.

Ren: Yes, it is. It also means I have to adjust accordingly.

Auditorium

-the last three battles of the first round play out fairly normally, with only one of them being won by KO.-

-The Screen now Shows Joseph and his next opponent; who happens to be another teenaged boy with light hair and dark eyes.-

Ren: Well, I'll be watching backstage. See if his skill level matches yours as much as his appearance does.

Backstage

Ren: Palette Swaps exist in real life?!

-as the battle begins, he sends out a Roserade and a Hitmontop-

-the Roserade preens vainly-

<So, who're these nothings?>

-the Hitmontop simply spins gaily on his head-

Lady: <I hate you already, Roserade.>

Okay then! Lady, use Calm Mind, then Fire Blast on the Roserade! Luciano, use Dragon Pulse on the Hitmontop!

-Lady causes her flames to go perfectly still and holds it that way for a moment before sending a massive jet of flame that swirls both orange and blue at the Roserade-

-Luciano ascends gracefully into the air, singing before releasing yellow draconic energy at the Hitmontop-

-the Roserade moves out of the way gracefully-

<Tch. Please.>

-the Hitmontop, meanwhile, doesn't get out of the way, and is hit-

???: Alain, use Sludge Bomb on the Altaria. Flashdance, Stone Edge the Chandelure.

Alain: <I'd so much rather take out that hag of a Chandelure...>

-he poses, looking bored, before launching a Sludge Bomb at Luciano-

-Flashdance spins happily, levitating rocks, before sending them at Lady-

-Lady dodges, looking shocked-

<That Roserade's a boy?>

-Luciano, meanwhile, is hit. He survives it handily, but is poisoned-

-Joseph points-

Switch it up! Sky Attack on the Roserade, Luciano! Fire Blast the Hitmontop!

-Luciano shuts his eyes and charges a Sky Attack, and begins singing his absolute lowest note-

-Lady swirls blue flame around her, first horizontally, then vertically. Essentially, performing a quick fire-dance-

-she launches it at Flashdance. It crits, and he faints. ??? remains calm-

Alain, Shadow Ball the Chandelure.

Alain: <My pleasure.>

-he forms a ball of Obscura before shaping it like a rose flower. He launches it forth at Lady, who is hit, and likewise faints-

Alain: <Shows you not to attack someone above you, peasant-huh?>

-while Alain was busy gloating, Luciano continues to sing. He has made his way up four octaves, and is singing one long note, climbing up a fifth, sixth and seventh-

-having come to a fortissimo final note, he blitzes Alain, who flies backwards and faints-

Announcer: And the victor is Joseph Hudson!