The Mercedes Arena was packed with people.
Even for a mere drawing ceremony, over a thousand spectators had shown up, proving just how popular the tournament was.
In the VIP section, Tang Hui, slicking back his hair, scanned the arena in his sharp suit.
The Electric-type Gym Leader of Thunder City, Lü Jianghai, spoke in his deep voice, "Is your neck hurting?"
"I'm just wondering why Lu Ye isn't here yet."
"Who's Lu Ye?"
"The guy who steamrolled your son."
"…" Lü Jianghai's face turned green.
The scene of his son, Lü You, getting utterly crushed in the Piplup Cup was still fresh in his mind.
But today was a different story—there was no way the son of a Gym Leader would keep falling behind!
"Hmph!" Lü Jianghai snorted, ending the conversation.
Tang Hui had a complicated expression.
Gengar had been showing up at his Gym recently, challenging him nonstop… The pressure was getting real.
And now, he had accidentally blurted out his honest thoughts!
---
At that moment, a commotion erupted in the contestant tunnel.
Flashes from reporters' cameras flickered wildly.
Like the entrance of a superstar, the audience burst into thunderous applause.
Lu Ye had just rushed over from his company, looking completely baffled.
It was just a lottery draw—was all this really necessary?
"Mr. Lu Ye, I'm a reporter from Modu Evening News!"
A male journalist shouted, "Can you tell us about your goal for the tournament?!"
Seeing the sea of reporters behind him, Lu Ye felt a little embarrassed and said,
"I'll do my best."
The reporter's eyes lit up, and he furiously scribbled in his notebook:
[Pre-Tournament Exclusive! A Lesson in Humility—The Championship Favorite Speaks…]
With all the online buzz, Lu Ye had become one of the most talked-about contestants.
After all, his looks alone were enough to generate traffic.
And combined with his undefeated record…
Handsome and strong, Lu Ye had earned the nickname "Little Steven."
All eyes turned to him—some filled with envy, some with hostility, and some with admiration…
One of the spectators was Qi Shishi, from a renowned martial arts family.
Wearing a sleeveless black tank top and a ponytail, her toned, bronzed arms were on full display.
She withdrew her gaze, and to her surprise, a faint blush appeared on her face.
"Sis, do you have a crush on him?"
"What nonsense!"
Qi Shishi snapped, then subconsciously glanced at Gengar, who was grinning wildly.
"I just… think he's kinda cute."
The Top 16 Qualifiers for the tournament would still follow a 2v2 singles format.
One by one, the contestants stepped up to draw lots as the host announced the matchups.
"Veteran Trainer, Yang Zhichang, versus Thunder City Gym's Lü You!"
In the VIP section, Lü Jianghai asked, "What's this Yang Zhichang's background?"
Tang Hui replied, "He made the Top 32 in the Kanto Conference before."
"Top 32? That's nothing." Lü Jianghai let out a sigh of relief.
"My son has the aura of a champion!"
"Next match!"
The host's voice suddenly rose:
"Contestant Lu Ye—"
The entire venue held its breath.
"—versus Qi Shishi from the Qi Fist Martial Arts Gym!"
To have a Gym named after your family was already an incredible achievement.
Qi Shishi's father was a renowned Fighting Master in the Donghuang Alliance, having once won a P1 Heavyweight Championship Belt.
His daughter had inherited the true teachings of their dojo and planned to compete in the Donghuang Conference after this tournament.
As for Lu Ye…
Despite being the MVP of the University League, he only had six months of battle experience.
Even if he had solid tactics, his real-world combat experience was severely lacking!
"This is basically a free win."
"Seriously? He's just a gaming streamer."
"Qi Shishi is almost a professional fighter! How does a college sophomore even stand a chance?"
---
In the VIP section, Lü Jianghai smirked and said meaningfully, "Some people rise too fast… and fall just as fast."
Tang Hui's face twitched.
Please, shut up!
Your son's face is turning blue!
--
Post-Lottery Meeting
After the draw, Qi Shishi approached Lu Ye in the contestant tunnel and offered a handshake.
"I'm looking forward to our match."
Lu Ye glanced at her bronzed muscles and clicked his tongue.
This one was the real deal…
Losing wouldn't be so bad—at least it would give Gym Leader Tang an excuse.
Returning to the contestant lounge, Lu Ye and Gengar grabbed a bucket of popcorn and sodas to watch Group A's match.
The first fight featured Thunder City Gym's Lü You against veteran trainer Yang Zhichang.
Yang Zhichang was a warm-faced middle-aged man. He nodded at Lü You before throwing out a Poké Ball.
A violent sandstorm instantly erupted, and gasps echoed through the audience.
"A T-Tyranitar?!"
"Damn, how the hell do you fight that?!"
In the swirling yellow haze, a massive green-armored Tyranitar lifted its fierce head and let out an earth-shaking roar:
"ROOOAAARRR—!!"
A drop of cold sweat rolled down Lü You's forehead.
Even though his Pokémon, Magnezone, had reached its final evolution, it still seemed insignificant compared to the Tyranitar.
Tang Hui turned to Lü Jianghai, puzzled.
"Lü Gym Leader, does your son have a trump card?"
You claimed he had the aura of a champion… surely he wouldn't fail to make the Top 8?
Lü Jianghai's expression turned stiff, his neck straining.
"O-Of course!"
Tang Hui nodded in realization.
Ah, so the Gym Leader's son is just acting nervous on purpose!
Five minutes later…
Lü You, having been completely steamrolled by Tyranitar, walked off the field in utter defeat.
Tang Hui and Lü Jianghai sat in awkward silence.
"…That was unexpected," Lü Jianghai muttered.
"Yeah… makes sense, though," Tang Hui agreed.
"Hmph! Lu Ye is up next… Let's see if he does any better!"
Lü Jianghai, red-faced, waved his hand dismissively.
Tang Hui furrowed his brows but couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Lu Ye was undoubtedly strong…
But he had a tendency to hold back.
If he didn't use his main team, he might really be in trouble against Qi Shishi…
---
The Match Begins
As the Group B battle was announced, the crowd erupted once more.
"Let's welcome both contestants!"
Lu Ye patted Gengar's head.
"Alright, it's our turn!"
Qi Shishi, now wearing a karate gi with a black belt, stepped onto the battlefield.
She gave Gengar a fleeting glance before tossing her Poké Ball.
"Go, Hitmonchan!"
The brown-armored Pokémon wore red boxing gloves, its sharp eyes filled with fighting spirit.
Hitmonchan shadowboxed in place, fists cutting through the air with intense speed.
Lu Ye thought for a moment before tossing out a Luxury Ball.
"AWOOOO~~!! (｀0´)"
With a flash of red light, Growlithe leaped out, baring its fangs.
"Damn, a Growlithe in a Luxury Ball? That's some serious cash."
"Wait, is he really using a first-stage Pokémon?"
The audience buzzed with debate.
For a Fighting-type specialist, Growlithe's Intimidate ability was an immediate problem.
Qi Shishi frowned.
"Hitmonchan, use Mach Punch!"
Hitmonchan dashed forward, its arm stretching out like a bullet-speed jab aimed directly at Growlithe's face.
BAM!
Growlithe shook its head, then bared its teeth as flames gathered in its mouth.
"Detect!"
Hitmonchan crossed its arms, blocking the Flamethrower, then countered with a powerful punch!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Hitmonchan's blindingly fast punches landed in rapid succession, hammering Growlithe over and over.
Yet, Growlithe simply let out a couple of exaggerated howls and even wagged its tail.
"??? How is this Growlithe acting like it's totally fine?!"
"This thing is way too tanky!"
Qi Shishi frowned, glancing between the panting Hitmonchan and its scorched boxing gloves—
Burned?
But when…?
Suddenly, a thought struck her.
The move that had been "Detected" earlier…
The power didn't feel like Flamethrower at all—It felt more like Will-O-Wisp!
With the burn sapping its strength, Hitmonchan's relentless offense was now a liability.
But… now that I've figured it out!
Qi Shishi locked eyes with Lu Ye, her gaze sharp.
"Hitmonchan, Guts Boost!"
Despite its unsteady breathing, Hitmonchan suddenly surged forward with incredible speed, a blinding white glow surrounding its fist as it aimed straight for Growlithe's face.
CRACK!
The Protect barrier shattered instantly, sending Growlithe skidding back two meters.
"Flamethrower," Lu Ye commanded.
"It's useless!" Qi Shishi shouted, "Guts Boost again!"
Hitmonchan punched straight through the incoming flames, gritting its teeth as it swung with all its might.
But then—
Qi Shishi's eyes went wide in shock.
"It missed?!"
"Did it dodge by using Dig?"
"No… Look up!"
Lu Ye's voice was calm.
"Body Slam."
Under the blinding sunlight, a large, well-fed Growlithe was soaring through the air—
"Awoooo~~!! (｀0´)"
CRASH!
Growlithe slammed down onto Hitmonchan, pinning it to the ground!
A massive cloud of dust erupted, and the audience let out a collective gulp.
"…Why do I feel like I just saw a Snorlax?"
"This was almost a perfect health one-shot…"
---
In the VIP section, Tang Hui casually glanced at Lü Jianghai.
Lü Jianghai coughed.
"T-There's still another one left!"
"To my knowledge, that's her ace!"
Qi Shishi recalled her defeated Hitmonchan, taking a deep breath.
This… doesn't feel like battling a student.
It felt more like facing a towering, immovable mountain.
Even back when she trained at Bruno's Fighting Dojo, she had never felt this kind of pressure…
Qi Shishi bit her lip and threw out a Poké Ball.
"Go, Swampert!"
"HOOAAAHH—!!"
A true powerhouse—said to be able to lift boulders weighing a ton with one hand and easily push multi-ton trucks.
The bulging muscles on Swampert's blue arms flexed as the spiky fins on its cheeks flared.
The sheer pressure silenced the entire audience.
With Intimidate already triggered, Lu Ye retrieved Growlithe into its Luxury Ball.
"Your turn, Squirtle!"
"Squirtlee!ヾ(⌐■_■)"
A Squirtle wearing sunglasses appeared, prompting the crowd to lose it.
"Lu Ye really is a die-hard 'No Evolution' trainer, huh?"
"Dude… this isn't some college league. And the type matchup isn't even in his favor!"
Lü Jianghai snorted.
"Look! He's panicking!"
Tang Hui had a complicated expression.
If I recall correctly…
Isn't this Squirtle actually Lu Ye's ace?
Qi Shishi narrowed her eyes and gave the order.
"Swampert, Ice Punch!"
A massive ice crystal formed over Swampert's fist, fine frost scattering through the air.
The chilling aura made several Gym Leaders in the VIP section sit up straight.
But when Lu Ye gave his command—
The entire stadium fell silent.
"Squirtle, Ice Punch."
Wait… what?!
Squirtle is using Ice Punch?!
It's going to go head-to-head with Swampert?!
That's suicide!
The bitter cold swept through the battlefield.
Squirtle held its breath, a powerful Aura locking onto Swampert.
Then—
Squirtle took off its sunglasses.
BOOOOM!!!
The clash of Ice Punch vs. Ice Punch sent a shockwave rippling outward.
The battlefield instantly froze over, then violently collapsed.
CRACK!
A massive crater formed in the center of the stage, thick mist swirling inside.
The entire stadium held its breath.
Lü Jianghai's face turned purple.
As the cold mist dispersed—
A tiny figure stood alone, completely calm.
The entire crowd went dead silent.
Crrrunch… Crrrunch…
Squirtle stepped through the icy rubble, picked up its sunglasses, put them back on, and gave Lu Ye a small nod.
Master.
Mission accomplished.
"HOLY SH*T!!"
The audience exploded in cheers.
"It one-shot it?! Squirtle one-shot a Swampert?!"
"This isn't how the script was supposed to go!"
Qi Shishi stood there, stunned.
A Squirtle…
How…?
Her pupils contracted as she stared at Squirtle's back.
Only… one single scratch?!
Lu Ye's expression was just as complicated.
That's it?!
I had five different counter-strategies prepared…
And you just one-shot it??
Lu Ye murmured, "…You never fail to amaze me, Squirtle."
Squirtle nodded slightly.
Then, it glanced back at its shell—
A single scratch.
Looks like I'll need at least 100 Max Potions this time.
---
With an absolute landslide victory, Lu Ye advanced to the Top 8.
The old headmaster of Imperial University, Sun Huai'an, even called to laugh, "Kid, your Squirtle reminds me of my younger days!"
Squirtle's Ice Punch had been taught by Sun Huai'an himself, the runner-up of the Donghuang Conference.
Lu Ye sighed, looking at the bill in his hand.
And at Squirtle, happily carrying a bag full of Max Potions.
Lu Ye's expression was complicated.
Won the match… lost at life.
Yeah.
That sums it up perfectly.