Wednesday, October 28.
A bright morning, crisp with autumn air.
A gentle melody drifted into his ears.
Lu Ye opened his eyes and saw his snow-white Sylveon standing by the window, gazing at the sunrise in the distance.
"Were you singing just now?"
"Veeon~~" Sylveon puffed out its chest and swayed its pink ribbons—a silent admission.
Lu Ye chuckled, rolled out of bed, and stretched.
"Alright, let's eat breakfast and head to the finals!"
A hearty breakfast was prepared.
Lu Ye munched on a piece of toast while contemplating today's lineup.
"Sylveon fought in the last match, so let's give it a break this time…"
"Growlithe? Just for numbers—sure, let's bring it along!"
After gearing up, they set off.
Gengar adjusted the straps of the airbag carrying the Pokémon Egg on its back.
With sunglasses on, the whole crew looked menacing as they made their way to the finals venue.
---
Inside the stadium, the atmosphere was electric.
Drones hovered back and forth, and fireworks exploded above the arena.
Whoosh!
The Sacred Flame of Moltres blazed in the silver cauldron.
The commentator's voice boomed with excitement:
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the East Donghuang Division Grand Finals!!"
The entire stadium erupted into deafening cheers.
"Go, Lu Ye!"
"Lu Bao, crush him for us!!"
---
In the VIP section, East Donghuang Division Committee Chairman Shi Jian couldn't help but admire:
"Lu Ye really is a popular competitor."
Modu Association's Song Pengcheng nodded with a smile.
"Well, he's a well-known trainer online, after all."
"Who do you favor for this match?"
"Both are seasoned competitors who've participated in multiple tournaments." Song Pengcheng pondered for a moment.
"But Lu Ye is relatively new, and he's been rebuilding his team… His chances of winning aren't great."
"That's not necessarily the case." Shi Jian gazed across the arena.
"This so-called 'Tactical Master'... let's see what he's got!"
---
As the competitors entered the arena, the crowd's excitement peaked.
Yang Zhichang smiled as he shook Lu Ye's hand.
"I gotta admit, I'm jealous of your popularity."
"They're just fans of my looks, nothing worth mentioning." Lu Ye replied humbly.
Yang Zhichang blinked, then coughed.
"…Anyway, let's have a good match!"
Both trainers returned to their battle stands.
The audience held their breath, eyes locked on the battlefield.
This match had captured the attention of nearly every university in East Donghuang.
Would Lu Ye, who dominated the college league with a 1v5 sweep, be able to perform another miracle against the invincible Tyranitar?
The referee placed the whistle in his mouth and raised one hand.
Members of the Modu University varsity team felt their hearts pounding.
Then—
Tweet!
The whistle blew.
The match had begun!
The rugged, bearded Backpacker Uncle suddenly sharpened his gaze.
"Go, Scizor!"
"Yang Zhichang leads with a Pokémon making its tournament debut!" The commentator exclaimed.
"With its impressive Steel-type resistances, Scizor is a strong counter to both Poison and Fairy-types!"
The transparent metal wings hummed, and the sharp, crimson-plated Scizor raised its gleaming pincers, exuding a chilling aura.
Yang Zhichang kept a slight smile, but his eyes were locked onto Lu Ye.
That kid will definitely start with Sylveon to counter my Tyranitar.
But he'll never expect this hidden trump card!
"Lu Ye sends out… Gengar!" The commentator shouted.
The crowd turned their eyes to the battlefield, where a sinisterly grinning Gengar with crimson eyes appeared.
Yang Zhichang froze.
He read my read?!
No matter… Scizor is immune to Poison-type moves. I still have the type advantage!
"Swords Dance!"
Just as Yang Zhichang shouted, his words got stuck in his throat.
Because the moment Scizor crossed its pincers, ready to perform its battle dance—
Gengar chuckled darkly and wiggled a finger.
"Gengar's Taunt lands!"
The commentator was stunned.
"Was this a coincidence? Lu Ye saw through his strategy on the very first move!"
Cheers erupted from the stands.
Meanwhile, Lu Ye had an odd expression.
Why is everyone so surprised?
Leaving luck aside, isn't this as easy as playing against a little kid?
What Yang Zhichang didn't realize was that, in Lu Ye's mind, his ranking had silently shifted from "baby" to "elementary school student."
"Then we'll go for an all-out offensive!" Yang Zhichang shouted. "Bullet Punch!"
Bang!
Scizor's lightning-fast punch sliced through the air with a sharp whoosh as its massive red pincers struck Gengar.
Gengar's eyes flickered with an eerie blue light, but it was sent flying by the Bullet Punch, flipping 180 degrees midair.
"Gengaaaarr~~~(ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ"
Before it could even react, a beam of red light pulled Gengar back into its Pokéball.
The audience was dumbfounded.
"What just happened?"
"Lu Ye's ace got completely broken through?"
Even Yang Zhichang was stunned.
That easy?
Something doesn't add up…
Without hesitation, Lu Ye sent out his next Pokémon.
"Awwoooo~~~"
A proud and majestic Growlithe stepped forward, its forehead fur swaying in the breeze as it locked eyes with Scizor, its gaze full of mischief.
"Scizor has a quadruple weakness to Fire!"
The commentator swallowed hard. "This is a huge disadvantage!"
Yang Zhichang's face darkened.
This doesn't make sense!
I did my research. Growlithe is Lu Ye's weakest Pokémon.
And on top of that, I run a Sandstorm team, and I've never even revealed Scizor before… So why would he bring Growlithe?!
He shot a glance at Lu Ye, hoping to catch some kind of reaction.
But Lu Ye, with his award-winning poker face, looked deadly serious.
Gritting his teeth, Yang Zhichang reached for his Pokéball.
"Come back, Scizor."
Just then—
Snap!
Lu Ye snapped his fingers. "Flamethrower!"
Growlithe opened its jaws wide, spewing a searing column of fire straight at Scizor.
Good thing I recalled Scizor in time!
Yang Zhichang felt a momentary relief—until his eyes widened in shock.
The red recall beam failed to absorb Scizor.
From the shadow beneath its feet, a dark hand extended, gripping Scizor's ankle tightly.
"Wait… Is that—?!" Even the commentator was stunned.
Shadow Tag!
A move Gengar had secretly used before it was recalled!
Lu Ye adjusted his sunglasses with a satisfied nod.
Good to see those little pre-match arrangements paying off.
"Using subtle tricks and deep synergy with his Pokémon to execute commands…"
In the VIP section, Shi Jian raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Now that is an interesting trainer."
BOOM!!
The jet of flames engulfed Scizor in an instant.
The quadruple damage left it screeching in agony, its metallic exoskeleton turning a deep red from the heat.
Thud!
Scizor collapsed to the ground.
"A… a one-shot?!"
"Lu Ye planned this! He wanted Growlithe on the field!"
"A one-hit KO in the finals?! That's badass!"
The stadium erupted in deafening cheers.
Meanwhile, Yang Zhichang studied the young man before him once more.
He couldn't see through him… He really couldn't.
How is this guy just a sophomore?
Why does he fight like a veteran?
And more importantly—
Why does he fight so damn dirty?!
Frowning slightly, Yang Zhichang took out his next Pokéball.
"Go, Tyranitar!"
His ultimate ace. The heart of his Sandstorm team.
A monstrous, towering Tyranitar!