Actually, one-on-one street battles are more common...
Baimu wanted to tell Zhengyi that, but a three-on-three battle reveals the trainer's skill more than one-on-one, and he naturally couldn't ask for more.
"Then three-on-three it is."
Noticing that they were about to battle, some onlookers gathered excitedly around them.
The stall owner from earlier also stood in the crowd, holding his phone up high aimed at the two in the field, his face full of excitement.
This is Baimu!
The city hall celebrated his victory at the Ever Grande Conference for two consecutive days, crediting him for bringing glory to the Ore Region and drawing outsiders in droves— the strongest young trainer of the generation!
Every afternoon at Silicon Central Square, clips of the Ever Grande Conference final matches would be shown, and this was often the time when the square was most crowded.
However.
It seems no one recognized him?
The stall owner looked around, finding that the crowd was all discussing Zhengyi and hadn't realized the young trainer opposite him was Baimu.
Though he too hadn't recognized him initially, it didn't stop him from wanting to speak up for him now.
How could everyone be blind?
That man praised by Mayor Dennis as a "rough gem"!
"..."
He opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't make a big announcement, worried it might disturb their battle or bring them unnecessary trouble.
Inside the arena.
Baimu, unaware of how he nearly got surrounded like Bartas, revealed his chosen Pokeball, looking at the impatient Zhengyi who was ready to release his Pokémon.
"Go! Show him your might!"
Boom!
A flash of white light.
The Cacturne, looking like a hybrid of a scarecrow and a cactus, appeared half-kneeling.
It slowly straightened its posture, its pitch-black eyes with golden pupils fixed intensely on Baimu, exuding an inexplicable sense of horror.
This Pokémon... might have "seen blood."
Baimu frowned slightly, being rather sensitive in this regard. When Pyrite Town had just been liberated, he had also seen many Pokémon stained with the blood of lives they had taken.
Most of them were similar to Zhengyi's Cacturne—
Eyes cold, targeting the opponent's vital parts.
Like a hunter about to begin a hunt.
He threw his ready Pokeball forward: "I'm counting on you."
Boom!
"Happy~"
A Blissey landed, its round egg-shaped body with a gentle smile bringing an inner sense of peace, truly worthy of the title "healing angel" of Pokémon.
The onlookers started to buzz at its appearance.
Blissey is a much rarer Pokémon than Chansey, requiring a trainer's heartfelt connection to successfully evolve, extremely uncommon in Silicon City, usually only seen in Pokémon Centers.
The crowd's excitement was due to recalling a young man also owning a Blissey, appearing frequently in the central square over the past few months.
Without doubt.
They finally linked the young man opposite Zhengyi with the strongest young trainer the city hall had announced for days.
Baimu has returned!
And he's come to Silicon City!
Many people took out their phones to call their friends, the stall owner chuckled, oddly feeling a sense of pride.
Inside the arena.
Neither the trainers nor the Pokémon were affected by the outside commotion.
Blissey's gaze met with Cacturne's, showing not a hint of fear, but rather an underlying compassion.
When a temporary Pokémon Center was set up in Pyrite Town, during the month it spent learning with Miss Joys, it had seen countless Pokémon like Cacturne.
They often couldn't sleep at night, frequently waking up from nightmares, leaving them listless for a long time.
More severe cases even developed terrible stress disorders, having to rely on medication for daily life, pitiful enough to make anyone sigh.
However.
Soon, Blissey's fluffy feather-like sensors detected that Cacturne's mental state was actually quite good and showed a very excited— positively motivated kind of excitement.
This made it secretly relieved.
If Cacturne had any mental illnesses, the kind-hearted Blissey really couldn't bear to bully such a Pokémon, preferring to ask its trainer to substitute it.
At this moment.
"The opponent is attacking! Reflective Wall!"
"Sandstorm!"
The overlapping shouts quickly brought Blissey back to reality.
Looking ahead, Cacturne charged forward fiercely, kicking up a drum-thick cloud of swirling dust towards it!
"Happy!"
Blissey quickly raised a multicolored energy wall, and at that moment the gathered sandstorm closed in, its sandy gust exploding in front of it!
Bam!
It was instantly sent flying, the whipped-up sand dispersing across the field, turning into a regular sandstorm weather.
A brief gasp came from the crowd, but no one cared, everyone's eyes were locked on the flying Blissey.
Its egg-shaped body rolled far after landing, stopping just before crossing the boundary.
"Happy."
Blissey swiftly got up, the concentrated sandstorm hadn't dealt it much damage, but within the swirling sands, Cacturne took the opportunity to launch another fierce attack.
"Seed Machine Gun!"
"Nyah-siss!"
The five holes on its face, like gun barrels, fired golden light bullets wildly at Blissey, the whistling sounds of wind cutting incessantly!
In a flash.
A bright blue spherical shield appeared in front of Blissey, the golden bullets striking it but unable to shake it, only causing ripples on its surface.
Shielding itself with the Defend sphere, it moved away from the field's boundary line into the sandstorm's heart.