"Barioth and Blastoise are out of the arena at the same time! Both are disqualified from battling!" the referee announced. "Due to the simultaneous elimination, a 30-second countdown will begin!"
"30!"
"29!"
"Such incredible strength... that Barioth is monstrous. To think it could take out a Gigantamax Blastoise like that."
"Now Bella only has two Pokémon left. It looks like she's going to lose. I never expected this young man to be so powerful, to force the Battle Queen into this corner."
"The next generation is truly terrifying!"
The crowd looked at Zhang with collective awe. They had all expected him to be crushed, just like every other challenger before him. Instead, he had traded two of his Pokémon to eliminate four of hers.
"That was very decisive. I'm becoming more and more interested in you," Bella said, recalling her Blastoise, her expression fervent. "Hurry up and get stronger. I want to fight you at your full power."
Looking at her feverish expression, Zhang felt a sense of familiarity. It was the same look he often wore himself. He and the Battle Queen were cut from the same cloth, people who lived for the thrill of battle.
"You've said that already," Zhang retorted with a smile. "But I won't keep you waiting long. And I'm looking forward to meeting your main team."
"Enough small talk. Let me see your third Pokémon," Bella said, smiling coolly.
"Gladly," Zhang nodded.
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"0!"
As the countdown ended, they threw their Poké Balls in unison.
"Go! Nargacuga!"
"It's your turn, Quaquaval!"
A red light flashed, and a humanoid duck Pokémon appeared before Bella. It was Quaquaval, the final evolution of the Paldean water starter. By now, the Trick Room had dissipated, so Zhang felt confident sending in his Nargacuga.
Quaquaval
Attribute: Water / FightingLevel: 58 (Quasi-Elite Four)Ability: Moxie (Attack is raised by one stage after knocking out an opponent.)Held Item: Focus Sash
Another Focus Sash, Zhang thought. She really likes this item.
"Roar!"
Across the field, a Pokémon as dark as night appeared. The moment Nargacuga materialized, the crowd gasped.
"Another giant Pokémon!"
"It's huge!"
"What a heavy scent of blood!"
Even after seeing Barioth and Tobi-Kadachi, the audience was still stunned by Nargacuga's size and the overwhelming bloodlust radiating from it. Unlike Barioth's cold elegance, Nargacuga was much quieter, its stillness more unsettling.
Feint Attack!
The instant it appeared, Nargacuga attacked. It vanished and reappeared directly in front of Quaquaval as if it had teleported.
CLICK!
Before Quaquaval could even react, Nargacuga's bladed wing slashed across its body. The Focus Sash activated, saving it from a one-hit knockout. But in the next instant, Nargacuga's other wing blade sliced through Quaquaval's legs, severing them.
Nargacuga was so fast that attacking twice in a single instant was trivial. If it hadn't been holding back for the competition, it would have taken Quaquaval's head, not its legs.
Nargacuga's base speed was 160, faster than 99% of all Pokémon. In daylight, its unique ability doubled its speed. The move Feint Attack further doubled it. Finally, it held a Float Stone, which halved its weight and doubled its speed again. All told, Nargacuga was as fast as lightning. As long as it didn't run into a Trick Room setup, it could crush almost any opponent with pure speed.
Nargacuga planted its paw on Quaquaval's body, its red eyes devoid of emotion. To its credit, the duck Pokémon, though its legs were gone, didn't scream. It just clenched its beak, bearing the pain.
"So fast!"
"No wonder its name is Nargacuga ['Swift Dragon']!"
"That speed is perverse! How do you even fight that? The attack lands before you can even react!"
"You could counter it with Trick Room, but Miss Bella already used her Slowking."
"So fast...!"
"Holy..."
"Awesome!"
The crowd was in an uproar. They had never seen a Pokémon move so quickly.
"Another Pokémon I've never seen, and it's ridiculously strong! My eyes are turning red with envy!"
"Where did he even catch these things? I want one too!"
"Quaquaval is unable to battle! Nargacuga wins!" the referee announced. "Please Miss Bella, send out your final Pokémon within one minute."
"Such a heavy killing intent... is this Nargacuga really a Pokémon?" Bella frowned as she recalled her maimed Quaquaval. As a powerful psychic, her perception was sharp enough to feel the pure killing intent rolling off the monster. If this weren't a competition, her Quaquaval would have been torn to pieces.
"You win. I admit defeat," Bella said, raising her hand.
She was a warrior, but she wouldn't let her Pokémon be injured for no reason. This Nargacuga was too dangerous, far more ferocious than Barioth or Tobi-Kadachi. More importantly, it was too fast. She had no chance of winning unless her last Pokémon also knew Trick Room and was holding a Focus Sash. There was no point in continuing a battle that was already lost.
"Your Nargacuga is dangerous. Be careful," she said, looking from the monster to Zhang.
"Don't worry. It won't hurt me. I'm its partner," Zhang said with a smile, walking over and stroking Nargacuga's head. The creature leaned into his touch, its cold, murderous eyes softening with affection.
"You truly are powerful, to be able to tame a Pokémon with such ferocity," Bella sighed.
"Just lucky, I guess," Zhang smiled.
"This is your badge," she said, tossing him a blue badge before striding away. "I look forward to your challenge again!"
"The winner is Zhang Tian!" the host roared. "Let's hear it for the winner! We are about to witness the rise of a new star who will surely shock the world!"
"Zhang Tian!"
"Zhang Tian!"
"Zhang Tian!"
The roar of the crowd was like a tsunami. Zhang closed his eyes, savoring the feeling. He loved it.
"Bella lost... I really didn't expect it. What a perverse brat," Shilong sighed, putting down his phone.
The news of Zhang's victory spread like wildfire: "The Strongest Civilian Genius of the Year!" In an instant, the world knew his name.
"A quasi-Elite Four trainer from a civilian background? Is that even real?"
"It is if you go into the wild. If you work hard enough, you'll find the resources."
"That's why civilian trainers are so strong in combat. The ones who aren't strong enough are already dead!"
"Awesome! A true inspiration! A slap in the face to all those rich family snobs. It shows we have the skill, just not the opportunity."
While the world was talking, Zhang was in the Water-type Gym's training grounds. After his Gardevoir confirmed there were no cameras, he began training. Bella's Mega Swampert had left a deep impression on him; he was determined to teach his own Pokémon to develop their skills in creative ways.
With only nineteen days until the Global Junior Tournament, even the playful Bea was training relentlessly. Cynthia was doing the same. Across the world, young trainers were pushing themselves to the limit for a chance to be crowned the new Rookie King.
Fourteen days passed. Zhang's team grew immensely stronger.
Pidgeot, Rathian, Great Izuchi, Arzuros, Tobi-Kadachi, Brute Dragon, Crimsondog Beast, and Escuregot all reached Level 59.Nargacuga, Barioth, Rathalos, and Redhelm Arzuros reached Level 60, officially breaking through to the Elite Four tier.Having three loyal Elite Four-tier Pokémon fulfilled the condition for his Goss Harag, which finally became obedient at Level 69.Gengar, Feraligatr, Gardevoir, and Arcanine all reached Level 58.
"I have five Elite Four-tier Pokémon now. I can start hunting monsters of that level, like Tigrex and Mizutsune." He sent a quick message to Bea and Cynthia, telling them he'd be in retreat for two days, and then crossed over to the Monster Hunter world.
He appeared in Kamura Village. He had been visiting regularly over the past two weeks to see Hinoa and Minoto, so when he entered the guild hall, Minoto greeted him with a smile instead of a resentful glare.
"Zhang, here for a quest? My, have you gotten stronger again?" she asked.
"That's right. I should be able to handle monsters like Tigrex and Mizutsune now," he nodded.
"You really did. You're amazing, you deserve to be the one I like," she said, looking at him with adoration. His growth rate was terrifying. She remembered when he first arrived, struggling against a Great Izuchi. Now he was challenging Elder Dragon-level threats.
"Hehe, soon I'll be stronger than you, and then it'll be my turn to protect you," he smiled.
"I'll be waiting," Minoto smiled slyly and pulled up the quest list. "I have quests for Tigrex, Mizutsune, Zinogre, Almudron, Astalos, and Rakna-Kadaki. Which do you want?" These monsters were all on the same tier as Goss Harag—Elite Four level.
"Let's see..." Zhang looked at the list. "I'll take the quests for Mizutsune and Tigrex. They're both in the Frost Islands, so I can handle them at once."
"Okay," Minoto nodded, registering the quests. "If you capture them, it still counts as completing the hunt. I'll vouch for you, so you won't need to hunt another one for the reward."
"Understood." For the first time, Zhang felt the benefits of having connections.
Quest: Hunt the "Absolute Strong" Tigrex
Pay: 42,000z
Quest: Hunt the MizutsunePay: 42,000z
"Go early and return early, Zhang. Be careful. If it's too dangerous, come back right away," Minoto said with concern.
"I will. Don't worry." He waved goodbye and left the village, summoning Nargacuga. It was his fastest Pokémon, the best choice for travel.
He arrived in the Frost Islands but didn't immediately start searching. He opened his system panel and noticed a flashing light behind his name. He tapped it.
[New Feature Unlocked: Fair Duel!]
[Defeat a quest target via fair means to earn Glory Points.]
[Mission Target: Mizutsune!]
[Mission Target: Tigrex!]
[Tip: Glory Points can be used to open and purchase items from the system shop.]
"Glory Points? A shop?" he wondered. "Did this unlock because my Pokémon reached the Elite Four tier and I took on quests of the same level? I wonder if another feature will unlock when I reach the Champion tier."
He clicked on the "Fair Duel" details for Tigrex.
Mission Target: Tigrex
Fairness Requirement 1: No 2-on-1 battles. Only 1v1.Fairness Requirement 2: No held items.Fairness Requirement 3: Your Pokémon cannot use stat-boosting moves.Reward: 1 Glory Point
"No ganging up, no items, and no setup moves. Those are harsh conditions," he mused. "But my Pokémon should still have a good chance, thanks to their unique abilities. I'll try it. I want to see what's in that shop. If the items are bad, I won't waste my time with fair duels."
He pulled out his map. "Tigrex is closest. I'll capture it first, then go after Mizutsune."
He mounted Nargacuga and sped off. On a snowy field, a yellow, bipedal wyvern with black stripes was feeding on the carcass of a Popo. It was a Tigrex, 29 meters long and 7 meters high—a massive individual, a "gold crown" size in game terms.