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The forums were still quite interesting. Silly netizens were everywhere. By the time Li Xiang managed to tear his eyes away from the screen, he realized he had wasted a full half hour.
The internet was truly terrifying.
He couldn't help but shudder, then replied to the anxiously waiting Bai Zhou on WeChat.
Although having his Pokémon critiqued was a bit uncomfortable, some of the comments were genuinely interesting.
As for worries...
There wasn't much to worry about. Riolu had only used a few moves and a short burst of speed.
Anyone trying to analyze it based solely on that was like looking at a leopard through a tube—how could their conclusions possibly be comprehensive or accurate?
A one-sided battle could only measure Riolu's lower limits, not its upper limits. As for Rotom, it would probably make people wary of its Double Team.
Being able to dodge was a talent in itself.
...
Night.
The first round of the selection matches was half over.
Nearly seven hundred students were eliminated at once, shattering the tournament dreams of seven hundred students.
No second chances either; it was quite ruthless.
There was no need to worry about Song Jie and the others; victory was inevitable. Even Bai Zhou made it past the first round, giving the first-year students a major boost in reputation.
But not all Youth Training Camp graduates had it so smooth.
One person was eliminated.
Li Xiang didn't know him. His strength was decent, with his Pokémon averaging above level 45. It was surprising he lost so quickly.
Among so many second-year participants, he just had to run into a fourth-year student, and one of the stronger ones in his grade at that, with high ranking points.
Just like the match Li Xiang fought, it was a gap in raw power that ordinary tactics couldn't bridge, and there were no specific counter-strategies.
A natural loss.
Even so, the large number of advancing first-years still caused quite a stir on the forums. Many were curious about how far they would go.
The heat on Li Xiang also gradually shifted somewhat towards the other young prodigies.
Additionally, Song Jie became popular.
This white-haired youth, relying on his outstanding looks and extraordinary skill, successfully won the favor of quite a few female students and the animosity of the male students.
With top-tier looks and a unique hair colour, it was no surprise.
Even though Li Xiang's face was quite good-looking, he couldn't compare to this kind of treatment. Posts about him were all discussing his strength.
Posts about Song Jie, however, were either asking which class he was in, where he lived, his WeChat ID, his phone number, etc.
The reply rate from female students below was quite high; basically, seven out of ten replies were from girls.
Someone even created a dedicated thread to post various photos of Song Jie.
The poster was suspected to be Zhao Jie or Lu Shu because many photos had backgrounds not at Mist City University.
However, the thread was deleted after just five minutes, probably due to some inside story, most likely orchestrated by Song Jie himself.
Li Xiang didn't know whether to envy him or pity him.
...
The next day.
Without any suspense, the second round of matches began.
Li Xiang's opponent was a second-year student, relatively unknown, the kind you'd lose in a crowd at a place like Mist City University.
His ranking points were at the very bottom, a typical 'tail of the phoenix' contestant.
However, as the saying goes, even a worn-out ship has three thousand nails. Even the tail of a phoenix wasn't something an ordinary high school student could compare to.
Li Xiang didn't dare underestimate him.
What if this guy was a wolf in sheep's clothing? Laying low the first year and suddenly rising in the second? If he capsized in this tiny ditch, it would be a joke.
His name would probably be in the papers the next day, with an eye-catching headline like 'National First Place Beaten by Last Ranker' or something similar.
Given the current state where everyone was watching, it was entirely possible.
Stability above all.
With this mindset, Li Xiang sent out his most steady performer—Greninja.
His opponent specialized in Fighting-types, which inherently had an advantage against Greninja, but against Protean, it was useless.
The lead was a Hitmonlee with the Reckless ability, a Pokémon that looked like a version of the deity Xingtian but without a mouth, resembling a Muay Thai expert.
Its characteristic was its flexible, spring-like legs that could stretch. The maximum distance each one could stretch varied.
This Hitmonlee's limit was ten meters. Meaning, within ten meters was its effective striking range.
Even more interesting was that these spring-like kicking legs could bend and twist mid-air, as if they had multiple knees.
Essentially, Hitmonlee has no knee joints.
Back to the match.
When his opponent saw the Dark-type Greninja land, an involuntary smile flickered across his face.
'Good. This match is in the bag.'
Seeing his micro-expression, Li Xiang immediately understood that this guy either hadn't bought the intel, or the intel didn't mention Greninja's ability.
The former was more likely.
But whichever it was, this guy was no longer a match for Greninja.
Starting with Camouflage, Greninja vanished into the air.
The opponent calmly used Bulk Up. Then, countless flaky brown-red smoke rose from Hitmonlee's body, and the "springs" in its legs inexplicably thickened.
Camouflage wasn't invincible. This was common knowledge for all trainers.
Also, you didn't necessarily need to see with your eyes to detect your opponent. And among Fighting-type moves, there happened to be one skill that could detect enemies using other senses.
It was called—Mind Reader.
In the games, its effect was to make the next attack never miss, a move so lame it couldn't be lamer. But here, it became a move that enhanced perception.
To sense the opponent's actions with the heart.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Chuck used this move to see through Rhydon's attack path, thus dodging the move.
Hitmonlee clearly didn't plan to use it that way; its goal was to find the hidden Greninja on the field.
—And it actually found it.
The next second, Hitmonlee leaped into the air, its entire body soaring. Its two long legs, like iron chains, shot towards the Greninja hiding not far away!
High Jump Kick!
Going straight for the highest power big move from the start!
The opponent clearly intended to take down Greninja in one hit, giving it no chance to react!
Greninja dodged to the side, but the bendable long legs weren't easy to evade. After dodging once, it actually couldn't keep up with the speed of the kick and was struck in the chest by the High Jump Kick!
A brown-red light flashed!
Greninja was sent flying back, crashing into the wire mesh fence!
"Yes!"
The opponent's face lit up with joy. Even though he couldn't see where Greninja was, the attribute energy exploded, and the fence made a smacksound, proving it was definitely hit!
Mind Reader had seen through Greninja's dodging path!
And for a fragile Pokémon like Greninja, if High Jump Kick landed, it was basically a one-hit KO.
Even if Greninja had invested a bit in bulk, Hitmonlee's output with Reckless boosting High Jump Kick's power would overwhelm it!
Success! First blood!
But compared to the ecstatic trainer, Hitmonlee, who had retracted its legs and landed, clearly sensed something was wrong because the feeling of kicking Greninja was off.
It didn't feel like it was kicked away, but more like it actively flew outwards!
Thinking this, Hitmonlee directly used Foresight, looking towards the direction Greninja was kicked—
Sky-blue blade light.
This was what Hitmonlee saw after using Foresight, which could see through falsehoods.
Immediately after, a sharp pain erupted in its abdomen!
"!"
''Nani!'
Hitmonlee looked in disbelief at the Greninja holding two long blades, which had swept past its body like a swallow!
'The earlier High Jump Kick didn't work!?'
Not far away, the opponent was also stunned, because he only saw a sky-blue light flash around Hitmonlee in the air, and then Hitmonlee was kneeling on the ground, clutching its abdomen.
What happened?
Nothing much, just a simple Aerial Ace slicing across Hitmonlee's belly.
Using Grudge to silently change to Ghost-type, taking the hit that should have been super effective but ended up being only physical impact damage.
And Greninja used that force to kick off the wire mesh fence hard, accelerating itself.
Then, third Style of the Ten Forms of Ksitigarbha: Flowing Splendor Cut - Aerial Ace!
A Flying-type move hitting a Pokémon with paper-thin physical defense like Hitmonlee—how could it not be heavily damaged?
It knew Foresight but didn't use it, opting for the safer Mind Reader instead...
'Sorry. This is the result.'
Greninja stood with its back to Hitmonlee, calmly flicking the two sky-blue streams of air that formed its blades, as if trying to flick off non-existent blood.
Fizz.
The two air blades dissipated in the wind.
"Hitmonlee! Get up!"
The opponent shouted, then saw Hitmonlee actually get up—launched up by an unknown energy.
Extrasensory!
The thought flashed through his mind just as Hitmonlee's body heavily hit the ground.
"Ninja..."
In the empty field, light and shadow twisted as Greninja slowly materialized with its hands forming seals, then instantly disappeared again.
Extremely cool.
'Damn! This guy really knows how to show off! And its getting better at it!'
Li Xiang looked somewhat helplessly at Greninja. This guy's chuunibyou was probably incurable.
On the opponent's side, his mentality was decent enough. He regained his nearly lost composure within seconds.
Recalling Hitmonlee, he sent out his second Pokémon.
A strange creature covered in white fur, looking a bit eerie, like a combination of a yeti and a crab, but without pincers, only two large hands like hammers.
—The Generation VII Fighting/Ice-type, Crabominable.
'This one should have the Iron Fist ability.'
"Hail!"
The opponent shouted, and Crabominable roared along. A dark cloud quickly gathered above, dropping fine grains of snow.
But these seemingly harmless snowflakes, falling on Greninja's body, stung it like electric shocks, over and over.
Because of this, its form was also exposed under the hail. After all, there was an area where snowflakes didn't land. As long as your eyes were sharp enough, it was relatively easy to see clearly.
"If you won't attack, I will! Ice Hammer!"
Not sure why his opponent let him set up the hail, but he directly ordered Crabominable to attack!
Crabominable raised its hammer-like fists, let out a loud cry, and threw a punch towards Greninja's location!
During this, countless cold air gathered towards the center of its fist, forming a large, shimmering block of ice that it hurled out!
The large ice chunk whistled as it tore through the air towards its target!