"Look! He's up! The freshman is up again!"
"Finally! Totally worth the three-hour train ride!"
The crowd, which had finally settled down, erupted once more—like a school of sardines stirred awake by a catfish in the tale.
In an instant, the arena was flooded with noise.
The usual booing lasted only a brief moment before dwindling to a few isolated patches. This match had been too frustrating for Haizhou's fans; most of them couldn't muster any enthusiasm.
They felt there was no fire. They knew Mist City was strong, but watching their team's two regulars get half-crippled—how could they stay hyped?
At least force their captain out!
Somewhat disheartened, they looked away and, almost as one, turned their attention to Li Xiang—watching the boy walk calmly toward the battlefield.
In the waiting area, the Haizhou team's fans' sudden quiet took many of the senior sisters by surprise. They had expected the crowd to be buzzing after their captain had won two rounds in a row.
What happened? Did they run out of steam?
Only Xu He and Miao Shuang truly understood.
The fact that all thirty thousand seats in the arena were filled for this match was largely Li Xiang's doing.
Everyone was here to see him—to see whether he would take the stage, and how brightly he would shine in singles.
Mist City's star-making project was already showing results, and these spectators who had traveled great distances were living proof.
That was exactly why Xu He had decided to put Li Xiang in against Haizhou.
Originally, the plan was to keep him hidden, letting him catch opponents off guard.
But after his doubles performance, other schools weren't stupid. Continuing to hide him was pointless.
If he could play, let him play. That was Xu He's mindset now.
Across the field, the Haizhou team's atmosphere was solemn.
Their vice-captain had already gone down. Their hopes were running thin.
If the captain could take down just one more opponent, even if they lost the rest, they'd at least have three points to show—something to hold onto.
"We're counting on you!"
"Go, Captain Zhang! Make it two in a row!"
"We'll always trust the captain!"
Amid their teammates' cheers, the Haizhou captain managed a smile, though his heart was heavy as he stepped onto the stage.
He had known that facing Mist City would likely mean running into Li Xiang, but seeing him standing across the field still made his stomach churn.
He knew his own situation well. His two remaining Pokémon were in terrible shape—even healed, they wouldn't be back to full strength.
And it was two against three.
What if he lost...
It would be humiliating, wouldn't it? Getting beaten by a freshman—he'd be roasted alive.
But this freshman was different. His previous matches and record were ridiculously impressive. He wasn't like other newbies.
So losing to him would be understandable, right?
That made sense, didn't it?
"...Sigh."
The Haizhou captain let out a long, weary sigh, his body feeling weak.
It had been years since he'd had thoughts of defeat before even stepping onto the field. And yet here they were again.
Truthfully, he would rather face Su Qian or Chao right now. Losing to one of the two captains would draw less attention.
All he wanted in his final year was to quietly finish the Summer and Autumn Tournaments and close this chapter of his university life.
The global stage had always been just a dream. Once the dream faded, reality returned.
Fame—that was the last thing he wanted.
But life was rarely kind. In his final year, of course there had to be one last twist.
"Let's do this. One final match."
The captain chuckled wryly, his thumb rubbing against the button of his Poké Ball, his steps heavy.
A moment later, he reached his position, steeled himself, and looked at his opponent across the field.
And froze.
What he saw was nothing short of a breathtaking painting.
Under the blazing summer sun, golden light fell like a sheer veil over the boy approaching him—like divine protection from above.
The soft glow traced his handsome features, delicate as a painting.
Just looking at him made all the noise around them fade away.
So tranquil. So serene.
There was no excess emotion on his face—only an unwavering conviction to win, step by step, climbing toward the victor's podium.
He had come here to win.
A nameless emotion swelled in the Haizhou captain's heart.
"Child of the Gods..."
The nickname he had once mocked—now it slipped from his lips, unbidden.
The match began with a quiet whistle.
Surprisingly, most of the spectators chose to remain silent, with only a few still making noise.
The battle environment was pleasant.
Thanks to this, Li Xiang noticed that his opponent had suddenly become somewhat... strange.
Earlier, he had seemed weighed down by a heavy gloom, like an old man on the verge of death.
Now, it was as if he'd been pumped with adrenaline.
Was this a pre-battle flashback?
Regardless, a shift in mindset wasn't going to change the outcome.
Li Xiang remained composed.
The Haizhou captain had only two Pokémon left.
—Toxapex and male Jellicent.
Both had Recover and good endurance, which was why they had lasted this long.
But they also both shared a weakness to Electric-type moves, lacked strong offensive power, and had laughably low physical attack stats.
Against such extreme opponents, Corviknight and Rotom could do whatever they wanted, Taunting them until they couldn't even recognize their own trainers.
Jellicent could Taunt back, but its version was lackluster—nowhere near as fast as Corviknight's, nor even Rotom's.
So the outcome had been decided before the match even began.
Both sides sent out their Pokémon.
The opponent led with Toxapex. Tentacles everywhere, the two front ones curled up to reveal a small, berry-sized core.
Its horn glowed faintly purple, then released a rain of light arrows that scattered across the field and vanished.
Toxic Spikes.
A field hazard.
Any Pokémon that stepped onto the ground after being sent out would be poisoned. A second layer would upgrade it to badly poisoned.
Troublesome, but easy enough to counter.
The real question was—was it trying to keep Incineroar and Greninja off the field?
Li Xiang sent out Corviknight, thinking fast.
In singles, a "specialist" like Toxapex typically stuck to status conditions and traps, stalling indefinitely.
If the opponent used Rest, even better. Toxapex might not have huge damage output, but with enough time, it could wear them down.
Meanwhile, Corviknight opened with Tailwind as usual.
Then it dropped to the ground and sprinted on powerful legs toward the tentacled creature!
Being a Steel-type meant it didn't fear the Toxic Spikes at all!
The opponent quickly ordered a Light Screen.
A pink barrier appeared.
Li Xiang was surprised—using a screen even when Taunt was a risk? That was bold.
Was it worth it?
"Cawww!"
A flicker of surprise passed through Corviknight's eyes, but instead of Taunting, it switched to Defog.
A fierce wind swept across the field, clearing away the Toxic Spikes and shattering the Light Screen in one go!
But since Corviknight acted second, and the distance was short, the opponent seized the opening.
"Scald!"
The shout came just as Toxapex leaped and spun like a wheel, blasting a torrent of scalding water!
In an instant, it was upon Corviknight!
Corviknight reacted in time, flapping hard to ascend, but it was still a step too slow—some of the hot water splashed onto it!
Hiss!
Steam rose as the water vaporized.
Burn! Burn! Burn!
The Haizhou captain's eyes were wide with hope, praying for the miracle burn.
If Corviknight got burned, its offensive power would tank—and Toxapex could stall indefinitely.
This was his last chance.
Unfortunately—
His luck didn't hold.
Corviknight landed steadily, unblinking. The spot hit by Scald showed no sign of burn smoke.
Instead, a faint red glow began to coat its body.
The big raven's expression darkened.
"Corviknight!"
"Cawww!"
A piercing cry echoed across the arena as its attack rose steadily!
Bulk Up!
In a flash, Corviknight charged forward!
"Baneful Bunker!"
The Haizhou captain didn't hesitate, shouting the order.
A giant purple shield studded with spines surrounded Toxapex, blocking all attacks.
After watching the doubles match, he wasn't about to risk Magic Bounce. Better to play it safe with a Protect.
That way, no matter what move Corviknight used, Toxapex would be fine.
He had some confidence in its durability and defense—they'd trained for this.
Besides, what could Corviknight do to Toxapex anyway?
If it closed in, he'd be happy—Scald would land even easier.
But he didn't expect Corviknight to forgo Taunt entirely—and thanks to the early Baneful Bunker, it had plenty of time to power up.
He also underestimated Corviknight's offensive potential.
White feathers drifted down, turning into pale blue flames, swirling in wild winds as they surged skyward.
A soaring eagle's cry pierced the air—like a fighter jet breaking the sound barrier!
The pale blue, screeching bird dove toward Toxapex's fortress!
The sheer power made the captain's pupils contract violently.
—BOOM!
A massive explosion and blinding smoke swallowed everything in an instant!