Chapter 293: The Tournament Begins!!
"Ssss..."
"Hnn..."
"Elec-bzzzt!!! —"
"Chaa!!! —"
As Kenji's voice fell, the air was filled with the spirited cries of his team.
Electivire and Annihilape, the two most hot-blooded battle junkies of the group, were already cracking their knuckles in anticipation.
Electivire slammed its fists together, sending a shower of sparks flying as the sound of thunder rumbled from its core.
Beside it, Annihilape waved its arms wildly, the gaseous white hair atop its head billowing like a storm cloud—the literal physical manifestation of its surging fighting spirit.
Tyranitar let out a low, resonant growl, its eyes gleaming with a fierce light. It was desperate to test the results of its brutal tutelage under the King at the temple.
Beedrill, on the other hand, remained calm. Stoic as ever, it didn't care for the theatrics. Its only goal was simple: to eradicate any obstacle standing in its trainer's path.
The other Pokémon were equally fired up. Even Ninetales, usually composed, had a sharper glint in her heterochromatic eyes.
Only Slaking remained an outlier, maintaining its signature expression of terminal boredom.
...
Before the Huaxia League Conference officially began, Kenji completed the registration process.
It was a streamlined system, all handled online.
The tournament began with the Qualifiers. The country was divided into five major districts, each holding a two-round preliminary phase.
Round One took place at the provincial level. Round Two gathered the victors at the district hubs. For the Southeast District, the hub was Metropolis.
This was incredibly convenient for Kenji; it meant he wouldn't have to leave his home base for the entire qualifying stage.
Three days before the start of the official matches, Xie Mu and Bai Bai paused their respective travels and returned to Metropolis specifically to cheer for Kenji.
...
Metropolis Battle Arena.
The largest stadium in the city, capable of holding 100,000 spectators. This was the venue for the Southeast District Qualifiers.
When Kenji and Namgung Xi arrived, the entrance was already a sea of people.
Massive queues of fans stretched as far as the eye could see, all waiting to get inside.
Kenji whistled softly. This was the drawing power of the Huaxia League Conference. Even for the opening day of the qualifiers, the turnout was staggering.
Kenji adjusted his sunglasses, thankful for the disguise. He was a celebrity now. Even though the National League was months ago, his name was still trending.
Everyone in Huaxia knew there was a "Metropolis Prodigy" named Kenji.
The internet was currently abuzz with debates about whether he would actually participate in this year's Conference. Kenji had seen the threads while scrolling through his phone:
Gardevoir's-White-Socks: "Kenji is strong for his age, sure, but he's still just a college freshman. You really think he can hang with Elite Four-level trainers who have decades of experience?"
Groudon-With-Vertigo: "Lol, tell that to the twenty-somethings who become League Champions. Experience doesn't mean anything when you're facing a monster talent."
Fighting-Type-Simp: "To be fair, Kenji shouldn't have any problem making it past the first few rounds. But looking at his performance in the National League, he's going to struggle once the real pros show up in the later stages of the qualifiers."
Gardevoir's-White-Socks: @Groudon-With-Vertigo "Keep dreaming. If he actually wins the whole thing, I'll jump off an 18-story building..."
...
Kenji ignored the online noise.
Avoiding the long lines, he led Namgung Xi to the dedicated competitor's entrance. After verifying their identities, they breezed through the VIP tunnel and reached the waiting area.
Sitting in the lounge, Kenji scrolled through his phone. Xie Mu sent a text saying he and Bai Bai were already in the stands and to let them know when he was coming out.
Kenji replied briefly. Looking up, he noticed several pairs of eyes tracking him and Namgung Xi.
Since this was Huaxia's highest-tier tournament, the average age of the competitors skewed much older—mostly middle-aged veterans.
Kenji and Namgung Xi stood out like a sore thumb. They looked exactly like what they were: college students who hadn't even graduated yet. Naturally, they drew curious and skeptical stares from the veterans.
Kenji didn't care. He went back to his phone.
After a few brief glances, the other trainers looked away, focusing on their own upcoming matches.
The stadium was massive and open-air, with ten separate arenas running matches simultaneously.
About an hour later, Kenji and Namgung Xi's names appeared on the overhead monitors.
Namgung Xi was assigned to Arena #6. Kenji was in Arena #8.
They weren't far apart.
They left the lounge together and headed for the field.
Arenas #6 and #8 were on the south side of the stadium. Kenji sent a quick ping to his friends.
A moment later, he spotted Xie Mu and Bai Bai standing by the railing of the front row. Xie Mu waved frantically, shouting "Good luck!" at the top of his lungs.
Bai Bai, being more reserved, simply watched Kenji with a focused gaze.
Namgung Xi's match was scheduled to start first, so Kenji stopped to watch.
She strode onto the field with her usual swagger.
Her opponent was a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. He was thin, with a sharp, pointed face and shifty eyes that constantly darted around the arena.
When the man saw his opponent was a young girl, a flash of relief and smugness crossed his face. Clearly, he thought he had drawn an easy win.
"Battle... Begin!!!"
"Go!! Haxorus!!!"
"I choose you! Tauros!!"
"Fuuu-long!!!! —"
"Moooo!!!! —"
A Haxorus covered in heavy armor roared, its axe-like tusks gleaming under the sun. Its red eyes locked onto its opponent, full of fighting spirit.
[Haxorus]
Gender: Female
Level: 75 (Elite)
Type: Dragon
Ability: Mold Breaker
Potential: S-
On the other side stood a brown, bull-like Pokémon with thick fur around its neck and three long tails.
[Tauros]
Gender: Male
Level: 64 (Gym Leader)
Type: Normal
Ability: Sheer Force
Potential: B-
Tauros lowered its head, pawing at the ground. It looked ready to charge, but if one looked closely at its eyes, they were filled with wariness. It had sensed the overwhelming aura radiating from the armored dragon.
Namgung Xi crossed her arms, striking a dominant pose.
The man's smug expression shattered the moment Haxorus hit the field.
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