Chapter 295: The First Round of Qualifiers!!! (Part 2)
With the National League as his foundation, Kenji had skyrocketed to become a celebrity contestant with massive "clout" heading into the Huaxia League Conference.
Initially, the internet had been debating whether he'd even show up. Now that the question was answered, the focus of the discourse shifted instantly.
Everyone was dying to see just how far this "Super Rookie" could actually go on the biggest stage in the country.
On the field, Slade watched Kenji remove his sunglasses. His eyes lit up with predatory excitement.
The prospect of defeating the "Metropolis Prodigy" right here in the first round was intoxicating. If he won, his own social media following would explode.
Slade was confident. He didn't just have a team; he had an Ace.
"Battle... Begin!!!"
"Go! Electivire!!"
"I choose you!! Incineroar!!"
"Elec-bzzzt!!!! —"
Zzzzt-crack!
Red light flashed, and Electivire hit the field. The moment it materialized, it hammered its massive chest with its fists, letting out a resonant, thunderous roar.
On the other side, Slade's Pokémon appeared—a bipedal, feline powerhouse with the characteristic markings of a tiger.
Incineroar!!
The Fire/Dark-type starter was often hailed as the "King of Competitive Starters." It was a muscular juggernaut built for brutal, no-holds-barred brawling, specializing in vicious punches and kicks.
A ring of fire swirled around its waist like a championship belt. Under intense emotion or when facing a worthy foe, it would erupt with scorching flames from its navel.
[Incineroar]
Gender: Male
Level: 74 (Elite)
Type: Fire / Dark
Ability: Intimidate (Lowers the opponent's Attack upon entry.)
Potential: A-
As expected, no one in the Conference is a pushover, Kenji thought.
This was exactly why he had sent out Electivire first. He didn't want to risk a "slip-up in the gutter" by underestimating a mid-tier veteran.
However, despite the respect, a Level 74 Incineroar—barely into the Elite tier—wasn't something Kenji considered a threat.
"ROAARRR!!! —"
Incineroar let out a savage roar, its claws spread wide in an aggressive wrestling stance.
Intimidate triggered. An oppressive, predatory aura washed over Electivire.
Electivire's eyes merely flashed with boredom. Compared to the soul-crushing pressure of Gyarados, this kitty-cat's glare was a joke.
SWISH!!! —
Both Pokémon were close-quarters specialists. By unspoken agreement, they both charged toward the center of the arena simultaneously.
In a heartbeat, they met in the middle.
Whoosh!!! —
Slade moved first. Incineroar lashed out with its paw at a blindingly fast, deceptive angle, aiming for a vital spot on Electivire's torso.
Fake Out! A priority move designed to strike first and cause the opponent to flinch, interrupting their momentum.
CRACK-BOOM!!! —
But as Incineroar lunged, Electivire's core detonated. Violent electricity erupted from its body, solidifying into a crackling suit of high-voltage armor.
The Thunder Armor formed just as Incineroar's paw connected.
CLANG!
The Fake Out hit Electivire, but instead of a soft impact, the sound of metal hitting metal echoed. Electivire didn't even flinch.
Electivire grinned. In the next instant, yellow arcs of electricity surged across Incineroar's body!
Paralysis! Triggered!!
Fake Out wasn't a high-damage move; its true value lay in the flinch. But with Thunder Armor acting as a buffer, Incineroar's paw never actually touched Electivire's skin.
The flinch effect failed to trigger.
Worse, by making physical contact with the Thunder Armor, Incineroar had triggered the armor's static feedback. Its movements stiffened, its speed and agility plummeting as the paralysis took hold.
Before Incineroar could retract its paw, Electivire's massive hand reached out.
Incineroar's eyes widened. It tried to retreat, but the paralysis sparked through its nerves, locking its joints mid-motion. It was a sitting duck.
Electivire grabbed Incineroar by the head.
Thunder began to roll in its palm.
Thunder Punch!!!
KRA-KOOM!!! —
Electivire slammed the lightning-infused fist straight down.
The impact drove Incineroar's head into the dirt, while its body, carried by the momentum, actually "bounced" into the air before flopping back down with a wet thud.
Electivire released its grip, revealing Incineroar's face.
Its eyes were spinning. It was out cold.
"Incineroar is unable to battle!!! Electivire wins the round!!!"
A One-Shot KO!!!
"Elec-bzzzt!!! —"
Slade stood frozen, his face pale as he stared at his fallen Ace.
What... what just happened?
The spectators who were recording on their phones looked at their screens in confusion. From the start of the recording to the KO, it hadn't even been ten seconds.
Blink and you missed it.
"Is that... an Elite-rank Incineroar? It looked like a level 5 scrub."
"Are you kidding? I follow Slade on PokéTube. That Incineroar is his main! It's Level 74—a legit Elite-tier mon!"
"WHAT???! It's an Elite-tier???! Electivire just one-shot a Level 74 Incineroar like it was a Magikarp???"
The stands erupted into frantic discussion. Slade was a minor influencer who posted battle vlogs and training montages. His Incineroar was known for its savage, crushing playstyle.
But here, against Kenji, it had been deleted in a single exchange.
Just how deep was the well of Kenji's power?
[Electivire] (4-Star)
Gender: Male
Level: 72 (Elite)
Type: Electric
Base Stats Total: 720
(HP: 100, Atk: 165, Def: 90, SpA: 125, SpD: 115, Spe: 125)
Abilities: Motor Drive, Electric Skin
Moves: Thunder Punch, Discharge, Thunderbolt, Electric Terrain, Thunder, Spark, Wild Charge, Dynamic Punch, Cross Chop, Focus Punch, Hammer Arm, Giga Impact, Fire Punch, Ice Punch...
Items: Radiant Guinsoo's Rageblade, Radiant Hand of Justice, Radiant Edge of Night
Potential: Limit
At Level 72, Electivire was technically only early Elite tier, but with three Radiant Items, its actual combat stats were high enough to wrestle with Champion-level Pokémon.
Against an opponent of similar level? It wasn't a battle; it was a massacre.
"Return, Incineroar."
"Return, Electivire."
Electivire looked utterly bored as it returned to its ball. This fight hadn't even worked up a sweat.
Kenji put his sunglasses back on, checked his messages, and sent a ping to Bai Bai and Xie Mu.
He and Namgung Xi didn't leave immediately. They stayed to watch the rest of the matches in their block.
While they watched, the video of the ten-second "Delete Button" match between Electivire and Incineroar was already going viral.
Within an hour, the news of the National League Champion's debut was trending at #1.
Simp4Jynx: "HOLY SH*T!!! That Electivire is a beast!! It just toyed with a Level 74 Incineroar. He didn't move like that in the National League!"
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