Chapter 309: Lighting the Sacred Flame
It was precisely because she held Zapdos, one of the three Legendary Birds, that Yuna Su commanded such respect. Although she was only third in seniority among the Elite Four, her raw power was widely considered to be on par with Mason Chu.
In fact, due to the elemental match-up, Yuna Su was the only member of the Elite Four who could truly put pressure on the leader of the group, Lawson.
The Elite Four were not just figureheads of power; they were the guardians of the nation. The peace and stability Huaxia enjoyed today were largely thanks to the tireless efforts of these four masters.
As they took their seats, the stadium erupted in thunderous applause.
Kenji looked up at the four figures on the high platform.
Once I win this Conference, these are the people I'll have to face next.
The top five finishers of the Huaxia League Conference earned the right to challenge the sitting Elite Four. If they won, they could take their place.
However, only the absolute winner—the Conference Champion—had the right to challenge the Huaxia League Champion.
But there was a catch: before you could challenge the Champion, you had to defeat all four regional Elites in a gauntlet.
This meant Kenji's future path was already carved in stone. He would have to fight his way through every single person on that platform.
Kenji's gaze shifted to the empty throne in the center of the Elite Four.
No words were needed. Everyone in the stadium knew who that seat belonged to.
"And now!! Please welcome the Champion of the Huaxia League! Mr. Zhurong Yun!!! He will now light the Sacred Flame for this year's Conference!!!"
Every head in the stadium turned toward the massive torch pedestal at the edge of the field.
Lighting the Sacred Flame was a mandatory ritual for every Conference, a tradition carried out by the reigning Champion of the Zhurong family.
From the tunnel behind the pedestal, two figures emerged.
On the left was the man himself, Zhurong Yun.
On the right was his partner.
A bipedal, avian Pokémon that radiated pure heat.
Blaziken!!!
However, this Blaziken was visibly different from any other its species. Its crimson feathers were deeper, more vibrant, nearly the color of fresh blood. The flames erupting from its wrists weren't the standard orange-red, but a brilliant, shimmering gold.
And while most Blazikens had blue eyes, the one standing beside Zhurong Yun possessed piercing Golden Eyes.
"Jiqia!!! —"
The Pokémon let out a sharp cry, its aura so heavy it felt like a physical weight.
[Blaziken]
Gender: Male
Level: 100 (Master-rank)
Type: Fire / Fighting
Ability: Speed Boost
Potential: S+
Level 100! A true Master-rank Blaziken.
There was no doubt about it—this extraordinary creature was the one mentioned in legends, the Pokémon that had received the Blessing of Ho-Oh.
It was Zhurong Yun's ultimate Ace.
As the Champion and his partner took their place, the atmosphere in the arena reached a fever pitch. Trainers and spectators alike looked at the man by the pedestal with nothing but pure admiration.
It was a dynamic Kenji understood well through his own friends. Xie Mu and Bai Bai viewed each other as rivals, constantly competing to see who was better. But both of them had long since stopped viewing Kenji as a rival. To them, he was someone to be respected and chased.
They realized Kenji was on a completely different level. While they were struggling to beat provincial Gym Leaders, Kenji had charged into the main tournament of the National League with an unstoppable force.
And his goal was the throne.
The same applied here. Every trainer in the 1,500-person roster was itching for a fight, desperate to break into the Top 5 and challenge the Elite Four. But very few dared to even dream of taking the Champion's seat.
The Zhurong family wasn't called the "House of Champions" for nothing. Their legacy was built on a foundation of actual Huaxia League Champions. Nine out of every ten Champions in history had hailed from the Zhurong bloodline.
Ever since the clan received the blessing of Ho-Oh, they had held a near-monopoly on the title.
Yet, in the crowd of trainers, there were still those with fire in their eyes—those brave enough to challenge the impossible. They looked at Zhurong Yun with hunger and ambition.
The Champion held a torch in his hand. The flame dancing upon it wasn't red; it was the same brilliant gold as his Blaziken's fire.
Under the gaze of the entire world, Zhurong Yun lowered the torch to the pedestal.
WHOOSH!!!! —
With a roar of displaced air, the Sacred Flame ignited, sending a pillar of golden fire into the sky.
"Welcome to the peak of Huaxia training!"
Zhurong Yun's speech was brief, but his voice carried to every corner of the stadium.
"Here, you don't need to copy anyone. Be yourself. Show the world your own style of battle! I will be waiting at the very end for the strongest among you to come and challenge me!"
With those words, the Huaxia League Conference officially began.
The main tournament functioned differently from the qualifiers. Instead of multiple matches running at once, the main stage featured one match at a time to ensure every battle received the spotlight.
With 1,500 trainers, that meant 750 matches in the first bracket alone. If they used a 3v3 format, the first round would take over a week.
To save time, the first round was set as a 1v1 Single Battle.
In the waiting area, Kenji and Namgung Xi sat together on a sofa.
Namgung Xi was visibly nervous, her hands fidgeting constantly.
Kenji scanned the room and soon spotted Grandma Liu in a corner. She was still wearing her mask, looking like a sinister shadow among the crowd, clutching her Gengar-topped cane.
She was staring intently in one direction, seemingly oblivious to Kenji's gaze.
Following her line of sight, Kenji realized her target was Zhurong Xun.
He wondered what kind of history existed between Grandma Liu and the Zhurong family to make her hold a grudge for so many decades.
Suddenly, Grandma Liu's gaze shifted. Her head turned slowly, tracking toward Kenji's position.
For a second, Kenji thought he'd been caught.
But he soon realized she was looking past him at someone else.
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