During the match, both Trainers released their Pokémon at the same time.
Unsurprisingly, Cai Kunkun sent out Pidgeotto.
Everyone wanted to play it safe in the early rounds, so they always started with their strongest Pokémon.
When Cai Kunkun saw Lin Yu send out Ralts instead, he let out an angry laugh.
"You're not using Charmander… you're using a new Pokémon?!"
Was he looking down on him that much?
The commentator shouted, "Begin!"
"Pidge!"
Pidgeotto clearly sensed its Trainer's fury, its sharp eyes locked onto the floating Ralts.
"Ral…"
(Lin Yu, I'm a little nervous…)
Being shy by nature, Ralts was stepping onto such a huge stage for the first time, and it showed.
"I'm nervous too," Lin Yu joked inside its mind. "So let's be nervous together~"
Ralts giggled at once, and the timidity in its eyes vanished completely.
At being so blatantly underestimated, Cai Kunkun burned with rage.
"Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack!"
Pidgeotto's body blurred into a streak of light, charging straight at Ralts at blinding speed.
Brilliant white light blazed around it—energy made visible on its skin.
Lin Yu had already been confused about this Pidgeotto from the start.
Normally, Pidgey evolved into Pidgeotto at Level 18, but this one was only Level 16.
He'd wondered if evolution didn't have strict level limits in this real world,
and happened once a Pokémon was strong enough.
But now…
He saw it instantly.
This Pidgeotto was strong only in appearance.
The white light blazed bright, but most of its energy spilled uselessly into the air, wasted completely.
Its control over inner power was clumsy, unrefined.
This Pidgeotto had just evolved!
[Ralts, use Substitute, then follow with Confusion. Hold back a little.]
Thanks to Ralts' telepathic link, Lin Yu didn't even need to speak aloud to send his command.
"Ral~"
In terms of speed?
Against a Ralts that had trained Confusion extensively, it wasn't even worth mentioning.
Lin Yu could have grabbed it mid-air with Confusion immediately,
but it was only the first round—better to keep some tricks hidden.
"It hit!"
Watching Pidgeotto slam straight into Ralts, Cai Kunkun rejoiced.
He underestimated me that badly! The so-called freshman top from Third High is nothing special.
In the stands,
Coach Luo Xing's eyes nearly popped out when he saw Lin Yu send out Ralts. Then he fumed.
"Dammit, is this kid crazy?! Doesn't he know if you get eliminated early, you're gone for good?
Why not just send Charmander?!"
He ground his teeth so hard they ached.
Ralts was a new Pokémon—he had no idea about their teamwork, training, or real strength.
But he knew that Charmander.
Luo Xing was certain: as long as Lin Yu didn't do something stupid, beating this Pidgeotto would be easy.
"Sigh… whatever. He's only a freshman. Just let him get some experience. I'll yell at him later!"
But his clenched fists told everyone nearby just how furious he really was.
The other Third High students waiting for their matches silently decided they would definitely lead with their main Pokémon.
They couldn't help but feel sorry for their reckless junior.
On the battlefield…
"Pidge?"
Staring at the "Ralts" that faded like a ghost, Pidgeotto thought it had taken it out in one hit.
It felt proud of its new evolved power.
"Confusion!"
Lin Yu's voice cut through the arena, sharp and decisive.
Pidgeotto suddenly felt a heavy shadow loom over it.
A terrible premonition sank into its chest.
Sure enough, in the next instant, its body went limp like a kite with its string cut,
plummeting straight toward the arena edge.
It struggled wildly.
But invisible energy clamped down like an iron vice, holding it fast until it crashed outside the ring.
"?!"
The turnaround was so sudden that the crowd, who'd been certain Ralts was about to lose, could barely process what just happened.
They weren't tactical analysts.
They just saw that Ralts, facing a huge disadvantage, had pulled off a complete comeback.
It was incredible.
Everyone had been struck by how cute Ralts was when it first appeared.
Naturally, no one wanted to see the little darling get torn apart by Pidgeotto.
Many had squeezed their eyes shut when Quick Attack was about to land.
When they opened them again…
Ralts stood proudly on the stage as the winner.
Pidgeotto lay outside the arena, its Trainer staring in stunned disbelief.
"That was amazing, Ralts! So pretty and so strong!"
"Someone tell me what just happened! I blinked and the match was over?!"
To those with a keen eye, though, it meant something more.
Ralts' Confusion was shockingly powerful.
A Late Normal-Rank Pidgeotto didn't even put up a real fight?
If you got caught in that… you were as good as defeated.
In that moment, every Trainer who'd already battled or was still waiting to compete
fixed their gaze firmly on Lin Yu.
The commentator was electrified.
"Did you see that?! The Ralts that stood still wasn't giving up—it left a Substitute!
Then it struck back with Confusion and took out Pidgeotto in one move!
I declare the winner of this match… Lin Yu!"
Cai Kunkun barely heard the announcement. He could only stare, unable to accept how quickly the battle had flipped.
"Impossible!"
"Nice work," Lin Yu praised, noticing Ralts had reached Level 14 thanks to its Combat Drain trait.
"Ral~" (It was really weak.)
Ralts didn't think it was strong. It just thought Pidgeotto was pathetic.
After recalling Ralts, Lin Yu returned to the spectator area.
Coach Luo Xing was the first to approach him.
His gaze was complicated, but in the end, he only said three words:
"Nicely done."
The upperclassmen and women stared at him like they were seeing him for the first time.
They secretly mocked their coach in their heads.
He hadn't sounded like that a minute ago.
"Just luck, just luck," Lin Yu said modestly. "You guys would've won even easier."
He still had many opponents ahead.
They all rolled their eyes.
None of them could have finished a match that casually. They knew their own limits.
This junior…
He was crazy strong, and still acting humble!
After the first round,
Third High still had five Trainers left.
The student who'd lost didn't feel discouraged.
His Pokémon was a Level 16 Poochyena, and everyone had thought he'd easily make the top three rounds.
Unfortunately, he'd run into a top-tier fighter from First High.
Coach Luo Xing was satisfied with the results.
Especially with Lin Yu.
To have two such powerful Pokémon… suddenly, he dared to hope they might actually fight for the championship.
But then he shook his head.
He'd heard rumors.
A student from Second High had a Pokémon that had already reached the Elite rank.
That was a massive threshold.