Chapter 63: Shinra Tensei
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the morning of June 2nd.
For breakfast, he had a piece of bacon and two fried eggs, and after a cup of milk, Li Wei set off for the exam venue.
The exam duration was not long, starting at nine o’clock and ending at eleven o’clock.
Originally, Mime Jr. wanted him to eat a bit more breakfast, but Li Wei indicated that this was enough.
He was accustomed to eating just enough to fill his stomach during exams.
After all, if he ate too much, his brain would easily become foolish due to digestion. If he encountered a question he knew but forgot because he was too full and unfocused, he would definitely blame his breakfast.
Mime Jr. acted as the driver to take him to the exam.
Due to the prohibition of bringing Pokémon into the venue, Li Wei did not bring any Pokémon with him.
He arranged a battle mission for Riolu and Eevee, and had Dragonair provide assistance during training.
Magikarp had recently become obsessed with ‘Jump’ and kept using ‘Splash,’ and Li Wei didn’t know how to stop him. With the provincial competition approaching, he couldn’t spare the time, so he eventually let Magikarp have his way.
He left quite early and did not encounter any traffic jams.
After arriving at the designated parking spot outside the exam venue, Li Wei got out of the car and took several deep breaths, engaging in pre-exam mental preparation.
Looking at the other candidates who were also getting out of their cars, some frantically flipping through study materials, others checking their admission tickets and various other documents, Li Wei’s recently constructed mindset completely vanished.
He also started to feel nervous.
‘Did I bring my ID?’
‘What was the full text of that law again?’
‘What did a Cheri Berry look like?’
He panicked.
Taking several deep breaths to calm his rapidly beating heart, Li Wei silently opened the transparent folder containing his documents and stationery and began to check them one by one.
For some reason, he felt extremely flustered if he didn’t double-check everything before officially heading to the exam venue.
Even though Mime Jr. had helped him prepare these documents, and he had already checked them five times since last night.
“Admission ticket, ID card, temporary trainer qualification certificate, three black ballpoint pens, OK, OK, all here.”
Li Wei muttered as he checked.
After putting everything back into the folder in its original order, Li Wei looked at the ‘Entrance’ not far away, took another deep breath as if mustering his courage, turned, and waved to Mime Jr.
“I’m going to the exam.”
It was like a general going to battle, bidding farewell to loved ones before mounting their steed.
“Bari~”
Mime Jr. cooperated perfectly, not breaking the ‘tragic’ atmosphere, waving its hand and then wiping nonexistent tears with its large palms at the corners of its eyes.
From somewhere, it took out its mobile phone, took two or three quick photos, and then sent them to Tian Lan, also posting them to Moments.
【 The cub is going to take the written exam for trainee trainer. 】
【 Image 】
【 Gallade liked your post. 】
【 Delibird liked your post. 】
【 Florges liked your post. 】
【 Gardevoir liked your post. 】
【 Gardevoir commented: Has the cub entered the exam venue already? 】
【 Scovillain liked your post. 】
【 Mawile liked your post. 】
【 Mawile: Mimey, remember to provide real-time updates on the cub. We’re in a fashion show rehearsal and are counting on you to relay the news. 】
【 Mawile: Oh, Milotic asked me to tell you to buy a few more power banks so you can live stream the cub’s matches via video during the provincial competition. 】
······
While Li Wei was “going to his death,” the Pokémon at home were also paying close attention to his progress.
Relying on Dragonair to live stream and relay information for them was out of the question.
Dragonair was useful in many ways, but when it came to electronics, it suffered from a lack of literacy and hands.
￥￥￥￥￥￥
After entering the exam venue, Li Wei went through security checks three times.
He had never seen such a spectacle, not even when flying on an airplane.
However, amidst these tedious checks and the long wait, the nervousness he had accumulated outside the venue inexplicably dissipated.
At this point, he was even a little excited about the exam.
He had never seen such a scene before, and his curiosity at this moment was far greater than his fear of the exam.
The exam venue was vast, with an open space that could accommodate over a thousand candidates.
The distance between seats was also exaggerated, with aisles on both sides appearing to be at least two meters wide.
The moment he entered the exam venue, Li Wei clearly felt that his Aura Perception could not detect any information.
And whenever he tried to channel his Aura, he felt an inexplicable gaze fixated on him.
The former was likely due to shielding materials from high-tech products, while the latter was probably the specially hired invigilator Pokémon.
There were an estimated thirty examiners in the venue, and in front of each vertical row of desks stood a Psychic-type Pokémon.
Jynx, Xatu, Medicham, and Baltoy were most common. Standing at the very front, seemingly the chief examiner, was a Metagross.
(ΩДΩ)
It must be said, seeing this chief examiner, Li Wei was truly stunned.
This is it?
What kind of foolish candidate would dare to use their Psychic Power to cheat in front of such a heavyweight examiner?
The oppressive presence of this Metagross was indeed far more imposing than the “limited edition Invigilator Teacher Gardevoir.”
The former evoked fear, while the latter, upon reflection, even brought a little excitement.
······
All candidates would be assessed on a standardized level, including their special abilities.
Due to the prevalence of Psychic-type users among special abilities, and the inherent convenience of Psychic Pokémon, they would occasionally moonlight as formidable examiners, receiving a substantial subsidy from the League.
It was not uncommon for Elite Four-level Psychic Pokémon to suddenly become invigilators.
It was likely that this Metagross was the same.
Had it eaten its family’s mine dry and was now working as an examiner to earn some money, only to buy its own mine to eat at home?
Of course, this was all Li Wei’s own speculation.
In addition to measures against Psychic abilities, there were also examiners for Aura in this venue.
Looking up, Li Wei spotted a Togepi standing on a high platform, eyes closed in rest.
He presumed that the feeling of being “watched” when he unconsciously channeled his Aura was from this Togepi’s gaze…
It must be said, to prevent cheating and ensure the fairness of the exam, the Pokémon League was indeed going to great lengths to protect its reputation.
Once it was confirmed that a candidate possessed a special ability, corresponding ‘invigilator Pokémon’ would be assigned based on their ability.
Generally, special abilities were mostly Psychic-type, with Aura and Purity being less common.
Purity was manageable, as there were no exploitable ways to cheat.
However, Aura, if misused, could be more troublesome than Psychic abilities.
Everything had Aura, and Li Wei had once considered inferring answers to questions based on candidates’ thoughts or even the subtle movements of their pen tips.
But in the end, due to the complexity of Chinese characters, he was too lazy to waste time on such dishonest means and gave up.
After all, if he could think of such a shortcut, the Pokémon League, having held exams for so many years, would have surely encountered it and would have countermeasures.
If I fail, I fail! Anyway, I’m guaranteed entry!
With this mindset, Li Wei abandoned the idea of researching Aura-based cheating.
Looking at the scale of the Pokémon League exams, Li Wei had no additional thoughts other than amazement.
Such a fair, just, and open examination system was simply the best.
He had also heard that if one achieved an A grade or above on the exam, families with an annual income of less than 400,000 could apply for certain trainer subsidies and some free benefits.
For Li Wei, who came from a wealthy family, nurturing Pokémon was not a significant issue. However, for ordinary families, sending their children to become trainers could indeed be quite stressful.
In such cases, the League officially provides subsidies and preferential treatment, such as discounted purchases of certain Pokémon from official Pokémon Day Cares or a percentage reimbursement of Pokémon Center fees.
For his thesis, he had also carefully read the preferential treatment details provided on the official Pokémon League website and then frequented various forums to ask Big Shots and post.
He discovered that the League here offered truly excellent benefits for nurturing trainers.
He was somewhat surprised.
Because Li Wei had read many novels, he subconsciously held many biases against official organizations like the League.
He always felt that official bodies were bound to be unscrupulous, involved in unspeakable dealings, and that commoners, apart from those with capital, had no chance to rise unless the protagonist underwent transmigration…
However, looking at his father’s job as a Gym Leader, and the various League staff he had interacted with and observed, he felt that the League here was not as bad as depicted in novels.
But being misled by misinformation on the internet due to an information gap, developing biases, having excessive perceptions of Pokémon, developing extreme ideologies, and joining illegal organizations…
If he were to use this as a starting point for discussion, it seemed that his open-ended question could earn him an additional two to four points??
Thus, while Li Wei was lost in thought, all the candidates had taken their seats, and precisely at nine o’clock in the morning, the exam began.
······
Although Li Wei entered the exam venue with his hands shaking as if he had Parkinson’s, he ultimately came out smiling.
Upon leaving the exam venue, he even ran into Yu Yixian, who had taken the exam in the same venue.
After exchanging a few taunts, and with the ‘provincial competition’ imminent, they quickly parted ways without much further conversation.
“Bari?”
【 How was it? 】
Mime Jr. was also quite concerned about his exam and asked him upon seeing him.
“I feel pretty good. I knew almost all the questions, and I could recall the exact wording from the books. The objective questions should be fine. It just depends on how many points they deduct for the subjective questions. I think if I’m a bit overconfident, over 85% is not a dream?”
“Bari~”
【()】
After gathering the information, Mime Jr. took out its mobile phone while driving and quietly posted on Moments again.
【 The cub said the exam results were very good, expecting over 85% 】
After another flurry of likes and heated discussions on Moments, Mime Jr. put down its phone and continued driving Li Wei back home.
【 Gallade: There’s a battle on the 4th, prepare more food for the cub and little Riolu. 】
Thus, over these two days, Mime Jr. brought out its best skills to make various delicious foods for Li Wei and Riolu, even learning many bento recipes online to prepare for Li Wei to eat in the lounge during the competition.
In the blink of an eye, June 4th arrived.
His battle location was in Area E. According to the computer’s random assignment, his elimination match was scheduled for the first group.
The elimination matches would commence simultaneously in sixteen battle areas after the opening ceremony.
Groups of 20 to 24 people would directly clash in a 90×120 arena.
The time limit was five minutes. If the number of remaining contestants in the arena after five minutes was less than or equal to 4, they would advance directly. If there were more than 4 contestants, overtime would begin until only four remained in the arena, at which point the match would end.
This type of elimination match was very simple and brutal, but it was undoubtedly the best way to weed out subpar contestants.
A normal person’s strategy would definitely be to pick on the weaker opponents, form strong alliances, and find ways to keep their Pokémon in the arena.
Attempts by weaker individuals to gang up and eliminate stronger ones would happen every year, but the results were undoubtedly bleak.
Firstly, it was uncertain whether attacks would hit and be effective. Secondly, in a chaotic battle, when one unilaterally focused on targeting others, they would often overlook the opportunistic player lurking at the back.
Group E consisted of a total of 220 people.
There would be ten elimination matches in total, meaning that on this day alone, at least 180 contestants from his group would be eliminated.
The intensity and brutality of this competition were truly breathtaking.
However, despite his amazement, he certainly wasn’t going to back down.
After all, he was confident in the nurturing level of his Pokémon, and hadn’t he prepared for so long precisely to dominate the provincial competition?
Sympathy was impossible; being weak in Pokémon battles was the original sin. Li Wei today was determined to be someone who ended all battles in one minute!
￥￥￥￥￥￥
He changed into the new clothes his mother had specially sent.
He really liked the style: primarily black, with a jacket and a hood, not a tight fit, and very comfortable to wear.
For some reason, however, Eevee was the happiest when he put on the new clothes.
Because she now had a new place to sleep, more stable and more comfortable…
—The hood of the jacket suffered abuse.
Carrying an Eevee and holding Riolu’s leash, Li Wei, accompanied by Mime Jr. and Dragonair, arrived at the center of the venue.
As soon as he stepped through the main entrance and completed identity verification to enter, he was suddenly surrounded by a group of people.
Various unfamiliar, large cameras and microphones were thrust towards him, startling Li Wei and successfully causing Eevee, thinking she was being squeezed, to jump onto his head.
“Hello, are you contestant Li Wei, number E233?”
“Uh…”
Before Li Wei could react to what these people intended to do, a sharp-eyed female host spotted the contestant identification card Li Wei was holding, which he hadn’t had time to put back in his bag.
“Hello everyone, this is the Magic City Youth Provincial Competition live broadcast. I am official interviewer YOYO, and we are currently at the entrance of the stadium. We have just encountered a strong contender for this year’s Magic City Provincial Competition Champion, Li Wei!!”
With that, the woman holding the microphone casually moved closer to him and asked:
“We would like to ask you a few questions for an impromptu interview. Is that convenient for you, contestant Li Wei?”
······
Wait, what? The camera is already in my face, sister, do I have any chance to say no?
“Let’s start by saying hello to everyone~”
With Eevee on his head, Li Wei had been expressionless, so even though he was collapsing internally, his expression appeared unchanged to others.
If one observed closely, they might notice his expression changing from 🙂 to 😑.
“Oh… Hello everyone.”
Li Wei, forced to perform, said to the camera.
Although he sounded listless, combined with his handsome appearance, it was still quite acceptable, wasn’t it?
“Bu Yi!”
【Hello everyone】
()”
Unlike Li Wei, Eevee was naturally more drawn to the camera. With curiosity, she poked her head in front of the camera, striking a charming wink before offering a greeting on Li Wei’s behalf.
Surprisingly, the live stream’s comments suddenly went a bit off-topic.
From the original, 『Wow, this young man is so handsome! 』, 『Who is this handsome youth? Why is he a championship candidate, can someone explain? 』, it instantly turned into 『Mom, I’m in love! That Eevee just winked at me! 』.
······
If Eevee knew about this, the world of live streaming would likely gain another Eevee.
()
The annual provincial competition for youths is a major event attracting national and even global attention.
Just as football fans on Earth would watch matches from other countries, not just their own, Pokémon battles in this world are the same.
As a major event in Magic City, it’s natural for it to be the center of attention.
At this moment, seeing Li Wei surrounded by official media, foreign media and interviewers who were impressed but didn’t understand the details quietly approached, taking pictures of Li Wei being interviewed next to them, creating a double nested effect.
“So, Competitor Li Wei, I’d like to ask, what are your thoughts on today’s elimination match?”
“Uh… I don’t have any thoughts.”
Li Wei gave an answer that could only be described as the work of an interviewing genius.
“Hmm? Such a relaxed attitude, could it be that Competitor Li Wei feels there is no pressure at all in this elimination match?”
It must be said that the female interviewer named YOYO also had incredible comprehension skills.
To be able to ask such a tricky question from his previous answer was truly remarkable.
Controversial topics could lead to significant problems with even a slight misstep in answering, but…
“Yes, there is indeed no pressure.”
But Li Wei, of all people, didn’t have the habit of playing by the book.
There was indeed no pressure for him in this elimination match, so what if he showed off a bit in front of the media?
He himself had already planned to end the elimination match in one minute, so what was there to talk about pressure?
Even if there was pressure, it would be on the opponent!
owo
Unlike Li Wei’s subtle thoughts, YOYO’s gaze at Li Wei was fixated.
I love it, I love it.
Of course, she wasn’t in love with Li Wei as a person, but with what Li Wei said.
Material!
Hype!
Traffic!
Salary!
And as expected, the popularity and number of comments in the live stream instantly began to grow exponentially.
『??? Is this guy this arrogant? 』
『Honestly, is this guy like that, bragging so much? 』
『What are you guys in the comments talking about? Don’t you know who he is? Saying something like this in front of the media must mean he’s confident in his strength, right? What are you all being sarcastic about? 』
『Honestly, I’ve watched the league for ten years and never heard of a prominent Li family. 』
『??? Are you an idiot upstairs? Have you forgotten about Master Li Yuan Sheng, the top Gym Leader of Magic City? What about the Li family of the Imperial Capital? 』
『Wait, is Li Wei the son of Li Yuan Sheng? Do you think he has no strength? 』
For a time, there were those who were baiting, those who caught the bait but lost it, those who were pure passersby asking for explanations, and those who had just finished a quick search on Baidu and came to explain.
Comments scrolled by rapidly, so fast it was almost impossible to read clearly.
As screenshots of news highlights like ‘Son of Magic City’s Tianyuan Fighting Dojo, Top Gym Leader Li Yuan Sheng, Participates in Provincial Competition’ were posted, the onlookers in the main channel who were waiting for the official opening ceremony also flocked over to watch the interview.
The celebrity effect has always existed.
Moreover, this celebrity was someone they were familiar with.
Li Yuan Sheng’s glorious achievements were deeply imprinted in the minds of contemporary youth.
Peak from the moment of debut.
In just ten years, he ascended to the position of Champion of the Youth League.
He participated in two World Championships. The first time as a substitute, he single-handedly turned the tide, leading Team China 2 to the grand finals.
That year, China was the only country with both teams entering the finals.
The second time, as the captain of the national A-team, he dominated the competition, leading the team to victory. In the solo matches, he crushed all opponents with absolute strength, becoming the undisputed number one.
The World Championship has an age requirement of under thirty. Li Yuan Sheng, unable to participate in a third World Championship, chose to settle in Magic City, began managing a dojo, and took on important positions in the League, continuing his legend in another aspect.
Tianyuan Gym, the eternal sacred land in the hearts of Trainers.
—You can always trust the teaching ability of Tianyuan Gym.
—But you can also always trust the strength of the mentors at Tianyuan Gym.
The former is due to the terrifying teaching prowess of Tianyuan Gym.
Anyone qualified to study at the dojo would give the evaluation, ‘I have benefited greatly.’
The latter is because, while this dojo is a blessing for apprentices, it is a nightmare for challengers.
In recent years, the number of Trainers who have earned the Tianyuan Gym badge can be counted on one hand, making it a regular in the ‘Top 5 Nightmare Gyms in China Annually.’
With such a fearsome reputation, some Trainers who have experienced the love and hate of Tianyuan Gym, while admiring Li Yuan Sheng’s strength and seeing him as an idol, are also very curious about the growth of his son.
Everyone wants to see if a great father has an idiotic son!
If possible, we want your son to experience the despair that the Gym Leader has given us!!
This is the sentiment of everyone!
Therefore, with a complex sense of curiosity, they were also very interested in this pre-match trash talk interview.
At the same time, the director’s voice came through the female interviewer’s earpiece, informing her of the trending comments and what questions the audience cared about.
He also gave her a few instructions, hoping she could guide Li Wei to say more “pleasant” things.
This way, even if it was just an elimination match, their traffic would be considerable, potentially reaching a small peak in viewership for elimination matches over the past three years.
“So, Competitor Li Wei, what is your starter Pokémon? Is it this cute Eevee on your head? Are there any competitors you need to pay attention to? And what is your goal for the provincial competition?”
A rapid-fire series of questions plunged Li Wei into brief contemplation.
Meanwhile, the Eevee perched on his head perked up immediately upon hearing herself called cute.
Her eyes, which had closed out of boredom, immediately opened. She playfully twitched her ears and, with her almost un-digit-divided paws, conjured Fairy-type energy to form a heart for the female interviewer.
“Bu Yi!”
【Eevee thinks you have good taste! 】
That was probably the meaning she wanted to convey.
『Ah!!! Why is this Eevee so cute!!! 』
The comments instantly descended into another mass “Agawa” death scene.
“Eevee isn’t my starter Pokémon; my starter is Riolu. Eevee is the second one.”
As he spoke, Li Wei reached behind him and pulled out Riolu.
Riolu wasn’t hiding because he was shy; he instinctively felt that being surrounded by such a crowd would be troublesome.
He’d rather lean against Li Wei, close his eyes, and absorb Aura, which was much more comfortable. Now, being dragged out by Li Wei for a forced appearance, he could only sigh helplessly.
Since he was out, he couldn’t just stand there blankly. Riolu thought for a moment about the peculiar knowledge Mime Jr. had imparted to him and silently extended a paw, waving at the camera.
『My goodness!!! Riolu!!!!! 』
『Rich kid! 』
『Can someone explain to me, how much does a Riolu Pokémon Egg cost??? 』
If one were to name the comments during this period, perhaps nothing would be more fitting than “lemon.”
『With Riolu, there’s no need to worry about the provincial competition!! 』
『What do you know? The rarer the Pokémon, the harder it is to train, okay! 』
『No lie, Riolu is super weak. If he thinks he can win the provincial competition just because of this ridiculously expensive Pokémon, he’s too naive. The provincial competition is very deep; I don’t think his strength is worth mentioning at all. Competitor #21 in Zone C can easily defeat him. 』
『??? 』
『??? 』
Unaware of the situation in the comments, Li Wei calmly continued to answer the female interviewer’s questions.
“Competitors to watch? I don’t know, I’ll see after today’s elimination match. As for my goal… it’s naturally to be the Champion.”
Listening to Li Wei’s words, Eevee, who was coiled on his head, nodded in agreement.
Indeed, Eevee also felt Li Wei’s statement was too conservative.
In fact, Eevee felt Li Wei was being too conservative and should have answered like this:
‘Competitors who don’t make it to the Top Four aren’t worthy of my attention.’
It must be said that after being influenced by Li Wei’s fantastical stories recently, Eevee had also learned to talk trash.
“Bu yi bu yi~”
Thinking this, Eevee, as usual, patted Li Wei’s head and spoke her inner thoughts.
【Li Wei, you’re too humble; you should say, ‘Only the Top Four are worthy of my attention.’ 】
After Eevee said this, the comments became even more spectacular.
Those who understood were furiously typing question marks, while those who didn’t were marveling at Eevee’s cuteness.
In any case, the interview, which was supposed to be about Li Wei, ended up being completely overshadowed by Eevee.
Later, the headlines even read, ‘What is the true strength of Li Yuan Sheng’s son? The truth revealed by an Eevee!’
······
Li Wei, who was scrolling through his phone while waiting for the opening ceremony to end, felt helpless seeing this information.
He remembered this interview was supposed to be about him, right?
Hey? Is the cameraman here? I’ll smash you to death with a chicken leg!
Why is only a tuft of his hair in the shot????
Who is the Trainer here, him or Eevee?
To be honest, Li Wei felt a little bit annoyed.
￥￥￥￥￥￥
“Now, let’s invite the competitors for the first elimination match in Zone E to enter the arena!”
As the commentator announced, the competitors entered one by one in the order their names were called.
Trainers and Pokémon had corresponding positions. This group of 24 people was assigned to different areas of the arena. The referee announced that their activity zone before the match started was within the white-lined circles drawn on the ground, and once the match began, the arena would be their stage.
“This is an elimination match! Let me repeat the rules for everyone! Within the stipulated time…”
While the referee communicated the match discipline to the competitors, the commentator was also simultaneously emphasizing the competition rules to the audience.
Both the in-person audience and those watching the live stream were filled with anticipation for the match’s opening.
Compared to the relatively sparse crowds in the elimination matches at other venues, the arena in Zone E was packed to capacity.
This was all thanks to Li Wei and Eevee, who was desperately stealing the spotlight.
Since only one Pokémon could be brought to the arena, Eevee was mercilessly left behind.
Now, she and Mime Jr. sat in the front row of the arena, eating bentos and watching Li Wei’s elimination match.
As for why Mime Jr. was eating the bento, it was because Li Wei stated that he would finish the match in one minute, so any energizing bentos were unnecessary.
He wanted to go home for a big meal.
Therefore, adhering to the principle of not wasting the food brought out, Mime Jr. ended up eating it itself.
It had to be said, the taste of the onigiri he made was truly excellent.
Mime Jr. took a picture of the onigiri in its hand and uploaded it to its Moments.
【The cub said he would end the match in one minute and gave me his onigiri. 】
【Mawile: !!! 】
【Gallade: !!! 】
【Gardevoir: Start the live stream!! Quickly!! 】
【Delibird: Send the room number! 】
【Florges: Hurry, hurry, we have to leave in 10 minutes!! 】
Facing the urging of a group of Pokémon, Mime Jr. scratched its head and replied uniformly.
【Mime Jr.: Why don’t you all just go to the official platform to cheer? 】
Mime Jr.’s comment instantly stirred up a wave of reactions.
Meanwhile, a group of powerful Pokémon, connecting to WiFi, began downloading the live streaming app with the fastest hand speed they had ever known. They created accounts, bound their bank card information, rushed to the official live stream room, clicked on competitor support, and so on.
Before the match even began, several wealthy ‘fans’ had already sent 15 airplanes for Li Wei.
And this was just the beginning.
Never compete with Pokémon in terms of hand speed.
Especially Psychic-type and Grass-type Pokémon.
In a short minute, even Li Wei’s parents put down their work and entered the live stream room, waiting for their son to end this match in a minute.
Delibird: 『Go!! End the match in one minute!! Beat them up! 』
Gallade: 『Airplane ×1』
Mismagius: 『Airplane ×1』
······
Once the competitors were ready, the referee returned to his seat.
“Let the match begin!”
With the referee’s command, the battle commenced.
The Trainers in the arena were racing against time to issue commands to their Pokémon.
Some trainers commanded their Pokémon to attack indiscriminately, some had their Pokémon dodge, while others used their Pokémon’s aerial advantage to ascend and avoid the melee on the ground.
But unlike everyone else, Li Wei gave Riolu an order that surprised everyone.
Because for the convenience of battling and to prevent situations where trainers’ voices aren’t loud enough due to the large arena causing their Pokémon to not hear their commands, the competitors are equipped with amplifiers.
This not only facilitates trainers commanding their Pokémon but also helps the directors and live broadcast.
When switching the Pokémon’s screen, switching to the trainer’s screen on the command stage simultaneously allows the trainer’s commands to be heard, which also makes it more convenient for the commentators to observe.
“Riolu, ascend.”
?????
The director, understanding that most viewers were there to see Li Wei, decided to give him more screen time. However, as soon as the camera switched, Li Wei’s words hit like a bomb, stunning everyone. Even the commentators, who had been lively moments before, fell silent.
Wait, what did he just say?
Ascend?
Can Riolu fly?
For a moment, everyone thought they misheard.
But.
Something shocking happened in the arena at this moment.
Riolu suddenly lifted off the ground, without even jumping, just floating in mid-air.
“Oh?????”
The entire venue, including the commentators, erupted in an uproar.
『?????』
『Can this Riolu fly?????』
『Excuse me? Are there any Big Shots who can explain the principle behind this?????』
『Is it flying using energy impact? But that doesn’t seem right either, this Riolu is flying so steadily·····』
“This… this is beyond my understanding.”
Even the commentators were stunned.
However, before the commentators could come up with any professional jargon to explain this unconventional maneuver, Li Wei issued another command that they found difficult to comprehend.
“Charge.”
“This… Competitor Li Wei is having Riolu hover in mid-air to charge! Is this… a new skill for Fighting-type Pokémon??”
At this point, for the sake of their salaries, the commentators could only brace themselves and continue.
But honestly, he had no idea what he should be saying.
Riolu’s astonishing feat not only surprised the audience but also the Pokémon and their trainers battling in the arena.
What? It can fly?
This was their unanimous first thought.
Immediately after, they thought.
What is it doing flying up there?
What does it mean to be flying motionless in the air?
Is it offering itself as a target?
‘Does this mean they’re underestimating me????’
For a moment, the thoughts of the various competitors were similar, and after a few seconds of deliberation, they made a near-unanimous decision.
—Knock down this Riolu, which has inexplicably flown into the air and looks unsettling.
They were about to command their Pokémon to unleash attack skills towards the sky, but Li Wei didn’t give them that chance.
Riolu successfully finished charging in less than five seconds.
One bag of rice carries a few floors!
One bag of rice carries two floors!
“Riolu, Shinra Tensei!”
The atmosphere in the arena instantly became oppressive, and all the Pokémon instinctively sensed danger.
At the same time, Riolu clasped its hands together, and the gentle sound of palms touching seemed to possess a magical quality, resonating in everyone’s ears.
A gust of wind suddenly spread outwards from Riolu’s center, and the whistling wind made them instinctively squint their eyes.
After this gust of wind, which acted like a herald, the real attack arrived.
In an instant, the ground beneath Riolu began to crack. The earth tore apart, carrying sand and gravel pulverized by Aura, rapidly spreading outwards from Riolu as the center.
In their panic, the Pokémon instinctively attacked Riolu, but all their attacks were mercilessly repelled without exception.
Soil and sand gradually converged, engulfing them like a mudslide and pushing them out of the arena.
In just ten seconds, it was as if the arena had been cleared; only Riolu remained.
The entire venue fell silent, not a sound to be heard; everyone was stunned by what they had just witnessed.
What… what was that???
This was the question on everyone’s mind.
The audience in the audience seats were bewildered, the commentators held their microphones with their mouths agape, unable to speak, and the barrage of comments on the live stream seemed to have paused as well.
“The… match is over. The winner of the Elimination Match is Riolu.”
After the referee regained awareness of his duty, he announced the outcome of the Elimination Match after a ten-second pause.
The referee’s trembling voice was like a switch being flipped, and everyone instinctively covered their mouths, gasping and leaning back in their seats in a tactical retreat.
The comment barrage instantly went wild, filling the screen with question marks.
The audience members at the venue, recovering from their shock, let out shouts of amazement!
The entire venue erupted.
“WHAT WAS THAT ???”
