Mythical Pokémon Era: Global Ascension - Chapter 21

Abra's eyes were closed, and it looked half-asleep.

Facing a powerful opponent, Lin Shixian made the first move.

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!"

Xiao Bin gave no instructions. Everyone watched as the Vine Whip swept toward Abra.

In an instant, Abra vanished from where it stood without warning and reappeared dozens of meters away.

"Teleport? That move is seriously bullshit." Huo Qing cursed, earning unanimous agreement from everyone in the competitors' room.

The effect of Teleport was obvious from its name alone.

Psychic Pokémon specialized in developing their mental power, while their physical attributes were generally weak. Once an opponent got close, they would be at a disadvantage.

Teleport was the skill Psychic Pokémon relied on to survive.

Every Psychic Pokémon that had mastered Teleport was like a slippery loach. It was incredibly difficult to get close to them, and all one could do was get kited around endlessly. Countless trainers hated it with a passion.

Abra was even more outstanding in the field of Teleport.

Before evolving, Abra only knew the move Teleport. It had even abandoned the ability to walk.

Whether eating, sleeping, or moving around, Abra did everything through Teleport.

As a result, Abra's mastery of Teleport far surpassed that of Pokémon at the same level. It truly embodied the idea of focusing on one point until reaching the pinnacle.

Apart from Teleport, Abra doesn't know anything else. That means it has no offensive power... of course, that's only if it hasn't been taught by a trainer.

Roy thought to himself.

In other words, how strong this Abra can be depends on how many other moves Xiao Bin taught it over the past week.

Unfortunately, Xiao Bin had revealed no useful information during his Round of 16 match.

Abra's opponent in that battle had been a Nidoran, which, like Groudon, could not fly.

Abra had simply Teleported it into the air and dropped it into a Near-Death State, winning the match.

Now that they had entered the quarterfinals, facing Lin Shixian, another recommended student, Teleport alone would not be enough to settle the battle.

In the competitors' room, everyone with ambitions of winning the championship, Roy included, shared the same thought.

"Do something, Lin Shixian!"

"Force out his trump card, and you've already succeeded!"

"If you go berserk and beat him, you'll be the hottest guy in the arena today!"

As Bulbasaur continued launching long-range attacks, Abra repeatedly used Teleport to evade.

This stalemate lasted a full twenty seconds before Xiao Bin finally gave his first command.

"—Psychic Shock!"

In an instant, an invisible force whipped up a violent gale across the arena.

Abra opened its eyes, azure light filling its pupils.

Its mental power transformed into an ocean of tangible energy and surged toward Bulbasaur.

Abra's mental power covered the entire arena. Bulbasaur had nowhere to dodge.

"Bulbaaaa!!!"

Caught, wrapped up, and crushed by the mental power, Bulbasaur let out miserable cries.

It was suffering. It was confused.

Why had it been getting beaten up so often lately? Before meeting that Riolu, it had been the one bullying everyone else at the Pokémon Center.

Why was it always the one getting hurt?

"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip to break free!"

Lin Shixian had not given up yet.

Unfortunately, the moment Bulbasaur's Vine Whips extended, they were crushed apart by Abra's mental power.

Xiao Bin spoke calmly.

"Finish it. Psychic Shock!"

The commentator shouted excitedly, "Bulbasaur has lost its ability to battle! The first semifinalist has emerged! The winner is contestant Xiao Bin! My god, isn't this Abra's mental power far too strong? Is this really a Novice-level Pokémon?"

"Abra's mental power far exceeds what it should possess at its level."

The other commentator analyzed, "My guess is that while repeatedly using Teleport earlier, Abra also used Calm Mind several times. Xiao Bin may have seemed to give no commands, but he had actually set this tactic up before the match."

Abra had learned Calm Mind and Psychic Shock...

Many people were so envious they practically split apart.

This Abra had exceptional talent. It had learned two advanced Psychic moves in just one week.

But that was not the key point.

The key point was that the move manuals for those two moves were worth at least ten million combined on the market.

"As expected of contestant Xiao Bin." The commentator sighed. He glanced at the ashen-faced Lin Shixian, then switched to consolation. "What a pity. Contestant Lin Shixian, from whom we had such high hopes, has fallen in the quarterfinals..."

The commentator tried hard to force out a sobbing tone, but his emotions did not quite reach it, making him sound strangely sarcastic instead.

Calm Mind and Psychic Shock...

If it had been the old Roy, he would have envied someone who could casually obtain move manuals.

But now, as he looked at his continuously soaring Popularity Points, Roy felt completely confident.

You have a Champion father, and I have a cheat. Seems perfectly fair, right?

Compared to move manuals, Roy cared more about Xiao Bin's commanding style.

"Pre-set tactics..."

Roy stroked his chin, deep in thought.

He had watched plenty of match recordings, but those trainers were far stronger than he currently was. Merely watching videos made it difficult to learn anything substantial; at most, they broadened his horizons.

Xiao Bin was different. He was also a newcomer, and many things could be used as reference.

Recently, Roy had often felt that it was simply too difficult for a trainer to keep up with the rhythm of a battle and issue instructions for every single action their Pokémon took... especially in close combat between Pokémon. Even with his enhanced reflexes, he could barely see what was happening clearly. By the time he gave an order, who knew how many exchanges they would have already gone through? It would be far too late.

And this was only a battle between Novice-level Pokémon.

If they were stronger Pokémon, their speeds could easily break the sound barrier. Their trainer's voice probably would not even reach their ears.

Roy had vaguely formed an idea about this before, but after watching Xiao Bin's battle, that idea gradually became clearer.

As a trainer, what he needed to do was simple.

...Set tactics in advance and arrange several different plans for different situations.

...Simplify commands as much as possible, or use prearranged signals.

...The timing of commands had to be correct. This required either extraordinary reflexes to keep up with the battle's rhythm or extensive combat experience.

...Train a Pokémon's independent battle awareness.

Roy quickly opened a memo on his phone titled "Trainer's Code" and wrote down the insights he had gained.

The dullest pen was better than the sharpest memory. He understood that deeply.

After a brief intermission, Roy entered the quarterfinals.

Roy's appearance triggered thunderous cheers from the audience, no less impressive than those Xiao Bin had received.

The dark horse effect.

At any competitive event, people loved seeing dark horses rise and upsets happen. Victories where the weak defeated the strong were the most passionate and legendary moments in competitive sports.

Of course, that was only if the dark horse was not facing the contestant they supported.

"A kid from an ordinary family making it to the quarterfinals has already made history. Even if he loses, he hasn't lost anything. Go all out!"

"Hehe, it'd be interesting if he kept winning."

"Hard to say. Didn't you see how narrowly he won his last match? And there's still that mountain named Xiao Bin waiting for him."

Yang Dong had also come to watch. Her usual arrogance had offended many people.

The moment she arrived, she gave others the perfect opportunity to mock her.

What surprised everyone was that Yang Dong simply accepted all the ridicule. No matter who mocked her over the matter, she took it all without complaint, wearing an expression that said, Yeah, I'm the second-generation Cjb. So what? She was keeping the promise she had made on the forum.

Even so, hearing so many people making snide remarks about her left Yang Dong deeply frustrated. Out of sight, out of mind—she hurriedly found a secluded corner with few people and sat down.

Only after sitting did Yang Dong realize someone else was already there.

"Lin Shixian?"

Yang Dong exclaimed in surprise. She had not expected to encounter the first generation here.

However, Lin Shixian ignored her. He stared grimly at the battlefield, muttering something under his breath over and over.

Curious, Yang Dong leaned closer to listen. Her expression immediately turned extraordinarily strange.

"Roy, kill them for me! Hahaha, everyone has to die—!"

Yang Dong: "..."

Damn. He had been beaten stupid.

Just then, the referee gave the order, and Roy and Huo Qing both threw their Poké Balls.

Sandshrew was still flying through the air and had not even landed when Huo Qing issued his first command.

"Sandstorm!"

He had clearly communicated with his Pokémon beforehand. Sandshrew did not pause in the slightest, letting out a long howl in midair.

The next instant, a sandstorm surged violently from the gaps in Sandshrew's shell, expanding without end as it swallowed the entire battlefield.

Not only that, Sandshrew's figure gradually merged with the sandstorm until it vanished without a trace.