Winning the Championship!

After Magical Leaf hit Aron, Lu Li hurriedly had Tropius pull back and widen the distance.

Jin Huang continued to command, "Aron! Keep using Mud-Slap!"

Three minutes passed quickly. According to the Campus Tournament rules, Tropius had to return to the ground and could no longer remain airborne.

"Haha! This is exactly what I've been waiting for!"

Jin Huang stared excitedly at the grounded Tropius and shouted, "Aron! Double-Edge!"

Lu Li's expression darkened. Anyone who knew Tropius knew its speed; against Aron's Double-Edge, Tropius had less than a thirty percent chance of dodging.

Lu Li hurriedly shouted, "Tropius, let's use Headbutt too!"

Double-Edge was powerful, but that depended on the Pokémon using it. Aron was only in the Newborn stage, while Tropius had already reached the Growth stage.

Boom!

The two sides collided. In this exchange, Tropius came off slightly worse.

Jin Huang asked excitedly, "That's incredibly tough! Lu Li, how is your Tropius so sturdy?"

It had used Tackle to clash with Aron's Double-Edge, yet had only suffered a minor disadvantage. Its physical condition was simply outrageous.

The corners of Lu Li's lips curled up slightly. Everything had gone exactly as expected.

After being fed Grass-type Essence Elixirs, coupled with the bonuses that the Growth Spell and Spirit Rain Technique provided to Grass-type Pokémon, Tropius's stamina far surpassed that of others of its level.

Seizing the opportunity, Lu Li shouted, "Tropius! Razor Leaf, now!"

"Aron, endure it, then keep using Tackle!" Jin Huang reacted just as swiftly.

After Tropius's Razor Leaf struck Aron, Aron's movements visibly stalled for a moment, but it still used all its strength to launch a Tackle at Tropius.

Bang~

The struck Tropius staggered back two steps before barely steadying itself.

"Hahaha! Aron, keep up the momentum!" Jin Huang shouted.

Seeing that Aron had no intention of dodging, Lu Li continued his command. "Tropius, Leech Seed!"

Leech Seed finally hit Aron, but Aron's Tackle landed on Tropius once again.

After being hit again, Tropius merely retreated a few steps, just as it had before.

"How is that possible?!" Jin Huang stared in disbelief at the still-standing Tropius.

First Double-Edge, then two Tackles—why was this Tropius still standing? Tropius had already used quite a few moves before that.

It was not just Jin Huang. Even the Referee Teacher beside them found it absurd. With his experience, he could naturally tell that Tropius was already a Growth stage Pokémon, but what he could not understand was why Tropius was so unbelievably tanky.

Tropius's greatest strength was indeed its Life Force, but how could a Growth stage Tropius possess such absurd Life Force?

Inside the Principal's Office, Yu Zhonggang could not help standing up. He stared fixedly at the Tropius on the screen and said, "This Tropius's Life Force has been developed to an outrageous extent. Is this really something a Junior Breeder can accomplish?"

The principal beside him forced himself to explain, "Th-this... Aron is only in the Newborn stage, after all."

Yu Zhonggang: "..."

Yu Zhonggang shook his head helplessly, then explained, "Even a late Growth stage Tropius could not possibly remain standing after using so many moves and taking so many attacks."

The corner of Lu Li's mouth lifted as he looked at Jin Huang with confidence.

"It's over."

The moment Leech Seed took effect, Jin Huang had already lost.

Aron stood in place, swaying as though it could collapse at any moment. Even with Aron's exceptional defensive talent, it could not continue fighting after taking two attacks.

In the end, Aron fell on the arena. The Referee Teacher beside them shouted excitedly, "Today's Campus Tournament Champion is—Lu Li and his Tropius! Let's give a round of applause to today's Champion!"

Lu Li recalled Tropius, then explained to Jin Huang, "My Tropius is already in the Growth stage."

"What? But it's only been a week!" Jin Huang stared at Lu Li in astonishment.

Lu Li smiled, patted Jin Huang on the shoulder, and left the arena.

Once the match ended, it was time for the Award Ceremony.

Pulled onto the stage, Lu Li waited curiously for the mysterious Surprise.

Holding a microphone, the principal excitedly announced, "Today, we are honored to have invited a special Award Presenter. Let us welcome, with a warm round of applause, Qingyun City's Gym Leader—Gym Leader Yu Zhonggang!"

As soon as the principal finished speaking, a figure leaped down from the second floor. Yu Zhonggang landed steadily on the award platform, then smiled and took the Trophy from the principal's hand.

"Oh my god! It really is Gym Leader Yu!"

"How could someone like him come to First High School? Even the mayor probably couldn't invite him!"

"Ahhh! It really is Gym Leader Yu!"

The students below screamed excitedly, as though they had seen an idol.

In truth, Yu Zhonggang really was the idol of most First High School students. The commoner students in particular regarded him almost as a faith.

Watching Yu Zhonggang approach with the Trophy, Lu Li finally understood why Jin Huang's opponent had been so difficult to deal with. The Head Teacher had clearly been creating an opportunity for Jin Huang to show himself off.

He had previously thought that some leader from the Education Bureau had come to watch the match. Now, it seemed he had underestimated the situation—the one drawn here was actually Yu Zhonggang, Qingyun City's Gym Leader.

"Did you succeed?" Lu Li curiously glanced at Jin Huang.

Not intending to play guessing games, Lu Li asked quietly, "So, were you so happy earlier because you succeeded?"

Jin Huang answered softly, "I think so."

Lu Li cast a profound look at the Head Teacher beneath the awards platform. This really was a surprise, but the entire school staff hiding it was not something that could simply be brushed aside as a mysterious surprise.

If they had known Yu Zhonggang would be watching this match, the students' competitive spirit would definitely have been much higher. With no one knowing beforehand, the students who participated had unknowingly served as stepping stones for Jin Huang.

Lu Li did not think it was unfair. If Jin Huang lacked the ability, no amount of arrangement by the Head Teacher would have mattered. If he had been a little weaker, Jin Huang might not even have made it into the school's top three.

Betting a top-three school ranking and ten thousand yuan on a bright future—any fool knew what choice to make. After all, Jin Huang's family truly did not lack that ten thousand yuan.

As he handed the trophy to Lu Li, Yu Zhonggang did not forget to praise him. "Young man, your talent and brilliance have both amazed me. Congratulations—you will become a Sponsored Student of Qingyun City."

A trace of delight flashed across Lu Li's face when he heard that.

Qingyun City's sponsorship was different from the sponsorship offered by those great families. The latter required the recipient to sell themselves to their sponsor, while the former came at no cost whatsoever.

Of course, the qualifications to become a Sponsored Student of Qingyun City were not so easily obtained. To qualify, one had to meet three conditions.

First came a recommendation from one's school, followed by the Education Bureau's approval. Finally, one had to pass the assessment of a Gym within the city. Only by meeting all three conditions could one receive sponsorship from the League.