Battle Park

Before long, everyone had started arguing, mainly over who was stronger and weaker. Liu Bin joined in later; he was a fan of Li Xingzhou.

If Jiang Jing had been asked who was stronger between Li Xingzhou and Lin Xi, he would not have been able to say. When he had first transmigrated here, he had not even known who they were.

Now that he had gotten a rough understanding of them and watched their battle videos, he found them both extremely strong. But on the surface, Li Xingzhou seemed slightly stronger.

However, four years had already passed, and their current strength was unknown. Who was stronger was still anyone's guess.

The two had both reached the top eight in the previous National Championship and had represented Hua Nation in the World Pokémon Tournament.

Although they had not been the strongest, most of the previous National Championship's top eight had now passed thirty and automatically withdrawn from the competition, leaving only the two of them.

Many people believed the two of them would win the National Championship, but it was hardly guaranteed. After all, every year produced new prodigies, and one careless mistake could lead to an upset.

During the dozen or so minutes before the National Championship began, Jiang Jing prepared breakfast for Aron. Once it had finished eating, he washed up, cleaned the dishes, and tidied the house.

By the time he was done, the National Championship had officially begun.

The National Championship was being held at the Imperial Capital Battle Center, a massive structure built specifically for large-scale events and no less impressive than the Bird's Nest. It could hold eighty thousand spectators at once. Even a seat at the very top cost at least five thousand yuan for a single day, not to mention the front-row seats.

Thunderous cheers and applause poured from the television. The entire Battle Center was packed to the brim, and everyone was wildly excited, clapping frantically.

The host loudly introduced this National Championship from the elevated platform, then introduced the guests seated beside him. Every one of them had an impressive background.

Some had placed in the top three in previous tournaments, some were famous Gym Leaders, while others were Breeding Masters or company owners.

Only after several more minutes did the National Championship officially begin.

The entire venue had not been divided into separate areas. There was only one battlefield, with one-on-one matches conducted in a 6 VS 6 format.

A match would only end once all six Pokémon on one side had lost their ability to battle, allowing the winner to advance to the next round.

Of course, each battle had to be settled within an hour. This was probably meant to encourage both sides to attack rather than drag things out with all kinds of dirty tactics.

This National Championship had a total of 512 contestants from all over the country, each one an outstanding competitor from their respective province.

To enter the National Championship, one had to earn a qualification spot in the Provincial Championship, and to earn a Provincial Championship spot, one first had to qualify through the City Championship.

Round after round, layer after layer of elimination, until only the strongest Trainers remained.

Furthermore, each province had a different number of Provincial Championship spots. Provinces with better results in previous years received more spots, while those with poorer results received fewer.

Only then could they gather 512 contestants for the National Championship. It was exceptionally brutal; slack off even slightly, and one would be eliminated.

Watching the Trainers on television command their Pokémon with all their might, Jiang Jing knew that he would also participate in the National Pokémon Tournament someday.

But definitely not now. At present, he was just a rookie who had barely stepped through the threshold of becoming a Trainer.

Back at the National Championship, the 512 contestants were paired off in battles. Each match could last up to an hour, and at least eight matches could be held per day, meaning the tournament would take thirty-two days.

He could not possibly watch every single match, or he would get nothing else done. He would only watch when he had spare time.

Although he could not clearly tell what level the six Pokémon chosen for each match were, he could roughly estimate it. Most were around levels forty or fifty.

They were all fully evolved Pokémon, each stronger than the last. Their Trainers used increasingly inventive tactics, making him want to go to the venue and use Data Eye to inspect every Pokémon's information.

Aron, cradled in his arms, watched the battles with wide eyes. The highest competitive stage in the nation had opened up a whole new world before it, and it was thrilled beyond measure.

And so, one human and one Pokémon stayed home watching all day.

After dinner, while the battles were still ongoing, Jiang Jing changed into sportswear and headed outside with Aron for some exercise.

The little fellow was bursting with energy, as if it had endless strength. Every day at home, it did nothing but ram targets.

He suspected that once it got tired of ramming targets, it might start tearing apart the house. So he had to quickly bring it out to burn off its excess energy.

As he walked through the residential complex, he greeted familiar neighbors. Whenever people saw the Pokémon at Jiang Jing's feet, they would curiously ask what it was.

After all, there were now 905 Pokémon species in the world, and people who were not Trainers did not recognize many of them.

Those who knew Aron envied him for owning such a Pokémon. As for whether they were jealous, he had no idea. After all, no one would show that kind of emotion on their face.

Leaving Taiyu Residential Complex, Shangcang Food Street lay to the left, while No. 8 High School was farther ahead. About three kilometers to the right was Battle Park, his destination for the day.

"Aron, follow me! Our destination this time is Battle Park. It's three kilometers away."

Jiang Jing stretched his body, then started running.

Aron spread its short little legs and quickly followed after him.

His powerful legs moved in steady strides, as though endless energy were surging from his body, making him want to release it all at once. But he held himself back and maintained a steady rhythm of breathing.

Green trees lined both sides of the road, and the wide sidewalk meant he did not have to worry about bumping into anyone. The scenery on either side continuously swept backward.

Cars occasionally passed him, while Aron silently followed behind at an unchanged pace.

He also encountered other people jogging along the way. A glance was enough for them to greet one another. They might not know each other's names, but since they often ran here, they had developed a certain unspoken familiarity.

Battle Park had once been an ordinary park before being expanded and renovated. Every evening was its liveliest time.

The scorching sun had faded, and it was no longer as hot as during the day. Office workers had begun getting off work, while elderly people came out for walks and square dancing.

After spending an entire day at the office or at home, people all chose to come to Battle Park for a stroll.

By the time Jiang Jing ran to Battle Park, sweat had begun to form on his body and trickle down from his forehead. Yet his breathing remained even, and he was not tired at all.

Checking the time, he had run three kilometers in eleven minutes, fifteen seconds faster than last time.

Aron, on the other hand, was running such a long distance for the first time and had yet to adapt. It was somewhat exhausted, panting heavily.

The sky had begun to darken, and the sunset glow blanketed half the heavens. By then, many people were already strolling through Battle Park.

What did everyone think of the book cover I had made for a hundred yuan?