A Bet! The Liu Duo's Strange Stakes!

[Ding! Alolan Vulpix (20) defeated Drampa (26). Permanent Quest 1 complete. The opponent's level was higher than your Pokémon's. Congratulations, host! Your reward has doubled: Points ×20!]

[Ding! Target identified as an objective of Short-Term Task 8: Provincial Joint Exam II. Additional Points ×52 awarded!]

"Drampa is unable to battle! The winner is the red-side contestant, Ice Vulpix!" the referee announced.

Ice Vulpix was the name the referees had temporarily given Bingbing.

Bingbing was a newly discovered Alternate-Form Pokémon, and an official name had yet to be settled on. So the referees had come up with a temporary one based on her resemblance to Vulpix and her Ice type.

In the contestants' rest area.

"That Ice Vulpix is incredible. I've seen her before, but her Ice Storm still takes my breath away every time!"

Lin Youqi watched the Ice Storm gradually die down, then looked at Drampa, now an ice sculpture, and sighed inwardly.

We're all Gifted. How is the gap this huge?

First Beedrill, now Ice Vulpix. One could knock him out twice over with a single move; the other had an attack with a terrifying range.

He was a little jealous.

"How about it? Isn't our Brother Yun amazing?"

Liu Jianhao, who was drinking with Liu Hesheng beside him, grinned at Mu Yun's commanding figure in the arena.

He hadn't earned a place in the next round, but watching Mu Yun sweep through his opponents still filled him with pride.

"He is. Of the thirty-one contestants, he's unquestionably the best." Liu Hesheng took a small sip and nodded calmly.

"Thirty-one? You're not leaving yourself out, are you?" Liu Jianhao took a sip of his own.

"He's strong—stronger than every other child of the great families. But he can't compare to Ceruledge.