A lot of the runners were falling apart mentally. We're still drinking water at the six-kilometer aid station, and you've already reached ten kilometers! Do you have to be that fast? This isn't an 800-meter race. Could you show some respect and run a marathon at a normal human pace?
When they saw Hu Bin and Vulpix leisurely watching videos on the live broadcast, with huge beads of sweat dripping down, they assumed he was exhausted. Many runners felt that if they didn't catch up now, when would they?
Some runners got swept up in the mood. One after another, they set off again after barely resting, resuming their journey.
Jin Kaiwei couldn't sit still either. So many runners had started running again after only a few minutes of rest, and then there was the state Hu Bin was in on the screen.
Jin Kaiwei decided this was his chance. He charged straight out of the aid station with his Raichu and started running again!
Holding Cyndaquil, Yi Nanzi watched the runners leave the aid station one by one without budging. Yi Nanzi knew this wasn't the time to rush. They needed to replenish their energy properly, or they would wear themselves out even more later!
So Cyndaquil and Yi Nanzi drank water and ate chocolate to restore their energy, without the slightest hurry.
Seeing that Yi Nanzi hadn't followed, Jin Kaiwei sneered. "Out of energy, huh? All you're good for is trailing behind me and making me look better!"
Jin Kaiwei gradually picked up his pace and moved into third place, continuing toward the aid station where Hu Bin was resting!
Hu Bin and Vulpix had recovered their energy. Although they were no longer in the peak condition they'd been in at the start, they were still doing very well.
Hu Bin was stunned when he saw so many runners rush out of the six-kilometer aid station after barely a few minutes of rest to chase him.
People really were fiercely competitive. They were pushing themselves so hard!
But Hu Bin and Vulpix were in no hurry at all. They kept enjoying the cooling service provided by Vulpix's Powder Snow, cheerfully watching the video.
Soon, Yi Nanzi and Cyndaquil had rested enough at the aid station too. They immediately rejoined the race and started running again.
Yi Nanzi said confidently, "Cyndaquil, let's pick up the pace. It's time for our spectacular comeback!"
"Yinuo!" No problem! We've got this!
Yi Nanzi focused on running ahead with Cyndaquil at a faster pace. Just then, white light began shining from Cyndaquil's body again, only to disappear a little while later.
Yi Nanzi didn't notice and kept running. This time, however, Cyndaquil noticed, but didn't give it much thought, assuming it had learned Flash! It was secretly delighted!
Soon, with one kilometer left before the ten-kilometer aid station, many runners and Pokémon were already struggling. They hadn't rested properly at the previous station, and now that they were running again, their bodies couldn't quite take it. Their legs felt like lead.
Jin Kaiwei wasn't doing well either. He felt he'd been too impulsive. Now he was utterly exhausted, while Raichu kept sticking out his tongue and panting heavily.
Yi Nanzi seized the opportunity, pressing ahead with plenty of energy and passing runner after runner, soon breaking into the top ten.
Watching Yi Nanzi and Cyndaquil on the screen, Hu Bin beamed. They were doing exceptionally well this time!
"Vulpix, let's go. Time for us to start running again and let them experience the terror of being ruled by the demon king!"
"Vul!" Vulpix smiled sweetly in response to Hu Bin.
And so, White Lightning Vulpix and Hu Bin the demon king turned into a streak of white light and raced toward the finish line again. Although they were considerably slower than at the start, they were still fast!
The aid station staff were dumbfounded. How can you still run that fast? Couldn't you rest a little longer? The other runners have been running their hearts out and are almost caught up, and now you're sprinting again. You're going to break them!
Sure enough, many runners were already approaching the aid station, thinking they'd finally caught Hu Bin and would teach him the consequences of acting like the hare in the tortoise-and-hare race. Yet the moment they arrived, they saw Hu Bin charge away. Everyone who had reached the station was dumbstruck!
This is so infuriating! How can you bully us like this? We worked so hard to get here, and all you let us see was you and Vulpix disappearing into the distance!
Many runners were already exhausted, and now their spirits had broken too. They simply lay down on the ground with their Pokémon, looking utterly done with life, and muttered, "Let it all end. Hurry up. This isn't fun anymore!"
Jin Kaiwei was in despair too. Trembling, he drank ice water with Raichu at the aid station to cool down, but his heart was already ice-cold!
Just then, Yi Nanzi and Cyndaquil arrived too. Still full of energy, they accepted some ice water, downed it, and began taking a short rest!
The spectators watching all this unfold on their screens didn't know whether to laugh or cry!
"A beast like that needs no explanation. He flattened a whole bunch of people in one go!"
"This runner called Hu Bin is a perpetual-motion machine. He just can't stop."
"Exactly! Even chewing Stride gum wouldn't give you that much staying power!"
"What a demon king! He enters a race, but instead of running a marathon properly, he goes out of his way to mess with everyone's heads! He's a devil!"
At the finish line, Qin An and the others watched the video, unable to stop smiling!
Kadabra, a Psychic-type Pokémon, put his natural strengths to use, thoughtfully lifting an umbrella with Confusion to shield Qin An and the others from the dazzling sunlight!
A marathon tested endurance and perseverance, but those challenges seemed nonexistent for Hu Bin and Vulpix. Relying on their physical advantages, they raced through another five kilometers and headed straight into the final aid station to rest!
The other runners either seemed to have given up or were still resting at the ten-kilometer aid station because they hadn't recovered their energy. Only a handful had set off again toward the finish line!
Yi Nanzi and Jin Kaiwei were among them. Yi Nanzi and Cyndaquil were still in pretty good shape. As a man who had competed in plenty of marathons, Jin Kaiwei was naturally an old hand, and his stamina was far beyond that of an ordinary runner. After a spell of rest, he had recovered quite a bit of energy too.
Now Yi Nanzi and Jin Kaiwei were both in the top ten, competing with each other, neither willing to let the other pull ahead!
They were both rather quiet now, though. It wasn't that they didn't want to talk trash, but that they were afraid speaking would give them a stitch!
Yi Nanzi was afraid that once Jin Kaiwei opened his mouth, laughing would leave no energy to keep running.
All they could do now was run, think about how to overtake each other, and exchange glares.
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