Outside the entrance, Bai Yun and Lin Lin stood together. Bai Yun wore a nosy grin. "Hey, A-Tian, why did it look like you were with Su Han just now?"
Lin Lin hurriedly nodded. "Yeah, yeah! I saw Su Han smiling so happily."
"You saw wrong." Cheng Tian didn't hesitate in the slightest.
"No way. You were definitely chatting with Su Han. I saw it myself! Look at you! Yesterday you said you weren't interested, and today you've already won her over?! I saw a whole classroom of guys with thunderclouds on their faces."
Cheng Tian said irritably, "I was just thanking her for helping me earlier. What are you imagining?"
"Sure, sure, sure. Whatever you say."
Cheng Tian rolled his eyes and didn't take the bait. He knew saying anything more would accomplish nothing. "How did the exam go?"
Bai Yun gave him a thumbs-up. "No problems, of course. I think I've got this in the bag." Lin Lin grinned too. "Pretty much the same for me. Apart from a few difficult questions, I answered everything."
"What about you? How did you do?" Lin Lin asked.
"Me?" Cheng Tian looked as though the answer were obvious. "Apart from that neither-fish-nor-fowl question 35, which I left blank, I answered pretty much everything I knew."
Bai Yun and Lin Lin nodded in perfect unison.
"Thought so." ×2
Cheng Tian: ...
Thanks. I feel personally attacked.
Bai Yun chuckled. "Can't help it. Your math is just that terrible, A-Tian." Lin Lin chimed in, "Exactly! You don't even know how the coordinate quadrants are arranged."
Watching the two of them play husband-sings-wife-follows right in front of him, Cheng Tian was genuinely annoyed...
The morning exam had still taken place in the classroom, but the afternoon battles would be held in Bingzhou No. 1 High School's newly built Outdoor Stadium.
As expected of one of the city's key high schools, Bingzhou No. 1 High School had built its stadium's battle arena entirely to official competition standards. The stadium even had a Healing Machine specifically for treating Pokémon. It had every facility they could need.
The stadium was large enough to accommodate all the students as spectators.
That made the afternoon competition quite lively. With so many people watching, the competitors were also very nervous.
Quite a few students in the arena had already summoned their Pokémon and were rubbing their hands in anticipation.
"A-Tian, over here!" As soon as Cheng Tian arrived at the venue that afternoon, he spotted Bai Yun and Lin Lin. A ring of Happy Water and popcorn surrounded them, practically forming a little fortified position. The two called out to him.
Cheng Tian walked over, feeling thoroughly speechless.
What was it like having two friends who were this far off the rails???
"Are you two planning to fight a defensive war?" Cheng Tian asked, speechless.
"Hehe." Lin Lin stuffed a handful of popcorn into her mouth. "There are four hours of matches this afternoon! How could we not prepare properly?"
Bai Yun picked up a tub of popcorn and handed it to Cheng Tian. "Sit down, sit down! We're wiping out all this popcorn and Happy Water this afternoon!"
Though Cheng Tian was reluctant, he couldn't withstand the tyrannical might of popcorn and Happy Water. He sat down and began eating with them, drawing envious looks from everyone nearby.
Two in the afternoon was still quite hot in Bingzhou in September. Being able to drink Happy Water at a time like this was naturally a treat. For those who couldn't, however, it was torture...
The people nearby kept staring at the three of them drinking Happy Water, their eyes full of resentment...
Please, you three, have some humanity!
While Cheng Tian and the other two sat eating and waiting for the matches to begin, Su Han entered the stadium too. All at once, many gazes shifted away from the Happy Water and toward her.
The weather was rather hot, so Su Han wore only a white shirt with her school uniform trousers. Her perfect figure was on full display, sending blood rushing to the heads of the assembled "gentlemen."
Su Han immediately spotted the three most conspicuous people in the crowd. An alluring smile curled at the corners of her lips, and she walked toward them.
"Cheng Tian, we meet again." Su Han greeted him with a smile.
Cheng Tian, who was pouring Happy Water into his mouth, froze and hurriedly swallowed. "Hello, Su Han."
"There aren't any seats nearby. May I sit beside you?" Su Han asked sweetly.
At those words, the boys' gazes turned vicious. "What makes that guy worthy of sitting beside my goddess?!" "Aah! It's not fair! I'm clearly way more handsome than him!"
Before Cheng Tian could speak, the two beside him were already wearing wonderfully expressive looks.
This is juicy!!!
Lin Lin hurriedly answered for Cheng Tian. "Of course, of course! Su Han, sit right here." Bai Yun also nodded quickly and shoved a bottle of Happy Water into Cheng Tian's hand, making ridiculous faces as he waggled his eyebrows.
"Thank you." Su Han smiled sweetly and sat beside Cheng Tian. He could smell the pleasant fragrance coming from her.
Rolling his eyes at Bai Yun, he offered the Happy Water to Su Han. "It's hot. Have a bottle to cool down."
Su Han took the Happy Water, thanked him, then unscrewed the cap and began drinking. Her tiny sips stood in stark contrast to Lin Lin chugging straight from the bottle. "It really does cool you down."
Watching the two chat so happily, Bai Yun and Lin Lin's hunger for gossip burned ever brighter. The corners of their mouths were practically climbing up to stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun.
And he says there's nothing going on. ×2
Just then, a teacher walked onto the field. "Quiet, quiet! Let's see who's still talking!?"
Everyone around them fell silent.
"Ahem. We'll now begin the afternoon battle assessment. Each person will fight two matches. Come onto the field when I call your exam number."
"Each competitor may use only one Pokémon. The match ends when one or both Pokémon are unable to battle. Attacking Trainers is forbidden. Violators will be severely punished."
"Winning isn't an absolute requirement. Even if you lose, the teachers here will score you based on your performance in battle. So think carefully about how to put on a battle that will satisfy your teachers."
"Does everyone understand?"
"Yes!" everyone in the stands answered.
The teacher nodded. "Then the matches will now begin. Students whose exam numbers are called, please come onto the field for your battle assessment."
"093660122, 093240881."
Two boys stood at those numbers and looked at each other. Neither showed the slightest intention of backing down as their eyes met. They headed straight for the field.
"Both competitors, summon your Pokémon. Begin!"
Two flashes of red light passed, and a Poochyena and a Bunnelby appeared on the field. "Bunnelby, use Mud Shot!"
Bunnelby swiftly dug several clumps of dirt from the ground and hurled them forcefully at Poochyena with its ears.
"Dodge, then use Quick Attack!" Poochyena nimbly evaded the incoming Mud Shot and used Quick Attack, charging toward Bunnelby.
The agile Bunnelby responded with Dig, burrowing underground.
The battle held everyone in the stands spellbound, and the popcorn tasted even better to Cheng Tian and his friends. Watching Cheng Tian keep stuffing popcorn into his mouth, Su Han found him very amusing.
He looks like a hamster eating popcorn, with his cheeks all puffed up...
After leaping out of its hole, Bunnelby traded attacks with Poochyena. Powerful ears clashed with sharp claws, making for a heated spectacle.
In the end, Bunnelby successfully defeated Poochyena with Dig and Pound. "The winner is Bunnelby. And don't be discouraged if you lost. You still have another match coming."
Both students nodded, recalled their Pokémon into their balls, and left the field to get them treated.
In the following matches, everyone fought their hardest. There was even a match where both Pokémon became unable to battle at the same time. The atmosphere quickly heated up.
"093250086, 093280556."
"Hm? My turn." Hearing his exam number, Bai Yun put down his popcorn and stood. "Go, Yun!" "Give it your best and beat your opponent!"
Cheng Tian and Lin Lin cheered Bai Yun on, while Su Han also gave him an encouraging nod.
Bai Yun smiled confidently. "Watch me and Chimchar put on a show."
Both competitors stepped onto the field. Red light flashed. "Ya-ka!" Chimchar gave a spirited cry. Its opponent sent out an Elekid.
Cheng Tian's expression turned odd. He remembered that in the anime he had watched in his previous life, Ash's Infernape had been abandoned by Paul when it was little. As it happened, Paul also had an Electivire that had evolved from an Elekid.
It was practically a showdown of destiny...
Elekid looked rather like it had a plug on top of its head. Electricity crackled between its two prongs, making its eagerness to fight obvious.
"Begin!"
Bai Yun gave the first command. "Chimchar, Focus Energy and Work Up! Get Fire Punch ready!" A faint brown aura intensified around Chimchar, and its gaze grew sharper. Flames enveloped both fists as it waited for the command to attack.
Its opponent wasn't stupid and didn't immediately choose to engage Chimchar at close range. "Elekid, Swift!"
Yellow stars formed between the two prongs on Elekid's head and shot toward Chimchar. Seeing this, Chimchar spat out Ember, colliding with Swift.
A few stars still slipped through and struck Chimchar. The hits dealt it damage.
"Perfect chance! Close in with Quick Attack, then follow up with Thunder Punch!" Elekid became a streak of white light and swiftly lunged at Chimchar. Electricity coiled around its fist as it slammed a vicious punch toward Chimchar.
"Hmph, just trading punches? We can do that too! Fire Punch!" Chimchar met Elekid's blow with its long-prepared Fire Punch, actually forcing Elekid back a little. Its Iron Fist Ability was no easy thing to withstand.
Elekid looked shocked. This little monkey looked as skinny as a bundle of sticks, yet it possessed such enormous strength.
Bai Yun smiled. Chimchar practiced its punches with weights every day. With those weights removed, it could now throw 140 punches per minute with both hands combined, and each punch carried twenty-eight kilograms of force.
"Don't stop! Let it have a taste of Thunder Punch too!"
Flames no longer surrounded Chimchar's fists. Lightning did instead. It launched a frenzied assault on Elekid.
"Ya-ka!" Every punch landed solidly. At first, Elekid could block a blow or two, but gradually it could no longer keep up. It even became paralyzed.
Battle fervor blazed in Chimchar's eyes. Watching Elekid take blow after blow, it had only one phrase in its mind...
*Muda... **Muda!!!!***
"Pull back, quick!" its opponent commanded anxiously. "Leaving? You're not going anywhere!" Chimchar clasped its fists together and used Fire Punch again. The flames around its joined hands were visibly larger. Aiming at Elekid's head, it brought them smashing down.
Elekid's vision went dark, and it fainted.
"The winner is Chimchar!"
Chimchar waved its hands, dispersing the flames on its fists. It looked at the fallen Elekid with utter disdain.
Watching that display of mindless punch-for-punch combat made everyone's blood boil with excitement.
Cheng Tian nodded. "That's just like you, DIO. Chimchar."
Today's first update is ready. Please recommend and bookmark.
Before you continue