The first Little Cup

As soon as Wu Zhong returned, he went to the training room to find Su Bai.

"Su Bai, thanks for your hard work. I'm planning to give you a raise."

"There's no need, Gym Leader. I'm a coach here, so it's only right that I step up and drive off anyone who comes to challenge the gym. But I wanted to ask, do we have a training method for Thunder Fang?"

Wu Zhong was very pleased to hear that.

Rather than letting a little short-term gain go to his head, Su Bai seized the opportunity to train his Pokémon. He knew how to speak tactfully, too.

Su Bai was a young man who could go far.

But Su Bai's question put a troubled look on Wu Zhong's face.

The gym had no training method for Thunder Fang, but Su Bai had done the gym a great service. Not rewarding him would hardly be fair.

"Su Bai, our gym really doesn't offer instruction in Thunder Fang, but I can teach you something else."

With that, Wu Zhong sent out a Steelix.

That terrifying broad face, those vicious red eyes, and that massive, rock-hard body-this was Wu Zhong's true ace.

"This one's best move is Iron Tail. Steelix, give Su Bai a demonstration!"

Steelix opened its huge mouth, with only a few teeth left in it, and roared. Then its tail shone white and slammed heavily into the ground.

Su Bai felt the entire arena shake. The blow left a crater roughly six meters across and nearly a meter deep in the rocky battlefield.

Growlithe's eyes sparkled, and its tail wagged nonstop. It absolutely loved that move.

Wu Zhong told Su Bai that although his Pikachu knew Iron Tail, Pikachu's way of delivering force leaned toward a "slash."

A tail like Growlithe's, on the other hand, was better suited to a "smash."

Su Bai nodded. As expected of a Steel-type gym, they had worked out so many techniques for just one move, Iron Tail.

For the next three days, Su Bai took Pikachu and Growlithe to the Origin Gym to practice Iron Tail.

Su Bai never forgot his daily random draw. The system gave him three items: a Wide Lens, a Focus Sash, and Lava Cookies.

He also discovered that after those three items appeared in the random draws, they were added to the System Shop.

A Wide Lens cost 10,000 on the market, but the System Shop sold it for 8,000. Although a Focus Sash was a single-use item, it was particularly expensive at 30,000 each, while the System Shop sold it for 24,000.

Lava Cookies were delicious snacks that could also cure all a Pokémon's status conditions. As a specialty of the Hoenn Region, they weren't available on the local market. Tengu International sold them for 300 a pack, with ten cookies per pack.

The System Shop sold snack items like these very cheaply: 20 a pack, with four cookies per pack.

It seemed that certain rare items had to be unlocked through random draws.

Since Pikachu already had a Light Ball, Su Bai gave the Wide Lens to Growlithe to improve Iron Tail's accuracy.

When Saturday arrived, the Health Cup amateur battle tournament began.

The group stage had four groups of thirty-two contestants each. It used a knockout format, with only the final two contestants advancing from each group.

The group stage lasted two days, with three rounds on Saturday and two on Sunday.

To advance from their group, contestants had to win at least four matches and finish as the runner-up. The format was certainly strict.

The participants included not only confident local residents, but also students from various universities who were on summer break.

To promote the tournament, the organizing committee deliberately placed students from different universities in different groups. In amateur events like this, those who advanced were usually students majoring in Pokémon studies.

That way, the organizers could package the rounds after the group stage as a competition between J City's universities, giving the event a stronger promotional hook.

Because Su Bai had signed up fairly early, he was placed in Group A.

His first match began at eight in the morning. Every group-stage match was one-on-one, so Su Bai sent out Pikachu.

His opponent was an office worker who used a Weepinbell.

Pikachu knocked out the opposing Weepinbell with a single Iron Tail, ending the battle.

The second match began at ten in the morning. His opponent was a girl with a Deerling. Since it was summer, the little deer was a lovely blue-green.

Although the move wasn't powerful enough, Pikachu still advanced with a single Volt Tackle.

The one o'clock match was a little more interesting. His opponent was also from J University's Pokémon Department, but she was a year above Su Bai. She used a relatively uncommon Vulpix.

"Where did you catch your Vulpix? Could you tell me?"

"You're Su Bai, right? I've heard of you. Everyone says you're a slacker who never studies, but after watching your matches, you don't seem that bad. You're kind of handsome, too."

She brushed back her hair, her voice suggestive.

"You like Vulpix? How about this: if you surrender, I'll give you my contact details. You can come over to my place anytime to see my Vulpix do backflips."

"Pika!"

Before Su Bai could even give an order, Pikachu sent a Surf crashing straight at her.

Both the girl and her Pokémon were drenched from head to toe.

Pikachu gave a smug little huff and hopped onto Su Bai's shoulder in a few quick bounds.

Trying to seduce our human? You'll have to get past me first.

Su Bai smiled awkwardly and stroked Pikachu's cheek. Pikachu was definitely the number-one Su Bai-Cynthia shipper now.

"Come on, let's go home and play on your wheel."

After Saturday's three matches, Su Bai had reached his group's final four. He only needed one more win tomorrow to advance from the group stage.

[Ding! A change in the host's circumstances has been detected. Mission issued: Onward to victory.]

[Win every match in the Little Cup and claim the championship. Rewards: Special Attack Potion ×10, cumulative random draw count +10.]

The system had issued another mission, requiring him to win every match and take the championship.

That had been Su Bai's plan all along, and the Special Attack Potions were very tempting.

There were also ten random draws to gain. The random draws awarded by the system didn't give Su Bai ten chances to draw; instead, they were added directly to his total draw count, bringing the Chosen Lucky One draw closer.

Rubbing his already rumbling stomach, Su Bai decided to make himself something to eat.

With the cooking mastery he had received from a system draw, Su Bai could make pretty much any dish that wasn't too outrageous.

Tonight, however, he planned to make instant noodles.

Cynthia's match was starting in half an hour.

Su Bai turned on his computer and opened Sharpedo Livestream, where he could watch the Sinnoh Champion League Masters Tournament live.

Today's random draw had given Su Bai an air fryer. He bought a bag of chicken wings, a packet of fries, and two sausages, then cooked them at 160 degrees for fifteen minutes, flipped them and cooked them at 160 degrees for another ten minutes, then flipped them again and cooked them at 190 degrees for five minutes.

Then he made a bowl of instant noodles, poured Pikachu and Growlithe a bowl of Pokéblocks each, and added two chicken wings.

He also took out the cola he had prepared earlier.

Once everything was ready, he opened the cola just as the competitors entered.

Seeing Cynthia stride onto the screen in her classic black coat, looking dashing and confident, Pikachu cried out happily.

Growlithe also burst into excited barks.

Su Bai hurriedly slurped up a big mouthful of noodles.

He couldn't help it. His Cynthia was so gorgeous that watching her made every bite taste better.