Golden Source Gym

After two days of group matches, only eight contestants remained eligible for the knockout rounds.

The tournament organizers promptly announced the top eight.

Group A: winner, Su Bai (J University Pokémon Department); runner-up, He Liang (J University Pokémon Department).

Group B: winner, Bai Ze (Ji Province Pokémon Academy Battle Department); runner-up, Zhang Zhi (J City Normal College Pokémon Program).

Group C: winner, Zi Shang (J Province Pokémon Academy Battle Department); runner-up, Ru Meng (J Province Pokémon Academy Coordination Department).

Group D: winner, Zhi You (J University of Technology Pokémon Department); runner-up, Zhou Mo (J University of Technology Pokémon Department).

The knockout matches were scheduled for the following weekend, with two on Saturday and two on Sunday.

The matches had yet to begin, but tension was already thick in the air.

Thanks to some deliberate adjustments by the organizers, aside from the student from Ji Province who had made it through Group B, the tournament had practically become a team competition between J University, J Province Pokémon Academy, J Normal University, and J University of Technology.

It had only been an amateur tournament to begin with, but its popularity kept climbing. Students from each college bought up all the tickets to support their "school teams."

Ticket prices for seats with a good view had already tripled, but that did nothing to dampen the spectators' enthusiasm.

To make the tournament more appealing, the organizers spared no expense. In addition to the Devon Scope and Fishing Rod, they added an exceptionally high-quality Thunder Stone to the prizes.

Rumor had it that the branch manager had stolen it from Steven's collection.

Su Bai took that claim with a grain of salt. Besides, he had no use for a Thunder Stone, though he could trade it or use it for randomization.

It wasn't that he desperately wanted it-he simply intended to win it.

After returning home, Su Bai played games for a while. Cynthia was busy too and had no time to keep him company, so he went to bed.

He had been busy preparing for the tournament these past two days and really hadn't rested well.

By the time Su Bai woke up again, it was already nine the next morning.

Growlithe was so hungry that he was pacing around with his food bowl in his mouth.

Su Bai hurriedly poured some Pokéblocks into the dog's bowl, then squeezed ketchup onto another serving and handed it to Pikachu.

For today's randomization, Su Bai used a Metal Coat and unlocked the food section of the System Shop.

Uncle Wu Zhong had given him the Metal Coat as a reward. Since Su Bai was still a coach at the Origin Gym, Uncle Wu Zhong had seized the opportunity to give the gym some solid publicity.

That very day, the parents of two high school students had signed up for the gym's private lessons, specifically requesting Su Bai's College Entrance Exam Cram Course.

From then on, Su Bai would teach two two-hour private lessons every Friday evening, earning 1,000 yuan per lesson.

Uncle Wu Zhong was extremely pleased with Su Bai. He had originally wanted to introduce his daughter to him, but after remembering the blonde beauty who had accompanied Su Bai that day, he gave up on the idea.

So he rewarded Su Bai with a Metal Coat instead.

Su Bai spent 24 to redeem an Orleans Roast Chicken that sold for 30 yuan at Kenduck, then gave its two steaming wings to Pikachu and Growlithe.

After a moment's thought, Su Bai tore off the chicken's rear and stuffed it into the dog's mouth too.

Then, amid Growlithe's protesting barks, Su Bai tore off a drumstick and started eating it himself.

The drumsticks are mine. Nonnegotiable.

As he ate, Su Bai considered next week's knockout rounds.

Everyone who qualified was a student specializing in Pokémon. Neither their Pokémon's levels nor their own abilities could be compared to those of his group-stage opponents.

Take Bai Ze from Ji Province, for example. His Pokémon was actually a Jangmo-o, and he had also defeated his opponents with a single move.

The knockout rounds were two-on-two, and Su Bai still didn't know what his other Pokémon was.

I need somewhere reliable to farm items.

Although the system was entirely random, Su Bai had noticed that the better the item he used for randomization, the more likely he was to get something valuable.

Still, with randomization, he couldn't guarantee anything.

Is there something reasonably valuable that I wouldn't mind losing to randomization, and that I can keep getting?

Su Bai thought for a while, then slapped his thigh!

The Golden Source Gym!

He acted immediately, recalling Growlithe and Pikachu on the spot. After washing up, he took a taxi to the Golden Source Gym.

Su Bai currently had only one badge, so under the rules, his opponent's Pokémon could not exceed level 25.

The Golden Source Gym also used a two-on-two format. Pikachu and Growlithe would be enough.

When he arrived at the Golden Source Gym, two coaches blocked his way.

They were the same two lackeys who had accompanied He Yuan to challenge the Origin Gym.

"What do you want? Here to cause trouble?"

"Don't assume everyone is as ill-mannered as you two. I'm here to challenge the gym."

With that, Su Bai walked around the two coaches and headed to the Golden Source Gym's front desk.

After showing his student ID and registering, Su Bai went to the battlefield.

He Zhiguo, the Golden Source Gym's Gym Leader, was waiting there.

"Young man, I know you. You're Yuan's classmate, right? I think very highly of you. Would you like to become a coach at our Golden Source Gym?"

"Thank you for the offer, but let's have the gym battle first."

"All right. You already have one badge, correct? Then this fellow will be my first Pokémon!"

He Zhiguo was more of a businessman than a Gym Leader, so he didn't take Su Bai's refusal particularly hard.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

"Meowth, use Pay Day!"

"Use Iron Tail to knock Pay Day back!"

With Quick Attack boosting his momentum, Pikachu's Iron Tail struck even harder, batting Meowth's thrown coins back like baseballs.

"Meowth, use Fury Swipes!"

This Meowth's ability was technician, so his Fury Swipes was stronger than usual, allowing him to knock down all the coins.

By then, however, Pikachu had already charged right up to Meowth.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu took Meowth out with a single Thunderbolt.

He Zhiguo hadn't expected Su Bai's Pikachu to defeat Meowth with just one Thunderbolt, and he grew serious.

His hand, which had been resting on his second Pokémon Ball, moved to the third.

"Go! Linoone!"

"Pikachu, let's keep going."

Pikachu nodded. He had defeated Meowth without taking any damage, and now that he was warmed up, another battle was just what he needed.

"You certainly are confident! Linoone, use Belly Drum!"

"Volt Tackle!"

Wrapped in lightning, Pikachu slammed into Linoone like a little cannonball, sending him flying just as his Attack reached its maximum.

Linoone had a Sitrus Berry in his mouth and was about to eat it, but the impact sent him flying and knocked him out immediately.

Pikachu shuddered, and Su Bai hurriedly fed him the Pokéblocks he had prepared.

Across from him, He Zhiguo still hadn't processed what had happened.

"Did he... predict my move?"

"It's simple. Belly Drum plus Extreme Speed is Linoone's most common strategy."

Su Bai said no more to He Zhiguo. He accepted the Golden Source Gym's Golden Source Badge, then turned to leave.

Under the rules, Su Bai also received the Hidden Machine for Cut as a reward.

"Su Bai, why don't you give it some thought and come coach at our Golden Source Gym?"

"See you tomorrow."

"All right, see you tomorrow!"

He Zhiguo was delighted, thinking he had persuaded Su Bai.

In reality, Su Bai merely intended to challenge the Golden Source Gym again the next day.

Just after midnight, Su Bai used the Golden Source Gym's Ruby Badge for randomization.

Despite its name, it was only a piece of blood-red glass. Even looking at it was unsettling.

Supposedly, an Alakazam Master had done a fortune reading for He Zhiguo and told him this would pass the threat of bloodshed on to others while bringing him great wealth.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host on obtaining a random item: Shell Bell (restores a small amount of stamina when the holder deals damage to a target).]

[Host's current randomization count: (24/100). Please randomize more often. My fate lies with heaven, not with me.]

The Shell Bell is good stuff!

Tomorrow, I'll keep farming the Golden Source Gym!