Little Cup finals

The sight of Hakamo-o swaggering about, its scales gleaming in the sunlight, made not just the audience but even the other contestants nervous.

They had thought Jangmo-o was already Bai Ze's ace. They never expected him to have an even stronger Hakamo-o.

"Azumarill, Ice Punch!"

"Drain Punch!"

Ice Punch collided with Drain Punch. Ice Punch dealt considerable damage, and pain was clear on Hakamo-o's face.

But Hakamo-o's Drain Punch sent Azumarill flying, knocking it out.

A green glow spread over Hakamo-o as it recovered its strength.

The moment Hakamo-o appeared, Su Bai's system chimed as well.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the mission: You're not the only genius.]

[Mission rewards received: cumulative randomization count +10, Speed Enhancer ×10. Current randomization count: (70/100). Please randomize more, host. My fate lies with heaven, not with me.]

"Thanks for your hard work, Azumarill. My second Pokémon-come out, Staryu!"

Clearly, Zi Shang was an expert at using Water-type Pokémon.

Unfortunately, she might have stood a chance if this Staryu had evolved into Starmie. Hakamo-o simply endured Staryu's Swift while using Swords Dance, then knocked Staryu out with a single Drain Punch.

Bai Ze advanced smoothly to the finals. As the first contestant to force him to reveal his ace, Zi Shang had earned honor even in defeat and received applause from the entire audience.

While silently thanking Zi Shang for drawing out Bai Ze's ace, Su Bai also prepared to battle Ru Meng.

As he stepped onto the battlefield, the students from the J Pokémon Institute immediately erupted in cheers and applause.

With Zi Shang eliminated, Ru Meng was their last hope.

By contrast, Su Bai, who was likewise his school's last hope, received no support from his fellow students.

Over the past two days, an ugly rumor had spread through the school.

People were saying He Liang's defeat was Su Bai's fault.

They claimed Su Bai had refused to hold back in the group finals, seriously injuring Quagsire and preventing He Liang from performing at his best, which was why he had been eliminated so miserably.

If Su Bai had cared about the bigger picture, he wouldn't have hit so hard in the finals.

Su Bai brushed off that nonsense, but it caught Director Li's attention in the stands.

She would have to investigate who had started that rumor.

"Looks like you're nowhere near as popular as I am. Go, my idol, Combusken!"

A Combusken with bright plumage appeared on the field. Ru Meng was brimming with confidence.

Bai Yi naturally led with Pikachu again.

"Combusken, Fire Spin!"

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle and charge into the vortex!"

Combusken unleashed Fire Spin, and Pikachu used Volt Tackle. The electricity shielded Pikachu from the flames, while the mingling fire and lightning made its attack look even more powerful.

The tremendous force sent Combusken flying.

Pikachu shook its head, clearly suffering from recoil.

Seeing Pikachu like that pained Su Bai. Volt Tackle was a finishing move, and he avoided using it whenever possible.

Unlike Su Bai, who was aching for Pikachu, Ru Meng was shaken to her core.

That was unmistakably a Pokémon Contest technique-and an exceptionally sophisticated one. Not only had it dealt massive damage to Combusken, it had also showcased Pikachu's beauty to the fullest.

"Combusken, Flame Charge!"

"Pikachu, use Surf!"

Pikachu used Surf, sending a towering wave crashing into Combusken and knocking it out on the spot.

"Thanks for your hard work, Combusken. Go, Voltorb!"

"Pikachu, come back for now. Your turn, Growlithe!"

The audience burst into an uproar. Su Bai had finally withdrawn Pikachu and sent out his second Pokémon.

"Voltorb, Thunderbolt!"

"Use Thunder Fang to catch Thunderbolt in your jaws!"

Growlithe opened its mouth, lightning crackling between its teeth, and completely trapped Thunderbolt.

"Voltorb, Magnet Rise!"

Ru Meng had taught Voltorb Magnet Rise as a precaution against Ground-types. A web of electricity lifted Voltorb and the loose stones on the battlefield into the air.

Voltorb bounced around in the web like a basketball, its movements difficult to predict.

"Growlithe, use Howl, then Iron Tail!"

Growlithe let out a long howl, then used Iron Tail to bat all the floating stones at Voltorb like baseballs.

Voltorb took this convincing imitation of Stone Edge, suffered considerable damage, and fell back to the ground.

Su Bai seized the opportunity and had Growlithe finish Voltorb off with Dig.

After the match, Su Bai hurried into the contestants' passageway.

When Ru Meng saw Su Bai coming after her, she actually blushed despite her burly appearance, giving him the creeps.

"Um... Ru Meng."

"Yes, I'm free tonight."

Hearing that, Su Bai hurriedly took two steps back.

Who the hell asked if you were free?!

Seeing Ru Meng's beard, which was even longer than his own, and the way she swayed with every step, Su Bai wanted nothing more than to run.

"Ru Meng, what do you think of my Contest Battle skills?"

"That's all you wanted to ask me?"

Ru Meng froze at Su Bai's question.

Su Bai felt helpless too.

"What else?"

"You came all this way just to ask that? Are you a fucking idiot?"

Ru Meng turned and left. Su Bai hurried after her and pestered her for ages before finally getting a word of genuine praise out of her.

With the system mission completed, Su Bai promptly fled.

That had been terrifying.

Fortunately, his cumulative randomization count had now reached 80, and he had obtained a new Berry Blender.

An hour later, the Health Cup finals began.

Su Bai and Bai Ze stood on opposite sides of the battlefield.

The spectators from the various schools all began cheering for Su Bai without prompting.

After all, they were all locals. Although Su Bai's Pokémon were valuable too, they felt far more relatable than Bai Ze's two Dragon-type pseudo-legendaries.

"Go, Su Bai! Get him!"

Even the school directors in the guest seats were silently willing Su Bai to win.

Otherwise, the city officials would surely reprimand them. There wouldn't be any actual punishment, but they couldn't bear the embarrassment.

"Go, Jangmo-o!"

Facing an entirely hostile crowd didn't unsettle Bai Ze in the slightest. He calmly sent out Jangmo-o.

Bai Yi led with Growlithe, whose appearance lowered Jangmo-o's physical attack by one stage.

"Dragon Dance!"

"Howl!"

Neither side acted rashly. Both chose to boost their stats, even though this exchange put Su Bai at a disadvantage.

"Jangmo-o, use Dragon Tail!"

"Use Dig to dodge!"

Jangmo-o swept its Dragon Tail across the field, while Growlithe burrowed straight underground.

"Use Iron Tail on the ground."

"Growlithe, use Crunch!"

Bai Ze had clearly studied Su Bai's battles too. Without Magnitude, Earthquake, or Bulldoze, striking the ground with a powerful physical move was clearly the best option.

Su Bai had plainly anticipated this and went straight for an exchange of blows.

Growlithe was tough enough to withstand the hit, then clamped its jaws onto Jangmo-o with Crunch.

"Use Brick Break!"

"Use Thunder Fang right now!"

Jangmo-o struck Growlithe with Brick Break. Still biting down on Jangmo-o, Growlithe immediately used Thunder Fang. Both sides were simply trading damage.

"Jangmo-o, use Dragon Dance again."

"Morning Sun."

Jangmo-o used Dragon Dance again, but because Intimidate had affected it, two Dragon Dances only produced the effect of one.

Growlithe, meanwhile, recovered its strength.

Su Bai recalled Growlithe and sent out Pikachu.

Bai Ze seized the opening and landed a Brick Break on Pikachu.

Following Su Bai's instructions, Pikachu pretended the blow hurt badly as it was sent flying. In reality, it barely felt a thing.

Nice try. My base Defense is 170.