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In the arena.
Azure-blue flames surged toward the sky, dazzling like a blazing silver flower even under the scorching sun. The ambient temperature skyrocketed. Waves of heat rolled outward, evaporating every trace of moisture in the air.
The very air itself distorted, blurring like an invisible, crumpled silk cloth being shaken violently by unseen hands—reflected in the eyes of every spectator.
Both trainers found it hard to breathe, forced to step back before their lungs could function properly again, and the flames in the center of the field continued to swell, forming a nascent fireball that spun like a vortex, rapidly expanding in size!
"High Horsepower!"
Luo Dayou's shout was nearly drowned out by the roaring flames. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. Even faced with such a terrifying sight, he refused to give up.
This was the first time he'd encountered an opponent so ruthlessly focused—one who ignored Rillaboom entirely and went straight for its drum.
It left him unable to play some of his trump cards.
What was already a disadvantageous situation now teetered on the brink of disaster.
'What the hell is this guy thinking? Is this just luck?'
For anyone else, maybe. But not for him.
Luo Dayou's gaze pierced through the distorted air, landing on Li Xiang's hazy figure across the field.
Underestimating an opponent was a fatal mistake. He'd already screwed up once—he couldn't afford a second blunder.
That said, Rillaboom's Grassy Glide dealing such pitiful damage wasn't entirely unexpected. After all, Incineroar's greatest strength was its bulk.
And according to the intel he'd gathered, everyone agreed—Li Xiang's Incineroar was ridiculously tanky. Many claimed that if it were just a little less durable, they might've actually won…
A load of horseshit!
Incineroar's power and speed were both top tier!
Whether it was closing the distance faster than Rillaboom's Fake Out, or sending Rillaboom flying with Fire Punch before effortlessly blowing away its heavy drum with Heat Wave—everything proved Incineroar's overwhelming stats.
Was this some kind of all-rounder Pokémon? Or was it just overleveled?
Luo Dayou couldn't figure it out. But he did understand why Incineroar still hadn't attacked—why it kept charging its power.
—It was waiting for Protect.
This bastard was planning to punch through Protect's shield and finish off Rillaboom with the remaining force!
Insanely greedy!
But to Luo Dayou, this was an opportunity.
The two Pokémon were close. With Incineroar charging such a slow, powerful move, Rillaboom still had a chance to win!
'Reap what you sow!'
Pokémon battles weren't decided by raw strength alone!
Gritting his teeth, Luo Dayou prayed Rillaboom could endure—or better yet, strike first and interrupt the charging attack!
Incineroar stood arrogantly amidst the swirling blue inferno, its fangs bared in a vicious grin.
Meanwhile, Rillaboom's aura surged as a faint yellow glow enveloped its body—before it slammed forward with earth-shaking force!
High Horsepower!
BOOM!
The ground-type energy tore through the massive fireball, crashing directly into Incineroar's chest!
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the arena, the ensuing explosion of light forcing spectators to shield their eyes.
'It worked!'
Luo Dayou turned away, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. He couldn't believe Li Xiang had just let Incineroar tank the hit. Rillaboom's move was telegraphed—no Protect was coming.
Yet Incineroar kept charging.
'This greedy?!'
Did he think one Intimidate would neuter Rillaboom's offense?
Did he think Rillaboom's power was just for show—
'No. Wait....'
A sudden realization struck Luo Dayou. He whipped his head back—only to witness a scene that made his blood run cold.
Incineroar had barely budged.
The only sign it had been hit was a single scorch mark on its chest—no bigger than a palm.
Meanwhile, Rillaboom looked like a bird that had flown straight into a net—its head clamped in Incineroar's grip, its body burning alive in the flames.
The super-effective High Horsepower hadn't even slowed Incineroar's charge.
'HOW?! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!'
'HOW COULD SOMEONE MY AGE BE THIS STRONG?!'
Luo Dayou's eyes burned with rage. "PROTECT! GET OUT OF THERE!"
Inside the inferno, Rillaboom—writhing in agony—forced itself to raise an arm, attempting to summon a barrier.
But the moment it tried—
The charging ended.
Incineroar released Rillaboom's head. The surrounding flames condensed from azure to pure blue—before rocketing forward like a blazing freight train!
And upon impact—
BOOOOOOM!!!
The explosion resembled a blooming water lily—blue fire devouring half the arena in a storm of heat and shockwaves.
Thick black smoke choked the air.
Li Xiang, lying flat on the ground, felt the flames roar overhead—scorching his clothes but leaving him unharmed.
He knew his own Pokémon best.
Incineroar's charged Flare Blitz and its instant Flare Blitz were two completely different moves.
The former packed enough power to shatter Protect and still KO most of his current opponents—outclassing even Brave Bird.
But it had glaring weaknesses—long charge time and heavy recoil. Misuse could easily backfire.
The latter was weaker, often used to clean up weakened foes or as a general-purpose finisher.
But its versatility made it reliable. With Incineroar's bulk, spamming it wasn't an issue.
Both shared the same name but were worlds apart—each with their own merits, depending on the trainer's strategy.
And the reason Incineroar could master the former?
Temperature control.
Li Xiang had poured endless effort into this skill, allowing Incineroar to store and unleash flames far beyond its normal capacity.
This was the chasm separating it from its peers.
The blue flames raged for a few more seconds before fading.
Li Xiang stood, dusting himself off as he peered through the smoke at Rillaboom—now embedded in the chain-link fence, its body jutting outward like a grotesque sculpture.
The match was over.
New king versus old king. battle ended with the old competitive claiming victory.
Li Xiang pumped his fist, covering his mouth with his shirt as he strode toward the center. Right on cue, the referee's whistle pierced the air.
From within the smoke, a massive shadow emerged—parting the haze to reveal a smug, crimson-striped face.
"Rrrowr!"
Though visibly fatigued, Incineroar flashed a sharp-toothed grin.
"Hell yeah!"
Li Xiang bumped fists with it, only to notice Luo Dayou sneakily recalling Rillaboom, snatching his ID card from the referee, and bolting before the smoke cleared.
'That scared of talking to me?'
Unbeknownst to Li Xiang, Luo Dayou had come to salvage his pride. Instead, he'd been utterly humiliated.
No wonder he ran.
"Let's go. We got what we came for."
Li Xiang pressed a hand to Incineroar's scorched chest, eliciting a pained growl. Durable or not, pain was pain. And Rillaboom's High Horsepower was far from a scratch.
Incineroar hadn't tanked the hit to show off—it wanted to measure the gap between them. To see just how strong Luo Dayou—No. 4 Middle School's top trainer—really was.
Turns out?
Not strong enough.
Sure, type advantage played a role. But Luo Dayou's Rillaboom relied too much on its drum. Without it, its power plummeted.
Still green.
At best, he was on par with Qu Sheng and the others.
With that settled, Li Xiang's gaze drifted toward the wilderness arena. After testing Luo Dayou, only Fang Xin remained an unknown variable in the camp.
'Hope he's worth the hype.'
Back at the Dorms.
Li Xiang returned just in time to catch Song Jie's break between classes. After sitting in on a lecture, the two headed to the cafeteria.
"How strong was he?"
Song Jie wiped his mouth after finishing his meal.
"About Qu Sheng's level. Technically strong, but his gimmick's too easy to break."
Li Xiang slurped his noodles. "All his eggs were in that drum. You get it."
Song Jie nodded.
By mid-afternoon, all revenge matches for the top three classes had concluded.
Fifteen students remained at zero or negative points. A bus waited outside the camp.
The eliminated were ordered to pack up and board by 5 PM.
A crowd gathered to see them off—Li Xiang among them, calmly waving to the two No. 1 Middle School students.
Scenes like this would become commonplace. Everyone would grow used to it.
Afterward, Yang Tianwang suggested checking out the C-Class training hall. Li Xiang declined.
Even if he were interested, he couldn't afford to waste points right now.
"Oh right, you're saving up." Yang Tianwang sighed, clapping his shoulder. "Hope you hit your goal soon."
"Me too."
Li Xiang shrugged. Currently, the fastest way to earn points was daily challenge matches.
But people weren't stupid. Knowing his strength, few would challenge him. So while the first few days might be profitable, soon he'd only have meal-time matches and defender bonuses to rely on.
Those were guaranteed.
Add the nightly run's single point…
'Do I have to rely on conduct points again?'
The scoring system for those was vague. No clear way to optimize.
...I just need more events like the Points Competition.
Li Xiang sighed internally, wondering when he'd finally afford that shiny Metang.
Still a long road ahead.