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Two consecutive victories.
The price paid wasn't too great.
After all, Metagross and Corviknight had been fighting multi-battle endurance matches since they were young. They were all too familiar with prolonged combat.
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Over the years, to exaggerate a bit, their utilization of stamina and attribute energy had reached a masterful level.
If not for moves like Endeavor or Destiny Bond, they could definitely hold on. But guarding against these moves was just too difficult.
In the games, when you're making a move, the opponent absolutely cannot act.
But here, it's different. If you don't deplete the opponent's stamina instantly, even if you're still in the middle of using a move, once the pain is overcome by the opponent's willpower, fighting back is a given.
Li Xiang sat on the bench, holding Metagross's PokéBall, deep in thought about his next strategy.
Only two matches had been fought so far.
But the snowy field was already in complete disarray, with pits scattered evenly here and there, and snow blown up by air waves forming small hills.
Not to mention the fragments of shattered ice rocks and the web-like cracked ice surface. At first glance, there seemed to be few places to stand.
This made land-bound Pokémon very uncomfortable.
Considering the field conditions, the third match would likely have to revolve around Rotom, formulating a series of plans.
Too bad you couldn't change forms mid-battle. He'd have to adapt to the specific circumstances.
So far, the two he had defeated were probably around the level of the alternate senior sisters around him.
Well, if those senior sisters had stable enough mental fortitude, they might even be a bit weaker.
Counting as about one and a half reserves.
Among the next three, there was one who was particularly tough—the former vice-captain and current captain of the previous year. He could be counted as one and a half reserves.
Anyway, based on the information Li Xiang had seen so far, if he ended up facing him, he might have to go all out without messing around.
Preferably, he'd come up earlier so Incineroar and the others would have enough stamina.
On the opposite side, the people from Meicheng University gathered together, arguing quite heatedly.
Losing two matches in a row without taking down even one of Li Xiang's Pokémon, while their side kept losing—it was like padding his win record.
This overly ridiculous situation had already led to negative online discourse about their university, but there was nothing they could do.
A first-year student who had trained Pokémon for no more than four years was thoroughly dominating them, seniors who had trained Pokémon for nearly a decade.
Whether it was the Pokémon's training level or the number of moves mastered, it was all utterly unreasonable.
They didn't know the exact levels, but they definitely weren't low. Thus, they were deciding whether to send out the captain immediately.
"We really can't let him win anymore. Hongcheng University is a lesson learned the hard way!"
"Exactly! Hongcheng University's recruitment video already has over ten thousand downvotes! Only a little over three thousand upvotes!"
"We must find a way to take him down! Even if it means mutual destruction!"
"Captain! Say something, Captain! Why are you just standing there watching!"
"We have no way back!"
Compared to the dejection after losing the first match, Meicheng University was actually getting worked up after losing the second because everyone knew they were truly at the end of the road.
If they lost again, their university team would be nailed to the pillar of shame in the school's history and laughed at forever.
Clearly, the regular members couldn't handle Li Xiang, so sending the captain was the most correct choice.
However, the captain himself was also at a loss. To be honest, he didn't have the certainty of victory.
Based on last night's review of Li Xiang's battle information, as someone specializing in Fire-type, he found it very difficult to defeat that Incineroar with its terrifying fire endurance using his most proficient moves.
His secondary type could put up a fight...
"We need more information."
The old coach quietly interjected, saying calmly, "Li Xiang still hasn't revealed one important Pokémon. Have you all forgotten?"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately remembered that in the precious intelligence their school provided, there was mention of a Greninja.
But after so many matches, they hadn't seen Li Xiang use it even once.
For a moment, everyone was speechless.
"...I'll go." The newly appointed vice-captain said through gritted teeth.
Last year, he was just a regular member. This year, with the old members graduating, he had automatically risen to vice-captain based on strength.
Since the captain wasn't speaking up, he, the vice-captain, had to take the initiative.
Not taking the initiative was pointless anyway; he'd have to go sooner or later.
As soon as he finished speaking, the captain beside him instantly spoke up, slapping his shoulder with a face full of relief, as if afraid he'd change his mind.
"We're counting on you! Good brother!"
Vice-captain: "..."
'What the hell! Can't you have a little backbone!'
...
Ten minutes passed quickly.
The bell rang.
Li Xiang stood up from his seat, glanced around, and saw all the senior sisters looking at him with expectant eyes.
If the earlier talk of five consecutive wins was joking, then now, they genuinely had that thought. At the same time, there was also a feeling of witnessing a miracle being born.
"I'm off."
With those words, Li Xiang slowly walked into the disastrous snowy field.
Coincidentally, his opponent also walked forward with a tragic expression, searching for a long time before finding an intact patch of snow.
"Vice-captain, huh? What's his specialty again?"
Li Xiang recalled, remembering that the person in front of him should be a trainer specializing in Ghost-type.
A relatively rare specialty.
In that case, his opening choice could be pondered a bit.
If he remembered correctly...
Two PokéBalls were thrown.
Bang! Bang!
Two Pokémon landed.
Sure enough, as expected.
The opponent's opening Pokémon was the most cost-effective, most "common" Ghost-type—Gengar.
With the ability Cursed Body, introduced in the seventh generation.
However, according to existing online information, Levitate Gengar did exist, but they were extremely rare, so rare that even on big stages like the Junior World Tournament, you wouldn't see one.
And for Li Xiang, it was just too good if Gengar didn't have Levitate.
The pitch-black Corviknight entered the field.
As usual, it started with Tailwind. The opponent decisively used Mimic, turning it into their own Tailwind, and then used it.
Corviknight flapped its wings, swift as lightning closing in near Gengar. Without even needing a command, it started cursing loudly!
Piercing crow cries echoed across the field!
At that moment, Gengar had just finished using Tailwind. Protect was too late, and it was forced to get Taunted.
The opponent had predicted Gengar's failure to Protect early, shouting: "Thunderbolt!"
Gengar's body immediately lit up with sky-blue electricity, transforming into bright current bolts that shot toward Corviknight like chains!
Unfortunately, Taunt didn't affect Corviknight's judgment; cursing had already become part of its life, hardly requiring much mental effort.
Through prediction, it successfully dodged the electric bolts, only grazing a bit.
It hardly took any damage.
Li Xiang seized this opportunity, while running forward from the field's edge, and recalled Corviknight, switching in Riolu instead.
Bang!
A flash of white light!
In an instant, Riolu turned into a streak of light, disappearing from its spot!
Tailwind plus Agility and disgusting acceleration made it almost too fast to see!
Thud!
A dull sound!
Yellowish-brown shockwaves carrying snow surged toward Gengar!
Everything happened too fast. Gengar had just seen the shockwaves, thinking to use Telekinesis to float up, when it was hit squarely by the shockwaves!
Boom!
Smoke swirled!
Gengar painfully tumbled backward, its body covered by snow!
In that short time, Riolu had actually used its Prankster ability, before Gengar could react and lock onto its position, to use two moves!
"Shadow Claw!"
Li Xiang pursued relentlessly. A single Stomp wasn't enough to take out Gengar, even if it was a glass cannon.
The opponent also didn't sit idly by, shouting:
"Dazzling Gleam!"
The Gengar lying on the ground instantly turned into a dazzling pink flashbang, constantly emitting star-like rays in all directions!
360 degrees, no blind spots!
Riolu, already close to Gengar, had nowhere to dodge!
—That would normally be the case. However, this was soft yet uneven snow.
Just as Gengar began to light up, Riolu, like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, plunged headfirst into the snow.
Then, dog-paddling rapidly forward, constantly tossing up snow!
The pink light of Dazzling Gleam continuously melting the snow and ice, just managing to block part of the force for Riolu.
The remaining pink light was already within its endurance range.
From the snow pile in front of Gengar, a dog's head burst out of the snow!
Boom!
Riolu ferociously pounced, swinging the sharp and menacing dark purple ghost claws on both hands!
Gengar was fast, flipping up to shield and retreat, but with Stomp as the setup, its speed was far inferior to this little dog.
Ghastly ghost claws forcefully struck down!
Tear—!
Bang!
Mist erupted!
A sound like cloth tearing. Gengar's body suddenly dimmed, completely unlike its previous deep color.
And Gengar itself, within the smoke, was eyes rolled back, tongue out, with foul-smelling liquid flowing from the corner of its mouth, clearly directly taken out by Riolu!
Clean and efficient!
Agility, Stomp, Shadow Claw done in one go! Truly deserving of being the heroine of the team!
The referee blew the whistle!
The opponent stared blankly at the fainted Gengar, clearly not expecting that even the fast Gengar couldn't outspeed Riolu after Tailwind. It was completely chased down and beaten.
For a moment, he felt his scalp go numb.
'This... how do you fight this? Isn't this too exaggerated?'
But what he didn't expect was that after Gengar fell, Li Xiang actually recalled Riolu, and then, silently looked at him. As if waiting for something.
The opponent was full of doubt, dumbfounded for several seconds until the switch timer alarm on him sounded. Only then did he belatedly send out his second Pokémon.
A humanoid Pokémon with a huge head covered in bone-like armor, a pitch-black body like a dinosaur, holding a ghastly bone club.
—Seventh generation, Fire and Ghost-type, Alolan Marowak, with the ability Rock Head.
And across the way, Li Xiang, seeing he had sent out a Pokémon, slowly revealed his third choice.
It was Rotom in its Heat form.
"This guy... what's he waiting for? Does he have more time than me?"
Li Xiang looked at the opponent who seemed a bit not very sharp, somewhat puzzled.