The moment Machop slammed Pawniard into the ground with Seismic Toss, Pei Jingguo's well-timed sword strike landed almost simultaneously.
By the time the spectators realized what had happened, the match was already over!
"She actually used Seismic Toss?"
Su Bai muttered in surprise as he watched the scene unfold. "Looks like Xiao Zhang's Machop is progressing pretty quickly."
"Or maybe… when he first caught her, she already had a decent training foundation?"
In the games, Seismic Toss is a move Machop learns at Level 24. And at Level 28, she can evolve into Machoke.
Though in reality, moves aren't tied directly to levels, training progress is still a solid indicator of evolution readiness.
After all, what defines a Trainer?
Aside from using TMs (Technical Machines) to teach Pokémon moves, it's the Trainer's daily training and guidance that stimulate a Pokémon's potential and unlock new techniques.
And if Su Bai recalled correctly, when Xiao Zhang first caught Machop, she didn't know Seismic Toss.
He had thought Machop might win, but not this easily.
Just like he hadn't expected Pei Jingguo to win his duel that easily either…
"Forget the moves for a second,"
Wang Tao interjected with a conflicted expression.
"So… who actually won?"
From a Trainer battle perspective, Machop clearly had the edge.
But this was a mixed doubles match—both Trainers and Pokémon participated. It didn't follow standard rules…
Su Bai shrugged.
"If we're being technical, Pei Jingguo still has his Honedge."
"And since both sides were on the field, the result should be judged from the Trainer's status."
"Which means, no matter what, the Trainer's safety takes priority."
"If a Pokémon is hurt, the Trainer can always withdraw it and send out another. But if the Trainer goes down… that's game over."
Let alone in a controlled environment like the Pokémon Battle Center—in the wild, it would be even more dangerous.
When fighting against Death Beasts, those monsters don't care about your rules.
Sure, they instinctively prefer targeting Pokémon because of their life force, but you can't expect a Death Beast to just ignore a human Trainer.
Su Bai waved at Diancie.
Diancie understood immediately and smiled as she floated to the center, announcing in a clear voice:
"Opening Match of the Pokémon Battle Center – Pei Jingguo vs. Xiao Zhang – Winner: Pei Jingguo!"
The spectators, who had been whispering among themselves, immediately broke into thunderous applause!
Watching Pei Jingguo calmly collect himself, Ding Yue shook her head in amazement.
"He's gotten even better…"
"If this were before, he wouldn't have been able to unleash a strike that fast."
"And his entire fighting style has changed!"
"He used to rely on big flashy finishers… the kind that needed time to charge."
"But now, his swordsmanship is way more refined. Much more practical."
Ding Yue, being a swordswoman herself, was quick to pick up on the change.
Su Bai's eyes narrowed slightly, though he said nothing.
It was said that within every Honedge was the soul of a mighty swordsman…
Could that be the reason?
Only Pei Jingguo, the Trainer, would truly know.
After all, the bond between a Trainer and their Pokémon is real—intangible, yet undeniable. Outsiders would never fully understand.
Su Bai glanced around the stadium.
Although the match had ended, the crowd remained glued to their seats, eyes fixed longingly on the battlefield.
They were hungry for more.
"Looks like the audience hasn't had enough," he chuckled.
He turned to see Zhou Xiaofei's eyes lit up with excitement too.
Smiling, Su Bai called out, "Anyone else want to battle? This time, we'll go by standard Pokémon battle rules."
It had been a while since he'd seen a proper match.
The earlier battle between Machop and Pawniard had reignited his own interest—if his own Pokémon weren't so powerful, he might have joined in himself!
"I-I-I-I do!"
"The genius Trainer Liu Yunlan requests a match!"
Liu Yunlan's eyes sparkled as she eagerly shot her hand up.
She spun around, scanning the crowd.
"Who wants to battle me?!"
"Uh—not you, Nan-nan!"
She quickly gave Murong Nan an apologetic grin.
Her Fire-type Pokémon was weak against Murong Nan's Water-types, and his team was no joke either.
She wasn't about to walk into an instant defeat.
Turning her eyes to Wang Tao, she gave him a playful smirk and a challenge:
"How about it, Wang Tao? Want a rematch?"
"I want to settle the score!"
Wang Tao laughed and turned away.
"Are you kidding me? I already pulled a miracle beating you with my Grotle and type disadvantage."
"Besides, my Hippopotas just hatched—it's still a baby."
Li Xiaoyu also wanted to battle, but her Eevee hadn't evolved yet. She knew she didn't stand a chance against Liu Yunlan and didn't want to make a fool of herself.
Same went for the others.
And so…
Liu Yunlan stood alone in the arena, glancing around at the hesitant faces, her hand resting on Growlithe's fur scarf.
She sighed dramatically.
With an exaggerated air of loneliness, she cried out:
"Invincible~~ How lonely it is to be invincible~~!"
"If Heaven had not birthed me, Liu Yunlan, the path of the Trainer would be an eternal night!"
"So cold, up here at the top… It's cold at the top!"
Su Bai's lips twitched at her theatrics, just about to say something—
When suddenly, he was cut off by a raised hand.
It was Liu Yunlan's long-time rival, Ding Yue.
"I'll battle you!"
The Stage Is Set
In the Pokémon battle arena, Ding Yue and Liu Yunlan stood face-to-face.
Diancie once again floated to the center, ready to officiate.
The crowd erupted into cheers—they were getting another match!
Back in Su Bai's area, Wang Tao leaned on his hand, clearly unimpressed.
"What's there to get excited about? Ding Yue's only trained Pokémon is her fletchling."
"That Nidoran♀ she caught recently hasn't had time to grow."
Most of the regulars now had at least two Pokémon, but their training depth still varied.
No one could train all their Pokémon evenly.
Focus on one, and the others naturally fall behind.
Ding Yue had only caught her Nidoran♀ yesterday. Unlike Xiao Zhang's natural-born fighter Machop, her Nidoran♀ hadn't shown any signs of innate talent.
It was easy to guess—Ding Yue would send out Fletchling.
Su Bai chuckled as he turned back to the battlefield.
"Ding Yue still holds a grudge, huh? She was knocked out by Monferno in the ranking match."
"But looks like our genius Trainer Liu Yunlan is sending out Growlithe…"
"This might get interesting—I have a feeling we're about to see something unexpected."
Sure enough, just as Su Bai predicted…
Liu Yunlan raised her hand and shouted, "Go, Growlithe!"
Growlithe barked and leapt into the arena.
"Don't say I'm bullying you! My Monferno's too strong anyway!"
"But this Growlithe? A legendary species! Let's bask in the joy of victory together!"
Her voice was dramatic, filled with passion.
Ding Yue, already annoyed, couldn't help but smirk.
"This girl is so ridiculously extra…"
"You're gonna be the one crying in a minute!"
She gave a sharp whistle, and Fletchling flew high into the air, circling the arena.
At Diancie's signal, the battle began!