At the Machamp Hand-Pulled Noodle Shop, the three of them grabbed a quick bite, rested for a bit, then headed to a Pokémon Battle Center in Shangjing.
"Hello, are there any battle arenas available?"
Auron immediately asked a staff member upon arrival.
Battles were always more fun when everyone could watch together.
"Yes, there's Arena Three. You can take the stage around 2:30 PM. Would you like me to reserve it for you?"
"Yes, please book it."
"Certainly, one moment please."
The staff member gave Auron a battle confirmation slip, and then the three of them were led toward Arena Three.
Auron walked ahead, following the guide, while Jace and Fugui both fantasized about the upcoming battle—imagining themselves defeating their opponent to thunderous applause from the crowd.
"Please wait here for a moment. The match ahead of yours is still in progress."
"Alright."
The three entered the battle arena. Auron handed the confirmation slip to Jace, then went to find a seat in the spectator stands.
After sitting down, Auron turned his attention to the two combatants on the field—a Wigglytuff facing off against a Scyther.
The trainers appeared to be around the same age as Auron and his friends—freshly graduated high schoolers who were about to start university.
"That Wigglytuff doesn't look like it can hold out much longer."
Auron was watching the battle intently when a middle-aged man with a small mustache suddenly struck up conversation beside him.
Auron glanced at him, then continued watching the fight.
The battle was indeed unfolding as the man described. Scyther was relentlessly attacking Wigglytuff, who was barely managing to defend.
"Hey, young man, want to place a bet? You can still bet right now. If you bet on Scyther winning, the odds are 1.1 to 1. Look at how things are going—it's guaranteed money."
The mustachioed man sidled closer to Auron, trying to tempt him. Auron immediately laughed and pointed upward.
"Do you know this is a Pokémon Battle Center?"
The man paused. "Yeah, so what?"
"And yet you're trying to get people to gamble here? Most people in this place are minors. That's illegal, buddy."
Auron smiled and gestured at the excited children sitting nearby.
As a venue where people could watch Pokémon battles for free at any time, the Battle Center was extremely popular among students.
So the people here were mostly students, along with some adults who happened to be present for various reasons.
But unlike other places, betting on match outcomes wasn't allowed here.
In fact, because of all the students present, private betting operations were strictly prohibited.
The mustachioed man chuckled. "Oh, you mean that? I'll be honest with you—we've got connections upstairs."
As he spoke, he made a comical gesture, pointing toward the ceiling.
"So this match is actually being thrown by your people, is that it?"
Auron turned his head, watching the Wigglytuff on the field still doing its best to fend off Scyther's assault as he addressed the man.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You can't just say things like that! We have professional standards, you know!"
The man was visibly alarmed. Match-fixing? They didn't have that kind of pull.
Besides, running an unauthorized betting operation would only result in detention and a fine at worst. But running an unauthorized betting operation and fixing matches? That would be fraud.
"If that's the case, then how are you so certain Wigglytuff will win? And why are you trying to get me to bet on Scyther?"
Hearing the young man's words, the mustachioed man immediately dropped his earlier smile. Instead, he regarded Auron with wariness.
They dared to operate here precisely because they did have someone on the inside—though it was just a single staff member.
Before each match, their little group would gather to analyze both sides' capabilities and see if there was profit to be made.
Take the current match, for example. Scyther versus Wigglytuff. By examining both trainers' information, they could determine that Scyther was offense-oriented while Wigglytuff was a defensive counter-attacker.
Once they learned that Wigglytuff's Ability was Cute Charm, their strategy became clear: get as many people as possible to bet on Scyther before Scyther became Infatuated.
That way, once Scyther fell under the Infatuation status, Wigglytuff's chances of winning would skyrocket. Win big if Wigglytuff won; lose only a little if Wigglytuff lost—after all, the odds were just 1.1 to 1.
"Who are you?"
The mustachioed man eyed Auron warily.
"Just a good samaritan passing through."
"So you're the one running the unauthorized betting? Come with us."
The moment Auron finished speaking, a hand clapped down on the mustachioed man's shoulder, making him jump.
"Uh, hey fellas, let me explain—"
The man looked at the two security guards behind him, pleading.
"Oh, right. He also said he's got connections upstairs."
Auron, ever the one to fan the flames, smiled as he informed the two guards.
"Noted. Thank you for helping us root out this pest."
"Don't mention it."
Auron watched with a grin as the two guards dragged away the utterly defeated-looking man, then turned his attention back to the match.
When the mustachioed man had first tried to lure him into betting, Auron had already secretly texted Jace.
"Next to me, East 133, private betting, get someone."
Jace had been quick on the uptake, immediately calling security over. And just like that, the man was taken away.
Right around the time the guards arrived, the match on the field had also taken a dramatic turn.
During one of Scyther's attacks, Wigglytuff's Cute Charm Ability triggered, instantly putting Scyther into an Infatuated state.
Then Wigglytuff promptly dispatched Scyther with two consecutive Fire Punches.
"Wigglytuff wins. Trainers for the next match, please prepare."
An electronic synthesized voice rang out across the arena. The Wigglytuff and Scyther trainers each recalled their Pokémon and exited the field.
After they left, the entry tunnel opened, and Jace and Fugui stepped onto the stage together.
"Battle start."
The same electronic voice announced. After all, arenas like this didn't have live commentators.
There was only a four-sided screen overhead, allowing spectators from all directions to clearly see the battle taking place below.
"Arcanine—Extreme Speed!"
"Excadrill—Sandstorm!"
Because Fugui lacked a dedicated weather setter, Excadrill had no choice but to set up Sandstorm himself.
Jace had anticipated this. That's why his opening move was to have Arcanine use Extreme Speed to interrupt the weather setup.
Arcanine slammed into Excadrill head-on—but Excadrill still managed to successfully activate Sandstorm.
The weather shifted.
"This is bad."
Watching the Sandstorm successfully form, Auron smiled happily from the stands. He was curious to see how Jace would respond.
Would he use Sunny Day to overwrite the weather, or would he go head-to-head against Excadrill in the Sandstorm?
Within the Sandstorm, Excadrill's Sand Rush Ability kicked in, dramatically boosting his speed. In an instant, he charged toward Arcanine.
The message was clear. Although Fugui didn't know whether Arcanine had learned Sunny Day, he knew one thing for certain—he absolutely could not let Arcanine successfully change the weather.
This was the frustrating aspect of weather teams. Once your opponent seized control of the weather, you were immediately put on the back foot.