Chapter 54: I will try to be gentle
Tian Youwei paused for a moment.
"Didn't Ivysaur's Hidden Power Fire just land a hit?"
"If you choose a war of attrition, going for a head-on attack isn't wise," Lu Ye explained. "Magneton's Ability is Sturdy, and Ivysaur's attack power isn't strong enough. Instead, it just exposed a weakness."
In the judges' panel, South China Champion Guo Ming's comments matched Lu Ye's.
"That was too reckless," Guo Ming frowned. "If you held back that Hidden Power Fire a little longer, it would've been better."
"They're young; it's understandable," Director Song Pengcheng smiled.
"Who's up next?"
Guo Ming checked the list and raised an eyebrow.
"A student from the Finance Department? They actually made it to the top 4?"
"This is the biggest dark horse of this competition," Song Pengcheng chuckled.
"To get this far despite not having a professional background…"
Guo Ming's tone was cold. "It seems the Piplup Cup's standards are dropping."
He had seen too many amateur Trainers who, in their pursuit of power, resorted to harsh and unpolished training methods. His experience left him with a prejudice against non-professionals.
But Song Pengcheng smiled knowingly. "This one's no ordinary amateur…"
"Their command skills are even better than some elite Trainers I've seen!"
Guo Ming frowned, unconvinced.
"Just watch; you'll see," Song Pengcheng laughed.
In the contestants' tunnel, Lu Ye gritted his teeth.
"Let's finish this quickly; I've got a bad feeling about this!"
Leaving Eevee home alone shouldn't be a problem.
But the thing is, my Pokémon don't follow normal logic!
Sitting in the waiting room, Lu Ye grew increasingly uneasy, his limbs turning cold.
I better wrap up this match and go check on things.
"Gengarrr!"
Sensing Lu Ye's anxiety, Haunter gave a serious nod. It pulled a Dragonfruit Block from… somewhere, tossed it in the air, and—
"Ah-woo~ (*⊙~⊙)"
Haunter's jaws snapped open, devouring the Dragonfruit Block in one gulp. Its eyes widened, bloodshot veins visible.
"Gengarrr!"
Lu Ye's face twisted.
I already checked—there's no trace of stimulant in it!
Lu Ye walked out of the tunnel to a wave of cheers.
"Go, Teacher Lu!"
"Look, it's Lu Ye!"
Despite just a few appearances, he already had his own cheering squad, complete with banners. Lu Ye felt a bit embarrassed. Turning back, he saw even his opponent's fans were cheering excitedly.
"Lu… Teacher Lu." Han Xiaoxiao blinked. "Please go easy on me…"
"I'll be gentle," Lu Ye nodded seriously.
He pulled out a Poké Ball. Red light flashed, and Haunter floated onto the field with a sinister grin. The crowd buzzed with excitement.
"Haunter evolved?"
"Saving the evolution for the semifinals? What a strategy!"
"Is this part of Teacher Lu's plan too?"
Guo Ming took a closer look at Haunter and murmured, "This Haunter… is well-trained."
Song Pengcheng nodded. "It hasn't been a week since it evolved. Let's see how it adapts."
Han Xiaoxiao sent out her Breloom.
The kangaroo-like Breloom, with its mushroom-cap head and green-yellow body, spread its red-clawed arms and let out a sharp cry. The system's Pokédex displayed Breloom's data:
[Breloom, Grass + Fighting
Ability: Effect Spore
Moves: Mach Punch, Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Spore, Bullet Seed, Substitute, Headbutt]
Effect Spore was tricky, potentially inflicting random status conditions. From the move set and ability, it seemed Han Xiaoxiao had learned a few "dirty tricks" from Lu Ye.
The referee's whistle blew.
"Begin!"
"Go, Breloom!"
Han Xiaoxiao was excited but focused.
"Spore!"
A cloud of fluffy spores drifted from Breloom's neck, threatening to put Haunter to sleep. Boosted by Effect Spore, it was hard to dodge! Han Xiaoxiao smiled confidently—until her eyes widened in shock.
A ghostly blue flame erupted on the field, burning the spores into fluttering blue butterflies!
The dazzling scene drew cheers from the crowd.
Guo Ming's jaw dropped. "Is Lu Ye… a Contest Trainer?"
Song Pengcheng was equally surprised, his gaze filled with admiration.
This kid always has a trick up his sleeve!
Fiery blue Will-O-Wisps danced through the air. Haunter's eyes gleamed as it unleashed Confuse Ray!
Breloom staggered, its steps faltering.
Lu Ye's voice rang out, "Haunter, Hex!"
"Gengarrr!"
Dark mist spread from Haunter, enveloping Breloom. Haunter's eerie laughter echoed as Breloom's cries of pain filled the mist. The arena fell silent.
Tian Youwei and Liang Dayou exchanged bewildered glances.
Is this the Lu Ye we know?
How did he get this strong in just a month?
The mist cleared. Breloom trembled, barely standing.
"Breloom, Giga Drain!" Han Xiaoxiao shouted desperately.
As Breloom struggled to rise, blue flames flared up again!
Boom!
Guo Ming looked stunned.
Even though Han Xiaoxiao was just a high schooler, this was total domination. The skill gap was staggering! More astonishing was Lu Ye's relentless assault—no room for counterattacks, pure instinctual aggression.
"I take back what I said," Guo Ming admitted. "He's a stylish, aggressive Trainer."
Song Pengcheng blinked.
Are we talking about the same person?
Didn't Lu Ye win the quarterfinals with a stalling Substitute-Protect-Toxic strategy?
A rookie switching tactics so effortlessly?
"These young Trainers are really something," Song Pengcheng murmured.
Breloom collapsed. The referee blew the whistle.
"Winner: Lu Ye, Modu University!"