The cheers were like ocean waves, drowning Jiang Han.
A sea of people surged forward, tossing Jiang Han into the air.
Being tossed high into the air was a strange sensation; his vision shifted rapidly between the blue sky and excited faces, while the salty sea breeze filled his nose, mixed with the scent of sunshine.
Jiang Han was no stranger to being the center of attention, but in Team Rockets, such attention usually came with danger and killing intent.
But at this moment, what he felt was pure, untainted admiration and joy.
Actually, this method of victory was cheating.
But Jiang Han didn't care at all, or rather, he enjoyed this feeling of cheating.
Who would have thought that inside an ordinary surfboard, Team Rockets' black technology was hidden?
The taste of victory, especially one obtained through cheating, was exceptionally sweet.
"Jiang Han! You're amazing!"
A wet figure rushed over from the sea; Fujiki pushed through the crowd, his large, fan-like hand slapping Jiang Han's back heavily, with enough force to almost knock the wind out of him.
There was no hint of frustration from failure on Fujiki's face; instead, there was a fanatical excitement, as if he had discovered a rare treasure.
"Amazing!"
He clapped sincerely, his deep blue eyes sparkling.
On the shore, Teng Zhai held Sandile, both person and pokémon jumping and cheering for him.
Jiang Han landed from the crowd and stood firmly, a perfectly modest smile on his face, while his mind calmly assessed the gains from this operation.
The harvest was huge.
The setting sun dyed the sea orange-red as the group returned to the Fighting Dojo.
At this moment, Fujiki had completely let down his last bit of guard as a Gym Leader.
He casually put his arm around Jiang Han's shoulder as if they were old friends who had known each other for years.
"Jiang Han, you were practically born for Surf! That courage facing the giant waves was so cool!"
Fujiki was generous with his praise; in his eyes, Jiang Han was not just a Surf enthusiast, but someone possessing the top qualities of a surfer!
Courage!
"Come, here is your reward!"
Fujiki solemnly took out two thin square disc cases from his chest and handed them to Jiang Han.
"Brick Break and Protect tms, the Champion rewards for this Surfing Day competition."
Jiang Han took them, feeling a slight weight in his hand.
He didn't immediately show ecstatic joy, but simply said thanks calmly and put the tms into his backpack.
This composure was another plus in Fujiki's eyes.
Calm and steady, the air of a great general!
Fujiki's appreciation for Jiang Han went up another level.
After dinner, Fujiki said mysteriously to Jiang Han, "Come, I'll take you to a good place."
He led Jiang Han through the dark maze of the Gym to a hidden wall.
Fujiki felt around the wall for a moment and pressed an inconspicuous switch.
"Rumble—"
The stone wall slowly slid to one side, revealing a deep staircase leading downwards.
A unique smell mixed with earth, sweat, and the scent of battle wafted towards them.
"This is where I usually train my pokémon, and it's also the place truly used to host challengers."
Fujiki explained as he led Jiang Han down, "That maze on the ground... cough, you know, it's mainly to filter out those who just want to coast for a badge."
Jiang Han didn't expose his thought that Fujiki was actually just too lazy to deal with them, and silently followed.
At the end of the stairs, it suddenly opened up.
It was a huge underground space, much more spacious than the Gym above ground.
In the center was a vast battleground covered in fine sand, surrounded by various professional training equipment, from hard targets for sharpening claws to giant rolling stones for strength training—everything was there.
In the corner of the field, two pokémon caught Jiang Han's full attention.
A massive Hariyama was sitting cross-legged in meditation, eyes closed, breathing deeply.
It didn't emit any pressure, but its thick presence, like a mountain, made the air seem to freeze. Jiang Han could feel that this Hariyama's strength was unfathomable.
On the other side, an elegant Master Itachi was practicing a set of fist techniques as smoothly as flowing water.
Its movements were lightning-fast yet carried a unique rhythm; every move was precise and lethal, the sound of the wind like blades cutting the air.
Jiang Han's pupils contracted slightly.
This guy Fujiki really wasn't as unreliable as he seemed on the surface.
Surf was a hobby, but fighting was his profession. Either of these two pokémon, if taken out, would be enough to make most challengers return in defeat.
"How about it? My partners are pretty good, right?"
Fujiki's tone carried a hint of pride.
"Very strong."
Jiang Han admitted frankly. It wasn't a compliment, but a fact.
Fujiki smiled and clapped his hands; the Hariyama and Master Itachi immediately stopped training, bowed respectfully to him, and then stepped aside.
"Watching is one thing, practicing is another."
A new fighting spirit ignited in Fujiki's eyes.
"Jiang Han, how about a practice battle? Just think of it as post-dinner digestion."
Jiang Han had the same intention.
He needed to assess Sandile's current true combat power and also wanted to personally experience the level of a Fighting-type Gym Leader.
"Okay."
"I'll use this little guy to practice with you."
Fujiki took a Poké Ball from his waist, and with a flash of red light, a Machop with grey-blue skin and distinct muscle lines appeared on the field.
This Machop's level wasn't high, probably only around level 10, obviously a beginner pokémon Fujiki had specially chosen to not put too much pressure on Jiang Han.
Jiang Han also sent out Sandile.
As soon as Sandile landed and saw its opponent, it immediately bared its teeth excitedly, looking eager to try.
"My Machop is a Fighting-type, which counters your Sandile."
Fujiki reminded him kindly.
As a Ground-type and Dark-type, Sandile was indeed countered by the pure Fighting-type Machop.
"It's fine."
Jiang Han's expression didn't change at all.
"In fact, it's more meaningful for its training this way."
Fujiki nodded approvingly: "Bold! Then, here I come!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Fujiki's gaze sharpened, and he gave the command: "Machop, use Karate Chop!"
Machop gave a low roar, its legs suddenly exerting force, rushing towards Sandile like a cannonball, a faint white light appearing on its right hand.
So fast!
Jiang Han's heart tightened; this level 10 Machop, under Fujiki's nurturing, had basic stats far exceeding its level.
"Sandile, Sand Attack!"
Facing the aggressive attack, Jiang Han didn't choose to go head-to-head.
Sandile understood, its short legs digging into the sandy ground, instantly kicking up a large amount of sand to form a sand curtain that covered Machop's head.
Machop was caught off guard, its vision blocked, and its movements couldn't help but stall.
"Now, Bite!"
The opportunity was fleeting!
Sandile's bulky body showed surprising flexibility in the sand curtain; it sidestepped, circled to Machop's side, opened its large mouth full of sharp teeth, and bit down hard on Machop's arm!
"Snap!"
"Wu!"
Machop grunted in pain, but its reaction was extremely fast; its other hand immediately clenched into a fist and threw a heavy punch at Sandile's head.
"Dodge it, pull back!" Jiang Han's command was concise and swift.
Sandile let go and rolled on the ground, narrowly avoiding the punch.
The fist hit the sandy ground with a muffled thud, leaving a small pit.
After one round of exchange, both sides had some damage, but Sandile clearly had the upper hand.
A flash of surprise crossed Fujiki's eyes.
He hadn't expected Jiang Han's command to be so experienced, actually thinking of using the terrain advantage to make up for the elemental disadvantage.
"Not bad!" Fujiki's interest grew higher, "Machop, don't let it throw off your rhythm, use Glare!"
Machop stabilized itself, its eyes bursting with a fierce light, staring intently at Sandile.
An invisible pressure descended, and Sandile's defense was weakened.
"Trying to win in one hit by lowering defense?" Jiang Han saw through Fujiki's intention, "Sandile, use Hone Claws!"
Sandile sharpened its claws on the ground, increasing its Attack and Accuracy!
On the side, Teng Zhai giggled: "Brother, you're so silly, what's the use of just staring at someone?"
Fujiki's face turned red, and he gave a dry cough: "This is tactics! Tactics, do you understand!"
The standoff didn't last long before Fujiki attacked again.
"Get close and use Low Kick!"
Machop charged again, this time its target was Sandile's lower body.
"Now!" A sharp light flashed in Jiang Han's eyes, "Sandile, watch below!"
At the moment Machop was about to kick it, Sandile suddenly dove headfirst into the sandy ground beneath its feet, its entire body vanishing instantly.
Machop's kick missed, and because it used too much force, its body briefly lost balance.
Fujiki's pupils shrank: "Oh no!"
The next second, the sand beneath Machop's feet suddenly exploded!
Sandile's massive head burst out from the ground, opening its bloody maw, and a powerful Bite landed squarely on Machop's defenseless abdomen!
"Bang!"
Machop gave a scream, its body being knocked high into the air before falling heavily to the ground, its eyes turning into swirls, completely losing its ability to fight.
The entire underground training hall fell silent instantly.
Fujiki stood with his mouth open, staring blankly at the scene on the field.
An instant kill?
His Machop was actually insta-killed by a Sandile that was at a type disadvantage?
And... "That move was... Dig?" Fujiki's voice carried a hint of disbelief.
Sandile had actually comprehended a Ground-type move—Dig—on its own during the battle!
Jiang Han looked at Sandile as it crawled out of the sand again, wagging its tail triumphantly, and couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth turn up slightly.
What a pleasant surprise.
The skill Dig could not only be used to avoid damage but also to launch unexpected attacks, which was a great addition to Sandile's tactical system.
"You guy..."
Fujiki finally came back to his senses, walked quickly to Jiang Han, pressed his hands heavily on his shoulders, and looked at him with glowing eyes.
"You guy, you're really a monster!"
First Surf, now pokémon battling.
How many more surprises did this young man named Jiang Han hide?
"Just good luck, Sandile worked hard itself," Jiang Han said modestly.
"This isn't luck!"
Fujiki shook his head vigorously.
"Precise tactical judgment, on-the-spot command ability, and trust in your pokémon... Jiang Han, you are definitely a battle genius!"
Fujiki's mood at this moment was more excited than if he had won a League Tournament himself.
He looked at Jiang Han as if looking at an unpolished jade, his eyes full of light.
"Jiang Han!"
Fujiki suddenly said solemnly.
"When you return from your journey, you must come and challenge my Gym! I will use my strongest lineup on this very field and have a fair and square battle with you!"
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