Chapter 141 Showing Strength
Leaving the Alliance headquarters building, Xia Mu was still somewhat frustrated.
He had unknowingly offended these Four Heavenly Kings, and making amends would require a great deal of effort.
Yan Tie, his great-grandfather, meant well, but he was also a bit too eager. He
subtly coerced and tempted them, claiming to be impartial, but in reality, he was revealing his identity and leaving the Four Heavenly Kings to decide for themselves.
He had made it so clear that what Yan Tie said and what he actually did were two different things.
He outwardly refrained from breaking the rules, but left the Four Heavenly Kings to weigh the consequences; anyone who went too far would face his wrath.
"In the end, I still have to rely on my own strength. Otherwise, even with many advantages and assistance, it wouldn't really come to the point of fixing the match," Xia Mu sighed inwardly.
Since things had come to this, he had no choice but to push forward under pressure.
Fortunately, he had prepared in advance and had been doing his best to improve his Pokémon's strength. Luckily, he had a cheat simulator and a system shop where he could buy Rare Candies to level up his Pokémon.
Right now, almost all of his Pokémon, except for the initial forms, were at level 60 or 70.
...
In the blink of an eye, it was already the second day.
The third round of the preliminaries officially began.
Xia Mu was still at the front of the queue as always. This time, his opponent was a burly man nearing thirty.
It was indeed unexpected for someone his age to participate in the Indigo League.
Xia Mu hadn't initially taken him seriously, but after seeing the fighting man bring out a level 59 Primeape, he changed his mind.
His first thought was of what Yan Tie had said the night before: after today's preliminaries, they would be able to roughly gauge his strength.
Whether the championship challenge, which hasn't been held for three years, will begin, can only be determined after today.
[So, this is my test? The Elite Four are probably watching me from somewhere right now.] Xia Mu thought to himself.
Facing the Primeape, Xia Mu decisively sent out Pidgeotto.
Pidgeotto, already at level 70, could easily handle the level 59 Primeape.
Not only was there a level advantage, but also type advantage.
Everyone wanted to see just how strong he was. Then he would show an even more outrageous display.
In the previous two battles, Xia Mu had held back; otherwise, it would have been an absolute crushing defeat.
Facing Xia Mu's Pidgeotto, the burly man opposite him was clearly very cautious.
After all, among Fighting-type Pokémon, besides Ghost-type, Flying-type Pokémon are the most difficult to deal with.
This is mainly because they are difficult to attack in the air.
For Flying-type Pokémon, Fighting-type Pokémon become easy targets; as long as they're in the air and avoid being hit, they're fine.
Xia Mu showed no mercy, launching an attack without hesitation.
He not only rendered the Primeape helpless, making it jump around the arena haphazardly, but also treated it like a monkey, denying it even a chance to retaliate. Only after a powerful attack did it lose its ability to battle.
To toy with a near-Elite Four-level Primeape, even with the advantage of the Flying type, was utterly absurd.
While ordinary trainers might be shocked, the Kanto Elite Four wouldn't be easily moved.
Especially Lance, the so-called Dragon-type Elite Four member.
When it comes to Flying-type moves, he's confident he won't lose to anyone.
Shiba, however, looked slightly grim, because the person fighting Natsuki was his junior brother.
After Primeape, the second was Hitmonchan.
Also a pure Fighting-type Pokémon, but at a higher level, reaching level 60.
Continuing to use Pidgeotto?
That was getting a bit boring, so Natsuki recalled Pidgeotto and sent out his evolved Scizor, also at level 70.
The battle between Scizor and Hitmonchan was much more interesting than the previous one.
However, it was still a battle of overwhelming power due to the level difference; Natsuki showed no mercy and gave his opponent few chances.
The outcome was decided in just three rounds, and then came the third match, still with a Fighting-type Pokémon. Machamp,
at level 62!
This strength had undoubtedly crossed the threshold of Elite Four level.
Xia Mu was increasingly grateful that he had raised all his Pokémon's strength to level 70; otherwise, he would have been unable to make any progress at this point, and wouldn't have been qualified to fight against a true Elite Four champion.
In the third match, Xia Mu sent Hitmonlee into battle!
Also at level 70, this was a pure Fighting-type battle, producing the most visually stunning spectacle.
Xia Mu, using a three-on-three format, completely defeated his opponent named A Yong, not only defeating him but also gaining A Yong's approval, earning thunderous applause from the audience.
This was arguably the most exciting match so far in the competition, and Xia Mu's displayed strength resonated more with the public, given the initial hype surrounding him as a legendary Pokémon.
After the third round of preliminary matches ended in the morning, Xia Mu left the arena and went to the audience area to find Sonia.
In the afternoon, the fourth round of preliminary matches wasn't too different from the third.
He faced opponents whose strength had reached near-Elite Four level.
It must be said that Yan Tie had put in a lot of effort, even arranging for these people to practice against him.
As expected, Xia Mu qualified for tomorrow's fifth round of preliminaries. Because of these two matches, he had become the dark horse of this year's Indigo Plateau Conference and a favorite to win.
Even though others were also attracting attention and anticipation, none had Xia Mu's popularity.
Since the afternoon's matches were over, he had plenty of time to do other things. Xia Mu left Indigo Plateau on his Pidgeot, intending to catch a special Pokémon.
He went now because after tomorrow's matches, there would be a series of six-on-six qualifying matches, followed by the awards ceremony and closing ceremony in the evening—time was tight.
Afterwards, Yan Tie would appear to announce the start of the championship challenge.
Today was different; it was only 1:30 PM, giving him ample time. Even if he didn't find the Pokémon, he could still return to Indigo Plateau before tomorrow.
Frankly, Xia Mu had to admire those who held high positions for years when it came to manipulating power and strategy.
Regarding the pre-event hype, rumors are already circulating that this year's Indigo League is different from previous years; after the main event, the Elite Four will appear to face the champion.
This is also the League's doing, fueling speculation and spreading the word far and wide…
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(End of Chapter)