October 25th, Sunday.
In the Orient Region, the semi-finals of the much-anticipated event officially commenced.
Within the stadium, the fiery presence of Moltres illuminated the surroundings, igniting the atmosphere with enthusiastic cheers.
Numerous media outlets had gathered, setting up sophisticated equipment and dazzling spotlights for the grand occasion.
Before the lottery ceremony, a man with dark eyes emerged from the contestant channel and found himself immediately surrounded by a throng of reporters.
"Mr. Henry! Rumors say you've successfully passed the professional assessment, is that true?"
Frowning, Henry responded in an uncomfortable tone, "Excuse me... I need to draw lots."
"May I inquire about your expectations for the semi-finals, having secured a 3:0 record so far? And what are your thoughts on Contestant Luke, who hasn't dropped a single point?"
Henry paused, then asked the reporter to repeat the question.
The male reporter hesitated slightly and mentioned, "Teacher Luke... is currently considered the frontrunner for the championship."
"A sophomore..."
Henry interrupted, smiling, "Even the Pokémon doesn't want to evolve... It's truly adorable."
The reporters exchanged puzzled glances. There had been considerable online debate about Luke's two Pokémon. Some argued that Luke had reached this point purely by luck, relying on two 'small Pokémon.' However, Henry's candid remarks made it even more evident.
"In my eyes, only the Champion matters."
Henry raised his head, his gaze fixated on the large screen, his expression inscrutable.
"The backpacker... Tyranitar, let him wait."
As Henry walked away, leaving the puzzled reporters behind, they commented on his attitude.
"What a demeanor!" remarked an elderly reporter, taking a sip.
"He's a professional trainer from the Gym," someone whispered. "Also, a former college league champion..."
...
The guest seats were filled with prominent figures like Song Pengcheng, Du Yuanshan, Tang Hui, and Lu Jianghai, all observing the lottery ceremony in the center of the stadium.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the semi-finals of the Orient Conference!" exclaimed the announcer with enthusiasm. "Once the draw is complete, the players will engage in two-on-two duels. Let's eagerly anticipate the results!"
"Is there really such a crowd?" Luke observed the lively surroundings, feeling somewhat incredulous.
Among the audience, he spotted Coach Zhai holding a group of young fans enthusiastically cheering and waving flags.
"Teacher Luke!" Sally Han's enthusiastic shout resonated almost to the point of overdrive.
Even the usually reserved Gu Zhong, unable to resist the infectious energy, blushed and joined in, yelling, "Teacher Luke!"
Luke smiled, giving a casual wave to start the cheers.
The atmosphere in the audience became even more exuberant.
At that moment, another semi-finalist player, Chen Tingyu, approached Luke.
"Hello, good afternoon," stammered Chen Tingyu.
"Hmm? Are you also in the semi-finals?" Luke asked.
Chen Tingyu seemed taken aback, "You didn't even check the match schedule!"
Luke looked amused and scratched his head, replying, "Doesn't matter who's on the opposite side, just defeat them."
"In the top four, you and I are still students," Chen Tingyu remarked. "The two of them are really strong..."
Luke confidently asserted, "I'm stronger."
"Huh?"
"You'll see soon."
With a calm wave, Luke walked towards the center of the venue.
Watching Luke's departure, Chen Tingyu blushed, feeling a sudden skip in her heartbeat.
The commentator announced, "The draw result is in!"
"In the semi-finals, Luke from Magic University will face off against professional Trainer Henry!"
Amidst the cheers, Henry, with a faint smile, slipped his hands into his pocket.
The two competitors shook hands, and Henry commented with a smile, "Your Pokémon is very cute."
"Thank you, yours is too," Luke responded.
Henry froze for a moment, his expression turning sour, and he snorted dismissively before walking away.
Luke chuckled, turning to his Poké Ball, "I always find you cute."
"Vui~~φ(ω*)"
...
After a brief intermission, Luke faced off against Henry, officially kicking off the semi-finals.
"Old Tang, care to guess the score?" Lu Jianghai teased.
"3:0," Tang Hui replied nonchalantly.
"Haha, I agree."
Lu Jianghai was uncharacteristically pleased, saying to Tang Hui, "If I win, I'll treat you to a drink later!"
"No problem!" Tang Hui chuckled heartily.
"The game begins!" The referee blew the whistle.
"Go, Typhlosion!" Henry released his Pokémon from its Poké Ball.
The front-row audience suddenly felt a surge of heat, and even the air seemed distorted. Typhlosion unleashed a scorching Ember from behind, roaring with flames on its neck rising half a meter high.
In this dazzling display, Henry glanced at Luke.
When Luke's Poké Ball emitted a red light, the audience gasped.
"Sylveon!"
"So adorable!"
The emergence of Sylveon instantly exploded Teacher Luke's charm value.
Observing the elegant and snow-white Sylveon, the audience instinctively felt that Teacher Luke must be a reliable Trainer.
"Vui~~"
Sylveon cast a sleepy glance at Typhlosion, complaining to Luke.
"It's okay; I'll buy you a new roller with the prize money," Luke reassured.
Sylveon turned around, fixing its sharp gaze on Typhlosion.
"Vui~! (▼д▼#)"
Typhlosion hesitated for a moment, and its flames seemed to flicker faintly.
Henry's face turned ugly, and he commanded, "Eruption!"
Typhlosion unleashed a powerful blast, causing the gravel to tremble under the intense heat, and a pillar of fire erupted, engulfing the entire venue.
It was as if a volcano had erupted, with the fiery column resounding in a violent rumble.
The flames turned crimson, surprising the front-row audience, and their exclamations filled the air.
Was Sylveon going to be incinerated?
"Vui~!"
As the pillar of fire surged forward, Sylveon split into two, Substitute moving to the left and right sides, evading Typhlosion's attack.
Henry wore a cruel smile, confident that a large-scale Eruption would catch Sylveon off guard in close proximity.
"Pa!"
Henry snapped his fingers, and the flames around Typhlosion's neck intensified, creating a shockwave that rippled outward.
"Unbelievable!"
The audience stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
"How... how is this possible!"
Henry looked at Sylveon charging towards him.
A light blue barrier resisted the surging shockwaves.
Sylveon's eyes sparkled with deep blue intensity, charging forward with a surge of determination.
"Did he predict Henry's follow-up moves?" Tang Hui muttered in the guest seat.
Du Yuanshan stroked his beard, expressing satisfaction, "After all, this is his tactical awareness."
Henry gritted his teeth and commanded, "Giga Impact!"
Henry's unexpected order left the audience astonished.
The long-range Typhlosion... possessed a close-combat ultimate move like 'Giga Impact'?
Typhlosion's muscles swelled with explosive power, limbs planted firmly on the ground, and its body emanated a white glow.
Upon collision, a thunderous impact resonated.
Bang!
The audience, collectively holding their breath, looked up in anticipation.
Their vision was obscured by shadows, and Typhlosion's body hovered, soaring through the air for half a second.
Slamming into the ground.
Dong!
The ground shattered, and dust filled the air.
Typhlosion lay in a crater, unconscious.
"What the hell!"
"Why was Typhlosion sent flying?"
"Is this what you call the ultimate impact?!" Henry muttered, dumbfounded.
Henry was baffled. These two Pokémon were clearly on completely different levels. Even with the 'Pixilate' Ability, there was no reason for such overwhelming power.
Sylveon landed gracefully, its eyes fixated.
Is this all?
It seems not enough!
With an ugly expression, Henry recalled Typhlosion.
"Go, Hariyama!"
Seemingly annoyed, Henry declared, "You like close combat, right? Hariyama, use Belly Drum!"
Hariyama, with its robust physique and powerful arms, punched its own abdomen, its eyes turning bloodshot.
Belly Drum!
At the cost of half its physical strength, it could maximize its power.
Dong, dong, dong!
"Shush!" Henry commanded.
The thunderous beats of war drums elicited an enraged roar from Hariyama, its massive palm-like hands generating powerful gusts of wind.
The audience gasped at the terrifying power.
Before them, a snow-white silhouette shot forward like lightning.
"Courting death!" Henry angrily shouted, "Keep pushing!"
"Target the ankle, use Iron Tail," Luke calmly instructed.
With the added speed from Quick Attack, Sylveon's ribbon, infused with the cold gleam of 'Iron Tail,' struck Hariyama's ankle.
Despite its stable build, Hariyama had a relatively slender ankle.
Ka!
A sound resembling the cracking of bones echoed.
Hariyama groaned, lost its balance, and slammed its head onto the ground.
Dong!
The solid impact made the venue tremble faintly.
Sylveon gracefully leaped, and a dark shadow ball materialized.
Bang!
The shadow ball exploded on Hariyama's back, causing the ground to sink, and gravel crackled.
In less than half a minute, Hariyama seemed to fall into a coma.
"I was a reckless player a moment ago, and now I'm focusing on the details?"
"Teacher Luke is truly impressive!"
"3:0, 3:0!"
A unified chant echoed.
Henry's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his face appeared ghastly.
Why does he always manage to guess my tactical intentions?
He's just a student—why is he so strong!
Gritting his teeth, Henry threw his Great Ball with determination.
"Go, Gyarados!"
Henry's last trump card.
Gyarados, towering at 7 meters with its hideous scales, resembled a tall building when it stood upright.
Gyarados's fangs glinted, and under the roar of 'Intimidation,' the audience fell silent out of fear.
"Shall we switch?" Luke asked Sylveon in a low voice.
Although the little Pokémon was in excellent condition, 'Intimidation' was a factor. Switching to a special attacker like Gengar would be reasonable.
However, the little fellow shook its head, facing the enormous Gyarados, and snarled with its non-sharp teeth.
"Vui~!!! (▼д▼#)"
Why are you shouting so loudly!
Gyarados shivered under Sylveon's 'Baby-Doll Eyes' gaze.
Once it regained its composure, Gyarados felt humiliated, and sharp icy ridges formed on its fangs.
Ice Fang!
"Use Yawn after dodging," Luke said.
Henry's heart skipped a beat.
Oops!
"Wait until the last Pokémon, then use Yawn when it can't switch out."
In the guest seat, Dean Du smiled and patted Lu Jianghai on the shoulder.
"Let's go and have a drink later!"
Lu Jianghai said, "Go ahead; my stomach hurts."
Du Yuanshan stroked his beard and laughed without saying a word.
He had been contemplating whether to pass on the training method of "Aura Sphere" to Luke.
As the Champion of the Orient Conference, Du Yuanshan was also proud. But witnessing this, he believed that Luke, as a Trainer, already had the qualifications for his own inheritance.
"It's good for him to learn." Du Yuanshan nodded with a smile.
Amidst the cheers from the sky, Luke hugged Sylveon with both hands.
"Are you hurt?"
"Bu, vui~! (｀Д´)ﾉ"
"Oh yes... be careful when you go home, check yourself again."
"Vui~! (○｀3′○)"
Sylveon quietly wrapped its ribbon around Luke's arm with a puffed face.
"Teacher Luke really made it to the final!"
"A non-professional player entering the final has set a record..."
"Is Teacher Luke registered as an amateur Trainer?"
...
At the end of the semi-finals, Luke made triumphant progress all the way to the finals.
Henry's pre-match interview statement, "I only have Champion in my eyes," became a famous moment in the tournament.
In the Group B match, Zico Yang faced off against Chen Tingyu and easily advanced to the final using Tyranitar.
Later on, the system surprisingly did not manipulate the results.
[Ding! Discovery mission: 'Local League Champion'
Task objective: Defeat the opponent in the division department finals and obtain the tournament Champion.
Task rewards: Ability upgrade coupons, random orange items *1]
"You'll get the task only after the finals are special."
Luke twitched at the corner of his mouth, "So if I lose in the finals, there's no reward at all?"
Nevertheless, the value of the Ability upgrade coupon was considerable.
At least, the [Cooking Lv4] that had been stuck for a long time could now enter the realm of the 'God of Cooking.'
Back at home, Luke tried to catch Sylveon.
"Are you injured? Let me check again!"
"Vui~! (〃> ﹏<)"
Squirtle poured a cup of hot tea for Gengar.
One ghost and one turtle sat on the sofa, blowing heat, creating a calm and harmonious atmosphere.
"Ao wu~~" (I also want to play~~)
Growlithe stuck out its tongue, eagerly joining the chase, only to be sent flying by Sylveon's "Iron Tail."
"Ao wu (O_o)?" Growlithe lay on the ground with a dazed expression.
It seemed to sense the harmonious and cheerful atmosphere of Teacher Luke's family.
Ka~
Another Pokémon egg cracked open.
"Jie jie~?" Gengar blinked, glancing at it.
Another newcomer was about to join the family.
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations~