Imperial University had completed eight 2v2 matches and was just one game away from achieving a nine-match winning streak. Their coach, Wade, sent Julian and Lucas to compete in the final battle.
Lucas was the sophomore representative at Imperial University and a member of the school team, though not one of the core eight players.
Since the opponents in the group stage were relatively weak, Wade allowed Lucas to compete, with Julian acting as support to ensure nothing went wrong.
"Venusaur"
Lucas, a Grass-Type trainer, sent out his Venusaur. At level 59, it was right at the peak of Advanced rank.
Their opponents, two 4th-year students, sent out a Charizard and a Blastoise, forming a Fire-and-Water duo that were also at the Advanced peak.
To avoid any chance of failure, Julian sent out his Dragonite as backup.
Venusaur, Blastoise, and Charizard were incredibly popular choices for novice trainers due to their balanced stats, fast growth, and relatively low resource requirements.
Each of their base forms could be purchased for just over a million, that too with Green potential.
"Venusaur, Mega Evolve!"
Lucas immediately triggered Mega Evolution, boosting Venusaur from Advanced peak to pseudo-Elite peak.
Seeing that Lucas had access to a Mega Stone, Julian decided he didn't need to step in—unless one of the opposing trainers also had a Mega Stone.
A pseudo-Elite Venusaur against two Advanced-level Pokémon left no suspense. In under three minutes, both Blastoise and Charizard were defeated.
However, as Lucas exited Mega Evolution, his face turned pale. If Julian hadn't caught him, he would've collapsed on the spot.
Winning the match but collapsing afterward would've left a poor impression on the millions of viewers.
"Thanks," Lucas said.
He was relieved to avoid the embarrassment of falling over in front of such a large audience.
"You need to work out more. Thin arms and legs won't cut it," Julian said in a low voice.
Lucas glanced at his arms and legs. As someone who had been consistently training, his physique was comparable to that of a fitness coach. Compared to him, Julian was the one who fit the description of "thin arms and legs."
However, recalling how Julian had once defeated the captain of the Fighting-Type class and was unanimously acknowledged as the strongest fighter in their special recruit class, Lucas wisely chose not to argue.
The live chat was abuzz:
"Wow, this is the strength of Imperial University's team! The other schools can't even compare!"
"King Julian had two free wins today!"
"Does anyone have Imperial University member Thea' socials?"
"If my son gets into Imperial next year, I'll be done for the rest of my life!"
"I don't ask for much—just for my daughter to get into Shu."
With nine consecutive victories and 18 points, Imperial University had secured first place in their group and a guaranteed spot in the next stage.
After their match, Julian and his team left the arena.
Following Coach Wade's instructions, they went to observe the matches of other groups, focusing especially on the four remaining top universities.
In Drakoria, there were five top universities: Imperial University, Shu University, the First Military Academy, Pearl University, and Modu Academy-the Dragon-Type Academy.
The first four were comprehensive universities, while the last specialized in training Dragon-Type Pokémon.
When it came to breeding and training Dragon-Types, Modu was the undisputed leader in Drakoria and ranked in the global top five.
However, it had a small student body, with fewer than 5,000 students in total.
The current Dragon-Type Elite was also the honorary principal of this academy, and Coach Wade had once taught there for a time.
The academy also shared a close relationship with the Drake family.
And most of the truly outstanding Drake family members chose Modu over Imperial or Shu.
Ian: Are you saying, I'm not that good?
---
Imperial University, competing in Group B, was the first to finish its matches. Meanwhile, the other top colleges were either still in the middle of their battles or waiting their turn on the sidelines.
The First Military Academy had already taken the field.
This academy was the dream school for every aspiring soldier in Drakoria.
Students there underwent military-style management, and every student was both a student and a soldier.
Drakoria had five military academies in total, but only the First Military Academy was considered the best.
The second and third were mid-level, while the fourth and fifth were ranked as second class colleges.
Despite their lower rankings, the second-class academies were still in the Hundred Schools League.
The military-style training gave the trainers from the First Military Academy unmatched discipline and willpower, traits reflected in their Pokémon as well.
Their teamwork and coordination were exceptional, a key principle of military training.
Even with their overwhelming strength, the First Military Academy strictly adhered to the 2v2 format, in contrast to Imperial University's occasional 1v2 dominance.
In their nine matches, the First Military Academy never took more than 30 seconds to finish a battle.
"Who's that guy?"
Julian asked, pointing at a student in a camouflage uniform, whose epaulets marked him as a lieutenant colonel.
Lucas beside him was obsessed with collecting intel. Before the start of the tournament, he had already collected a lot of information on the contestants.
Now he was furiously recording the match footage on his tablet, analyzing the Pokémon's strengths and weaknesses, creating a detailed profile of their opponents.
"That's Pierce, Captain of the First Military Academy's school team, 4th-year student. His exact strength is unknown, but he's confirmed to have a pseudo-Elite Rhyperior and Excadrill. And he hasn't competed in the Hundred Schools League before."
Gathering intel on the First Military Academy's school team was no easy task. Their strict military structure kept details about their members well-guarded.
The known strength of Pierce's two pseudo-Elite Pokémon mirrored the capabilities of Max, the captain of Imperial University's school team.
However, it was highly likely both were still holding back their true strength.
It was surprising that someone as strong as Pierce, a 4th-year to boot, had never participated in the Hundred Schools League before.
The First Military Academy crushed their competition with overwhelming force, defeating all nine colleges in their group, including their "sibling" school, the Third Military Academy.
Julian's former high school classmates, Will and Han, were enrolled at the Third Military Academy, though they weren't part of the tournament.
The First Military Academy completed their matches in even less time than Imperial University.
"That soldier looks so cool"
"A lieutenant colonel while still in college? How does that even happen?"
"I used to serve in the military. To reach the rank of lieutenant colonel by his age, he must have earned at least two First-Class Merits."
"First-Class Merits? That's insane!"
"I feel like Imperial University might not secure first place this time."
The First Military Academy's commanding performance, combined with their disciplined and rugged demeanor, quickly earned them widespread praise and recognition.
There were people who were bad-mouthing Imperial University and there were also people who were supporting it.
After all, not everyone agrees on the same thing.
Many students from other colleges held onto the hope that their own teams could be the dark horse of the tournament, taking down the top five universities in a shocking upset.
*****
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