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The world truly has all kinds of weirdos.
Li Xiang stood on a high slope, watching the half-risen sun on the horizon while idly shaking three jingling wooden tags in his hand.
Not far behind him, a Doduo lay sprawled on the ground while its trainer frantically shook its body.
'What's the point of shaking it now? The tags are already gone, the cameras are rolling, and even if you wake it up, it'll still be disqualified.'
He almost said it out loud but held back. Instead, he turned away as the sun fully rose and continued on his way. By now, about half an hour had passed since the exam began.
Li Xiang had already encountered three students and successfully claimed one wooden tag from each—150 points secured.
At this rate, hitting 1,000 points was just a matter of time. Factoring in his Pokémon's stamina and proper rest intervals, it shouldn't be too difficult.
"Let's go."
He muttered casually, and the air rippled slightly in response—Greninja's silent acknowledgment.
Descending the slope, Li Xiang enjoyed the wide-open view. Expansive landscapes were always more refreshing than dense, uncertain forests.
'The higher you climb, the farther you see.'
The exam site reportedly had four rest stations. Since it had been too dark earlier, he'd wait until full daylight and have Riolu scout from above.
He and Song Jie had agreed to meet at the northernmost rest station. Battling along the way would give them a chance to regroup once they arrived.
How would they tell directions?
'The sun rises in the east—that's basic knowledge. Who needs a compass?'
As he made his way down the steep slope, the damp air filled his lungs. The wilderness around Mancheng was mostly hills, with Ground-type Pokémon like Diglett being particularly common.
Diglett was a pioneer of greenery and a farmer's best friend—its efficiency at tilling fields far surpassed that of Tauros pulling a plow. In fact, Diglett deserved some credit for Yuzhou Region's thriving commerce.
Unfortunately, to avoid accidental injuries, all wild Pokémon had been temporarily relocated from the exam site. Otherwise, Li Xiang could've truly experienced the beauty of the wild.
But nature's most breathtaking moments hadn't arrived yet.
As he descended, he ran into another student.
A challenge was inevitable. However, his opponent didn't seem to realize that Li Xiang's Pokémon had already been deployed.
"What are you stalling for?" the student snapped impatiently.
'Stalling?'
Unlike the oblivious trainer, his Pokémon was far more perceptive, sensing something amiss.
Too bad. If you couldn't find Greninja, it was game over.
To Li Xiang, these students' Pokémon were no different from the ones in the point-grinding matches.
Their trainers were practically non-factors.
A roaring aquatic dragon materialized midair, surging toward the Magcargo on the ground.
The devastating 4x super-effective strike obliterated the Fire/Rock-type before it could even use Amnesia to boost its Special Defense.
'4x weakness to Water is just brutal.'
"This is cheating!"
The defeated student roared in frustration, unable to accept such a baffling loss.
"Does the rulebook say you can't use Camouflage? Or that you have to announce where your Pokémon is?"
Li Xiang raised an eyebrow. "Feel free to file a complaint after the exam. But if you don't hand over the tag now, you're out—cameras are watching."
With no choice, the student glared daggers at Li Xiang and reluctantly surrendered his wooden tag.
"You'll regret this! I will file a complaint!"
He spat before storming off. Whether he'd actually follow through was anyone's guess.
"Looking forward to it."
Li Xiang whistled and continued downward.
In the air, a blurred figure followed silently, casting a disdainful glance at the retreating student.
Camouflage: The PvP Meta Breaker
After effortlessly claiming four more victories, Li Xiang fully grasped why Camouflage was considered the ultimate cheese strat—the wealth code of battles.
Of course, this was partly due to most students lacking wilderness survival experience and general game knowledge.
Few realized that an opponent delaying their Pokémon's release meant Camouflage was in play. By the time they figured it out, it was too late.
Not many could process the situation within seconds.
But exceptions existed. Just as Li Xiang was about to secure his fifth win, he encountered a sharp one.
This guy noticed Greninja's absence and immediately tried to expose it by summoning a Sandstorm.
Unfortunately for him, Greninja didn't give his Nidoking the chance.
A Ice Beam instantly froze it solid. After taking the student's tag, Li Xiang marveled at the sheer power of the wealth code.
He also lamented that if this tactic became common knowledge by next semester's finals, everyone would be copying it. After all, it was low effort, high reward.
As for whether it'd harm Greninja's reputation…
'Let's just say—if even the trainer can't tell where their own Pokémon is, how can you blame anyone else?'
Especially since Greninja had recently been learning Medicham's yoga techniques, refining its stealth to near-perfection.
At this rate, it might one day become a Pokémon that literally vanishes from existence.
No presence. No trace.
…Though that might be pushing it.
Still, Li Xiang had been training Greninja to control this ability—toggling it on and off at will.
Like the Wolf Girl from Blood Blockade Battlefront, mastering concealment and revelation. (Chain Sumeragi)
Perhaps Medicham's yoga could help, along with the long-stalled Three-Blind Perception Technique.
Once mental and spiritual refinement improved, bodily control would follow—this much was certain.
Incineroar's temperature manipulation had skyrocketed after mastering the basics of the technique.
After having Riolu confirm the northern rest station's exact location, Li Xiang resumed his wooden tag farming spree.
Within two hours, Greninja alone had secured eight tags—400 points.
'Damn, this is even faster than the "five-support-one" strat!'
If points could be exchanged for cash, Li Xiang would've been a millionaire by now. Sadly, no such luck.
But after eight straight battles—even one-sided ones—Greninja was visibly fatigued, its energy reserves drained.
Li Xiang recalled it for a break.
From here, the big boss—Incineroar—would take over.
But as the saying goes: Hunt long enough, and the prey bites back.
Plenty of clever trainers existed, and many had their own wealth codes. Li Xiang soon ran into one using a Volcarona.
The trainer didn't send out his Pokémon immediately, lurking suspiciously instead.
If not for the Three-Blind Perception Technique blaring alarms—and Incineroar's sharp instincts—they might've fallen for the trap.
The moment the Volcarona tried to set up with Quiver Dance, Incineroar's wide-range Burning Jealousy forced it out of hiding.
Had they been even a second slower, they could've been hit with poison—a nightmare to deal with.
Thankfully, Incineroar struck first, inflicting a burn that slowed the Volcarona before finishing it with a Fire Punch, teaching it the meaning of "moth to a flame."
Just like that, someone else's wealth code was dismantled.
The sheer despair in that student's eyes was almost relatable.
'Camouflage is so broken.'
What a shame.
....
Northern Rest Station
Li Xiang expected a few tents but instead found a full-fledged Pokémon Center, guarded by armored officers who confiscated all wooden tags upon entry.
A bright red warning on the screen reiterated: NO BATTLES WITHIN 100 METERS.
Peering through the glass, Li Xiang spotted several students inside—but no Song Jie.
Deciding against entering, he settled on a large rock outside to wait.
Just as he wondered what was taking his friend so long, a girl with twin pigtails caught his attention.
She was followed by a floating Chandelure, its eerie blue flames flickering as its glowing yellow eyes scanned the area.
'Chandelure?'
Li Xiang blinked. According to the sanctuary's danger list, this Pokémon—capable of draining human life force—was classified as high-risk.
In cities, they were immediately relocated to sanctuaries.
Those with a history of life-draining underwent strict rehabilitation until they learned restraint.
Even in this world's fairy tales, the Litwick line symbolized horror.
Thankfully, Ghost-types were rare, and thanks to Rangers' efforts, Chandelure wasn't universally despised. But seeing one—especially one this powerful—with a 14-year-old girl was shocking.
Its aura alone set off mental alarms.
Li Xiang's interest spiked. 'How would Incineroar fare against it?'
He stood up, ready to challenge her, but the girl was already walking toward him.
"Hello, Hong Lian Jin. I'm Lü Ling, from Yong City. Thank you for helping Bai Zhou."
Stopping five meters away, she bowed slightly.
'Hong Lian Jin? Bai Zhou?'
It took Li Xiang several seconds to recall—'Oh, the guy who hid in the dark and scared people.'
"Uh, hi."
He nodded awkwardly. 'Did that guy really think I was some "Red Scarf" hero?'
"Bai Zhou says you're an incredibly strong trainer. I enjoy battling powerful opponents." She paused. "So, Hong Lian Jin, I'd like to challenge you."
'Perfect!'
Li Xiang perked up, forgetting all about the "Red Scarf" misunderstanding. This was exactly what he wanted.
"Sure, sure! No need for the formalities—just say you wanna battle!"
Lü Ling, mid-sentence, froze before nodding. "Okay."
They moved to an open area beyond the 100-meter boundary.
Unsurprisingly, Lü Ling sent out her Chandelure.
Its possible Abilities were Flash Fire, Flame Body, or Infiltrator.
'Most likely Flash Fire. Well, guess what? We've got a pseudo-Flash Fire too! Let's see who absorbs better!'
Li Xiang tossed a PokéBall.
"GRRROOOAAARR—!!"
Incineroar landed with a ground-shaking roar, locking eyes with the spectral chandelier.
The real battle was about to begin.