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Sometimes, what you search for far and wide falls right into your lap.
Li Xiang had never expected that when he felt a burning gaze on the back of his head and turned to look, he'd actually spot his target—hanging high in the sky alongside a Drifblim, wearing an expression like he'd just seen a ghost.
"A shiny Drifblim. Impressive."
Li Xiang averted his eyes, narrowing them slightly.
The intel had mentioned that Gong Xu had a Drifblim among his Pokémon, but it never specified that it was shiny. Only that it was one of the three Pokémon Gong Xu had assembled right after enrolling.
This meant the Drifblim was most likely a naturally occurring shiny in this world.
'Rich people, huh?'
Li Xiang sighed at the universal truth that rarity dictated value—especially when it came to shinies.
There were plenty of things whose worth skyrocketed purely due to aesthetics. And Gong Xu really loved gold, didn't he?
Not only did he dye his hair gold, but his Umbreon also had golden ring-like patterns in its fur.
Then there was his predominantly gold Drifblim, his near-gold shiny Sableye, and even his Dusknoir—its forehead button was gold, with golden stripes running down its body.
Tsk tsk tsk. Sooner or later, this guy was going to assemble a full golden team.
Recalling the sparse intel on Drifblim:
"I think… it has Unburden?"
Li Xiang pondered for a moment, fairly certain that was the correct Ability.
Unburden—in the games, its effect doubled the user's Speed if it lost its held item.
But in this world, the concept of "held items" was far more nebulous. Even picking up a random rock could count as one.
I mean, if Mail was considered a held item in the games, why not a rock?
Neither was particularly useful.
So really, it was more accurate to call them "objects" rather than "held items," since the latter was a game mechanic.
Here, Unburden triggered when the Pokémon lost whatever it was carrying, resulting in a Speed boost.
As for how much of a boost? That varied from Pokémon to Pokémon.
Overall, it was a nerf compared to the games, especially since things like Psychic Seeds and Electric Seeds existed here.
Instead of a flat double Speed, it was now an uncertain increase.
But well, opinions varied. In Li Xiang's view, Unburden was still Drifblim's best Ability.
Compared to Flare Boost (which raised Special Attack when burned) or Aftermath (which caused an explosion when fainting), it was far more practical.
"The main event's here."
Li Xiang licked his dry lips. He had expected someone like Gong Xu—a prime target—to show up tomorrow or the day after.
Yet here he was, on the very first morning. How amusing.
This battle had to happen, even if neither side was at their best. With that thought, Li Xiang glanced at the students beside him.
They were still staring dumbfounded at the sky.
"Don't you guys have anything better to do? The ten-minute grace period is almost up. Want a few more rounds?"
The moment he spoke, the stunned students snapped out of it, hastily waving him off.
"Ah! No need, no need! You're too kind, senior!"
"I've got things to do, so I'll be leaving now. See you next time, senior!"
"We're out, we're out!"
They scattered like startled birds.
Senior? They were the same grade!
Li Xiang shook his head, recalling Riolu before heading toward Song Jie's location. The white-haired boy had just finished his own battles.
Those who could fight had fought; those who couldn't had fled.
Against runners, even Song Jie was powerless—unless he chased them down. With Lycanroc's scent tracking, he could probably hunt them all down, but that would be a waste of time.
"How much did you make?" Li Xiang asked with a grin.
Earlier, Song Jie's tokens plus his own three had totaled fourteen.
"Nineteen. That's the limit."
Song Jie's expression was indifferent. When it came to performance points, he had always been apathetic.
Aside from spending them on the A-Class Training Hall during their nightly sessions with Li Xiang, he barely used them otherwise.
"Perfect timing, then. Our target delivered himself right to us. Get ready."
Li Xiang pointed upward with a smirk.
The white-haired boy followed his finger and saw Gong Xu and his two companions descending toward them.
"Mm." Song Jie nodded faintly, his face unreadable.
Up in the Sky...
Gong Xu was figuring out where to land—preferably somewhere on the plains.
Though intimidated by Li Xiang's overwhelming strength, he was not the type to flee without a fight. Even if he lost, he'd only think about how to come back stronger next time.
Cowardice was a word that simply didn't exist in Gong Xu's dictionary.
"Brother Xu, is that guy with the Incineroar the one you were looking for?"
The Pidgeot rider spoke in an exaggerated tone. "He's way too strong! Feels like he's not even our age. One-shotting everyone? That's insane."
"Yeah, yeah! I don't think even Skarmory would last much longer than the others."
The Skarmory rider nodded vigorously. He, too, had been shocked by Li Xiang's display.
Out of the remaining hundred-plus students, most were fairly competent—the kind who could realistically test into elite academies.
Even the relatively weaker ones, after half a year of training, shouldn't have been pushovers. Yet against Li Xiang's Incineroar, they might as well have been paper, torn apart effortlessly.
Gong Xu tilted his head slightly, smiling. "He wasn't before. But now he is."
Originally, he had come for Song Jie. But getting a two-for-one deal? That was just a happy bonus.
With that, they landed on a patch of flat grassland.
No more than fifty meters separated the two groups now.
The two sides locked eyes—especially the three central figures. After a brief pause, they began closing the distance.
No unnecessary pleasantries. Straight to the point.
"Who's first?"
Li Xiang was the one to break the silence.
"I'll go."
"Either way works for me."
Song Jie and Gong Xu answered one after the other.
Seeing that they had it settled, Li Xiang stepped back to give them space.
As he did, his gaze shifted to Gong Xu's two companions, eyes gleaming. "How about a match?"
"Uh, we'll pass."
"Yeah, yeah! We're just here to watch. No need, really!"
The two waved their hands frantically, slowly backing away. Unfortunately for them, Li Xiang wasn't about to let his prey escape so easily. Grinning, he slung an arm over their shoulders.
"Then consider it the price of admission. No more excuses—you're not getting away."
He dragged them to an open area nearby.
By the time Li Xiang had finished teaching these two why spectating came at a cost, Song Jie's battle was still raging on—showing signs of dragging out.
The combatants were still Dusknoir vs. Lycanroc. Gong Xu seemed intent on redeeming himself with the same Pokémon.
But this time, something bizarre happened.
—Both Taunts landed and took effect, sealing each other's status moves.
This was impossible in the games, but in reality, with all the unpredictable factors, energy flow, and execution methods, double Taunt was entirely plausible.
Yet despite both being Taunted, the impact on each Pokémon was worlds apart.
Lycanroc wasn't overly reliant on status moves. Even without buffs, its offensive power remained formidable.
But for Dusknoir, losing access to status moves was like having half its strength sealed away.
Add to that the open terrain, which robbed Ghost-types of their ability to "shadow-step," and Dusknoir's advantages plummeted, forcing it into a direct slugfest with Lycanroc.
A brutal, fist-to-fist brawl.
Thud! Crunch! Bam!
Despite the notable difference in base stats, Li Xiang observed that the two Pokémon's bulk was surprisingly comparable.
Super-effective Brick Break and Throat Chop exchanges felt like they were tickling each other.
Li Xiang rubbed his chin.
This was the first time he'd seen a student whose Pokémon could rival Song Jie's in tankiness.
Song Jie's team was packed with defensive monsters. Even Lycanroc, which looked like a scrawny mutt, had insane damage soak.
As for Aggron and Pupitar? They were practically immovable fortresses, closer to heavy tanks than Pokémon.
This only highlighted how skilled Gong Xu was as a trainer.
In the future, this guy would undoubtedly be a major threat in the Youth Tournament.
Li Xiang himself wasn't worried—but his teammates might not fare as well.
Geniuses were truly terrifying creatures. Thankfully, one such genius was on his side.
Li Xiang looked at Song Jie with undisguised pride. He had already decided to attend the same academy as the white-haired boy.
Why make an enemy when you could have an ally?
Only a fool would choose otherwise.
Song Jie's Aggron was a walking bunker—something even Incineroar needed to bulk up before facing head-on.
Without stat boosts, multiple hits would be unavoidable.
And multiple hits meant giving Song Jie opportunities.
Because while Aggron and the others were tanks, they also seemed to have a hidden trait: the tankier they were, the harder they hit. Their offensive power was disgustingly high, capable of shocking anyone who underestimated them.
Song Jie was the real monster here.
Li Xiang, with all his cheats, wouldn't stand a chance against him without Candy's help.
But of course—
There was no "without." Hypotheticals like that were meaningless.
Back in the battle, after relentless exchanges, the outcome was becoming clear.
Once again, Lycanroc proved superior. Even without status moves, its raw offensive power was overwhelming.
Dusknoir, crippled by Taunt, weakened rapidly.
After five or six rounds of trading blows, Gong Xu's bond with his Pokémon failed to trigger a last-stand miracle, and Dusknoir was knocked out cold by a vicious Crunch.
Typical dog behavior.
This was why, in an era where Taunt was everywhere, Pokémon reliant on status moves were suffering.
Mental Herb was a must.
Either that, or dodge the Taunt or land yours first.
Li Xiang felt a surge of relief that his own team had no pure support Pokémon.
In an age where everyone ran Safeguard, Defog, Protect, and Taunt, support was still crucial.
But if anyone thought a support Pokémon could be the carry?
Not a chance.
The new meta favored damage dealers that could bypass Protect, pushing the competitive scene toward higher and flashier DPS.
Damage was—and always would be—the true king.