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Even after losing twice in a row to the same opponent, Gong Xu remained remarkably composed.
He handed over his wooden token as casually as if he were passing someone a stick of gum. After recalling his Dusknoir, he simply said, "Good work," without a trace of frustration.
But his two lackeys were stunned, their jaws practically hitting the ground—as if they'd never seen Gong Xu lose before.
"You really are strong," Gong Xu said, smiling at the person who had just defeated him twice. "It's been a long time since I've met someone at your level."
"Flattery won't help you win," Song Jie replied flatly, as if the victories meant nothing.
Gong Xu chuckled, unfazed by Song Jie's attitude. "Another match this afternoon? Same place?"
"Fine." Song Jie responded immediately. He rarely declined battle invitations unless he was busy.
Once their rematch was scheduled, Gong Xu finally turned his attention to Li Xiang.
"Now, it's your turn."
"Bring it on."
Li Xiang quickly stepped back, putting distance between them to give their Pokémon room to move.
As he retreated, Gong Xu suddenly scratched his head and said, "You know, I've never been a fan of single battles. What I really love—and excel at—is doubles. The teamwork, the strategy…"
Li Xiang paused mid-step.
'Wait, is he trying to excuse a potential loss by saying he's bad at singles?'
But Gong Xu wasn't done.
"Especially playing the support role. There's nothing more thrilling than clearing the path for your partner, letting them attack without hesitation, forcing the opponent to second-guess every move."
His voice was calm, almost nostalgic. "But sometimes, having a weak teammate is worse than fighting alone. They can't keep up, and they just get in the way."
Li Xiang glanced at Gong Xu's two lackeys, who awkwardly looked away.
'So that guy with the Conkeldurr must've been dead weight in his eyes too.'
This guy had skill, but his arrogance was something else. No wonder Song Jie had warned him to stay away.
But then Gong Xu said something that completely blindsided Li Xiang.
"That's why I've always wanted a strong partner."
The golden-haired teen grinned confidently, backlit by the sun as he pulled out a PokéBall and pointed it straight at Li Xiang.
"Li Xiang, mark my words—one day, I'll be your support."
His voice was firm, his gaze unwavering, as if his declaration carried the weight of inevitability.
'…What?'
Li Xiang froze, momentarily speechless.
Then it hit him—Gong Xu was talking about the doubles format in the Youth/Junior Tournament.
From a distance, Song Jie frowned. Neither of them had expected this.
But just as quickly, Gong Xu's tone shifted. His expression turned challenging as he added, "But before that happens… I'll crush him—" He jerked a thumb at Song Jie. "—and you."
He pointed back at Li Xiang.
'…So it was just trash talk after all.'
Li Xiang rolled his eyes. "Sure. Looking forward to it."
He still hadn't decided which school he'd attend—he was planning to follow Song Jie's lead. Gong Xu's words meant nothing.
That said… there was a chance they'd end up at the same place.
Fate worked in mysterious ways.
....
Both trainers took their positions, revealed their chosen PokéBalls, and released their Pokémon simultaneously.
Bang! Bang!
Two flashes of light.
Gong Xu's choice was an Umbreon—a rabbit-like creature barely knee-high, deceptively cute.
This was his ace, one of the reasons he'd dominated the Mancheng Youth Training Camp.
And according to intel, its Ability wasn't Synchronize—it was Inner Focus.
In the games, Inner Focus prevented flinching and ignored Intimidate (as of Generation VIII).
But in this world, Abilities often had secondary effects.
Just like how Incineroar's Intimidate had extra utility, Umbreon's Inner Focus granted:
Unshakable Will (EX): Even severe injuries wouldn't hinder its focus or combat precision.
Meditative Clarity (EX): Enhanced psychic perception, rivaling some Psychic-types.
In short? This Umbreon was a monster.
'What kind of background does this guy have? Shiny Pokémon, rare Abilities… Is his dad the Association Chairman or something?'
Li Xiang mentally ran through the surnames of Yuzhou's top officials—and sure enough, there was a Gong among them.
'Nobility strikes again.'
Truly self-made top trainers were rare.
Shaking off the thought, Li Xiang watched as Gong Xu frowned.
He wanted to test Umbreon's limits—to see if it could detect Greninja's invisibility.
This was the perfect chance to gauge Greninja's stealth capabilities.
Gong Xu knew about Greninja. He knew it could camouflage itself.
The moment the battle started, his eyes darted around, searching for any trace of the ninja frog.
When visual confirmation failed, he ordered Umbreon to blanket the area with Psychic.
Every Pokémon emitted mental waves—psychic perception could detect them.
Usually.
Dark-types, as natural Psychic nullifiers, could block such detection.
Greninja, being Water/Dark, should have been immune, but Protean had already changed its typing.
Camouflage was normally Normal-type, but it also adapted to the environment.
Since they were technically in a grassy field, Greninja was currently Grass-type—and therefore, detectable.
Sure enough, when Greninja deliberately held still, Umbreon found it.
"Boo!"
Umbreon snarled as a swirling orb of dark-purple energy shot across the ground toward Greninja—Snarl!
Mid-flight, the orb burst into soundwaves!
Greninja instantly raised a green barrier [Protect] blocking the attack.
Phase one complete.
Umbreon could detect Greninja when it wasn't moving.
Now for phase two.
Greninja began to move.
Umbreon tried to hit it with another Snarl, clearly aiming to drop its Special Attack.
But to its shock, the mental signature it had just locked onto… vanished.
Like it had never existed.
'What? How?!'
"Grrrr!" Umbreon growled, alerting Gong Xu.
The golden-haired teen's eyes widened. This was a first for him. After a brief hesitation, he changed tactics.
"Rain Dance!"
If psychic perception failed, maybe sight wouldn't.
A rain cloud formed overhead.
Li Xiang quickly stepped back—getting soaked in winter was not on his to-do list. But as the downpour began, Greninja unleashed Smokescreen, filling the area with thick gray fog.
Umbreon's vision was useless now.
'Back to psychic detection?'
Gong Xu frowned for the first time, realizing just how troublesome Greninja was.
Reluctantly, Umbreon used Psychic again.
It found Greninja—once.
Attacked—once.
And then the mental signature disappeared again. Like Umbreon's perception had an expiration date.
"So… you only get one shot per detection?"
Gong Xu gripped his chin, his expression shifting from shock to exhilaration. "What a terrifying opponent."
Until you faced Greninja, you couldn't understand the fear of fighting an enemy you couldn't see—one that could strike from anywhere, at any time.
Meanwhile, Li Xiang watched as the smoke cleared, Umbreon still unable to pin down Greninja.
'Its stealth is getting ridiculous.'
"Finish it."
At his command, a dozen Greninja clones materialized in the fading smoke, each firing pink energy waves—Hidden Power (Fairy)!
Umbreon couldn't tell which was real. It dodged frantically but still took a direct hit, its body shuddering from the impact.
Yet somehow, it stayed standing.
Umbreon's Special Defense was absurd—even a super-effective hit from Greninja couldn't take it down.
And thanks to its unshakable will, it showed no outward signs of pain.
Li Xiang whistled. Greninja's Special Attack was no joke. This thing was a tank.
"Snarl!"
Umbreon roared, unleashing another wave of dark sound toward the real Greninja, but Greninja was already gone.
The essence of guerrilla tactics: Hit and run, whether you land the shot or not.
By the time Snarl's wide-range attack arrived, Greninja had vanished without a trace.
"Moonlight."
With no other options, Gong Xu opted to stall. Umbreon's durability was its greatest weapon.
Under the sunlight, golden rings glowed across its body as its wounds began to heal.
In terms of sheer annoyance, bulky Umbreon was just as bad as Greninja—just in a different way.
Many trainers dreaded facing this Pokémon.
Fortunately, Umbreon had no way to boost its Special Defense. Greninja could keep stacking its own Special Attack before going for the kill.
Once its stats were maxed out, even the toughest walls would crumble.