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Mist City University was celebrating. Hongcheng University was shrouded in gloom.
When the captain realized he had lost, he stood frozen in place for nearly three minutes. Only when the referee reminded him did he walk off the stage, his spirit utterly broken.
He stood before the preparation area, looking at his teammates in the distance, but found his vision blurry, unable to make out the expressions on their faces.
No… It wasn't that he couldn't see—it was that he didn't dare to look.
This had already gone beyond simply being able to accept a loss. It was a situation where they absolutely could not afford to lose, yet they still lost.
His teammates had trusted him so completely, believing in him wholeheartedly. Yet the result was a letdown, disappointment, humiliation. He had become an insignificant stepping stone.
In his daze, whether it was an illusion or not, a gust of wind seemed to carry two words:
"Loser."
"Disgrace!"
The Hongcheng University captain gritted his teeth, his expression frantic as he sprinted toward the players' tunnel. He ran with all his might, head down, not daring to look back, not daring to hear any more sounds.
"Captain!"
"Captain!"
The Hongcheng University team members stared in shock. Several immediately chased after him, but before more could follow, the coach shouted to stop them.
"Enough! A few going is enough!"
He looked at his dejected students, sighed, and then shouted, "There's nothing more to say. We lost, and that's it! We still have chances! This is only the first match! The Junior World Tournament isn't elimination-based!"
The assistant coaches and supervisors quickly echoed his words.
However, the captain's defeat had crushed Hongcheng University. It was the final straw that broke the camel's back, and it wasn't something the coaches could easily fix with a few words.
In previous defeats, the captain would join in, crack some jokes, or share inside jokes only they understood. The atmosphere might have been salvageable.
But now, with the captain in that state...
What fighting spirit did Hongcheng University have left?
"He was crushed by the weight of expectations."
The coach had this thought but didn't explain it to the students.
They didn't realize how much burden their expectations had placed on their captain.
It made him afraid to take risks, afraid to go all out. He fought against an unconventional monster like Li Xiang using conventional wisdom and past experience.
By the time he resolved to gamble everything, it was too late.
He wasn't Ash Ketchum, and his Salamence wasn't a Blaze Infernape that could lock in health and unleash a last stand. Against Incineroar's relentless assault, it couldn't hold on.
That single step forward sent him tumbling into an endless abyss.
So, he broke down, unable to face the responsibility he would bear for tarnishing Hongcheng University's reputation.
The coach's expression darkened as he gazed at the celebrating Mist City University team in the distance, his eyes locked on Li Xiang.
How had such a monster grown to this level in just three years?
In a mere three years, he achieved what others took nine years to accomplish, and he defeated them without mercy!
How could such a trainer exist in the world?
"Cheng Gang!"
The coach shouted. A student in the distance was startled but responded loudly.
"Here!"
"Next match, do you have confidence?"
"Huh?"
"Hongcheng University only has you left. Do you have confidence?!" The coach stared at the student named Cheng Gang.
The young man's heart was pounding wildly. He looked at the Magnemite flying overhead and the enthusiastic audience. "I..."
"At this point, what do we have left to lose? I'm asking you, do you dare to go up there? Be a man! We're all adults here!"
"—I dare!"
Cheng Gang gritted his teeth, unable to hold back a low roar. Why had he fought so hard to join the team?
Wasn't it to compete in the Junior World Tournament?
A perfect opportunity was right in front of him. Why refuse?
They had already lost anyway!
With this strange mindset, Cheng Gang prepared to conclude this match.
...…
Mist City University Preparation Area
They were debating who should go up next.
The identity of the final opponent was still unclear. The coach predicted it would be a new team member, which naturally sparked thoughts in a certain senior female teammate.
Li Xiang was understanding. "If that's the case, I'll go up and forfeit then."
He didn't care about this one match.
But faced with Li Xiang's voluntary concession, the senior instead became hesitant. "Junior, I think everyone still wants to watch your match, right? If I go up, wouldn't it—"
"It's fine, it's fine. It's just one match. They can watch what they want; we'll play our own game."
Li Xiang consoled her. "We didn't come to the Junior World Tournament for the audience."
"I see..."
The senior glanced at the gloomy Hongcheng University team in the distance, and her confidence slowly began to ignite.
"If you've chosen to go up, then don't be afraid, don't panic. If you're afraid, you've lost for a lifetime!"
Xu He quietly admonished, not telling her about how a cornered army fights with the greatest strength.
Just what kind of power would a Hongcheng University team member with no way out unleash?
Once a student made up their mind, the coach couldn't be discouraging anymore. Instead, he should encourage them.
"Yes!"
The senior responded excitedly.
The next round began.
Li Xiang quickly took the stage, raising his hand and forfeiting. Many in the audience let out disappointed "Aww..." sounds.
In the broadcast booth, the commentator also expressed regret, saying they couldn't see more of Li Xiang's strength in action.
The senior then stepped onto the stage, slightly nervous.
Fortunately, in the competition arena, one couldn't clearly hear the audience or even the commentator's voice.
So, just looking at her opponent, the senior could remain calm.
The process didn't last too long. Less than fifteen minutes.
The senior lost by a narrow margin. Her Pokémon unfortunately suffered a critical hit, losing its last bit of stamina. Her expression turned ugly.
Her opponent, however, let out a triumphant roar as if they'd just won a world championship, running back and forth across the field, venting something.
It was as if they'd just taken down a world-class boss for the first time.
Even the Hongcheng University team was jubilant, filled with a festive atmosphere.
This reaction made the defeated senior's mentality break. Covering her face, she walked off the stage, barely holding back tears. Naturally, everyone comforted her.
Undeniably, the match had been too dramatic.
The senior's performance was average, steady, with nothing particularly remarkable but not bad either.
The key point was her opponent seemed to have experienced a small burst.
Maybe it was a critical hit at the last moment, allowing them to defeat their opponent with a slight edge.
Pokémon battles were games of luck, whether in his past life or this one.
Li Xiang had long understood this. The few times he occasionally suffered a setback were due to luck.
Fortunately, situations like four consecutive Water Gun misses, four consecutive Air Slash flinches, three consecutive Protects, or Surf with double Disable never happened to him.
Losing was losing; it wasn't a big deal. It just made things tough for the anchor, Chao.
"It's okay, Senior. Vice Captain will win it back for you."
Li Xiang said cheerfully, comforting the defeated senior, then turned to Chao. "Right, Senior?"
"You can actually just call me Chao... yes."
Chao nodded to her. He didn't particularly like hierarchical forms of address.
The intermission passed.
Chao walked slowly onto the stage, reflecting that he was really born to work hard. Usually, managing the reserve team was enough, but now he had to provide cover for his teammates in matches too.
They said it was his duty as vice captain.
But still, the feeling of being relied on... was really something he enjoyed.
Chao rubbed the Dive Ball in his hand, looking at the excited Cheng Gang in the distance who seemed to have found the secret to victory. The corner of his mouth curved slightly.
The process had no ups and downs.
He went on stage at 14:38 and came down at 14:44.
The opponent had overestimated themselves and underestimated the vice captain of Mist City University, who placed fourth last year.
On the surface, they were both captain-level, but the gap was far too great.
Chao used only one Pokémon the entire time—his Tsareena. It started with the exclusive move Trop Kick and ended with Trop Kick.
He showed all the spectators that Mist City University wasn't just strong in its new students.
The upperclassmen were even more terrifying!
Amid the cheers and jubilation, Mist City University's first round concluded completely.
The next round was the day after tomorrow, giving everyone one day of rest.
Although they still had to be present, at least they didn't have to stand awkwardly under everyone's watchful eyes, worrying whether their unconscious actions would be caught by the cameras.
After all, those unscrupulous Magnemite wouldn't hesitate to film someone picking their nose and project it onto the big screen.
Night.
While supervising Corviknight's one-legged stance training for two hours, Li Xiang received a video call from his parents.
They were extremely pleased with his performance in the match. Li Zhehan even said something that made Li Xiang's hair stand on end: "As expected of my son."
Seeing their son succeed naturally made them the happiest.
The plump translator, Delcatty, meowed in front of Li Xiang after a long time, its Kabuki-like face forever wearing that sleepy expression.
Meowstic stared at him for a long time, then nodded. Why it nodded, no one knew. This guy had been acting mysterious for ages.
Florges ... this guy deeply loved its wives. Seeing Li Xiang, it even wanted to introduce its new wife—a daisy.
"Is it really okay for you to carry all your wives with you?" Li Xiang couldn't help but tease.
Hearing this, Florges decided to ignore him.
After that, it was the three rough brothers, Feraligatr and company. There wasn't much to chat about with them and their muscle-for-brains mentality.
As the boss, Feraligatr just kept going "Gwah gwah!"
Finally, the two new family members.
The male Indeedee was carefully wiping a teacup, perfunctorily responding to Li Xiang on video.
The female Indeedee, however, happily showed off the cookies she baked, acting as if she would bake some for him when he returned.
"Wait for me to come back and have a good time with you all!"
Li Xiang felt an inexplicable itch to pet them. Though he had been petting them since childhood, he never got tired of the feel of Purugly and the others.
And those two Indeedee—he hadn't had much chance to pet them yet, at most once a day.
The video call ended.
Li Xiang began replying to messages from friends and family, including his senior sisters and brothers, as well as Lin Feng and others.
Without a doubt, Li Xiang's heroic feat had once again made him famous. Who knew how many people had seen his name on TV, newspapers, and the internet again.
Thinking this, he couldn't help but log into his blog. Sure enough, he saw the headline: "Mist City University Freshman, Li Xiang, Ranked First Nationally" trending at the top.
In his past life, he used this kind of platform to watch other people's drama. Never thought he would become the drama in this life.
Mixed feelings indeed.