The opponent was another female student. According to the profile, she was a returning member from last year with decent strength. But she was no match for Abigail.
The spectators started making noise again, trying to put psychological pressure on the players. There were definitely some who hurled insults, but a few voices cursing didn't amount to much. They were quickly drowned out by more coordinated chants and swept along by the crowd.
Abigail's expression remained unchanged. This wasn't her first match, nor her first time being booed. She wasn't afraid.
In fact, the louder they shouted, the more satisfying it would be when she won—watching their stunned or awkward faces only made her Pokémon fight harder. It worked to her advantage.
Of course, Mist City's supporters were also putting in effort. Both sides were locked in a battle of wills, and it was hard to tell whether they were trying to help their own side or just save face.
The referee began reading the match rules. To overpower the booing, he turned up the volume on the speakers, finally getting the crowd to quiet down.
The match began.
Both sides sent out their Pokémon.
In the pre-match predictions, both sides had acknowledged the gap in strength. But the difference was still more pronounced than the Haizhou team's coach had expected.
One idiom summed it up:
"Breaking through like splitting bamboo."
The supporters who had been shouting at the start gradually grew quieter and less coordinated as the match went on. Some tried to stir things up, but the situation on the field made it hard, and people were just getting tired.
Eventually, the noise dissolved into indistinct chatter.
The Mist City team noticed the shift in the atmosphere, and their initial tension eased into something more relaxed.
On the field, the opponent was sweating and looking anxious, but she simply couldn't deal with Abigail's Houndoom.
How could such a frail-looking Pokémon take so many hits? Just because its bones were tough?
She couldn't understand it, but facts spoke louder than words. Her Pokémon was losing ground because it couldn't finish off its opponent.
Abigail's Pokémon were extraordinarily strong—in endurance, move tolerance, and offensive power. All of them had improved significantly from last year!
Down below, Su Qian sat beside Li Xiang, playing commentator to pass the time.
"Abigail's Houndoom was born with bones different from others of its kind—they contain metallic components, giving it incredible resilience. She calls it 'Metal Bone.' Combined with its trained reflexes, it can use its horns and claws—those curved horns and the white bones on its ankles—to block many close-range moves it normally couldn't."
No wonder Incineroar's super-effective Drain Punch hadn't done much back then. Li Xiang silently grumbled, wondering whether he should be glad he'd used Greninja in that internal match instead.
"And that Arcanine you fought before? That thing isn't normal either. Don't get into a drawn-out fight with it—the longer it fights, the more pumped it gets."
Su Qian cheerfully spilled all of Abigail's secrets, some Li Xiang already knew, others he didn't.
Up on the field, the battle raged. Down below, they chatted just as energetically.
In the end, the opponent's Ambipom couldn't break through Houndoom's defense. Its huge tail could only clatter uselessly against bones and claws, and Focus Blast had a laughably low accuracy. It was eventually blasted away by a Flamethrower.
The referee blew the whistle.
Instantly, Mist City's supporters rose to their feet, unleashing cheers like roaring waves! Applause and shouts filled the air!
Haizhou's supporters clapped a few times out of obligation, then—led by someone stirring the crowd—started a chorus of boos directed at Abigail.
No matter how strong you are, if I say you're no good, you're no good.
That was the gist of it.
On the field, Abigail crouched down and patted her Houndoom's gaunt face, her expression calm. If she'd given a thumbs-down in return, it would have been a satisfying slap in the face, but she wasn't the type to do that.
So Mist City's supporters took up the task instead. The two fanbases began arguing, while neutral spectators who just wanted to watch the match found it all quite entertaining. Quite a few people were charmed by Abigail's cool and composed performance.
"And that's the first match."
Abigail walked off the field and took a towel from Zhao Jie, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Cold as it was, she still broke a sweat.
Unlike Li Xiang's trio from the Spring Tournament, who had played fast and loose, Abigail and the others played as many matches as they could, until they couldn't go on.
So if the opponent was weak, a 1v5 wasn't out of the question—but it was unlikely.
The twenty-seven teams in the Summer Tournament were on a completely different level from the Spring Tournament's teams. Even if the Pokémon could hold out, the trainer might not.
If the trainer collapsed—unless it was the opponent's fault for attacking them directly—they would be ruled the loser. In that harsh environment, Li Xiang had only lasted because of his martial arts training.
Second match. Abigail went up again.
This time, Haizhou sent out a heavy hitter—their vice-captain. They knew a five-match sweep was unlikely, so they'd win as many as they could. Taking Abigail out early would preserve their remaining strength.
The Haizhou vice-captain was no slouch. More importantly, he specialized in Fighting-types with a Water-type secondary—both strong against Abigail's team.
Against Houndoom, he learned from Ambipom's experience and kept his distance with Mienshao, spamming Aura Sphere. The exchange was intense.
When Metal Bone was countered, Abigail switched to Milotic and engaged in a prolonged battle.
This match was fiercer. Abigail was at a natural disadvantage, but she still came out slightly ahead, taking down her opponent at the cost of two Pokémon.
Haizhou's fans still booed, but it was noticeably less intense than before. Losing their vice-captain to a regular team member—they were already being generous by not booing their own team.
Walking off, Abigail looked a bit displeased. She felt she hadn't played well. Sure, her opponent had the type advantage, but she wasn't without ways to counter him. Losing two Pokémon was purely her mistake.
Some wanted to comfort her, but Zhao Jie and Lü Shu stopped them. Sister Cha never needed consolation—she'd figure it out herself. Self-reliance was her trademark.
Third match. Since she had won the previous one, Abigail went up again.
After taking down their vice-captain—who had both type and stamina advantages—Haizhou was practically losing their minds. They sent out their captain, determined to take Abigail down. If she kept going, Haizhou would lose all face.
Fortunately, Abigail's remaining four Pokémon weren't all in perfect condition. The Milotic from the previous match was drained—if she sent it out again, they could definitely take it.
With fewer options, Abigail saw her opponent's Pokémon and would have preferred not to use Milotic, but any other choice was even worse. She reluctantly sent it out.
The Haizhou captain took the bait, immediately switching and locking Milotic out of its Poké Ball with a move, preventing U-turn from connecting, and secured a solid win.
Abigail grew more cautious.
This match dragged on and was fiercely contested.
Realistically, Abigail, as a fourth-year, was at best evenly matched with the sixth-year Haizhou captain—Haizhou wasn't a pushover like Dianzhou. Their doubles performance had already shown they had real strength.
One had fought two consecutive matches and wasn't at full strength. The other was fresh.
The outcome was predictable.
But it came at a cost for the Haizhou captain—two Pokémon down. If he couldn't win, he'd at least cripple the opponent's Pokémon to create opportunities for his teammates.
With fewer options, the opponent had more counterplay.
Abigail walked off slowly, limping slightly after twisting her ankle dodging a move.
Seeing such a strong opponent taken down, many Haizhou fans perked up again and started booing loudly. Others felt embarrassed—their captain had almost lost to her. What right did they have to boo?
Either way, the third match ended, leading into the fourth.
Halftime.
Xu He had to choose the next player.
Privately, he wanted Li Xiang to go. Haizhou's fans had just re-energized, putting a lot of pressure on the players. Plus, the Haizhou captain was a strong opponent—Li Xiang could get a taste of external competition.
Beating your own teammates was one thing; taking on someone else's was another.
But with three opponents left, could Li Xiang take all of them? What if he slipped up? Then the plan would fall apart.
Xu He glanced at Li Xiang. He personally disliked trainer celebrity culture, but reality forced his hand.
"Laiyi, you're up. Any issues?"
"No, Coach!"
Feng Laiyi answered firmly, showing no fear. If the coach believed in her, she believed in victory.
The tallest girl on the team strode confidently onto the field, encouraged by everyone.
Only Xu He knew she was there to soften up the opponent, making victory more likely for whoever came after.
It was freezing, and knowing Feng Laiyi's strengths, he wasn't optimistic. In Lingcheng's terrain, her options were limited: Steelix, Excadrill, and Hippowdon—the same lineup she'd used against Li Xiang.
The opponent specialized in Water and Ice. Her odds weren't great.
And with a full physical attack team, Cloyster was a nightmare. After the Haizhou captain forced out three of her Pokémon, he brought out Cloyster.
A Whirlpool finished off the weakened Excadrill, and Cloyster faced Steelix.
After two Iron Defenses, Feng Laiyi's Steelix couldn't even scratch Cloyster. Body Press did nothing, and Cloyster blasted back with a close-range Hydro Pump. Rock Slide was met with Withdraw, Liquidation sneaking through the gaps—annoyingly effective. Whirlpool let it reposition, and Aqua Ring restored health.
Steelix couldn't break through. She tried Curse for a boost, but Cloyster seized the opening and sent it packing with Surf.
Cloyster's special defense was paper-thin—all she needed was a Focus Blast to exploit it.
What could she do? Feng Laiyi just stalled, waiting it out.
Hippowdon, with Slack Off and Yawn, eventually knocked Cloyster out with Body Press. But it was completely spent afterward.
She lost the match. It was a tough fight, but she'd taken down two of the opponent's Pokémon.
After that round, the opponent had only two Pokémon left.
In singles rules, if a player competes consecutively and ends up with fewer than three usable Pokémon, they still fight—no replacements are added, and fainted Pokémon can't be reused.
At this point, the score was 2-2. The Haizhou captain was in rough shape.
"Li Xiang," Xu He said, "Are you willing to go up?"
Of the three remaining options—Li Xiang, Vice-Captain Chao, and Captain Su Qian—Li Xiang was the strongest based on internal matches. The opponent wouldn't expect it, giving them an edge.
"I'm in."
Li Xiang nodded. He had no reason to refuse. If he wanted a taste of victory, he'd have to get on the field.