"Come out, Seismitoad!"
Xu Liang shouted.
A blue, toad-like Pokémon leapt from its Poké Ball.
Its skin was a deep navy, its red eyes drooped slightly, and its body was covered in pale blue bumps.
As Seismitoad appeared, Xu Liang's fighting spirit surged, a fiery gleam of determination flashing in his eyes once more.
This was his first Pokémon, and the one he had battled with the most.
Pokémon: Seismitoad
Gender: Female
Ability: Poison Touch
Potential: Red
Stats: HP 28, Attack 28, Special Attack 25, Defense 29, Special Defense 25, Speed 18
Level: 62–65
Moves: Roar, Supersonic, Dome, Bubble Beam, Mud Shot, Water Ring, Rain Dance, Drain Punch, Hydro Pump, Acid, Sludge Bomb…
Lin Feng was not surprised by the determination flashing in Xu Liang's eyes. After all, he was still a young trainer, eager to challenge a strong opponent, and that desire was natural.
Even so, Lin Feng's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise when he noted Seismitoad's stats. This Seismitoad was unexpectedly strong.
In the Zhongheng Championship, Pokémon with energy levels around 62–65 were considered very powerful.
It reminded him of Fang Youzhi, who, during the Silver Tournament, had only a single elite Fire-type Pokémon but had still managed to reach the top sixteen.
However, the strongest Pokémon Lin Feng had brought to this match was undoubtedly Gardevoir, and not just any Gardevoir this one was Mega Evolved.
Its peak power reached level 99, almost approaching legendary Pokémon status.
Although a video of Gardevoir in the Sky Challenge had been uploaded online, its views and shares were modest, only a few tens of thousands, mostly from fans in Wutong City.
So it wasn't surprising that many were unaware of its strength.
Then again, if Gardevoir were sent out, it wouldn't matter who the opponent was, right?
Lin Feng didn't overthink it. Since he would be sending it out eventually, why not fulfill the opponent's wish?
He pulled out Gardevoir's Poké Ball and spoke softly: "I'm counting on you, Gardevoir."
Then he tapped the ball gently.
A red light flashed, and an elegant blue figure appeared, floating gracefully down onto the field.
Its crimson eyes and white gown swayed lightly in the wind.
Under countless gazes, Gardevoir landed gracefully before Lin Feng.
"Gardevoir," it said in a soft, low voice. Turning gently, its gaze locked onto Lin Feng.
He smiled. "It wants to challenge you…"
"Gardevoir," Lin Feng continued.
The Pokémon nodded, acknowledging his words. Then it turned to face the opposing Seismitoad, a gentle smile on its face.
Having spent so long in the nursery, this Pokémon no longer felt wary of humans.
Now it was Lin Feng's Pokémon, and it wanted to fight for him, to share in the joy of victory.
That was why it had volunteered to come out. It couldn't just stay at home, watching Lin Feng battle other Pokémon without it.
It also wanted to see whether Lin Feng would praise it after winning.
Gardevoir didn't realize this yet as it appeared in the arena.
The fans and audience erupted in cheers once again.
Part of the excitement came from the surprise of seeing Gardevoir.
"Gardevoir?!"
"Oh my goodness, a Shiny Gardevoir! Is it a miracle?"
"No way… a blue Gardevoir? I've never seen one before!"
Gardevoir was already rare in the Eastern League, and a Shiny Gardevoir was even more extraordinary.
The people of the Eastern League naturally favored Pokémon that were either cute or stylish, and Shiny Gardevoir fit both preferences perfectly.
"That smile… my goodness, so gentle… sob, sob, sob, it's like a mother looking at her child when it faces the bumpy king there!"
"Lin Feng… I've never heard of this trainer before… interesting."
A few of Lin Feng's fans in the stands screamed in excitement.
"Gardevoir! Gardevoir!"
The fan reactions extended online as well, with similar excitement.
"Gardevoir! My goodness, Lin Feng sends out Gardevoir in the first match was it the opponent's request?"
"Game over, game over! That Seismitoad doesn't stand a chance. Xu Liang is so bold, letting Lin Feng use his strongest Pokémon…"
"Just imagining Gardevoir defeating Seismitoad makes my heart race!"
"Place your bets! How many moves will it take for Gardevoir to defeat Seismitoad?"
"Gardevoir must be a champion-level Pokémon. Could it even rival Champion Feng Yang? Why no exchange tournament this year?"
They had seen Gardevoir's strength firsthand. Knowing its power, they understood it was Lin Feng's strongest Pokémon.
Yet typically, the strongest Pokémon were saved for last.
"Is this your strongest Pokémon?"
Xu Liang's fighting spirit burned hotter at the sight of Gardevoir.
Even before the battle began, he could feel its strength.
The Pokémon his opponent had sent out before were strong, but their eyes still held a hunger for battle.
This Gardevoir, however, showed no such desire. Instead, its gaze radiated calm and comfort, like the elders of a Pokémon tribe watching over young trainers with a mix of scrutiny and kindness.
"Come on, show me what you've got. Let's see why you're so confident!"
Xu Liang waved his right hand. "Seismitoad, use Sludge Bomb!"
Seismitoad let out a calm, monotone croak.
Following its trainer's command, a purple-black sludge seeped from the bumps on its body, while a stream of mud shot from its mouth, flying toward Gardevoir.
The sludge exploded midair into scattered chunks, a basic but effective use of Sludge Bomb.
By detonating the Sludge Bomb early, Seismitoad increased the blast radius, turning it into a wide-spread attack.
The mud spread tens, even hundreds of meters around Gardevoir. Contact with it would cause poisoning.
Yet Gardevoir merely observed the sludge, turning its gaze to Lin Feng.
"Alright, Gardevoir, use Confuse Ray to control the sludge, right?"