"Damn, don't dismiss him so quickly!"
"Lin Feng is strong, yes, but they've introduced battlefield change rules this time. With Miss Sally's luck, the outcome is still hard to predict!"
"It's time for Togekiss to shine. If she draws the sky battlefield, just spam Air Slash and max out that build!"
"Air Slash? Togekiss? When did Sally's Togepi evolve?"
"Heh, it evolved a while ago. You probably didn't notice, but someone tracked the stats. In ten matches, Togekiss used Air Slash fifteen times, and every single one hit. Fourteen caused flinches!"
"What? Fifteen uses, fourteen flinches? What kind of insane luck is that?"
"You don't get it? That's what they call serene elegance…"
"I still think her chances aren't great."
"If you can't speak properly, then just don't speak."
The audience in the stands was in heated debate.
Lin Feng, seated in the competitors' area, glanced toward Sally.
She was also in the competitor section and happened to look back at him.
The moment she saw him turn his head, her expression changed instantly.
She put on a pitiful look. Combined with her small, cute face and petite figure, it really did evoke sympathy.
But Lin Feng only smiled faintly.
"She's probably older than me," he thought.
After all, he was only eighteen, while she had been traveling as a trainer for several years already.
"Ah…"
Seeing that Lin Feng completely ignored her, Sally let out a soft sigh.
Their match was scheduled as the tenth battle. With the 6v6 format, plus battlefield changes and random draws, each match was taking significantly longer than before.
Lin Feng wasn't even sure whether his match would happen in the morning.
Moreover, if the earlier rounds were just warm-ups, then the current 6v6 battles were the real test for trainers.
Under everyone's gaze, the first match of the Top 32 began quickly.
Both trainers looked extremely serious. They were young men in their early twenties, and when they faced each other, it felt as if sparks were flying in their eyes.
First, they drew the battlefield.
Their luck was average. They got the grass field, a neutral terrain that offered no real advantage except for Grass-type Pokémon.
With a mechanical roar like gears turning, the battlefield split open from the center and shifted apart.
Fresh natural grass, not artificial turf, slowly emerged. A true grassland battlefield.
This arena itself was a massive engineering project. After every match, the terrain would likely be destroyed, meaning a new field had to be prepared if the same environment was drawn again.
Underground, specialized Pokémon and systems were likely waiting to rapidly restore or replace terrains whenever needed.
After securing the grass field, both trainers began thinking quickly.
One sent out Typhlosion.
The other sent out Milotic.
When the two Pokémon appeared, the Typhlosion trainer's expression changed, while the Milotic trainer looked delighted.
Both clearly had the same idea. Since the battlefield was grass, they expected the opponent to lean toward Grass-types.
One prepared Fire-type counters.
The other went even further, directly choosing Water-type suppression.
And not just any Water-type.
A Milotic.
As soon as the "Most Beautiful Pokémon" appeared, the crowd let out a wave of admiration.
"To be able to capture a Milotic… that trainer must be incredibly skilled…"
Milotic's crystalline scales shimmered as it glided across the grass like a serpent.
Everyone knew how rare Milotic was. It was notoriously difficult to obtain in the wild.
Most were raised from Feebas, but even that required a Prism Scale, which was extremely rare and expensive, usually sourced from deep sea exploration.
Even then, artificially evolved Milotic often lacked emotional stability compared to naturally evolved ones, requiring careful training to build confidence and personality.
As for natural evolution… that was nearly impossible. Some researchers had raised hundreds of Feebas under perfect conditions with high-quality energy cubes, and not a single one evolved.
The battle began.
Both Pokémon were nearly equal in strength. Despite type advantages, they traded blows on the grass field without either gaining a clear upper hand.
But soon, Typhlosion began to fall behind against Milotic's Recover, Water Pulse, and Scald.
Not to mention Milotic's healing moves, which made the fight even more difficult.
"This Milotic may be beautiful, but it's not as beautiful as Lin Ge's Milotic."
As time passed, more and more spectators had become familiar with the existence of Lin Feng's nursery and his short video account.
"Yeah, that Milotic is way more elegant, and much larger too."
"I saw his account today. Everyone in the comments says his products are amazing, even helping Pokémon with appetite issues. I'm planning to visit after the New Year. Anyone coming with me?"
"Let's go together. I also want to see the sky battlefield matches…"
The battle continued.
Blow after blow, Typhlosion eventually lost to a decisive Scald and fainted.
With momentum gone, the remaining Pokémon were also overwhelmed one by one.
After Typhlosion's trainer lost three Pokémon, the battlefield began to shift.
This time, it changed into the Scorching Rock field.
Seeing this, the trainer's expression darkened again.
Typhlosion had been his only Fire-type Pokémon.
He had already lost his Water-type counters earlier, and now there was no turning back. Once the battlefield was set, it would not change again.
With no choice left, he was forced to deploy his Flying and Grass-type Pokémon.
And so, the battles continued, one after another.
------------------------------
Love the story? Show your support and unlock early access to new chapters by joining me on Patreon! and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.