Chapter 219: Finals! Gengar vs. Tyranitar
Wednesday, October 28th.
A bright morning, crisp with autumn air. A gentle melody drifted into Lu Ye's ears. He opened his eyes and saw his snow-white Sylveon standing by the window, gazing at the sunrise in the distance.
"Were you singing just now?"
"Bui~~" Sylveon puffed out its chest and swayed its pink feelers—a silent admission.
Lu Ye chuckled, rolled out of bed, and stretched. "Alright, let's eat breakfast and head to the finals!"
A hearty breakfast was prepared. Lu Ye munched on a piece of toast while contemplating today's lineup. "Sylveon fought in the last match, so let's give it a break this time… Growlithe? Just for numbers—sure, let's bring it along!"
After gearing up, they set off. Gengar adjusted the straps of the carrier holding the Pokémon Egg on its back. With sunglasses on, the whole crew looked menacing as they made their way to the finals.
Inside the stadium, the atmosphere was electric. Drones hovered back and forth, and fireworks exploded above the arena. Whoosh! The Sacred Flame of Moltres blazed in the silver cauldron.
The commentator's voice boomed with excitement: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the East China Division Grand Finals!!" The entire stadium erupted into deafening cheers.
"Go, Lu Ye!"
"Darling Lu, crush him for us!!"
In the VIP section, the East China League Committee Chairman, Shi Jian, couldn't help but admire: "Lu Ye really is a popular competitor."
The Modu Association's President, Song Pengcheng, nodded with a smile. "Well, he's a well-known trainer online, after all."
"Who do you favor for this match?"
"Both are seasoned competitors," Song Pengcheng pondered. "But Lu Ye is relatively new, and he's been rebuilding his team… His chances of winning aren't great."
"That's not necessarily the case," Shi Jian gazed across the arena. "This so-called 'Tactical Master'... let's see what he's got!"
As the competitors entered the arena, the crowd's excitement peaked. Yang Zhichang smiled as he shook Lu Ye's hand. "I gotta admit, I'm jealous of your popularity."
"They're just fans of my looks, nothing worth mentioning," Lu Ye replied humbly.
Yang Zhichang blinked, then coughed. "…Anyway, let's have a good match!"
Both trainers returned to their battle stands. The audience held their breath. Would Lu Ye, who dominated the college league with a 1v5 sweep, be able to perform another miracle against the invincible Tyranitar?
Tweet! The whistle blew. The match had begun!
The rugged, bearded veteran suddenly sharpened his gaze. "Go, Scizor!"
"Yang Zhichang leads with a Pokémon making its tournament debut!" the commentator exclaimed. "With its impressive Steel-type resistances, Scizor is a strong counter to both Poison and Fairy-types!" The transparent metal wings hummed, and the sharp, crimson-plated Scizor raised its gleaming pincers.
Yang Zhichang kept a slight smile, his eyes locked onto Lu Ye. That kid will definitely start with Sylveon to counter my Tyranitar. But he'll never expect this hidden trump card!
"Lu Ye sends out… Gengar!" the commentator shouted. The crowd turned their eyes to the battlefield, where a sinisterly grinning Gengar with crimson eyes appeared.
Yang Zhichang froze. He read my read?! No matter… Scizor is immune to Poison-type moves. I still have the type advantage! "Swords Dance!"
Just as Yang Zhichang shouted his command, the words got stuck in his throat. Because the moment Scizor crossed its pincers, ready to perform its dance—Gengar chuckled darkly and wiggled a finger. "Gengar's Taunt lands!" the commentator was stunned. "Was this a coincidence? Lu Ye saw through his strategy on the very first move!"
Cheers erupted from the stands. Meanwhile, Lu Ye had an odd expression. Why is everyone so surprised? Leaving luck aside, isn't this as easy as playing against a child? What Yang Zhichang didn't realize was that, in Lu Ye's mind, his ranking had silently shifted from "baby" to "elementary school student."
"Then we'll go for an all-out offensive!" Yang Zhichang shouted. "Bullet Punch!"
Bang! Scizor's lightning-fast punch sliced through the air. Gengar's eyes flickered with an eerie blue light, but it was sent flying by the attack, flipping 180 degrees midair. "Gengaaaar~~~(ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ" Before it could even react, a beam of red light pulled Gengar back into its Poké Ball.
The audience was dumbfounded.
"What just happened?"
"Lu Ye's ace got completely broken through?"
Even Yang Zhichang was stunned. That easy? Something doesn't add up…
Without hesitation, Lu Ye sent out his next Pokémon. "Awoooo~~~" A proud and majestic Growlithe stepped forward, its forehead fur swaying as it locked eyes with Scizor.
"Scizor has a quadruple weakness to Fire!" the commentator swallowed hard. "This is a huge disadvantage!"
Yang Zhichang's face darkened. This doesn't make sense! I did my research. Growlithe is Lu Ye's weakest Pokémon. And on top of that, I run a Sandstorm team and I've never revealed Scizor before… So why would he bring Growlithe?!
He shot a glance at Lu Ye, hoping to catch a reaction. But Lu Ye, with his award-winning poker face, looked deadly serious. Gritting his teeth, Yang Zhichang reached for his Poké Ball. "Come back, Scizor."
Just then—Snap! Lu Ye snapped his fingers. "Flamethrower!"
Growlithe opened its jaws wide, spewing a searing column of fire straight at Scizor. Good thing I recalled it in time! Yang Zhichang felt momentary relief—until his eyes widened in shock. The red recall beam failed to absorb Scizor. From the shadow beneath its feet, a dark hand extended, gripping Scizor's ankle tightly.
"Wait… Is that—?!" Even the commentator was stunned. "Shadow Tag! A move Gengar secretly used before it was recalled!"
Lu Ye adjusted his sunglasses with a satisfied nod. Good to see those little pre-match arrangements paying off.
"Using subtle tricks and deep synergy with his Pokémon…" In the VIP section, Shi Jian raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Now that is an interesting trainer."
BOOM!! The jet of flames engulfed Scizor in an instant. The quadruple damage left it screeching in agony, its metallic exoskeleton turning deep red from the heat. Thud! Scizor collapsed.
"A… a one-shot?!"
"Lu Ye planned this! He wanted Growlithe on the field!"
"A one-hit KO in the finals?! That's badass!"
The stadium erupted. Meanwhile, Yang Zhichang studied the young man before him once more. I can't see through him… How is this guy just a sophomore? Why does he fight like a veteran? And more importantly—why does he fight so damn dirty?!
Frowning slightly, he took out his next Poké Ball. "Go, Tyranitar!" His ultimate ace. The heart of his Sandstorm team. A monstrous, towering Tyranitar!
[Inorin Note:
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