Chapter 184: A Meeting with Zhurong Yun
Before the Top 84 contestants competed for the Top 42 spots, there was a one-day rest and adjustment period.
After all, in a large-scale event like the National Collegiate League, every battle was a severe test of the strategy and mentality of both the trainer and their Pokémon.
On the other hand, although Pokémon possessed a mechanism to protect themselves when fainting—meaning that if they simply exhausted their stamina and lost consciousness in a standard battle, they could recover quickly with proper treatment—things were different when facing high-power moves like Self-Destruct, Explosion, or Slaking's serious punches.
When a Pokémon was incapacitated by such overwhelming force, recovery took much longer. If not treated properly, it could leave hidden injuries in the Pokémon.
In minor cases, this could affect the Pokémon's growth speed and squeeze out its potential. In severe cases, it could end up like Wang Huashi's Aggron—stuck at the peak of the Gym Leader level for life, unable to ever break through to the Elite Four level.
With nothing to do, Kenji took advantage of this day off to step out of the Phoenix Nest.
"Kenji! Kenji!! Over here, over here!!"
Just as he walked out of the Phoenix Nest Battle Arena, Mina (Meng Ning) was waving her hands by the roadside. She carried a small bag and was wearing a rare purple dress.
"You're from Imperial Academy. Don't you need to avoid suspicion?" Kenji teased with a smile.
Mina shrugged indifferently. "Who cares about them? Where do you want to play? Big sis will show you around."
Kenji rubbed his chin and said, "How about you take me for a tour of your school?"
"Sure," Mina replied with a beaming smile.
Jokes aside, Kenji couldn't actually follow Mina to Imperial Academy. His current status was a bit sensitive; going there might be interpreted as a provocation.
As the capital, Capital City had plenty of places to visit. The two of them ate, drank, and had fun, and the day passed quickly.
When Kenji returned to the reception area of the Phoenix Nest Battle Arena, he was just about to head to the elevator when a woman with a curvaceous figure suddenly stepped out, blocking his path.
"Mr. Kenji." The woman turned around, looking at Kenji with a smile.
Kenji looked her over. She had an elegant temperament and was wearing a red cheongsam.
"Mr. Yun invites you upstairs for a chat," the woman continued.
Mr. Yun? Kenji paused.
Zhurong Yun?
Zhurong Yun's face instantly appeared in Kenji's mind.
Kenji was quite interested in this Champion. It seemed that this Champion was just as interested in him.
He switched to the exclusive elevator on the other side.
When the elevator reached the top floor of the reception center, the doors remained closed until the woman took out a card and swiped it over the sensor. With a click, the elevator doors slowly opened.
The woman made a gesture of invitation but showed no intention of exiting the elevator herself.
Kenji walked out, the elevator doors closed, and the woman left the floor with the elevator.
Walking further in, he found a room door slightly ajar, not fully closed.
Kenji raised his hand and knocked anyway.
"Come in." A man's familiar voice came from inside.
Kenji had heard this voice countless times through TV screens.
Pushing the door open, he saw Zhurong Yun sitting on the sofa in loungewear, legs crossed, looking smilingly at Kenji as he entered.
"First time meeting you in person. I've heard a lot about you." Zhurong Yun stood up and walked over to Kenji. His attitude was extremely humble, without any of the airs a Champion of the Huaxia League might be expected to have.
"Your Excellency," Kenji bowed slightly, showing a humble attitude.
Zhurong Yun waved his hand. "There's no one else here. Just call me by my name, Zhurong Yun."
"..."
That said, even ignoring his status as Champion, Zhurong Yun was his senior in both age and experience. Kenji naturally couldn't call him by his full name directly.
"Senior Yun."
Zhurong Yun didn't seem to mind how Kenji addressed him. He gestured for Kenji to sit.
Kenji sat down, quietly waiting for what was to come.
Zhurong Yun didn't rush to the main topic. Instead, he made small talk with Kenji.
After chatting for half an hour, Zhurong Yun asked, seemingly casually, "You should know a bit about our Zhurong Clan, right? Do you know what the faith of our Zhurong Clan is?"
Kenji nodded. Almost anyone in Huaxia could answer this question.
"Ho-Oh."
Zhurong Yun nodded. "Yes. A long, long time ago, our Zhurong Clan chose Ho-Oh as our totem and faith.
"But likewise, at the same time we chose Ho-Oh, Ho-Oh chose us."
"You could say that Ho-Oh is indispensable to the status our Zhurong Clan holds today."
Kenji remained noncommittal. Facts were indeed as Zhurong Yun said; the Zhurong Clan's ability to stand tall through generations was largely due to Ho-Oh's blessing.
But Kenji didn't understand why Zhurong Yun was suddenly telling him this.
Zhurong Yun continued, "The Zhurong Clan stands tall because of Ho-Oh's choice. The First Emperor achieved the great unification with the help of Rayquaza. Zekrom assisted generations of heroes in creating ideal nations...
"And those ideal nations were destroyed by the Dragon of Ideals when those ideals were lost...
"The course of human history, one could say, is the result of Legendary Pokémon pushing the waves.
"Kenji, do you think this is true?"
After speaking, Zhurong Yun looked at Kenji.
Kenji pondered for a moment, then nodded, agreeing with Zhurong Yun's statement.
"Senior Yun... I still don't understand. Why... are you talking to me about this?" Kenji asked straightforwardly.
Zhurong Yun's expression became serious. He fixed his gaze on Kenji and said, "Kenji, what if I told you that you are the next person chosen by a Legendary Pokémon, destined to leave a vibrant mark on human history?"
"Are... are you serious?"
Zhurong Yun nodded. "This is a revelation from Ho-Oh."
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