The Top Donor's face turned an ugly shade of gray.
Not only had Li Yuan humiliated him in public, but he realized he had offended the one person who could give him the power he craved. He wanted to apologize, but as a "rich second-generation" heir with a reputation to maintain in front of a million viewers, he couldn't bring himself to tuck his tail and beg.
Besides, he wasn't 100% sure this kid was the real deal. The chat was just speculating. He refused to believe someone who looked younger than him could have such godlike training skills.
The bridge was already burned. He wouldn't lower himself to beg for peace. And honestly, with his family wealth, did he even need a "Blaze hack" to make a name for himself? Money was the ultimate hack.
"Hmph! You claim to be the mystery man, but how do we know? How are you going to prove your identity?" The Top Donor regained his arrogant composure, speaking like a judge passing sentence.
"Are you mentally ill? Who I am is none of your damn business. Fight me or get lost and let the next person in. Stop wasting everyone's time. Don't you see Sister Erika is waiting to get off work for lunch?" Li Yuan snapped back with zero hesitation.
Who do you think you are, demanding proof? Will you die if I don't prove it to you? He thought. If I don't give you a piece of my mind, you'll really think you're something special.
"You!" The Top Donor was turn purple with rage. He was speechless. Li Yuan didn't play by the rules; he didn't care about his reputation or the audience. He just started swearing the moment he got annoyed. How do you argue with someone like that?
And technically, Li Yuan was right. Who I am is none of your business. It was the ultimate "fuck you." The Donor wasn't a law enforcement officer; he had no right to demand identification.
"You're a Gym Trainer. Is this how you treat challengers?" the Donor growled, trying to use League regulations as a weapon.
"If you're unhappy with my service, feel free to file a complaint on the official website. But for now, decide: fight or leave. Stop holding up the line, okay?" Li Yuan looked utterly bored.
So what if my attitude is bad? Is it a crime? At worst, he'd get fired. He never wanted to be a Gym Trainer anyway; he didn't need the pittance they paid him. As for the moral high ground the viewers might take? He didn't care. Internet outrage lasted forty-eight hours at most. After that, he'd still be rich and he'd still be swimming in beautiful women.
In fact, if people hated him, it was better! It would stop them from bothering him for hacks.
He was here to fulfill Officer Jenny's request to disperse the crowd. He didn't need to be nice. He just needed to be a prick.
"Hmph! I've never seen someone so eager to die. If you want to fight, let's fight. I'll see if your strength is as big as your mouth," the Top Donor snarled. He had to take the bait; otherwise, everyone would think he was a coward.
He wanted to see if this kid really had "hacks." If his Meowscarada had some secret power, maybe his Infernape could finally go all out.
The Donor tossed his Poké Ball. An Infernape with a crown of roaring flames appeared on the field. Its raw energy was at the Senior+ rank. It was clear the Donor had some talent—this was the standard for a top-tier graduating senior.
"Huanhuan, it's up to you. End this quickly; we have a lunch date," Li Yuan said casually. He and his Meowscarada both looked like they couldn't be bothered to even look at the Infernape.
"Stop acting! Infernape, one-shot her!" The Donor was pushed over the edge by their arrogance. A mere Elite+ rank cat acting like it was superior to his Senior+ ape? He'd show them.
A Rank difference was massive. Even if the cat had a "Super Blaze" equivalent and a type advantage (which it didn't), it shouldn't be able to overcome a full rank gap. One-shot victories were for novels, not real life.
"WU-AO!"
Infernape roared, offended by the cat's dismissive gaze. It lunged forward, its feet kicking off the ground with an explosive "Burst Step." A shroud of flames erupted around its fist as it aimed a massive Fire Punch straight for Meowscarada's pretty face.
The speed was terrifying. Almost as soon as the command was given, the flaming fist was inches from the cat's nose.
The audience, both in person and online, held their breath. Someone in the chat had leaked that Huanhuan was only Elite+ rank. There was no way she could survive a direct hit from a Senior+ Infernape's Fire Punch.
Worse, she was still a Grass-type. Without a Protean shift, she'd be turned into a charcoal kitten.
Everyone thought Li Yuan had finally overreached. Even May and Jenny, watching from afar, felt their hearts skip a beat. He's always such a prick, but being this lazy in a match? If he gets one-shotted, it's going to be so embarrassing!
Only Erika, standing behind Li Yuan, remained calm. She had known him for years. She had never seen that brat lose. If he acted like an opponent was nothing, it was because they truly were beneath him.
The flaming fist slammed into Huanhuan's face with a sickening crunch.
But the cat didn't fly back. Instead, the audience watched in horror as Meowscarada's head... exploded.
Literally. Her head burst like a ripe watermelon, shattering into a cloud of vibrant green dust and pollen.
The scene was nightmarish. Pokémon had a natural "Faint Protection" mechanism; even with a massive power gap, they shouldn't be killed or dismembered. They just fainted. Seeing a head explode was unprecedented.
Something is wrong with that cat!
"It's a Substitute... No, she filled the Substitute with Sleep Powder," Erika analyzed out loud, her voice calm.
She knew her "brother" was a cunning brat. He never did anything without a purpose. Everyone knew Sleep Powder was a powerful status move, but the powder was too light; any energy wave in a battle would blow it away.
So, Li Yuan had provoked the Infernape into a blind rage. He made the ape charge in and physically destroy a Substitute that was packed to the brim with compressed Sleep Powder. The explosion sent the powder everywhere, instantly swallowing the Infernape in a thick, green cloud of slumber.
As for the real Huanhuan? And when she had set the Substitute?
Erika just smiled. Meowscarada was the "Magician Pokémon." Their specialty was sleight of hand. Making a "disappearing act" and leaving a decoy behind was child's play for a Pokémon raised by Li Yuan.