[Green Upgradable Entry (Fishing Pro) — The more you fish, the rarer the Pokémon you'll hook!]
Huh?
Lin Yu's eyes widened in surprise.
What a weird Entry.
Catch rarer Pokémon the more he fished?
And it was upgradable! Did that mean he might one day fish up a legendary like it was just a common carp?
…Well, maybe it wasn't impossible.
He would never discard an upgradable Entry, no matter how odd it seemed.
Just in case.
Just what if — one day, he actually hooked something insane?
The final showdown — the Provincial Tournament Championship Match!
Nobody would back down at this stage.
In competitive tournaments like this, people only remembered the winner, never second place.
The crowd roared, the atmosphere surging higher and higher.
Everyone waited to see who would take home the championship.
Outside Water Metropolis.
"Boss, are we really doing this now? Elite Four Ye is right there in the arena, refereeing!"
Several shady figures rode various Water-type Pokémon, whispering nervously.
Their leader held up a broken stone tablet covered in ancient script.
They'd already deciphered it — that was for the research team to handle.
Rumors spoke of a Soul Dew hidden deep beneath Water Metropolis.
Whoever held it could control the city's entire water current.
It was guarded by the legends Latias and Latios, who recharged the Soul Dew on a cycle… but fell into a severely weakened state afterward.
When the Soul Dew was being recharged, the city's waters turned eerily calm.
He glanced at the water nearby.
Aside from ripples from their Pokémon, the surface was as still as stagnant water.
This was exactly the sign of the recharge.
"Li Wu, you're 48 this year, right?"
The hesitant man nodded.
"At 48, you're still just a High-Rank Professional Trainer. Your Pokémon have hit their ceiling, haven't they?
Without a miracle, you'll never climb higher for the rest of your life.
Do you really want to stay stuck like this forever? With the Soul Dew, we control all of Water Metropolis' currents — escaping will be child's play!"
His voice turned sharp.
"Or better yet — Latias and Latios will be weakened. They're legendary Pokémon! If we capture them…
Once we lie low for a while, the whole world is ours — every Secret Realm, all the power!"
For all his tempting words, a cold contempt flashed in his eyes.
Team Rocket had no use for cowards who hesitated.
Li Wu's face twisted with conflict.
The desperation of a middle-aged man trapped at his level made the offer impossible to resist.
"But… Latias and Latios are legends! When they recover, will they even obey us?"
He hadn't completely lost his mind.
"The weakened state lasts at least three years. What are you scared of?"
"...Fine."
"Kingdra, move out!"
Inside the tournament arena.
Lin Yu had underestimated his final opponent.
Level 35 Vaporeon
with Master-tier Talent.
He remembered it being just an Eevee not long ago.
Clearly, she'd gone all out to prepare for him — even evolving it.
Strong, no doubt about it.
Vaporeon had a sleek mermaid-like tail, fins on its head, a fluffy white collar, and smooth, glossy skin.
Her Trainer was a cute girl named Li Yue — no nobody, having fought her way to the finals.
She wore a Pikachu-printed hoodie and looked up at Lin Yu with pleading eyes.
"Pleeease, handsome! Don't let your Frogadier use any Electric-type moves, okay?"
She knew full well — if Frogadier turned Electric, her Vaporeon wouldn't last two hits.
"...Alright."
Lin Yu scratched his nose.
She'd already conceded politely.
Besides, Frogadier had reached Level 32 during the tournament.
Battles really were the fastest way for Pokémon to grow —
as long as they were fair fights, not one-sided stomps.
"Begin!"
No commentary was needed for a match this intense.
But the second the match started…
the girl who'd looked so pitiful turned ice-serious.
She struck first.
"Vaporeon — Charm!"
A faint, eerie purple light flashed in its eyes and washed over Frogadier instantly.
Charm: Lowers the opponent's Attack with a cute stare. It always acts first.
In real life, it didn't have perfect priority like in the games…
but it drastically sped up Vaporeon's energy flow, letting it unleash moves faster.
"Quick Attack!"
Everyone had seen Frogadier's absurd speed.
So she opened with the fastest possible move to seize control.
Vaporeon blurred forward.
Lin Yu didn't hold back.
"Agility into Aerial Ace!"
Frogadier didn't have Charmeleon's [Purification] Entry…
but in Water Metropolis?
Its speed was unrivaled.
To the crowd, the clash looked like two blurs colliding.
Fast.
Way too fast.
"Not bad!"
Even slowed by Charm, Frogadier hadn't gained an edge.
Li Yue's eyes lit up.
Perfect — she could drag the fight underwater!
Vaporeon's agility in water was far better than Frogadier's.
"Vaporeon, dive! Hydro Pump!"
"Vapore!"
After the clash, Vaporeon vanished beneath the surface at once.
"Oh…"
Compared to Vaporeon's streamlined body, Frogadier was at a huge disadvantage in water.
Worse still…
Frogadier's swimming style was… kind of embarrassing.
Just picture a dark frog flailing awkwardly underwater.
For a Pokémon as vain as Frogadier,
it would never go in willingly.
Lin Yu had to give the girl credit.
But did she really think she could drain him endlessly underwater?
He had Aura Power, after all.
In that instant,
Lin Yu and Frogadier shared a perfect telepathic link.
A Hydro Pump as thick as a barrel erupted toward Frogadier's platform.
Its energy signature was eerily masked.
Before the match, Li Yue had drilled Vaporeon nonstop to hide its energy — specifically to counter Frogadier!
She'd noticed that, for all its strength, Frogadier didn't use the battlefield to its advantage.
This was her chance!
But…
Even with the hidden energy, Frogadier dodged the Hydro Pump like it had seen the future.
Why?