Robin felt the distinct, rhythmic pressure of Pikachu's paws on her legs, and her eyes instantly lit up. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached out; the mouse obediently tilted its head, leaning into her palm.
A warm, soft sensation radiated from the contact. As Robin gently stroked the golden fur, her trembling hands stilled, though her heart continued to race with a quiet, joyful intensity. She couldn't help herself—she scooped Pikachu up and rubbed her cheek against its soft face. Pikachu let out a contented coo and nuzzled back, sending a flush of pink to Robin's cheeks.
Suddenly remembering where she was, she regained her professional composure, coughed twice, and looked at Julian with an apologetic smile.
"Forgive me, Mr. Julian. I lost my poise for a moment. But... could I hold her just a little longer?"
"Haha, of course! It brings me nothing but joy to see such love for these creatures," Julian replied, turning his gaze back to the arena. He hadn't expected the galactic icon to have such a girlish, unfiltered side. In the game, her "Robin" persona was always poised and ethereal; here, she was just a girl with her favorite pet.
The Morning Brackets
Julian shifted his focus to the matches below. The opening bout featured two unfamiliar contestants. Their performance was solid—players with a deep, technical grasp of the meta—but they lacked a signature "flair." Predictably, the Xianzhou local took the win. With the Luofu being Julian's base of operations, the sheer density of high-level players there far outstripped other regions.
The second match brought a familiar face to the stage: Arlan from the Herta Space Station.
Arlan's style was a perfect reflection of his role as the Head of Security. He played a "Reactive Defense" game—every move was calculated to ensure his own safety while looking for the exact moment to punish an opponent's overextension.
His star was clearly his Arcanine. Perhaps due to his bond with his dog, Peppy, Arlan's synchronization with the fire-type was flawless. After strategically trading two of his Pokémon to whittle down four of his opponent's, his Arcanine swept the remainder of the enemy team, taking almost zero damage in the process.
Intermission and the Superstar's Departure
By the time the second session ended, the stadium moved into its lunch break. The surrounding restaurants in the Sky-Faring district were buzzing; you couldn't walk five feet without hearing a heated debate over Arlan's defense or the Julian-Silver Wolf exhibition.
Julian hosted a private lunch for Robin and Owlbert. As it concluded, Robin extended a delicate hand.
"Thank you for the hospitality, Mr. Julian. I have other engagements, so I must take my leave."
"It was an honor, Ms. Robin. I look forward to our next collaboration."
Robin leaned in and winked playfully. "If you can find a way for me to have a Wigglytuff companion in the real world next time, I might even give you a fifty-percent discount on my performance fee."
"I'll keep that in mind," Julian laughed. "Though I might just hire you as a commentator. You'd be twice as popular as Owlbert."
"Boss Julian! Professional matters should stay with professionals!" Owlbert interjected, looking genuinely alarmed at the thought of losing his lucrative gig. "Ms. Robin is a star, but the fans need my... technical expertise!"
Robin and Julian shared a laugh before she made her graceful exit.
The Afternoon Surge
The afternoon schedule was tight: four matches in the afternoon, followed by two in the evening.
The standout of the fourth match was a player named Lei Yue, an Electric-type specialist. Even when his opponent brought out Ground and Grass-type counters, Lei Yue didn't panic. He utilized his Electabuzz with such precision—targeting secondary types and using high-voltage resets—that he swept all six of the opponent's Pokémon at the cost of only three of his own. It was a masterclass in overcoming elemental disadvantages through pure micro-management.
Then came the fifth match: Welt Yang vs. a veteran from Edo Star.
Welt's team was a thematic powerhouse. While the first generation only had the Dragonite line as "True Dragons," Welt had built a "Pseudo-Dragon" roster: Gyarados, Charizard, Aerodactyl, and Seadra.
His opponent had clearly done his homework, bringing out Lapras and Dewgong to exploit the massive Ice-type weakness in Welt's lineup. However, Welt remained the calmest man in the stadium. He waited for the Edo player to grow overconfident after a successful counter, then launched a blistering high-speed assault with his Dragonite, knocking out the Lapras before it could set up a Blizzard.
In the second round, Welt baited a trade, sacrificing his momentum to eliminate the Dewgong. With the Ice threats gone, the Edo player's strategic map collapsed. Welt proceeded to dismantle the rest of the team, achieving the tournament's first 6-0 clean sweep.
The Evening Mystery
The crowd was already electrified, but the seventh match of the evening stole the show. The Fruit Shop Part-timer stepped onto the stage.
To the collective gasp of the audience, he didn't bring a balanced team. He led with a Ditto. Then another. And another.
Using an almost precognitive understanding of the game's mechanics, he used Transform to become a superior version of whatever his opponent sent out. He controlled the flow of the battle so perfectly that he achieved the second 6-0 sweep of the day—without losing a single one of his three Dittos.
"Is his entire team just Dittos?" the fans whispered.
The "Part-timer" stood behind his digital pillar, his cartoon avatar sweating nervously, but his results spoke of a terrifying, genius-level intellect.
As the sun set over the Luofu, the galaxy realized that the Master Challenge wasn't just a game. It was becoming a war of wits.
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