The stadium was buzzing with the aftermath of the second round. Guinaifen's victory over Arlan remained the primary topic of conversation, though many viewers were still scratching their heads. On paper, Arlan had dictated the pace, and the betting odds reflected it—closing at a staggering 0.5:10 against the street performer. Those who had bet their life savings on the "sure thing" of the Space Station's security chief had lost everything, down to their very boots.
Only a handful of Guinaifen's most loyal "family members" had placed symbolic bets and found themselves suddenly wealthy. But for the general public, the statistics of the win mattered less than the spectacle. The Luofu loved an underdog, and Guinaifen's approval rating had transcended her streaming numbers, turning her into a true folk hero of the tournament.
As the brackets narrowed, the dominance of the "Big Three" became undeniable. Silver Wolf and the Fruit Shop Part-timer dismantled their opponents with surgical precision. While they didn't quite replicate their 0-6 sweeps from the first round, Silver Wolf still secured a 1-6 victory. The Part-timer, sticking to his "Triple Ditto" strategy, actually lost two of his transforms before winning, showing that the competition was finally catching up to his eccentric tactics.
Then came the match everyone was waiting for: Welt Yang vs. Zhao Hu.
As a member of the Astral Express, Welt carried an aura of interstellar mystery. The crowd was eager to see if the "Trailblazer" legend lived up to the hype. Welt stuck to his guns, fielding his "Dragon" team—a lineup of Gyarados, Charizard, Aerodactyl, and Dragonite.
Statistically, the match was a nightmare for Welt. Zhao Hu's Fighting-type team was equipped with Ice Punch and Thunder Punch. In a 100-match simulation, the elemental disadvantage should have resulted in a 70% win rate for Zhao Hu. Fighting-types typically hit for 100% neutral damage against Welt's flyers, while the Ice and Electric coverage moves offered 2x to 4x super-effective multipliers.
However, the result was absurdly one-sided in the other direction.
Welt won with embarrassing ease. Zhao Hu, it seemed, was a master of the "Cinderella Story"—he played with brilliant discipline when he was the underdog, but the moment he had the elemental advantage, he became reckless. He relied too heavily on the "math" of the 4x Ice weakness and left his defenses wide open. Welt, a man who had spent a lifetime calculating the trajectories of black holes, exploited every gap. He swept three of Zhao Hu's Pokémon in rapid succession, ending the match before his researched "anti-fighting" strategies even needed to be used.
The Quarterfinal Draw
The list for the Top 8 was finalized, and the air in the preparation room turned cold as the matchups appeared:
Fu Xuan vs. Random Seed AFruit Shop Part-timer vs. Random Seed BWelt Yang vs. Lei Yue (The Electric Specialist)Silver Wolf vs. Guinaifen
For Guinaifen and her fans, it felt like the sky had collapsed. Silver Wolf's exhibition match was still fresh in everyone's minds; the gap in raw gaming talent was a canyon.
Welt and Lei Yue exchanged a respectful nod. Welt privately hoped Lei Yue wouldn't crumble like Zhao Hu; he craved a challenge that would force him to touch the "Soul Connection" Julian had demonstrated.
Silver Wolf, standing near the exit, glanced indifferently at a trembling Guinaifen. "Looking forward to seeing what you've got," she said coolly, before her holographic avatar flickered and vanished.
Guinaifen was left alone in the darkening stadium. The audience had filtered out, and the cleaning drones were beginning their rounds. The pressure was suffocating. How can I win? Why am I even here? My journey ends tomorrow, doesn't it?
"What? You're giving up already?"
Guinaifen spun around to see Julian Reed's holographic projection leaning against a pillar.
"Boss Julian!"
"The gap is large, I know," Julian said, his voice calm. "But 'large' isn't 'impossible.' If you decide you've lost before the first Poké Ball is thrown, you're being remarkably unfair to the friends who have carried you this far."
With a snap of Julian's fingers, six figures materialized around Guinaifen.
Wigglytuff, Charizard, Rhydon, Lapras, Jolteon, and Dragonite. (With her backup Gengar hovering behind).
"Pudding!" Wigglytuff chirped, bumping its soft body against her leg.
"Waaah!" Charizard let out a low, encouraging rumble.
"Geng!" The ghost poked her shoulder playfully.
Guinaifen felt the warmth of the Path-projection—the "Soul Link" Julian used to bridge the digital divide. Her Pokémon weren't just data points on a screen; they were looking at her with absolute trust. They hadn't given up. They were ready for the fight of their lives.
She looked at her hands, then at Julian. She remembered the nights of training, the failed streams, the hundreds of losses that led to her "sudden realization" on this stage. Why was she afraid? Was it because she had started to value the "winning streak" more than the "bond"?
"I understand," Guinaifen said, her eyes clearing as she stood tall. "Thank you, Boss Julian. I won't surrender. I'll give Silver Wolf the fight she deserves!"
"That's the spirit," Julian smiled, his projection fading into the starlight. "I believe in you, Little Gui. More than you think."
He wasn't just being kind. Julian had seen something in her that even Silver Wolf lacked: the ability to treat the simulation as reality. In a game about souls, that was the ultimate "hidden stat."
30+ chapters are available now and daily updates! @patreon.com/AgentTwilight