The momentum of the Master Challenge was a runaway train. After the emotional peak of Guinaifen's struggle, Julian Reed and the committee wasted no time. While Guinaifen was a baseline human, the remaining four finalists were either seasoned Pathstriders or individuals with terrifying mental fortitude. They wouldn't suffer from the same "overclocking" issues.
"Let's settle the semifinals today," Julian announced. "The galaxy is waiting for the final showdown."
The brackets appeared on the stadium's massive monitors:
Fu Xuan vs. Welt Yang (A battle of tactical giants)Fruit Shop Part-timer vs. Silver Wolf (The long-awaited grudge match)
"Yes! Finally, I can bury this 'Part-timer' in the very code he thinks he knows," Silver Wolf declared, her eyes lighting up with a predatory gleam. She even turned and gave Julian a thumbs-up.
Julian immediately looked away, pretending to be fascinated by a nearby pillar. Heaven be my witness, he thought, the brackets are randomized by the system. If people think I'm fixing matches for my friends, I'll never hear the end of it.
The Fruit Shop Part-timer didn't look back at her. Instead, his cartoon avatar began to vibrate with such intensity that digital sweat literally poured from its mouth. He looked like he was about to dissolve into a puddle of social anxiety, which only made the audience roar with laughter.
Since Welt had just finished his grueling match with Lei Yue, the committee decided to open with Silver Wolf vs. The Part-timer.
The Duel of the Hackers
Both trainers materialized on the holographic stage. Silver Wolf's gaze was sharp enough to cut through the jade-gate signal. The Part-timer, hiding behind a newly conjured digital pillar, slowly stopped his trembling.
"I'm settling every debt today," Silver Wolf said, her voice amplified for the stadium. "From the war-sims to the server races—you're done."
"Go... Snorlax!" Silver Wolf opened with her most reliable "Wall." Against a mysterious opponent, she chose the Pokémon with the fewest exploitable holes.
The Part-timer's voice, a soft, youthful tenor, finally spoke: "Go... Ditto."
The moment the Poké Ball left his hand, his demeanor flipped. The stuttering, timid cartoon was gone, replaced by a cold, surgical precision in his movements. It was a transformation as dramatic as his Pokémon's.
The Ditto landed and instantly morphed into a perfect replica of the Snorlax.
"Again with the blobs?" Silver Wolf's forehead veins began to throb.
Using a Ditto against a pro was a double-edged sword. While it mirrored the opponent's stats, a Ditto's HP remained at its low base level. To win with a Ditto, the Trainer had to be significantly better at micro-management than their opponent to avoid being traded out.
Silver Wolf didn't bother with the subtle dances she used against Guinaifen. Against the Part-timer, she had one word: Aggression. She forced a brutal trade of blows, using Rock Tomb to collapse the arena around the Ditto-Snorlax. If the Part-timer wanted to mirror her, she would simply out-muscle him with her superior HP pool.
The first Ditto fell. Then the second. Then the third.
Silver Wolf's Snorlax was heavily bruised and panting, but she had cleared half his team. "Don't tell me your last three are also Dittos," she growled. "If you're throwing this match, I will find your real-world coordinates and kick your door in."
The Part-timer's avatar gave a mysterious, slightly mischievous smile. He tossed his fourth ball. "Go... Gyarados!"
Silver Wolf let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Finally, a real fight. She sacrificed her exhausted Snorlax to get a clean switch into Dragonite. A single Thunderbolt—which couldn't be "glanced" or "dodged" at this range—struck the water-serpent for 4x damage, ending the Gyarados in one hit.
But Silver Wolf wasn't happy. She felt like she was being played with. The Part-timer's fifth choice, a Dewgong, actually managed to pressure her Dragonite with its Ice-type advantage, whittling her down to a sliver of health before falling to an Air Slash.
Then came his final Pokémon.
"Pika!"
A Pikachu landed on the field. The stadium went silent. The Part-timer looked determined, but Julian, watching from the VIP box, burst into laughter.
"This guy... he really doesn't care about the trophy, does he?" Julian whispered.
Julian could see it now. The Part-timer—Stephen Lloyd—wasn't here to win. He was here to experience the game Julian had built. He had used three Dittos just to see how Silver Wolf played. He had brought a Pikachu just because he liked the design.
Silver Wolf, however, was beyond furious. This was her "Grand Revenge," and her opponent was treating it like a casual stroll through a park.
She didn't give him a chance to show off any "soul connection." She went into a berserk, reckless offensive, using Dragonite and her remaining team to crush the Pikachu in a matter of seconds.
Victory: Silver Wolf.
As the "Winner" screen flashed, the Part-timer's avatar gave a cheerful wave and disappeared.
Silver Wolf marched off the stage and into the player's lounge, her face a mask of fury. She slammed her hands onto her Void Keyboard, the holographic keys glowing with a frantic light.
"I am going to find him," she hissed, her fingers flying through lines of code as she tried to trace the Part-timer's signal. "He stood me up! He didn't even try! I'm meeting this guy in person if it's the last thing I do!"