https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-428-The-Summit-Gramps-Bring-it-on-/12944619/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-430-The-Power-of-Money-Living-Up-to-Its-Reputation/12944621/
Chapter 429: Jing He: Me? Master?
Chapter 429: Jing He: Me? Master?
The final battle for the Bellflower Tournament championship has concluded.
Jing He, accompanied by his Pokemon, stepped onto the podium and received the championship trophy and medals from President Dalama Lanqi and King Juye.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fireworks once again blossomed in the sky, and Jing He and his Pokemon couldn't help but smile.
That smile held many meanings: snacks, ice cubes, dragon scales, metal, charcoal, minerals, and more. But one thing was certain.
The current outcome was undoubtedly positive.
"Let's give another round of applause to Jing He and his Pokemon!"
"Heng Ga~!" Gramps, wearing sunglasses, stood in the center, pushing Jing He out of the spotlight.
"Woof!"
Ice Nine-Tailed, clinging to Jing He's right arm, stood alongside Gigaforg, holding a giant hammer, and Martial Bear Master, with his imposing stature, embracing them both.
"Oink~"
Swift Dragon hugged Jing He's head, grinning happily. Next to it was Charcoal Little Servant, holding onto Tyrogue to keep it from running off, along with Meddling Brother and Sister and Frost Milk Fairy.
In the shadows, Mashado could be seen faintly, holding a wooden stick.
The entire venue erupted in enthusiastic cheers, and colorful ribbons rained down from the sky.
Click!
Rotom pressed the shutter.
In that instant, the Pokemon, at the instruction of Gramps, the leader, tossed Jing He into the air, capturing this "beautiful" moment perfectly.
The award ceremony concluded, marking the official end of the Bellflower Tournament.
And now, it's time for the prize money, oh, the gathering!
Although the Bellflower Tournament had officially ended, the excitement surrounding it didn't fade away immediately.
This was evident from the number of tourists still lingering on Bellflower Island.
Discussions about the tournament continued, and one particular topic stood out—
Jing He's intense battle against the Legendary Man and his defeat had become a popular topic.
Indeed, Dakudo, the owner of Latios and Darkrai, had earned the title of Legendary Man.
Throughout the entire battle, there were many points of contention (unreasonable moments), but the most discussed, without a doubt, was—
The Swift Dragon's Reverse Slash against the Legendary Pokemon, and the Nightmare God being put to sleep.
Latios expressed: "I was feeling rather uncomfortable, but seeing Darkrai instantly lifted my spirits! Thank you, Darkrai!"
This led to some speculation.
"Jing He's strength... is at least on par with the Four Champions, right?"
"Four Champions? Mashide Master has already been 'dominated' by Jing He!"
"At the very least, he's at the Champion level, with an unknown upper limit, possibly capable of defeating a Unique God."
"Wow, to have such strength and participate in the League Tournament..."
"Is that a new fan up there? Hey! Let me tell you, our Jing He loves to compete in the Baby Cup! How does that make you feel?"
". . ."
Many joined the discussion about Jing He's strength, and opinions varied.
To be honest, many felt that Jing He might not have even used his full power during his battle against Dakudo.
With endorsements from Mashide and Hippowdon, people's imaginations about Jing He's strength knew no bounds.
Dakudo: "My apologies, Jing He, for not pushing you to your limits."
However, Jing He had formed some judgment about his own strength.
He was undoubtedly stronger than most Gym Leaders, not only in terms of his Pokemon's raw power but also in his soft power of command.
But when it came to comparing with the true Four Champions, Gramps might be able to match the strength of some regular Four Champions' main Pokemon.
To be honest, it had been a long time since Jing He had seen Gramps go all out.
As for Ice Nine-Tailed, Gigaforg, Swift Dragon, and the newly evolved Martial Bear Master, they were slightly inferior to Gramps in terms of raw power.
Of course, this was under normal circumstances.
But Pokemon were the least predictable when it came to assessing their abilities.
Ice Nine-Tailed's Absolute Defense, Gigaforg's strength, Swift Dragon's Raging Scales, and Martial Bear Master's form-shifting—it was hard to say what they were capable of when fully unleashed.
Gramps was just a rough comparison.
Charcoal Little Servant was slightly inferior.
Tyrogue, needless to say, was still just a baby.
"Perhaps... in a 'rural' place like Alola, he could already be a Four Champion?"
However, in the Alola region, the status of the Island King far surpassed that of the Four Champions, and it didn't seem very appealing.
The main issue was the low salary.
As for the Sinnoh and Johto regions...
Johto had plenty of money, known for its wealth, second only to the Kanto region.
But could an ordinary person become a Four Champion in the Johto region? Who knows when Flygon and Feebas might cause trouble, and you'd have to face them directly!"
In the Sinnoh region, although not as wealthy as Johto, the challenges were no less significant.
After all, the Creation Trio and the Space-Time Dragons also caused trouble in Sinnoh.
"Speaking of the tournament champion, they seem to have earned the right to challenge the League's Four Champions, or even the Champion, right?"
And this qualification could be retained.
Daye, for example, followed this path and became a Sinnoh Four Champion.
Red and Green, on the other hand, cleared the League upon their debut, which was simply unfair.
However, those who successfully challenged and won were few and far between.
Not everyone could be like Alice, encountering a Champion who was solely focused on finding a successor.
Moreover, the strength gap between regional champions and regional champions could sometimes be significant.
Night fell.
Bellflower Island lit up with dazzling fireworks, and a large number of tourists gathered in the tournament square to celebrate.
Jing He and Sharon, on the other hand, headed back to the Sinnoh League headquarters.
There wasn't anything particularly pressing to do, just to collect the prize money first.
"Hey there~"
Gramps and Sharpedo followed behind the two, holding up a tablet and watching the latest episode of "Meowth and Pikachu".
Along the way, Sharon spoke up, "The invitation for the showcase battle has already been sent. What do you think, have you decided?"
"They sent it so quickly?"
Earlier, Sharon had mentioned that a noble wanted to host a celebration and planned to invite capable and popular Trainers for a showcase battle.
With Jinghe's current popularity and strength, he could finally make some money by appearing in the showcase.
Sharon smiled and said, "By the time the battle was halfway through, they had already sent the invitation."
It was clear that Sharon, the most famous young Trainer in the Sinnoh region and with her immense popularity, was also on the invitation list.
"I heard the Four Champions might be invited?"
Which region's Four Champions are so free?
"Hmm. Indeed, it's said that one of them has already confirmed their attendance."
A showcase battle with the Four Champions to add some hype...
But it's just a showcase, so winning or losing doesn't really matter.
"What about the fee?"
Sharon extended her fair hand and spread her five fingers.
"Five hundred thousand?"
Hearing this, Sharon was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Add a zero."
Five million!
Wow...
This appearance fee...
"After all, you just won the championship, and your popularity is at its peak."
Hearing this, Jinghe understood.
For showcase battles, popularity and exposure are crucial. With his recent championship win, he was undoubtedly at the height of his popularity.
Moreover, he only needed to participate in one battle, unlike the Bellflower Tournament, where he had to go through multiple rounds, each with several battles.
This should be easier than the Bellflower Tournament, right?
Jinghe immediately agreed.
With the appearance fee for the showcase and the prize money from the Bellflower Tournament, he should have enough for his little Pokemon to enjoy themselves for a while.
If all else fails, there's still the League's five million credit limit.
And the funds from the "Special Raid Squad".
The two arrived at the headquarters of the Sinnoh League.
They were greeted by King Juye.
It was evident.
This Bellflower Tournament was most likely planned by King Juye.
"Congratulations, Jinghe," King Juye said with a smile.
"Please excuse the wait, King Juye," Jinghe replied politely.
"How about it?" King Juye suddenly asked. "Are you interested in challenging for a Four Champions seat?"
Hmm?
Jinghe laughed awkwardly, "I'd rather not, I don't think I have the skills for that."
Who knew King Juye would sigh seemingly unintentionally.
"Sigh, I'm getting old. Lately, I feel like my energy can't keep up, and my strength has declined significantly."
After saying this, he glanced meaningfully at Jinghe.
Jinghe: "???"
Was this a hint?
This was definitely a hint!
A hint to Jinghe that if he were to challenge her, she could go easy on him!
Sinnoh's Four Champions, everyone wants to retire!
Others might not have realized Jinghe's true strength, but King Juye had definitely seen some of it.
With Jinghe's skills, becoming a somewhat average Four Champion should be manageable.
According to what she knew, Jinghe used to be a top student, with exceptional theoretical knowledge. He had only been a Trainer for a little over half a year.
In just half a year, he had grown from a novice Trainer to his current level.
If given another half a year, he might even have a chance at the Sinnoh League Championship.
A talent like this, once discovered, would never be let go.
After all, the Sinnoh League was the first to implement the policy of having younger Champions and Four Champions.
Jinghe coughed a few times, pretending not to have heard King Juye's subtle hint. "Well, King Juye, you're busy with many matters, so take care of yourself."
King Juye: "..."
Sharon, standing by the side, couldn't help but smile.
Jinghe was definitely a master at feigning ignorance.
The kind who could mistake a sword for a knife.
Jinghe quickly steered the conversation back on track, saying, "King Juye, about the championship reward..."
King Juye looked deeply into Jinghe's eyes.
She didn't press the matter.
"Follow me."
After turning around, a smile appeared on her face.
Not bad, at least he wasn't trying to take advantage in this regard.
As for keeping Jinghe...
Did she really suggest Jinghe as the leader of the "Special Raid Squad" solely based on his abilities?
Look at who the members of the "Special Raid Squad" are.
Wusong, Da She Lian, and A Liu!
All of them are young and promising Trainers under the Sinnoh League's watchful eye.
And with Sharon's finishing move!
Moreover, the raid mission was likely to take place in Sinnoh, so it wouldn't be easy for Jinghe to refuse.
"Oh, right." King Juye remembered something.
"The League has upgraded your Trainer rank from Novice to Master."
Jinghe stopped in his tracks, frozen in place.
Master rank?
In the Pokemon world, Trainer ranks are generally categorized as Novice, Elite, Veteran, Professional, Master, and Champion.
Trainer rank doesn't necessarily equate to strength.
This isn't the standard for measuring a Trainer's abilities.
By participating in more competitions, one can accumulate points and increase their Trainer rank.
Some Trainers who participate in many competitions may have a high rank, but their strength might be average.
It's not uncommon for Masters to lose to Professionals, Veterans, or even Elites and Novices.
There will always be some incredibly talented newcomers.
For Jinghe, the Master rank meant only one thing.
He couldn't participate in regular League tournaments anymore! Because he could now compete in the Master League.
Jinghe: "Damn it!"
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(End of Chapter)
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