Chapter 576: Young Master World Championship, Grand Finale!

Chapter 576: Young Master World Championship, Grand Finale!



As night fell, a peculiar sound reverberated through the air.

"Henga~~"

Gengu, the Gengar, was unusually quiet, sitting alone in a corner with a black orb floating in one hand, and soon, another orb appeared in its other hand.

Wearing the Knowledge Glasses, Gengu seemed deep in thought as it carefully merged the two Shadow Balls together.

"Henga~ Henga~~"

Oops, something's wrong.

The fusion attempt failed, and Gengu casually tossed the Shadow Balls into its mouth.

Suddenly, its body inflated slightly, followed by a dull thud, and then everything returned to calm.

Gengu proceeded to repeat its previous attempts.

"Is there anything I can help with, Lotom?" Lotom, the Rotom, asked as it brought two freshly toasted slices of bread to Yuki, a Larvitar, and addressed the group sitting in the living room.

"Hmm," Wu Song glanced at his coffee, then at the various snacks in everyone's hands, and shook his head. "No need, thank you for your hard work, Lotom."

"Ahahaha—no, no problem, Lotom!" Lotom responded with an awkward laugh, scratching its head.

"Right! Right, cleaning!"

At this moment, Lotom seemed to have boundless energy as it dove headfirst into a corner cleaning robot and began a thorough cleaning of the entire house.

After that, there was mopping, floor washing, and window cleaning.

"Lotom sure has endless energy," Da Ye marveled.

"Actually," Da Wu said, holding a brush in one hand and an unidentified stone in the other, carefully cleaning as he spoke, "Teacher Li's Lotom is quite powerful."

"Indeed," Ado agreed, nodding. "It just doesn't get to battle much."

Everyone in the room was an elite Trainer, and while they couldn't fully gauge Lotom's strength, they could sense its potential.

"Speaking of which, how is Xihuona planning to deal with Teacher Jing He?" Da Ye asked, looking at Xihuona, who was sitting in a corner of the sofa, eating ice cream.

"Hmm?"

Xihuona lifted her head slightly.

She hadn't considered this question yet.

"I think—" Wu Song put down his coffee and closed his book, eager to share his thoughts.

Before he could finish, Da Ye interrupted, "You must be careful of Teacher Jing He's Gengu."

"Henga?"

Gengu, sitting in the corner, looked up in confusion, adjusting its glasses.

Did someone call for me?

The others shot Da Ye a disapproving glance.

Even Aoliu couldn't help but speak up, "Everyone knows about this."

"Yeah, stop stating the obvious," Wu Song added, giving him a sidelong glance.

Would anyone who knows Teacher Jing He not be aware of his Gengu? As Jing He's original partner and Mega Evolution partner, coupled with Gengu's abilities and strength, did Da Ye really need to remind them?

"I think," Ado began, "you should be cautious of Jing He's Rapid Dragon. That Rapid Dragon possesses an exceptional 'Dragon's Sanctuary' talent, which Jing He has already realized."

Da Wu nodded in agreement and added, "Moreover, the Rapid Dragon is incredibly fast and has a move similar to Braviary's 'Dragon Eye'."

"And it can maintain its sanity even when in Reverse Scale Mode," Da Ye interjected.

"Additionally, I believe the Crimson Blade Phantom and Martial Bear are equally important," Wu Song said. "Under Jing He's command, their ability to switch attributes plays a significant role."

The Crimson Blade Phantom and Martial Bear could almost be considered as having three different attributes and abilities.

"In that case, Jing He's Ice Nine-Tails is also formidable," Cona, sitting on the sofa next to Xihuona, added. "It poses a significant threat to your Braviary in terms of attributes."

The Braviary was also a four-fold weak Ice type, and Dragon-type moves couldn't harm the Fairy-type Ice Nine-Tails.

If the Braviary were to face the Ice Nine-Tails, Xihuona's greatest advantage would be virtually non-existent.

"And be wary of the Giant Forger as well," Jadylia said sternly. "I suspect its hammer contains an entire mine's worth of minerals!"

Everyone turned to look at Dagu.

When it came to Steel-type Pokemon, few in the room could rival his expertise.

Noticing the attention, Dagu put down the brush and stone and spoke solemnly, "In fact, it might be more than that."

More?

The group's eyes widened.

"Just look at how Teacher Jing He is raising Larvitar, and you'll understand," he said.

Everyone turned back to the green-skinned Larvitar, who was sitting in a corner, using bread to eat minerals, diamonds, and rocks with great enthusiasm.

Crunch—Crunch—

It seemed like this sound had been echoing in the room since they arrived.

"Yo, Yiji?"

Sensing the attention, Larvitar stiffened and slowly raised its head.

Everyone was indeed looking at it.

Larvitar was a bit bewildered.

It looked down at itself, then at the others, and then at the minerals beside it, and seemed to understand.

It picked up one of the stones.

"Yiji?"

Do you want to try some too?

The group turned away, leaving Larvitar a bit confused.

It scratched its head lightly.

Oh well, as long as they weren't trying to take its food.

The little one returned to its enthusiastic feast.

Through observing Larvitar, the group understood what Dagu meant about Teacher Jing He's training methods.

"Even if it's allowed to eat freely, there should still be a limit," Da Ye remarked.

However, if they knew that Larvitar could even chew and absorb fragments of the 'Earth Plate', they might not be surprised by its voracious consumption of these precious minerals and diamonds.

"No wonder Teacher Jing He is so poor and has to work so many side jobs," Wu Song realized.

Who could afford to raise such a Pokemon?

"So," Xihuona concluded, raising her green finger, "we need to be cautious of Teacher Jing He's Gengu, Ice Nine-Tails, Giant Forger, Rapid Dragon, Crimson Blade Phantom, and Martial Bear?"

Even Lotom?"

The crowd exchanged glances, bewildered.

Doesn't that mean every single one of Teacher Jinghe's Pokemon, even the 'tool' ones, need to be handled with care?

What's the point of discussing this?

At that moment, Dante raised his hand, his face grave, and said, "There's also Eevee, Teacher Jinghe's Eevee!"

Eevee?

When did another Eevee come into the picture?

Has anyone seen it?

"Dinner's ready!"

Jinghe's voice echoed from the kitchen, where he was busy preparing the meal.

As the group gathered around the sofa, Jinghe's expression turned peculiar, and he said, "You guys... aren't discussing how to deal with me, are you?"

Wu Song: "How could we, Teacher Jinghe?"

Da Wu: "Teacher, you know me."

Ado: "Don't overthink it, Jinghe."

Da Ye: "Jinghe, how did you know...?"

Jinghe's mouth twitched.

Wow.

You're having a meeting at my place to discuss how to deal with me?

And after all that, I'm still expected to cook for you?

Although Da Wu provided the ingredients, and you all paid for the meals, it's...

Too much!

The meal fee needs to be increased!

Nightfall.

Xihuona returned to her residence, hugging her knees on the sofa, and summoned all her Pokemon using her Poke Balls.

"Roar!" The Braviary, who had grown up with her since childhood, was fierce towards others but exceptionally gentle with her.

"Lucario!" As the only 'gentleman' in the team, Lucario had done a lot for Xihuona, who was a bit of a 'housekeeping idiot'. He helped with organizing books, documents, serving tea, and other tasks, making him the most reliable partner.

"Mew!"

The graceful and slender Venusia, who had been caught even earlier than Lucario, finally evolved into Venusia with Jinghe's help, becoming the catalyst for Xihuona and Jinghe's connection.

"Roselea~"

The gentle Roselea, a soft and sweet Pokemon.

"Mew~"

The ever-adorable Sea Hare, who loved to crawl on walls and floors.

"Crunch!"

The Gogoat, a shadow that emerged from the Dragon Stone, had an inexplicable connection with Jinghe. At times, it even seemed to be extremely close to him.

Xihuona even suspected that if she didn't object, Jinghe could command Gogoat in battle just like his own Pokemon.

"Bui~"

The Frost Ibu, gracefully perched on the coffee table, slowly made its way to the sofa and curled up next to Xihuona.

When Eevee was torn about its evolution, it was Jinghe's Ice Nine-Tails that helped Eevee decide its path.

"Hmm," Xihuona smiled, rubbing Frost Ibu's head, while leaning her own head against the sofa, "It feels like..."

There are 'spies' all around her?

She took out her phone and swiped a couple of times.

Xihuona's Pokemon collection wasn't limited to the ones present.

It's just that for this 'Young Master World Championship', these were the only ones she had with her.

The rest were all being cared for at Dr. Yuzuki's Research Institute.

With the gradual improvement of the Pokemon Communication System, summoning Pokemon when needed had become an easy and convenient task.

The next day.

Although it was a rest day with no matches, the area around the Flying Cloud City Arena was still bustling with excitement, teeming with people.

"Teacher Jinghe's authorization! Xihuona's authorization! Various players' authorized merchandise, guaranteed authentic!"

The Rocket Trio's booth was exceptionally popular.

These were officially authorized player merchandise! And among them, there was even a special collector's edition for the 'Young Master World Championship', a rare find.

"I want Xihuona's complete set!"

"I want the full set, and Jadylia's merchandise too!"

"I want Gengar's poster, please give me a set of Gengar posters!"

"Teacher Jinghe, Da Wu, Dante, I want the complete sets! Please, I'll pay whatever it takes!"

For the Rocket Trio,

This was the most profitable venture they had ever embarked on.

Never before!

Selling authentic merchandise could be so lucrative.

Were they here to sell things?

They were here to collect money, and there was plenty of it!

"Meowth, that's what I'm talking about!"

Meowth, holding a megaphone, stood on the booth.

"Teacher Jinghe's personally signed posters, only three available, highest bidder wins!"

Wow!!

It was common knowledge.

As a teacher, Teacher Jinghe was always 'upright and moral', very mindful of his reputation, and one could hardly find any information about his merchandise or endorsements online.

This had left many of his fans longing for more.

And now.

This small booth not only had authorizations from numerous players but also included Teacher Jinghe's personally signed posters.

Grab them!

A frenzy of grabbing ensued!

"This is too easy money," Musashi felt a bit surreal, "We must be dreaming, Kojiro."

Kojiro, busy with his work, didn't even turn his head, "Give yourself a slap and you'll know."

Give himself a slap?

What if it hurts?

"Meowth, that's what I'm talking about!"

Upon hearing Musashi's call, Adek flinched.

Slap!

Musashi delivered a slap, and Adek's body instinctively emitted a peculiar glow.

The next moment.

Bang!!

Musashi was sent flying backward.

"Meowth, that's what I'm talking about!"

Adek exhaled in relief, wiping his forehead.

Thankfully, it didn't hurt!

But Musashi wasn't so lucky, as Fruit God's 'Reverse Punch' could even block attacks from Legendary Pokemon, and the slap ultimately landed on his own body.

Ouch!

But it was real!

Musashi didn't have time to get angry.

It was time to make money, and although they had been invited to sell merchandise at Einroudak's celebration after the tournament, it wouldn't be as profitable as this.

"Funds! Funds! Funds!" x3

May 20th, Tuesday, clear skies, not a cloud in sight.

The Flying Cloud Arena, perched atop the central garden of Flying Cloud City, was a massive venue capable of seating tens of thousands of spectators.

The sky above was adorned with balloons of various sizes.

Numerous helicopters from well-known media companies in the Pokemon world hovered above the venue, and countless Magnemite cameras were also scattered in every corner of the arena.

The final day of the "Young Master World Championship" has finally arrived!

The highly anticipated finals will be live-streamed across the entire region and the internet, a scale unprecedented for the League!

The lively cheers transformed into a terrifying roar, seemingly shaking the entire venue, as countless spectators held up, waved, and displayed their support for their favored contestants.

Teacher Jinghe!

Miss Xihuona!

Who will ultimately emerge victorious in this match is indeed a suspenseful question.

As Teacher Jinghe and Miss Xihuona meet in the finals, some details about the two have been dug up by netizens.

Among them, the hottest and most influential topic is undoubtedly the photo taken by a passerby in Envy City, Hoenn Region, showing "Teacher Jinghe" and "Miss Xihuona" sitting together like a couple, enjoying coffee.

As soon as this photo was exposed, it immediately caused an uproar.

"Damn! My Miss Xihuona! My White Sister!"

"What? I thought this would just be an 'ordinary' final, but I didn't expect it to be a battle between lovers?"

"Damn it! Why? Why can Teacher Jinghe take away our White Sister?"

"This is a family dispute?"

"If Teacher Jinghe wins, he'll lose face! If he loses, his position is at stake! No matter how you look at it, Teacher Jinghe is in trouble!"

"..."

The photo, combined with the commotion surrounding the finals, has created such a stir that even Master Ma on faraway Armor Island called Teacher Jinghe to gossip, claiming it was out of his wife's curiosity.

But in reality...

At first glance, the photo seems to be of Teacher Jinghe and Xihuona, but anyone with a keen eye would notice that it's not actually them; it's someone else in disguise.

The impersonators are none other than Michael and his girlfriend, Nagi.

However, at this point, netizens won't listen to any explanations or investigate the "truth."

All they want is the answer that "Teacher Jinghe and Miss Xihuona are a couple."

If it's true, it's true; if it's false, they'll make it true.

Three people can slander a tiger; how much more can the countless "fans and haters" online?

Therefore, everyone disregards the truth, and the photo is considered real!

This already highly anticipated tournament has become even hotter due to this incident.

In the audience stands...

Da Ye, Wu Song, and Aoliu still sat together.

"These online comments are really something," Da Ye chuckled as he scrolled through his phone.

"Do you still have the leisure to look at these?" Wu Song glanced at him.

"What's wrong?" Da Ye shrugged. "Anyway, I'm not the one fighting. Whether Big Sister wins or Teacher Jinghe wins, I think... I can accept either outcome."

"Accept?"

Wu Song gently pushed up his glasses. "Then, do you think Big Sister is more likely to beat you up if she wins, or if she loses?"

"You're saying..." Da Ye glared at him. "Of course, it's if she loses."

Before he could finish, Da Ye paused.

He lowered his head and started counting on his fingers.

"If she loses, she'll beat me up to celebrate. If she wins... she'll beat me up to celebrate. I'm done for either way."

Da Ye looked up to the sky.

This is too much!

Seeing Da Ye's expression, Wu Song felt his mood lift.

But when he saw Da Ye's other side, with his tuft of hair, playing with an unknown little bug as if he hadn't heard a word they said, Wu Song's mood sank again.

Master Kikuno had already instructed them that after this tournament, they would gradually take over some matters.

However, looking at the "pathetic" Da Ye and the "silly" Aoliu, Wu Song looked to the sky.

There's no snow in Unova, but I feel like a frozen dog.

"It's quite lively here," said Professor Oak, dressed in a white lab coat, as he watched the bustling scene, his face creasing into a smile.

Nowadays, Trainers are becoming more and more popular, and the League has thoroughly won the hearts of the people.

This prosperous era... your wish has come true, Akiku.

"After the match, I can challenge Teacher Jinghe!" Akai's excitement was barely containable.

To avoid a humiliating defeat when challenging Teacher Jinghe, Akai not only watched the matches but also kept up with his training.

And alongside him was Ao Ryoku.

In fact, they often sparred.

In their daily battles, Ao Ryoku usually won more, and Akai won less.

But for some reason,

Ao Ryoku felt the pressure mounting, as if Akai was about to catch up.

Moreover...

He had a feeling that when facing Akai, he couldn't bring out his full strength.

Or perhaps, the daily battles couldn't fully ignite Akai's passion.

After all, Akai was a Trainer who relied more on emotions.

While Ao Ryoku himself was a Trainer who relied more on tactics.

So, he wondered how Teacher Jinghe perfectly integrated tactics and emotions in a battle, how he seamlessly blended these two "styles."

"Here she comes!"

Ao Ryoku sat up straight and spoke in a deep voice.

"First, let's welcome the Trainer from Sinnoh's Shinwa Town, Miss Xihuona!!!"

A tall, blonde, and blue-eyed woman emerged from the player entrance. Under the spotlight, there was a burst of enthusiastic cheers, and the circular arena seemed to form a vortex of sound, with each wave louder than the last.

Xihuona smiled and waved lightly to the audience on both sides.

"Xihuona, you must win!"

"Xihuona, you have to beat Teacher Jinghe to have a better chance at the 'Emperor's Throne'!"

"Absolutely, you have to beat Teacher Jinghe!"

Xihuona's lips curved into a smile, and she nodded slightly.

"Next, let's welcome the Trainer from Hoenn's Kanazawa City, Teacher Jing He!"

A thunderous cheer erupted, rivaling the excitement for Xihuona.

Jing He strode out from the player entrance, one hand on his hat and the other waving lightly.

"Show some backbone, Teacher Jing He!" someone shouted from the sidelines.

Jing He: "Huh?"

Why would he need to show backbone like a Guts Wingull?

"It's time to decide the family heir, Teacher Jing He! Will it be 'Emperor' or 'Younger Brother'? Today's the day!"

"You have to fight for the honor of all men!"

"Win or lose, it's all about respect, Teacher Jing He. You won't be at a disadvantage either way."

Jing He's cheeks twitched at these random comments.

He blamed the person who had spread rumors online with a photo. He had asked Mudkip to find that person and teach them a lesson, or he wouldn't forgive Da Ye.

These comments were just a small part of the crowd's chatter.

After all, this was the Young Master World Championship Finals, and most people were more interested in the battle itself and the outcome.

"Finally, the finals," Xihuona said with a smile, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

Perhaps, for her, the importance of the finals was secondary.

What mattered was that reaching the finals meant she would eventually face Jing He.

Jing He smirked.

To be honest, winning or losing the championship didn't matter much.

If the organizers offered him the championship prize money right now, he'd surrender on the spot without hesitation.

With the prize money secured, there'd be no need to risk his Pokemon in battles where they could get injured.

Moreover, his opponent was Xihuona.

Seemingly understanding Jing He's thoughts, or perhaps knowing his personality well, Xihuona gently fiddled with her dangling silk ribbon and said, "If you beat me, I'll tell you a secret."

"A secret?"

Jing He was slightly taken aback.

His curiosity was piqued.

"Please prepare, both contestants!"

The fully armored referee raised the flag.

At this moment, the referee thought that sometimes, a robotic referee would be nice.

The entire arena gradually quieted down, leaving only the faint glow of the protective barrier surrounding the battlefield.

For the safety of the finals, the organizers had used the rest day to reinforce and strengthen the barrier.

As the referee's voice fell, both Jing He and Xihuona held a Poke Ball in their hands.

They stood across the battlefield, each holding a ball with one hand.

They smiled simultaneously.

"From the waves, Sealeo!"

A red light flashed, and a Pokemon resembling a naked-gill sea slug with horn-like tentacles on its head and a brown back with a pink body appeared in the arena.

"Xihuona's first Pokemon is Sealeo from the Sinnoh West Sea!"

Sealeo, a sea lion Pokemon with Water and Ground types.

In the Sinnoh region, Sealeo's appearance and color vary depending on its habitat.

Xihuona's Sealeo had a brown shell and a pink body, typical of the West Sea Sealeo.

The East Sea Sealeo should have a green shell and a blue body.

Distinguishing between the two was quite easy.

However, despite the differences in appearance, the East Sea and West Sea Sealeo had no significant differences in abilities.

"A Water and Ground-type Sealeo as the lead to counter Teacher Jing He is an excellent choice!" Ado, sitting in the audience, nodded with his chin propped up.

This attribute combination meant Sealeo had only one weakness—a four-fold weakness to Grass-type moves.

But none of Jing He's known Pokemon were Grass-type!

Additionally, Sealeo had good resistance to other types and was immune to Electric-type attacks.

"The big sis really understands Teacher Jing He well. We don't need to give any advice." Wu Song highly approved of Xihuona's first Pokemon choice.

Regardless of Jing He's first Pokemon, Sealeo wouldn't be at a significant disadvantage.

It wasn't just Sealeo, though.

The pure Water-type Pokemon, Manaphy, was also an excellent choice because it only had two double weaknesses: Grass and Electric.

Among Jing He's Pokemon, only the "tool Pokemon" Rotom and no other Electric-type Pokemon.

At the same time, Jing He's Lux Ball opened.

A red light flashed, and the Pokemon that appeared was none other than Kung-Fu-Panda!

"Roar!"

Kung-Fu-Panda tightened the mane on its forehead, standing proudly on the battlefield, ready for a combo stream battle.

The audience, familiar with Kung-Fu-Panda's abilities, knew that Jing He's Kung-Fu-Panda could freely switch between two forms—sleeping and awake.

This might not be easy for other Trainers, but for Jing He, a Pokemon psychologist, hypnotizing his Pokemon was a piece of cake.

So, in the audience's eyes, Kung-Fu-Panda seemed to have two shadows.

One was the powerful strike style, and the other was the flexible combo stream style.

"So it's Sealeo?" Jing He narrowed his eyes.

"It's indeed Kung-Fu-Panda," Xihuona nodded slightly.

Apparently, neither was surprised by the other's Pokemon choice.

"Teacher Jing He's first Pokemon is the legendary Kung-Fu-Panda!" the announcer's voice echoed throughout the arena.

A huge screen displayed Jing He's and Xihuona's profiles, with their respective first Pokemon on either side.

"Battle!"

The referee's flag dropped.

"Begin!"

The Young Master World Championship Finals between Jing He and Xihuona had finally begun!

---

PS: I had a drink today, so I'm done for now. Sorry.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end