"The twenty-sixth match will be between Tobias, a contestant from another region, and Willow Yang from the Eastern League! Please step onto the field!"
Willow Yang looked young, barely in his early twenties, dressed in a long white coat.
Thinking about it, the competitors in the Zenith Championship were getting younger every year.
Back when Lin Feng used to watch the tournament at home, most contestants were in their thirties. Sometimes, there were even veterans in their fifties or sixties.
Now, most participants were in their twenties or thirties, and there were even teenagers stepping onto the stage.
Lin Feng barely spared Willow a glance. His attention was fixed entirely on the boy walking up beside him.
Tobias.
From another region.
If Lin Feng's memory was right, then this was the same Tobias who once shook an entire league.
At the Lily of the Valley Conference in Sinnoh, he had nearly swept the entire tournament with just one Darkrai. In the end, it was a Sceptile that broke through Dark Void and sealed its legend with a single Leaf Blade.
But right after that, Tobias revealed a Latios. Even Pikachu and the rest had exhausted themselves just to force a draw.
And the most terrifying part was that no one ever saw the rest of his team.
Four Pokémon remained a complete mystery.
Now, standing here, Tobias looked much younger than Lin Feng remembered.
Short brown hair, a white cap, and a black coat. His eyes curved slightly with a confident, almost playful smile.
He looked like someone who had just come of age.
That smile was enough.
Lin Feng was certain.
This was him.
The same Tobias.
Just earlier in his journey.
So he has not challenged the Sinnoh League yet.
Lin Feng narrowed his eyes slightly.
Then how many legendary Pokémon does he already have?
That thought lingered in his mind.
"Both trainers are ready! Release your first Pokémon!"
The two stood facing each other across the battlefield.
Seeing how young his opponent was, Willow visibly relaxed.
Age was not everything, but it often meant experience. And experience mattered.
"Go, Venusaur!"
"Venu!"
With a heavy thud, a massive Pokémon landed on the field. Thick vines, a towering flower blooming brightly on its back. It was clearly well-trained.
A solid, dependable choice.
But the moment Tobias released his Pokémon, everything changed.
A sleek, streamlined body.
Blue and white skin.
Wide, elegant wings.
Willow froze.
"Latios?!"
Not just him.
The contestant area, the audience, even the top-tier observers all fell silent in shock.
The commentator reacted first, his voice rising with excitement.
"Latios! A legendary Pokémon! Latios has appeared on the battlefield!"
"I never expected Tobias to actually bring out a Latios!"
The crowd exploded.
"Are you kidding me? He earned the recognition of a legendary Pokémon at that age?"
"Latios? What is that? I have never heard of it. Is it strong?"
Some knew.
Many did not.
But the commentator quickly filled in the gap.
"Latios, the Eon Pokémon. I once visited the Water Capital in the Kanto region, where it is revered as a guardian!"
"Among all Pokémon, it is also one of the fastest!"
Speed.
That single word ignited curiosity across the arena.
How fast is it, really?
In the contestant area, Lin Feng watched quietly.
So it is Latios, not Darkrai.
Does that mean he has not met Darkrai yet?
He pushed the thought aside and focused on the battle.
This Latios…
Level 68 to 69.
Young, yet already this strong.
Some Pokémon were simply born different.
A Caterpie would almost never possess top-tier potential.
But Pokémon like Latios, Latias, or even Moltres often did.
Some were born standing at a level others could never reach.
This fight…
Lin Feng shook his head slightly.
It was already decided.
Venusaur was only around level 59.
And worse, it was at a severe disadvantage against Psychic-type moves.
Down below, Willow's expression darkened.
He thought he had picked an easy opponent.
Turns out, he had kicked a stone hidden inside a soft fruit.
"The battle begins!"
"Tobias, give the first command!"
"Latios, use Psychic!"
Tobias's voice was full of energy, nothing like the calm, composed trainer Lin Feng remembered.
Raw enthusiasm.
Pure confidence.
A surge of psychic power burst from Latios's glowing eyes.
Willow's heart sank.
He knew instantly.
He could not win.
But he still shouted, "Use Ingrain!"
Roots shot into the ground.
But before they could anchor fully, the psychic force ripped Venusaur straight out of the soil.
Then slammed it into the ground.
Boom.
The impact echoed across the arena.
"Follow up with Zen Headbutt!"
Latios moved like a blur.
There was no room to react.
One Psychic.
One Zen Headbutt.
That was enough.
Venusaur collapsed, unable to continue.
Willow sent out his second Pokémon.
Kingambit.
Defeated just as quickly.
Then his third.
Primeape.
Even faster.
A complete sweep.
0 to 3.
The audience erupted, not with cheers, but disbelief.
This was still the first round.
And yet the gap in strength was overwhelming.
Even Lin Feng had switched Pokémon in his earlier matches.
But Tobias?
He did not need to.
Down below, Willow recalled his final Pokémon, his face stiff.
Tobias stood in the center of the field, full of excitement.
Then suddenly, his gaze lifted.
Locked onto a specific direction.
Lin Feng.
Even without aura sensing, Lin Feng could feel it.
That gaze was direct.
Unhidden.
A challenge.
The audience quickly noticed and followed his line of sight.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
"Wait… is he looking at Lin Feng?"
"What do you mean looking? That is a challenge!"
"Obviously! He wants a match!"
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow slightly and met his gaze.
So young.
So full of fire.
Of course he would want to challenge Gardevoir after seeing that battle.
After all, Latios was also a Psychic-type.
Lin Feng smiled faintly.
He said nothing.
But the answer was already clear.
Tobias held the gaze for a moment longer before finally turning and leaving the field.
The next match was announced soon after, and the crowd's attention gradually shifted.
Battle after battle continued.
Evenly matched fights.
Occasional comebacks through clever strategy.
Or slow defeats under type disadvantage.
Time passed.
Match 30.
Match 40.
Then, in match 41, a familiar face appeared.
Victor Fang.
He had once reached the top eight in the Silver Conference.
His Flareon had grown stronger since Lin Feng last saw him.
Level 62 to 64 now.
His opponent was a Grass-type trainer.
Petilil.
Leafeon.
Both quickly overwhelmed.
Her final Pokémon, Ludicolo, had a type advantage.
But its level was far too low.
It still lost.
By the time the fiftieth match ended, the afternoon session was over.
The remaining matches would take place at night.
Lin Feng chose not to watch.
After a full day of battles, even he felt a little drained.
Back in his room, he planned to review recordings and select clips for Rotom to upload.
But the moment he entered, he headed straight for the bathroom.
"Bath time! Anyone joining?"
Gardevoir ignored him completely. With her psychic power, she remained perfectly clean at all times.
Serperior slid quietly into a corner, uninterested.
Alcremie pretended not to hear. Hot water was not exactly friendly to her body.
Dragonite, on the other hand, lit up instantly.
"Roar!"
With a happy grin, it flapped its wings and rushed over.
It loved baths.
"And you two? Ninetales? Blaziken?"
"No!"
Alolan Ninetales darted under the blanket, leaving only its face visible, watching him cautiously.
Blaziken went even further.
It simply returned itself to its Poké Ball.
Lin Feng laughed helplessly.
"If you do not want to bathe, then do not. Come on, Dragonite. Eat this first, I will help you scrub."
He took out a special energy cube that could adjust body size.
The bathroom soon filled with steam, laughter, and the quiet, comfortable rhythm of everyday life.
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