"Incredible! Contestant Lin Feng's Dragonite took down Magneton with a single Hurricane. It's obvious his Dragonite's power level far exceeds its opponent!"
"Let's see… Contestant Richard Li has sent out his second Pokémon, Venusaur. And Lin Feng has switched as well… to Blaziken!"
"Blaziken uses Flare Blitz! So fast! My goodness, another one-hit knockout!"
"He switched again! Lin Feng has brought out Alolan Ninetales!"
"KO! Another one-hit knockout with Blizzard!"
In less than thirty seconds, three Pokémon had appeared on the field one after another.
Aside from the first Magneton, which at least managed to fire off a Thunder attack, the other two Pokémon were practically defeated the moment they appeared.
The match ended so quickly that the commentator barely had time to keep up.
His words came out in a rapid stream, like a machine gun.
The audience, meanwhile, was completely stunned.
If you excluded the time spent switching Pokémon… the actual battle probably didn't even last ten seconds.
They had been expecting Lin Feng to put on another dazzling performance.
Something like Meowscarada's clever tactical commands, or Serperior's Grassy Terrain control.
But instead…
Silence.
A heavy, suffocating silence filled the massive stadium.
Even with a crowd of over a hundred thousand, not a single sound could be heard for several seconds.
Eventually, whispers began to ripple through the stands.
"Are you kidding me? Are all of his Pokémon this strong?"
"I could feel the cold from that Blizzard even through the barrier!"
"I need to look him up. There's no way someone this strong is unknown."
"The third match… is over. The winner is Lin Feng…"
The commentator stammered slightly as he announced the result, still trying to process what had just happened.
Wait… wasn't that Alolan Ninetales the same one that appeared in the Youth Cup in Changsha?
Back then, it was nowhere near this powerful.
The difference now was like night and day.
How much time had even passed since then?
He felt an itch of curiosity he couldn't scratch.
Just how had that Alolan Vulpix grown so strong in such a short time?
…
On the field, the middle-aged trainer recalled his final Pokémon, Nidoqueen, and let out a quiet sigh.
He shook his head and left the stage without a word.
Watching him go, Lin Feng felt a faint trace of guilt.
It felt like he had just shattered someone's long-held dream.
But he didn't say anything.
Life rarely goes the way you want it to.
Even if this match hadn't ended things, his opponent would have fallen in the next round anyway.
Lin Feng turned and walked back toward the contestant area.
This time, nearly every remaining participant had their eyes on him.
And now, those eyes were filled with shock.
In the real world, power levels weren't displayed in numbers.
All they had seen was three Pokémon defeating three opponents in a single hit each.
That kind of strength was simply overwhelming.
Lin Feng remained silent as he walked.
When he passed by Daniel Fang, the young man called out to him.
"Lin Feng…"
"Hm?"
Lin Feng turned his head slightly, meeting his gaze.
Daniel's expression was complicated, a mix of surprise and restraint.
"What is it?" Lin Feng asked.
But after a brief pause, Daniel simply shook his head.
"Nothing."
Lin Feng nodded.
"Alright. I'm heading back to rest."
He could already imagine how much attention this match would draw.
Besides, the day's matches had only just begun. If he wanted to watch later, he could always do so from his room.
…
Back in his room, Lin Feng released all his Pokémon and immediately flopped onto the bed.
Seriously.
He had gone all out today.
Time to rest.
"Blaziken, Blaziken~"
Blaziken stepped closer, looking at him expectantly.
"Alright, alright. I'll edit your battle clip right away."
Lin Feng knew exactly what it wanted.
Hearing that, Alolan Ninetales also padded over.
Only Dragonite seemed uninterested in the video. It had already wandered off to the side, happily munching on energy cubes.
Today's battle footage was short.
Each Pokémon had only appeared once.
But that made it even more perfect for showcasing them.
The footage captured Blaziken's explosive Flare Blitz in stunning detail.
And Alolan Ninetales…
It was even more striking.
Within the raging blizzard, its elegant silhouette emerged, standing tall in the snow as it faced down Nidoqueen.
You couldn't clearly see its expression.
And that was exactly what made it powerful.
The hazy outline gave it an almost mythical presence.
"Woooow… so cool… so cool…"
Even Ninetales couldn't help but admire itself.
Back during the Youth Cup, it hadn't had this kind of self-awareness.
Now, it had grown.
And the feeling was… amazing.
It rubbed its face against the screen, as if trying to pull the image out of it.
"Yeah, yeah. Keep this up and one day you'll take down Rayquaza."
Lin Feng gently pushed its face away, smiling.
"Ni~"
Ninetales squinted happily.
It knew he was joking, but it still couldn't help but laugh.
Then it buried its head into his arms.
Seeing this, Lin Feng pinched its slightly protruding nose.
"If I'm editing videos, I should take a picture of you right now and pin it in the comments."
"…Ni?!"
Ninetales froze.
Its expression changed instantly.
It tried to protest, but with its mouth covered, no sound came out. All it could do was stare at him in shock, struggling in his arms.
You can't do that!
Lin Feng burst out laughing.
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