Misty watched as Roy stepped forward to battle and stopped trying to persuade him.
She muttered to herself:
Forget it, my sisters send me travel expenses every month anyway.
If Roy loses, I still have money. At worst, I'll just cover for him!
Wait, if I spend money on him... does that count as keeping him?
Then would he have to provide me with any services?
As soon as the thought occurred to her, Misty's face turned beet red.
She quickly shook her head, shaking off those messy thoughts.
"Pah, pah, pah! What am I thinking!"
Misty patted her cheeks and scolded herself in a low voice.
But her gaze involuntarily drifted toward Roy's back.
His tall figure, his calm posture... while Roy had already started the battle in front, Misty's thoughts were already taking flight behind him.
However, that aggressive-looking boy with spiky hair was quickly taken care of by Pikachu.
With a precise Thunder Shock, the Tyrogue collapsed immediately.
But Roy deliberately had Pikachu act as if the fight was a struggle—after the battle ended, Pikachu even made a show of panting heavily, its body swaying slightly.
"Huff... huff..."
This acting was practically Oscar-worthy.
"Tch, winning so narrowly, I can do that too!"
Someone in the crowd immediately voiced their dissatisfaction.
An imperceptible smile played at the corner of Roy's mouth.
The fish had taken the bait.
Sure enough, lured by the prize money and the "exquisite acting" of the three Pokemon, many Trainers were attracted to challenge him on the first day.
The area around the arena was packed so tightly that not even water could seep through.
Roy's Pikachu, Butterfree, and Pidgeotto took turns entering the field. Every match was "thrilling," but in the end, they always managed a "narrow victory."
"So strong! That's already a thirty-win streak!"
"Forty wins!"
"Fifty wins!"
The onlookers kept exclaiming in surprise.
Even Misty and Delia weren't idle; after all, the prize money was so tempting that some Trainers thought they could practice against his companions.
The result... "Starmie, Water Gun!"
Misty knocked the opponent down in a single exchange.
On Delia's side, Eevee's combat power was also steadily increasing.
"Are even the traveling companions this strong?"
The challengers began to question their lives.
Setting up an arena was indeed efficient.
By the end of the day, Roy had accumulated a full 180 victories!
And he was still on a winning streak, without a single loss!
At dusk, the sun began to set.
Roy announced that the arena was closed for the day.
"Ah? It's over already?"
"I've been waiting in line all day!"
"Will it continue tomorrow?"
The crowd became restless, with many Trainers looking unwilling to leave.
"We'll continue tomorrow."
Roy said only those few words, packed up the banner, and turned to leave the square.
Misty and Delia quickly followed.
Back in the hotel room, Roy immediately took out Potions and berries to restore the stamina of his three Pokemon.
"Good work today."
He patted each of their heads one by one.
Pikachu affectionately rubbed against his hand.
Although it hadn't given its all today and spent most of the time acting.
But Roy still carefully gave it a relaxing massage.
Watching this scene, Misty felt a sudden tug at her heartstrings.
This guy... is truly gentle with Pokemon.
"Roy, how many wins are you aiming for tomorrow..."
"A 200-win streak."
Roy didn't even look up: "Then I'll raise the prize money to 100,000 to attract stronger opponents."
"Are you sure about this?"
Misty couldn't help but ask.
Roy finally looked up and glanced at her.
"What do you think?"
The confidence in his eyes made Misty's heart skip a beat.
"Humph, don't cry if you lose!"
She turned her face away, but the tips of her ears were slightly red.
Delia chuckled softly to herself nearby... After eating, drinking, and having a good night's rest, Roy continued the arena.
The atmosphere in the square today was clearly different.
There were more onlookers, but far fewer people actually dared to step up and challenge him.
After all, the record of Roy's 180-win streak from yesterday had already spread.
Many Trainers, knowing their strength was insufficient, simply came to watch the excitement.
"A 200-win streak... if that's real, it's just insane!"
"I doubt it'll hold; some experts are bound to show up today."
"I heard a veteran Trainer from the neighboring town is on his way..."
Amidst the discussion, Roy stood calmly in the center of the arena.
The first challenger stepped up.
It was a boy wearing glasses, using a Bellsprout.
"Bellsprout, Razor Leaf!"
"Pikachu, Quick Attack."
Roy didn't even have Pikachu use an Electric-type move.
In a single exchange, Bellsprout fell.
"So fast!"
The onlookers gasped.
The next few matches were the same.
Roy's Pokemon became more and more decisive in their moves, completely dropping the "narrow victory" acting from yesterday.
Because it was no longer necessary.
When the gap in strength is that large, pretending to be weak just looks fake.
When Roy's win streak broke 200, the atmosphere reached a fever pitch!
"A 200-win streak! He actually did it!"
"Oh my god, we're witnessing history!"
"The prize money is at 100,000 now!"
The crowd was in a frenzy.
At the same time, some Trainers who had been observing also showed fighting spirit in their eyes.
100,000 alliance coins!
That's no small amount!
Under great rewards, there will surely be brave souls.
Soon, several Trainers who were clearly much stronger than the previous ones appeared.
A burly man using an Onix.
A red-haired girl using a Ponyta.
And a middle-aged man using two Pokemon in rotation.
Roy finally felt some pressure.
But instead, he became even more excited.
"Butterfree, Sleep Powder!"
"Pidgeotto, Wing Attack!"
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
Match after match, Roy commanded with composure, and his three Pokemon coordinated perfectly.
The win streak count continued to climb.
210... 212... 215... When Roy defeated the girl with the Ponyta and achieved his 216th consecutive win.
The scene suddenly went quiet.
Because at the entrance of the square, a group of people in matching uniforms arrived.
The uniforms were deep blue, with golden crests embroidered on the collars, looking both exquisite and expensive.
The leading boy had green hair and an arrogant expression.
As soon as this group walked in, they carried an aura of "we are different from the rest."
The surrounding Trainers instinctively moved aside to make a path.
"Hey, are you that rookie Trainer with the two-hundred-win streak?"
Yuhiko, the leader of the Study Tour Group, shouted at Roy in an arrogant tone.
He didn't even look Roy in the eye, merely glancing at the banner with a mocking smile at the corner of his mouth.
"The words are written on the sign, it's recorded right there. Are you blind or something?"
Arrogant tone?
Misty wasn't about to put up with that and snapped back on Roy's behalf.
Only then did Yuhiko turn his gaze toward Misty.
"Heh, a barbarian's companion is just as rude."
"Who are you calling a barbarian?"
Misty almost jumped at him but was held back by Delia.
The members of the Study Tour Group looked at Roy's win record and immediately began whispering among themselves.
"216 wins? What a load of crap. How could these broke rookie Trainers be that strong?"
A girl with permed hair said shrilly.
"I bet he just wrote it randomly to get famous. These poor people love using these dirty tricks."
Another boy wearing an earring agreed.
"Exactly. I just saw him using a Pikachu against a Geodude. It's the complete opposite of what the teachers taught us. How could someone like that have a 216-win streak?"
"These Training Faction Trainers love to brag. Without the systematic training of our Academic Faction, how could they possibly be this strong?"
The discussions were blatant, and every word reached everyone's ears.
The surrounding Trainers' expressions all changed.
These Academic Faction guys... are too full of themselves!
After deliberately letting everyone gossip for a while, Yuhiko hypocritically waved his hand to stop them:
"Alright, alright. We Academic Faction Trainers can't be as barbaric as these primitives. Mind your manners."
As soon as he said this, the anger of the surrounding Trainers was completely ignited.
"Who the hell are you calling a primitive?" A muscular man stepped forward, glaring at Yuhiko.
Yuhiko, however, wasn't afraid at all and smiled contemptuously:
"What, did I hit a nerve? If you don't even know basic etiquette, what are you if not a primitive?"
"You..."
The muscular man was about to rush forward but was held back by his companions.
After agitating the entire crowd, Yuhiko stepped forward again to introduce himself to Roy:
"Roy, right? I'm Yuhiko from the Junior Class of the Vermilion Branch of the Kanto Pokémon Technical Institute."
He deliberately emphasized the words "Pokémon Technical Institute."
"This is the Study Tour Group I'm leading. Our purpose is to observe Kanto's wild Pokemon and you... Cultivation Trainers."
The disdain in his tone was obvious to anyone.
"Although we aren't interested in the prize money you've set."
He paused, glanced at the numbers on the banner, and sneered:
"This small amount of money isn't even enough for one of our meals."
"But we are very interested in your ability to brag."
Yuhiko walked to the edge of the arena and looked up at Roy:
"A 216-win streak? Heh."
"In my eyes, only the 'Big Sister' of our Institute could achieve such a feat, not a... rookie barbarian Trainer like you."
"Why is this guy so punchable!" Misty was already rolling up her sleeves, ready to deliver a flying kick to Yuhiko's face.
Fortunately, Delia pulled her back in time.
"Misty, calm down. Roy will handle it,"
Delia said softly, her eyes fixed on Roy.
She saw that Roy's expression hadn't changed from beginning to end.
Calm.
Even a bit... bored.
Roy indeed wasn't angry.
Most children of wealthy families are arrogant and snobbish; if he took offense at every single one of them, he'd be fuming throughout the entire journey.
What he actually cared about was something else.
Roy's gaze swept over the members of the Study Tour Group; there were quite a few of them.
If he took them all down, he'd be a big step closer to his goal of 300 wins.
Moreover, although these Academic Faction guys were incredibly arrogant, most of them weren't as strong as Cultivation Trainers, being entirely directed by their Institute teachers.
Roy calculated quickly in his head, the corners of his mouth curling up unconsciously.
In Yuhiko's eyes, this smile became a provocation.
"What are you laughing at?"
Yuhiko frowned.
"Nothing."
Roy finally spoke, his voice calm:
"I get what you mean. You're not convinced, right?"
He jumped down from the arena and walked up to Yuhiko.
"In that case, why don't all of you in this 'game group' come and have a match?"
"It's a Study Tour Group!"
Roy's indifferent attitude and the intentionally misspoken name were what actually made Yuhiko anxious first.
However, he quickly recovered and gave a cold snort:
"Humph, don't be so arrogant. I'll expose you right now!"
He turned around and said to his companions behind him:
"Who's first? Let him see what a real Trainer looks like!"
"I'll go!"
A tall, thin boy stepped forward.
His hair was slicked back, his uniform was worn meticulously, and even his bowtie was perfectly tied.
"Alright, Ozawa, you go!"
Ozawa was one of the stronger students in the Study Tour Group, so Yuhiko was quite confident in sending him up.
۞۞۞۞
p-atreon.com/PokeFicLord
40+ Chapters in p-atreon.com.
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)