bookbashuk Chapter 170: Advancing to the semifinals, Karuni's surprise attack on Wei Xin, Beyond Group
Chapter 170: Advancing to the semifinals, Karuni's surprise attack on Wei Xin, Beyond Group
Chapter 170: Advancing to the semi-finals, Karuni's surprise attack on Wei Xin, Beyond Group's scheme (5000-word chapter)
"The match begins."
As soon as the narrator finished speaking, Wang Yiyi immediately began to give instructions.
"Scyther, Quick Attack."
Scyther spread its white wing membranes, white light emanating from its body, and lunged at Ralts.
"Ralts, use Shadow Clone Jutsu to catch the magical flame."
Ralts's figure flashed, leaving five or six afterimages. Scyther's body smashed through Ralts's afterimages, and then three or five Ralts appeared behind her, their mouths burning with crimson flames.
"Scyther, Strike Combo!"
Scyther turned around, using the boost from the Power-Up Ball to increase its speed, and its huge figure appeared in front of Ralts. It swung its scythe, instantly tearing apart all of Ralts's afterimages, finding the real Ralts, and the scythe bypassed the fireball, the tip of the blade slashing towards Ralts's neck with a chilling whistling sound.
Offense is the best defense.
Just as Ralts was about to be hit by Scyther, what happened next stunned the audience in the arena.
Ralts used telepathy to read Scyther's every move: sidestepping, bending over, and each of Scyther's slashes grazed Ralts's body.
"They actually dodged the skill by the narrowest of margins using their agility? That was incredibly dangerous," a student commentator remarked.
"It wasn't dangerous." His companion shook his head. "Anyone who has studied martial arts knows that in actual combat, to avoid an opponent's attack, you usually choose to make large movements to create as much distance as possible and give yourself enough buffer and reaction space. Therefore, there is only one possibility for the situation where the opponent and the attack just brush past you: the two are of vastly different strengths and there is no need for buffer at all."
"This Ralts seems to have undergone very rigorous training in close combat."
It was the effect of Croagunk's training. As the opponent who accompanied Marie in her initial form to challenge the gym, Croagunk's greatest strength was finding the opponent's weakness through continuous dodging and close combat, thus achieving victory with less strength. Ralts had already gained enough experience in battling Croagunk.
Ode to the Frog, Laluras.
Furthermore, with the ability to capitalize on the opponent's skill recovery time and freeze them, learned from the game, it's safe to say that no Pokémon understands close-quarters combat better than Ralts.
As soon as Scyther raised its paw, Ralts knew where it was going to attack. Ralts' powerful mental energy accelerated her thinking and reaction speed, making Scyther's movements seem like they were at 0.5x speed in her eyes. Dodging it was a piece of cake, not worth wasting any energy at all.
Seeing that all its attacks were dodged, Scyther became anxious and roared, accelerating its movements, but to no avail. Even its clever use of the Slow Blade technique to lure the enemy in was read by Ralts's telepathy and could not hit.
Greed for kills? That's not an option. Besides, even if the opponent catches you off guard, you still have teleportation. Movement and control are always the key to skillful play.
Scyther moves very fast. To prevent her skills from missing, Ralts seized the moment when Scyther's attack missed, raised her leg and kicked Scyther hard at the junction of her lower leg and thigh. Using the momentum, she kicked Scyther to the ground, and then sprayed out the magic flames that had been continuously charging in her mouth, engulfing Scyther.
Scyther let out a wail as its stamina rapidly depleted, but the pain only fueled its rage. Despite the pain, it tore through the flames and swung a slash at Ralts, but it didn't feel any impact. Ralts vanished, and in surprise, it felt a soft fist pressing against its waist.
"Ralts, repay your debt."
Wei Xin released the valve of his emotions. Although it wasn't much, it was enough. A tremendous force surged from Ralts' body, like a fully loaded dynamo at maximum power, striking Scyther. Before Scyther could react, there was a cracking sound, and its body flew backward like a kite with a broken string. It rolled dozens of times on the ground before landing at the edge of the arena.
"Great!" A spectator exclaimed as he saw Ralts display amazing control over the game.
The slender Ralts uses its agility and skills to manipulate the massive Scyther with ease, displaying the skill of a master player soloing an elite monster with a small knife.
"Scyther, use your wings to attack."
A sharp pain shot through its body. The mantis struggled to get up, but found it unable to control its body. The heavy blow to its waist had temporarily caused it to lose control of its lower body. It tried to flap its wings, but found that its wing membranes had developed holes from the heat of the flames and the impact with the ground, and were starting to leak air. This kind of problem would not normally occur.
Wang Yiyi was shocked to realize that the Enhancement Ball had caused the Scyther's mobility to exceed its body's capacity, resulting in an excessive burden on its body and making it vulnerable.
Scyther lost its ability to move. Although it was still conscious, it was powerless to fight back. Wei Xin looked at Wang Yiyi on the other side and advised, "You've seen Scyther's body. There's no point in continuing to fight. So, surrender."
A powerful force that doesn't belong to you will eventually have serious consequences. Scyther's body is already unable to bear the weight, and it's likely that from now on, it will never be able to shine on the field again.
Wang Yi gritted his teeth. Although the outcome of the match was already decided, he just couldn't bring himself to say the words "I admit defeat." He could only watch helplessly as Ralts prepared for its next move.
Wei Xin sighed. If Wang Yiyi was willing to let go and take Scyther for treatment, allowing him to gradually recover, he could then pass the League's review and have the opportunity to obtain a second Pokémon and continue his trainer journey.
But, someone who doesn't cherish their Pokémon, and doesn't even care about their Pokémon's body—.
Maybe I should give up on becoming a trainer.
I had already tried to persuade them with kind words.
"Ralts, magical flames, release him from this predicament."
"Ralts!" Ralts exhaled flames, and a scorching shockwave rushed towards Scyther. The crimson fire serpent crawled in front of Scyther, opened its blood-red maw, and crushed Scyther's remaining stamina and health bar.
After the flames subsided, only the charred and scorched mantis lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious.
The referee blew the whistle, and the avatars of Wang Yiyi and Scyther on the arena screen turned gray as they were knocked off the screen by Wei Xin and Ralts. A line of golden WINNER appeared below the avatars of Wei Xin and Ralts.
"Scyther is unable to battle, Ralts is the winner, and Wei Xin advances to the finals."
When the match ended, everyone in the stands was shocked.
Although everyone has heard of and witnessed Wei Xin's strength, to completely dominate from start to finish—this level of strength is simply too exaggerated. They've reached the semifinals, and he's still winning without taking any damage? A complete stomp? Is this reasonable?
After a brief silence, although some people were at a loss for words and couldn't think of anything to say, they could only exclaim, "Wei Xin is awesome!"
Amidst the deafening cheers from the audience, Wei Xin glanced at Rotom, a look of confusion on his face.
Besides the message from his senior sister that the expert team's plane had already departed and that he should come over as soon as possible to prepare to pick them up, there was also news about Cynthia.
"Don't go out unnecessarily during this period."
what's going on?
Wei Xin was puzzled.
Is someone trying to harm me?
"How could I possibly harm you?"
In a coffee shop in Shanghai, Karuni sat opposite Cynthia, her fair fingers gripping the handle of a porcelain cup. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, and a meaningful smile played on her lips. She took a sip of the Unova-style (based on the United States) black coffee in her cup, her face showing a bitter expression, and stuck out her tongue.
"This coffee is really bitter. I want to drink milk tea, but I have to maintain my figure, and my manager won't allow it. Kurushi."
As she spoke, Karuni reached for the sugar cubes on the table, but the lid of the sugar cube box was covered by a large green hand, and a pair of red eyes stared straight at Karuni.
It is Gardevoir, as Karni's guardian, who has a responsibility to supervise the trainer's behavior when the manager is not present.
Karuni lay on the table, making soft whimpering sounds.
Cynthia put down her phone, rubbing her forehead: "What's your purpose in suddenly coming to Donghuang?"
"What, can't I come and see my best friend's life in Donghuang?" Karuni said.
"Now that you've finished reading, I'm going to call your agent and send you back to Carlos." With that, Cynthia dialed the number of Karni's agent.
"Wait a minute!" Karuni quickly stopped her. "I'm here to work at Donghuang. I just got a call from an old classmate and came over to shoot some promotional photos for his friend's company."
"Anything else?" Cynthia asked. As her best friend of several years, how could she not know that the other party was feigning one thing while secretly doing another?
Knowing she couldn't hide it from Cynthia, Karni had no choice but to confess honestly: "Of course, I came to see what kind of wonderful man my best friend met in the Eastern Empire. She's completely smitten and has forgotten all about the mysteries. Hey, don't worry, I haven't told anyone else about this. I even turned down Cattleya's invitation for you."
In fact, Cattleya never invited Karuni.
Karuni raised her chin, her eyes and mouth curving into crescents, revealing a smug and curious smile. She picked up three fingers and gently shook them: "1, 2, 3, how far have you progressed? How's the taste of this young hunk?"
As a public figure, is it really appropriate for you to be curious about these things?
Cynthia remained silent. Faced with Carlos's persistent questioning, she really wanted to flip the table and shout, "Let's get down to business, Queen Carlos!"
"No way." Seeing Cynthia's silence, Karuni exclaimed in surprise, "You haven't made any progress at all? The Sinnoh Champion can't even beat a student from the Eastern Empire?"
"Oh, you have no dating experience? That's easy, I'll teach you. The boys in Donghuang are all pretty naive, especially those who have been holding back for over ten years and are just entering university, their minds filled with thoughts of finding a pretty girl to get out of being single. They're especially easy to manipulate. You just need to put a piece of meat in front of him and tell him he can eat it if he jumps, then gradually pull him into your comfort zone, occasionally giving him small rewards—."
"Stop!" Seeing Karuni trying her best to share non-existent romantic experiences, Cynthia quickly changed the subject, "Let's not talk about that now. Have you thought about where you'll stay tonight? How about I book a hotel for you?"
Having learned from their previous conversations that Karuni could deduce Wei Xin's identity and background from just three sentences, she was genuinely afraid that if she said a few more words, Karuni might suddenly and inexplicably reveal Wei Xin's ID number.
"The hotel," Karuni frowned as Cynthia abruptly changed the subject. "Why didn't I let you go to your villa—did you hide a man at home?—Judging by your reaction—no, that young man lives near your house, doesn't he?"
Cynthia's hand holding the cup trembled slightly, and the milk almost spilled onto the table. She was so shocked that she couldn't speak for a moment.
How did you guess? This can't be! Is this really my same stupid best friend who would lose everything in a game? You actually grew a brain just to get some gossip? Is it really that serious?
Why did you play so badly in the Masters tournament? Did you forget your brain at home?
Cynthia stared at Karuni.
So you're using all your dirty tricks on your best friend? If you keep doing this, I'm seriously considering silencing you forever.
Unaware of the dangerous thoughts in Cynthia's mind, Karni snapped his fingers and pulled out a brown detective hat from somewhere, putting it on his head. "General, it seems I guessed right. Let me guess again. You just picked up your phone and sent a message to someone—let's assume it was your boyfriend. Judging from the timing and your attitude towards me, you probably sent him a warning to prevent me from meeting him."
"That's outrageous! We've been sisters for so many years, and you actually did that for a man—" Karuni sniffed twice, wiped her moist eyes, and pretended to be on the verge of tears. Then, she changed the subject and continued to reason.
The speed at which his emotions and expressions changed is truly remarkable; he is indeed a film and television actor.
"Why did you have to post this while we were having tea? You only found out I arrived in Donghuang this morning, which means he was busy with something very important before that—attending classes, doing research, or—" Karuni took out her phone and scrolled through the recording of the Magic University Freshman Tournament, "...playing a match."
"Ma Liang and Xu Mu are not good-looking enough, so they are both noobs and should be passed over."
"Found him. This guy in Group C is named Wei Xin, and his partner is a Shiny Ralts. That's him."
Karni watched the match video at double speed, a satisfied smile on her face. She was a trainer with the same starter Pokémon as me.
==*
"Achoo!" In the airport waiting room, Wei Xin, who was holding his laptop and checking the intelligence he had received that morning, suddenly sneezed and felt a chill run down his spine.
Oh no, could someone really be trying to harm me?
It must be Spinner.
BYD, all I did was pamper Umbreon in front of your ears, is that enough to make you hold a grudge? You're so petty.
"Ralts?" Ralts pulled a tissue from Wei Xin's pocket, suspecting that Wei Xin had been staying up all night with Eevee behind her back again. She was a little angry. If this continues, I really will have to hypnotize you.
Thanks.
"Wei Xin, what's wrong? Is it a cold, or are you feeling unwell due to overwork? Do you need to rest?" Lillie, who was sitting next to Wei Xin, asked.
"It's nothing," Wei Xin said nonchalantly. He was used to being remembered. There was no way around it; he was just too popular. That's what happens when you're charming. He had to worry about being dragged into a basement by a passing older woman when he went out.
"Speaking of which, Wei Xin, have you heard? The boss of Beyond Company passed away last night," Lillie suddenly said. "There hadn't been any news before, and they said he was a centenarian. It's really so sudden."
"It was a fake death," Wei Xin said without hesitation. "The influence of the Enhanced Balls is gradually expanding, and it has already touched upon social stability. The league is about to take action, so he chose to fake his death, send a scapegoat to the league to deal with, declare the company bankrupt, and then use the money he made from selling Enhanced Balls to change his identity, change the company name, and plan to do other business—or carry out other plans."
"For example, the PPR tournament, a large-scale city-wide tour of the entire Donghuang region, the enhanced ball is just the beginning. I guess their real purpose is hidden behind this competition."
The mines of Shanxi, the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in Shaanxi, Changbai Mountain, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the missing Peach Blossom Spring, the legendary six heroes, Beyond Company plans to use the power of all the trainers in the East to help them complete their plan. It's practically the Pokémon World SBR Tournament.
What is the purpose? To rule the world, to achieve immortality? It can't possibly be to make the Eastern Empire great again.
When Wei Xin checked the files, he also discovered that the boss of Beyond Company was actually a two-hundred-year-old man who had obviously used the Lac element to extend his lifespan. Moreover, on the eve of the company's booming business and the impending explosion of the landmine, he chose to die and retreat behind the scenes.
They made money, the alliance arrested the scapegoat, they got an explanation, and everyone happily made dumplings.
All I can say is that he truly lives as long as a tortoise—a cunning old fox.
"If I'm not mistaken, some of the top executives at Beyond Company will be replaced. As for the one pushed into the boss's position," Wei Xin turned the computer screen towards Lillie, displaying the face of a blue-haired man, "Beyond Company, the research director of Lac Element, Spinner, if I were the boss of Beyond Company, I would definitely choose him as the scapegoat."
Wei Xin's lips curled up slightly. It seems that Beyond Company is not a monolithic entity after all. So, how will you, Spinner, deal with the boss's betrayal?
Should I find another scapegoat to take my place? Or should I die alongside my boss?
Wei Xin's reasoning surprised Lillie. She had heard about the PPR competition from a friend. It was the opening ceremony of the Donghuang Alliance competition. It turned out that Beyond Company was behind it.
Moreover, the enhanced ball is only something that will happen in the next two weeks. In other words, during this period, Wei Xin is competing, attending classes, doing research, investigating the background of Beyond Company, and helping her start the company.
They've all produced results, especially in scientific research and starting companies. They poached an entire team of experts from Padida, along with the Moto Lizard and PPR.
The competition prohibits the use of modern vehicles by contestants; in other words, contestants must acquire a riding Pokémon in order to achieve a result.
They acquired the Motor Lizards from the Alliance at extremely low prices under the guise of helping the Alliance deal with them. After breeding and training them, they could sell them for ten or even dozens of times the price. The profits behind this were frighteningly high. Is this something a normal person could do?
Lillie looked at Wei Xin with admiration in her eyes; he was simply a superman.
"How did you know Wei Xin?" Lillie asked curiously.
"A few clues plus reasoning—and some trivial life experience." He wouldn't tell Lillie that he once had a senior in civil engineering who, on his third day of internship at a construction site, secured a seven-year job.
"Then what should we do? Report it to the Alliance?" Lillie asked.
"It's pointless. What the alliance needs is stability; they don't want to cause any more trouble."
Many people believe that the alliance is incredibly powerful and that all problems can be solved with the alliance. But in reality, the alliance is a protective umbrella that can protect against external threats and handle the aftermath of various incidents. However, it is difficult for them to prevent unknown, unverified, or impending events.
Even knowing that something is about to happen, they still choose to bury their heads in the sand.
In the special episode, there were so many events. If it weren't for the main characters' intervention, the world would have been destroyed countless times, especially in the Kanto region. Of the eight Gym Leaders, five are from Team Rocket, and one is a Team Rocket boss. Even the Elite Four members are involved.
Even in the Carlos region, the mastermind behind the Galar region is the regional leader. In reality, the only truly reliable leader of the alliance seems to be Yeci of Padia, who is busy with all sorts of events happening in Padia every day.
But even if the matter is eventually resolved and everyone is happy, how many people will be dragged into it and suffer losses?
There has never been a savior.
With a snap.
Wei Xin closed his laptop, looked at the private jet that had landed on the airport runway, relaxed his stiff hands, then clenched them, making a creaking sound: "Do what we need to do, handle the enhanced sphere incident, acquire more resources to strengthen ourselves, and then find an opportunity to wipe out everyone on the list."