Chapter 30: Zhao Xuesong Versus Wei Yeqin

Tiandu City, Dragon-Type Gym arena.

On the battlefield, Zhao Xuesong stood on one side, his gaze fixed on Wei Yeqin opposite him, his expression grave.

"Both sides of this match may choose between a single or a double battle," the referee in the arena asked.

"I’ll follow the host's lead; either is fine by me," Wei Yeqin replied indifferently.

In truth, the rules of the match meant nothing to him. Whether it was a single or double battle, he only ever used his Lucario. In a life-or-death confrontation, there were no such things as rules, single battles, or double battles—only victory or defeat, life or death. It had always been his Lucario taking on everyone else.

"Then we shall go with the most standard 3v3 no-rule single battle," Zhao Xuesong said, appearing magnanimous. By choosing the most common format, his composed demeanor made it hard to believe he was the same man who had coerced the Xia family.

The referee nodded and announced, "This match will be a 3v3 single battle. Pokémon may be swapped, and any held items, including Z-Crystals, are permitted."

"The match is entering the preparation phase. It will begin after the countdown!"

"Three, two, one! Match start!"

"Go, Blaziken."

"Lucario."

Zhao Xuesong sent out the classic Fire-type Pokémon, Blaziken. This was a calculated choice; Wei Yeqin’s only known Pokémon was his Lucario. As a Fighting/Steel type, it had only three weaknesses: Ground, Fire, and Fighting. Blaziken covered two of these. A Fire/Fighting Blaziken was undoubtedly a hard counter to Lucario. Moreover, this was a Pseudo-Elite level Blaziken with the Speed Boost ability. With such a massive type advantage, Zhao Xuesong felt he certainly had a fighting chance.

Meanwhile, in the spectator stands, many had gathered, including several top-tier trainers who had caught wind of the match. Suddenly, a commotion rippled through the crowd.

"Look, even the Water-type Elite Four member, Tan Yongsen, is here!"

"Elite Tan? I heard he was just re-elected to the Elite Four for the Southwest Region. This would be his fourth term—that makes twelve years in the position."

"He’ll probably challenge for the Champion title next term. His strength is already very close to that level."

The stir among the crowd did not affect Wei Yeqin. He sat on the floor in a cross-legged meditative pose, eyes closed, showing no intention of commanding his Lucario. This scene drew dissatisfaction from the audience, and jeers began to ripple through the stands.

"This guy is too arrogant. His opponent is Elite-level trainer Zhao Xuesong!"

"Not even commanding his Pokémon? Does he think he’s already won?"

"Who is this guy? Zhao Xuesong personally accepted the challenge, and yet he’s acting so pretentious."

At the same time, in the back office of the Dragon-type Gym, the Gym Leader, Lin Long, issued an order: "Start a live stream. Have the Xidu City TV battle channel broadcast this match."

"Gym Leader, the station is currently airing the preliminary rounds of the Gym Leader Ranking Tournament. They might not want to switch," a subordinate replied, looking troubled.

"Don't worry about that; I’ll handle the negotiations," Lin Long said decisively.

Lin Long had his own reasons. Others might not have realized the true strength of that Lucario from the earlier Dragon Pulse, but as a Dragon-type Gym Leader, how could he miss it?

That Lucario was clearly at the Champion level, and of the highest caliber at that—on the verge of crossing the threshold into the Pseudo-Master tier!

With such power, a Champion-level Lucario could walk across the entire Xishu Province unimpeded; aside from a very small number of individuals, no one was its match.

Zhao Xuesong had some backbone to accept the challenge, though had he refused, he wouldn't have had this opportunity to broadcast the fight.

Lin Long dialed the number for the head of the Xidu City TV station. "Hello, Old Yang."

"Old Lin, what brings you to call?" a deep, resonant voice answered.

"I want to broadcast a match on the Xidu City TV battle channel on short notice," Lin Long stated directly.

"Who is fighting?" Old Yang didn't want to agree lightly. Although there were precedents, both sides had to be exceptionally strong. He needed to know the details before making a decision.

"Zhao Xuesong and a stranger," Lin Long said. "This person is very strong. That Dragon Pulse that hit Xidu City earlier? That was his Pokémon."

"A stranger?" Old Yang didn't rush to accept. "Can you guarantee the ratings?"

"I can't make guarantees," Lin Long replied, "but I'll give you a hint: that man's Lucario is at least Pseudo-Champion level, and the Water-type Elite, Tan, is here in the stands. Even if you just film the audience, your ratings won't be low."

"Really? Alright, let's do it. We'll switch the feed immediately."

Soon, the Gym Leader Ranking Tournament on the battle channel was replaced by the live feed. Viewers were initially furious, but they were quickly drawn in by the match on screen, as it was obvious that both combatants were far superior to those in the ranking tournament.

Inside the Dragon-type Gym, the battle was ready to erupt.

No one expected the first move to come from the uncommanded Lucario. Surges of energy, like blue lightning, rippled across its body as it lunged at Blaziken. Everyone saw the attack, but no one knew what move it was using.

"Blaziken, use Protect!" Since he didn't know the move, Zhao Xuesong decided to use the universal Protect to hold out for a turn.

For a Blaziken with the Speed Boost ability, Protect was standard equipment, as the ability increased its speed every turn. Since Protect could buy time, it was an essential tactic.

Normal-type energy surged, quickly forming an invisible shield in front of Blaziken. But to everyone's shock, the shield seemed to fail entirely. Blaziken was struck by a heavy blow from Lucario and sent flying backward instantly.

"That was... Feint!"

"What a clever Lucario. To use Feint without any commands..."

"No, you didn't see it—the Lucario switched hands during the attack. It started with its left, but when it realized Blaziken used Protect, it struck with its right!"

While everyone was still discussing it, Lucario leaped, launching itself like a cannonball, charging head-first at Blaziken.

"Bang!"

Lucario’s head was covered in Psychic-type energy. This time, it was Zen Headbutt, a move that was super-effective against Blaziken. The impact was deafening, slamming Blaziken into the wall and creating a massive crater. Blaziken fainted, unable to continue the battle.

Two moves to defeat a Pseudo-Elite Blaziken, even with the opponent using Protect—the disparity in strength left everyone stunned. They began to eye the meditating Wei Yeqin, wondering where this powerhouse had come from and why such a formidable figure had suddenly appeared in Xidu City.

"Blaziken is unable to battle. The first round goes to Lucario," the referee announced, raising his flag. In truth, the referee didn't need to say anything; everyone could see that Lucario had won with absolute, crushing dominance.