Chapter 337: The Preliminaries Begin!
If you had to choose between a Blaziken with Champion potential and one with Master potential—
With the former having Blaze and the latter having Speed Boost as its ability—
Hikaru would definitely go with the Speed Boost one.
For a Pokémon like Blaziken, that ability was an absolute game-changer.
Potential was something Hikaru could raise through effort and training, but changing an ability?
That was nearly impossible.
And this particular Blaziken had both high potential and Speed Boost.
Its future? Limitless.
"Cha-mo!"
"Wahaha~ I'm counting on you, Blaziken~!"
As soon as it emerged, Hu Yan'er charged up and wrapped her arms around it, wearing a total fangirl expression.
Hikaru and Sakura gawked, their jaws dropping.
They could hardly believe this was the same senior from earlier.
Even Ye Meishuang facepalmed and whispered, "She's always like this—kinda neurotic. You'll get used to it…"
"Mm-hmm…" The two nodded simultaneously.
What they had assumed was a passionate, flirtatious upperclassman… turned out to be an actual comedy queen.
"Cha-mo…"
Even Blaziken looked helpless.
Its trainer was great in every way—except her habit of swooning over attractive Pokémon…
Thankfully, Hu Yan'er soon realized they still had an audience and pulled herself together.
"Ahem, let's go, juniors. Let's find that squad from your school—Pan Shanyu's team!"
She hadn't trained a Flying-type yet.
And without a Water-type either, the only way she could traverse the sea was by borrowing someone else's Pokémon.
"Wait."
Hikaru raised a hand and shook his head. "Follow me. I've got something good."
He then hopped onto Latias, who let out a long cry and beckoned the rest to follow.
Meanwhile, the broadcast of the preliminaries had officially begun.
Each Rotom had activated its live-streaming function, and the feeds were rapidly distributed online.
The livestreams of some particularly hot contestants were instantly swarmed by viewers.
Like Yamamoto Nika.
The arrogant, lone-wolf foreigner from Sakura Country.
Or the North Hua University seed team: Liu Xuan, Ma Xiaojian, Zhu Yuyu—
Two out of three were Master-level trainers at the peak of their strength.
And, of course, Zhongqing University's seeded team:
Pan Shanyu and his squad—all Master peak-level Trainers.
Others included psychic-wielding talents like Mu Wanqing, Mu Hui...
And even a certain high schooler who fought with a Pikachu—Ash.
These trainers, with distinct quirks and personalities, drew most of the audience's attention.
In Yamamoto Nika's stream, he stood alone with his Houndoom, wearing a smug grin:
"These Chinese Trainers won't find me that easily!"
The chat exploded.
[Get lost, shorty! China doesn't welcome midgets like you!]
[One guy and already this cocky? Somebody PLEASE take him out!]
[Send him back to his mommy!]
[Yamamoto-kun, now's the time to show Sakura's glory...]
Meanwhile, the live chats in the Zhongqing and North Hua University rooms were filled with rallying cries.
[He's on a small island. Go find him! Drag him into the sea!]
[Can't stand him anymore!]
Unfortunately, the contestants couldn't see the live chats.
In Hikaru's stream, his appearance as the previous High School League champion drew plenty of attention too.
[Wait—isn't that Hikaru from the High School League? With the Latias thumbnail?]
[Holy! It really is him! Isn't he a sophomore? How's he in the Youth League already?!]
[Guess he got fast-tracked. Still wild though. Could've waited two years and bagged the championship for sure…]
[That Latias is still adorably majestic…]
[Yo! Anyone notice his entire team is just… beautiful women? He's not battling, he's on vacation!]
[Hold up... is that an A-rank relic??]
Inside the Education Ministry, in a room filled with floating holo-screens displaying priority streams—
Aside from the university presidents and coaches, several high-ranking members of the League were also present.
They were particularly focused on which undeserving contestants might slip through the prelims.
One suited official frowned at Hikaru's footage, watching him stroll casually with his three female teammates.
"Is this Hikaru kid's Wave Power actually reliable?"
Back during the High School League, Hikaru had been the name on everyone's lips.
Even now, his fame hadn't died down.
Two reasons:
First, his Wave Power.
The previous bearer of Wave Power had left an unforgettable impression—blazing through the world like a falling star.
Second, he was the trainer of a Latias.
That fact alone made him a magnet for scrutiny.
Right now, none of the League officials wanted Yamamoto Nika's antics to continue.
It was a threat to the League's credibility!
"He's got real Wave Power," said President Xie Ming calmly, stroking his beard.
"I reviewed his performance in the Changchun Secret Realm.
With his Wave Power and Latias, his detection range is phenomenal.
Finding a guy like Yamamoto should be no problem."
"Fine… Wait. Where's he going?"
Back in the livestream—
Hikaru and his team were rushing toward the center of their island.
Along the way, they avoided wild Pokémon, while the weaker ones fled under the sheer pressure of their team's presence.
Soon, they reached their destination—
A giant Oran tree with a metal box perched high in its branches.
The box bore the League's official emblem.
It was clearly a relic drop, hidden on the island by the League.
And just like that, even before real combat began, Hikaru's squad had located their first treasure.
While the prelims didn't offer rewards for wins, any relics or items found during the round were theirs to keep.
The same League official who'd questioned him earlier arched a brow.
"Okay… maybe this Hikaru guy really does have something going for him."
At that moment, someone else in the room spoke up:
"We've compiled the full list of all non-Chinese participants in the prelims!"
"...Ready for review."
To be continued…
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