As it turned out, the saying "much ado about nothing" was spot on.
Li Xiang had expected that after defeating Su Qian, the coach might have something to say, but he didn't. Not even a whisper seemed to have reached the ordinary students.
Such good fortune! Li Xiang was more than happy for people not to know the results of the match, saving him from the noise around him and the online chatter about him.
Besides, a wise man knows his limits. He didn't want to be captain right now, and he couldn't handle it anyway. Why spread the word?
The position seemed easy, but it actually required not just strength, but also the leadership to guide everyone forward, to encourage when morale was low, to restrain when spirits were high, and to command the complete trust of the team.
Even though he had been winning against the senior sisters on the team, they still called him "junior," and Li Xiang responded just as quickly. He was used to it.
So, for now, he was one hundred percent unqualified to be captain. Maybe after participating in the Youth Tournament a few more times and turning the tide a few more times, it would be better. The position better suited for him right now was as the ace.
Besides, Su Qian was so dedicated, attentive, and considerate. Why would he want to take her spot? Being captain wouldn't give him better treatment. What the school was already giving him was the limit publicly; the rest was still being arranged. If others found out, it would easily affect his life.
Thus, Li Xiang continued to "idly" practice doubles with Su Qian and the others, working hard to strengthen his abilities.
As their opponents, Feng Laiyi and the other member of her duo, along with the other two teams, after witnessing Li Xiang's strength, held a pessimistic view of their chances in the matches.
Su Qian was already strong enough on her own. With Li Xiang, an unpredictable factor, even if their teamwork wasn't perfect, they would likely put on an outstanding performance, right?
But as it turned out, their coordination was also excellent. Li Xiang's Pokémon seemed equally skilled in both singles and doubles, with clear thinking in battle, knowing exactly what to do and when.
Su Qian had never participated in doubles because she hadn't found a suitable partner to build synergy with. Now, with Li Xiang assisting—yes, assisting—Su Qian was like a tiger with wings, her combat strength soaring.
Whether it was gaining a safe environment to attack or being healed back from the brink of defeat, Li Xiang's support was invaluable. He even actively took hits to keep Su Qian's Pokémon on the field, ensuring their combat effectiveness.
The Best Teammate. Within the school team, he truly deserved that title for her, without exaggeration.
When she asked Li Xiang if he had specifically trained in doubles, he replied yes. On the island, there was no entertainment other than battling, so battles were the best pastime. Thus, two-on-two matches were also frequent, though not as common as one-on-ones, and they often caused internal strife.
Incineroar and the others were all masters at shifting blame, classic non-stick pans in battle. Missed a move? You messed with me. Hit the wrong target? You didn't guide me or explain clearly. Got hit? What do you know about offense and support anyway? In short, there were countless excuses, and it was definitely not their fault.
If Li Xiang interfered in the battle, then it was all his fault, and they bore no responsibility. "You chose this, idol!"
But over time, they had accumulated some experience, especially since Li Xiang had originally intended to train them for doubles.
To others, however, this seemed somewhat absurd. Good at singles, good at doubles, are you also good at real-world battles? No one is perfect; any skill requires a lot of time to practice to show results. But Li Xiang's performance made many start to doubt this truth.
Fortunately, those with discerning eyes could see that Li Xiang and Su Qian's combination looked impressive only because of the innate advantage of their individual strength. Their coordination was only basic. It was enough against ordinary doubles teams, but in the summer competition against schools strong in doubles, it might not hold up.
In doubles, individual strength was important, but the synergy between the two could make up for many shortcomings. Things like timing of buff moves, when to actively take hits, when to switch, and so on. These were all part of the art of doubles.
And honestly, the pace of doubles was much faster than singles, with an even higher demand for Taunt usage than in singles. There was a reason some called the Youth Tournament the "Taunt Tournament."
Feng Laiyi, however, was enthusiastic, extremely interested in Li Xiang and Su Qian's combination, like Ash seeing a strong trainer and wanting to challenge them. Win or lose, she was going to fight.
With similar thoughts in mind, the day came to decide the doubles lineup.
Before the match, during the preparation phase, Gong Xu was envious to the point of distortion. He grabbed Li Xiang's collar and shook him wildly, gritting his teeth as he said he would let Li Xiang go first this time.
"Just wait! I'll catch up sooner or later! I'm your best partner!" The blond boy lowered his voice in dissatisfaction.
Although he was a fanatical doubles enthusiast, he wasn't a simpleton. Knowing he lacked the strength to have a chance to play, he chose to support Li Xiang and Su Qian.
Of course, having finally found a satisfactory partner, he would never give up and let someone else take them.
"Alright, alright." Li Xiang pried the guy's hands off and, before he could react, grabbed his collar and shook him back. After getting even, he let go of the almost-dizzy blond boy.
"Are you in elementary school or something?" Song Jie sighed from the side, unable to stand these two childish guys.
Beside them, Su Qian smiled cheerfully.
"You're so sought after, I'm under a lot of pressure as your partner, junior." "Senior, you're not any worse than me."
Li Xiang knew that if not for poor compatibility, aside from the existing two teams, Su Qian could have chosen anyone on the school team, and they would have felt honored. But she hadn't, which was why her raising her hand to team up with Li Xiang had surprised everyone so much.
The preparation time ended. Both sides stood in their agreed positions. The battle wasn't particularly difficult; it was even smooth. Pure strength could overcome many things, especially the unremarkable teamwork of their opponents.
Feng Laiyi's team lasted a bit longer, since Mudsdale could really take hits after buffing.
Afterward, some people showed relieved expressions, helplessly saying that since they were up against the "dual kings" of Li Xiang and Su Qian, losing was understandable. There was quite a bit of agreement.
But then, Su Qian frowned and scolded them.
"You can lose a battle, but don't ever think you're definitely going to lose. Once you admit defeat in your heart, you'll never win again."
As someone who had recently lost to Li Xiang, Su Qian had the authority to speak. For her, losing a thousand or ten thousand battles didn't matter, but she had to believe she had a chance to win. That was the only way to move forward.
Take Mo Ye, for example. His battles with Xia Chunyu over the years, big and small, publicly and privately, totaled over a thousand. He won very few. In major public competitions like the Masters Tournament, his wins were even rare; he had never won a Championship defense match. Ordinary people, after losing so many times without seeing a chance of victory, would have been disheartened long ago. But he never stopped challenging Xia Chunyu.
It was precisely because he was unwilling to accept defeat and wanted to win that he kept challenging, no matter how powerful the opponent. And as a trainer, wanting to win was never wrong.
Li Xiang watched Su Qian's serious expression, knowing she was both teaching others and reminding herself. He then looked at Song Jie, who was nodding in agreement, his expression making it look rather comical.
"Pfft." Li Xiang couldn't help but chuckle to the side.
"What are you laughing at?" Song Jie, keenly detecting Li Xiang's movement, asked.
"I remembered something happy." Li Xiang straightened his face, refusing to admit it.
"What happy thing—" Song Jie started but suddenly stopped, realizing he had fallen into Li Xiang's verbal trap again. This guy always said some jokes he didn't understand, and when asked, never explained. It was really annoying.
"So boring." Li Xiang lost interest.
That concluded the doubles selection matches. Although Li Xiang and Su Qian's team ultimately won, it was up to Xu He to decide which team would actually compete. After all, they might also have to play singles. Handling both events at once might be too heavy a burden.
Just as Li Xiang was curious about Xu He's decision, the bald coach called him and Su Qian away.
In the conference room, every seat was filled. Under the bright lights, the oval brown conference table reflected a thin sheen of light. When they arrived, countless eyes immediately swept over them.
The board members sat on the left and right sides of the round table, clearly divided into two factions. Seated at the head was Bai Wanhua in her gray suit, looking at them calmly.
Why does this feel like Hanzawa Naoki?
Li Xiang suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu. It wasn't that his thought process was strange, but the conference room really did look similar. He even imagined a scene of Daisuke Otani kneeling.
Beside Bai Wanhua stood a man in glasses with slicked-back hair. He was the principal's assistant, essentially a secretary, but his status was only one step below the vice-principal. Li Xiang recognized him; he had seen him reporting work and submitting documents when visiting Bai Wanhua before.
Seeing the two main parties present, the principal's assistant directly announced the theme of this meeting: the decision regarding Li Xiang and Su Qian's participation, and the impact of their match results.
Ordinary students would be arranged by Xu He freely, but Li Xiang's status in the metropolis was self-evident. Unfortunately, outside the arena, Xu He couldn't unilaterally decide certain matters. This seemed to include the position of captain.
Su Qian's expression didn't change, showing she had been through this before.
Li Xiang frowned slightly but didn't say anything. It wouldn't be right for him to speak up casually.