Ah.
Didn't draw it.
Li Xiang suddenly felt a strange emptiness inside.
It felt like he had only drawn a lot, yet he was as exhausted as if he'd been training all day.
Oh well.
Win some, lose some.
He tried to comfort himself with that thought, but behind him came the familiar sound of cheers.
He turned instinctively and saw most of the senior sisters looking excited—some jumping for joy, others hugging each other.
Even Abigail wore a relaxed, faint smile.
"Junior! Junior, I got it!"
A light breeze swept by.
Li Xiang turned and found the shyest and shortest of the team, Senior Shen Qing, tearfully hugging his waist.
"Junior! Senior Bai Xiang and I got a bye!"
Shen Qing held up the white rope with a red-tipped end, trembling with excitement, her face flushed.
Fate was smiling on Mist City University!
Li Xiang opened his mouth slightly. Although Bai Xiang's team had made the top sixteen last year, who knew if they could pull it off again this year? A bye was the best possible outcome!
"Congratulations!"
He patted Shen Qing's shoulder approvingly. "Congratulations, Senior!"
The surrounding students cast envious glances at the lucky girl—a free pass to the next round!
But with that, the matter of the bye draws came to an end.
Whether they had drawn one or not, they would have to keep fighting.
To be honest, Mist City University's luck this year was almost unbelievable.
First, they had three talented freshmen like Li Xiang enroll. Then, even though they were shorthanded in doubles, Li Xiang and Su Qian had formed a new team with considerable strength.
In the doubles draws, they had faced some tough opponents, but the gaps weren't insurmountable—they had a fighting chance in every match. And at the most critical moment, they got a bye.
It looked like they were charging straight toward the global level.
How could the traditional top three—Tiandu and the others—not feel threatened?
They were all thinking about taking down the remaining two Mist City teams.
So, the second round of draws arrived.
The moment Li Xiang and Zhao Jie stepped onto the stage, countless eyes locked onto them like they were going to devour them alive.
It was rather intimidating.
But such a primitive stare wasn't going to affect anything. What will be, will be.
They each took their lot and silently turned them over.
—[Shen Island - Group 2].
Li Xiang stared at the number on his lot, blinking.
This…
"Brother, what did you draw?"
Zhao Jie peered over and showed him her lot.
—[Port City - Group 1].
Her lot was obviously much better than the Celestial Team - Group 2.
"Oh, brother, your luck—"
Zhao Jie looked at him with a complicated expression, leaving the rest unsaid.
But she didn't need to. Li Xiang knew exactly what she meant.
Mist City had been riding a wave of good luck this whole time—how did it fall apart the moment it got to you?
"Heh."
He twitched the corner of his mouth, not wanting to speak.
Who knew his luck would be so bad today? With so many options available, he had to run into Shen Islands (Celestial Team - Group 2.)
(Note: I was mentioned previously as well. The Shen Island team calls themselves the Celestial Team)
Undoubtedly a powerful opponent, even stronger than Haizhou's ace group.
This was going to be tough.
Sigh.
Li Xiang scratched his head silently.
When the rest of the Mist City team found out about Li Xiang's bad draw, no one blamed him. They only offered encouragement.
Su Qian, on the other hand, teased him with a playful expression.
Li Xiang didn't take it seriously either. The battle hadn't even started—there was no need to act like they were already doomed.
Nearby, the Celestial Team had also learned that Group 2 would face Li Xiang's team. They were immediately fired up, even getting loud and rowdy.
They had been itching to take Mist City down a peg. They weren't the only ones feeling the pressure—Shanghai wasn't alone. The global ticket was one thing, but they weren't about to give up the regional championship either.
Any potential threat had to be crushed!
Even if Li Xiang's talent was remarkable, no matter how incredible it seemed…
Their reactions caught the attention of other teams.
Within two minutes, the news that Celestial Team Group 2 was up against Mist City Group 3 had spread to everyone.
Mist City's good luck was about to end!
Even though there were other matches—Yandu vs. Dragon City, Shanghai vs. Tiandu—everyone's eyes were fixed on Li Xiang's group!
The spotlight had instantly reached its peak!
The Mist City team didn't want to be gawked at forever. They left right after the draw.
There was still plenty to do.
Outside, as the draw results were announced, the "Cola Challenge" suddenly exploded in popularity.
At first, it had only involved Mist City University graduates and a bunch of fame-seekers who were paid to participate. But after the announcement, Shen Island started sending their own graduates into the fray.
More and more people joined in, like dumplings being dropped into a pot, one after another, eager to show off.
It eventually made it into the top three trending topics.
Many people tagged Xia Chunyu and Mo Ye, since both had graduated from Shen Island and Mist City respectively.
But those people didn't stop to think—why would a Champion and an Elite Four member join something like that?
Even if they wanted to, the Association wouldn't let them.
They were the face of Zhu Xia!
So while the Cola Challenge stayed popular, it remained confined to niche circles. The trend only lasted half a day before dying down.
....
Still, plenty of people kept following the results of the third round.
Late at night, it rained in Shen Island.
Not heavy rain... but it brought a bit of coolness to the otherwise stuffy weather.
If a match had been underway, someone would have dispersed the rain clouds beforehand. But the draw had just ended, and the organizers decided to let the rain fall, giving the competitors some time to rest.
After all, Pokémon don't always recover quickly after giving it their all in battle.
Li Xiang and the others had a whole day to study their opponents and plan tactics.
They spent hours discussing counter-strategies against Celestial Team - Group 2 and the possible tactics they might use. Su Qian, Li Xiang, and Xu He talked for hours.
They couldn't plan for everything, but by setting up multiple contingencies and either adapting on the fly or seizing the initiative to force their opponents to react, they could stay in control.
Doubles, like singles, had its own rhythm. Whoever fell into the opponent's rhythm was doomed.
At the same time, to secure their advancement, Li Xiang decided to reveal a few trump cards early.
And so, the organizers' day of rest passed without anyone truly relaxing.
Instead, it made the tension even thicker.
On the day of the Summer Tournament Doubles Finals, among the four sub-arenas, spectators eagerly awaited the performances of each school team.
For Mist City, the first match was Zhao Jie's group.
They would face Port City.
As a team that had advanced to the third round, Port City wasn't weak. But compared to Zhao Jie and Lü Shu, they were far behind—at best on par with Lion Island.
The match was a foregone conclusion.
Zhao Jie and Lü Shu had made it to the semi-finals last year and were among the top doubles teama s in terms of pure strength.
Port City... was just okay. They managed to take out one of Lü Shu's Pokémon before falling to Hatterene's Expanding Force.
The witch's power was still formidable.
A one-sided match had its own appeal, especially when the winners were two such beautiful girls. The crowd's cheers were loud.
The duo came off the field and received a warm welcome from the rest of the Mist City team.
Three points!
Another three points!
Every point earned in doubles meant more confidence and freedom in the singles matches.
Li Xiang and Su Qian watched their teammates celebrate with joy, but also felt the pressure.
Their teammates had done their best.
Now, it was up to them.
Whether they could achieve the global dream rested entirely on their shoulders.
Such a weighty trust and responsibility.
Li Xiang looked at Su Qian and noticed the invisible burden called "responsibility" on her slender shoulders.
"We're going to win."
He couldn't help but say.
"Huh?" Su Qian turned her head, then chuckled. "Junior, are you trying to comfort me?"
"Something like that."
Li Xiang was thick-skinned enough not to feel awkward, and admitted it directly. "But I also mean it."
"I know."
Su Qian smiled back. "Of course we'll win. There's no other option. If we lose to just Celestial Team - Group 2, why would we even think about going global?"
She raised her fist.
"Exactly."
Li Xiang raised his hand and bumped it against hers.
Their synergy was built through these small, unspoken habits.
....
In the afternoon, the sky was clear as washed.
The decisive Arena Number One.
This highly anticipated match was finally underway.
The stands were packed.
Everyone was eager to see both teams perform, and especially to see how far Li Xiang could go.
The field was a Snow Terrain... Li Xiang's nightmare from the Spring Tournament.
Luckily, there were no slippery ice surfaces or ice rocks—just a layer of snow reportedly five meters thick.
Still, when he saw the field, he couldn't help but pause.
"Don't be nervous. It's just one round today, not five."
Su Qian was amused. She knew Li Xiang had a strong reaction to snow ever since he collapsed from exhaustion in the Spring Tournament.
"Sigh."
Li Xiang shrugged helplessly. In the lounge, he had been dozing off, and many senior sisters had taken pictures of his sleeping face, which would probably become one of his most embarrassing memories.
But then again, the snow terrain had treated him well. He had used the field's advantages more than once. Nothing to complain about.
The teams took the field.
Celestial Team - Group 2 had the same gender composition as theirs—one male, one female. The man was tall and sturdy; the woman was petite and delicate.
Yet it was the latter who was the team's commander and powerful support.
Both of them, upon seeing the Snow Terrain, were just as unhappy as Li Xiang. Their specialty types had poor synergy with the field.
"Look, they're stumped too, hahaha."
Su Qian whispered with a laugh.
"I see. Looks like luck is still on our side."
Li Xiang's expression was calm, a smile on his face.
The referee checked both sides, confirmed they were ready, and began reading out the rules.
Both held their Poké Balls ready.
Soon, the whistle blew!
"BEEEEP—!"
Both sides threw their Poké Balls at the same time!
Bang! Bang!
Flashing white light!
Before the Celestial Team duo appeared a white cotton-like figure with brown skin and ram-like horns on the field!
—Fairy/Grass-type with Prankster ability: Whimsicott!
Beside it was a massive, brownish-black mole with a metallic drill head, one-third the size of its body!
—Steel/Ground-type with Mold Breaker ability: Excadrill!