Contestant Baimu's preselection opponent is precisely such an Elite Trainer.
"No matter what, let's cheer each other on!"
He extended his fist to Alice.
Alice was momentarily startled, then cheerfully bumped fists with him, "Oh!"
——
The next day.
At a small arena on the outermost part of the venue.
As the preselection match commenced, the eagerly awaited audience gradually took their seats.
Fifteen arenas were set to hold matches simultaneously, with the goal of determining the 256 contestants advancing to the main competition on the first day, allowing a generous allocation of time overall.
Baimu was quite fortunate to be in the first batch of battles.
And because the contestant list and specific match locations had been published online the previous day, the number of spectators at his arena was quite alarming.
Theoretically, Baimu didn't have many fans in the Trainer community, but the various promotions on all platforms by the event's administration had sparked others' interest in him.
Everyone came drawn by the reputation.
Being in the spotlight didn't affect him much; he was already used to being stared at by a crowd, but his opponent seemed to be flustered by it.
Social anxiety?
That's not going to work, young man.
You need to help me kick off a good start here.
Baimu held his Pokeball, recalling Shanren's special reminder last night that the first match must be won beautifully.
No matter the opponent's strength, no matter what strategy he decided to employ, he must showcase his power in the simplest way possible.
Promotional duties are a hassle...
So many demands.
He sighed internally, glancing at a certain spot in the audience. Liuqia and Xiaoguang were already wearing cheerleader outfits, looking at him with excitement.
But Baimu wasn't paying much attention to them; he was mainly eyeing Piplup and Altaria, who were also in cheerleader attire.
Indeed, cute-type Pokémon wearing human clothes are still very cute.
No wonder so many people buy skins in the Pokémon Unite.
While pondering.
The referee's voice echoed throughout the arena.
"The upcoming match is the preselection match between Contestant Baimu and Contestant Kesong. Each side is allowed to use one Pokémon, and the match ends when one Pokémon loses its battle ability—"
The voice paused briefly.
"The match begins!"
Beep—
With a loud whistle, both competitors threw their Pokeballs forward.
Bang, Bang!
A flash of light.
The Pokémon had already been decided at registration, but contestants didn't know which one their opponent would choose, so Baimu was somewhat eager to see Kesong's choice.
If there were no surprises...
A white-furred simian with flames fiercely burning on its coronet landed, its bright, wide eyes full of battle intent.
It gazed into the distance at the fierce-looking Hydreigon across from it, hearing its intimidating hiss in its ears:
"Sssaa——!!"
"Gahrurr!!"
Infernape grinned and bared its sharp, menacing fangs in response to Hydreigon, clenching its fists as if ready to strike at any moment—
And it indeed did so.
Kesong: "Sonic Fist!"
Whoosh!
Infernape launched off with its legs, closing the distance to Hydreigon's side in a blink.
Twisting its waist, rotating its hips, and throwing a punch!
Unleashing a white-glowing punch almost as fast as the speed of sound!
Szzzz—Boom!
A milky white surge exploded on Hydreigon's left head, which seemed not to react in time, transforming into a spread of ashen smoke from the energy burst.
It hit!
Kesong's face lit with joy, not expecting such a probing attack to hit so easily.
Could it be that Baimu, as some online claimed, was only good at the performance-type battles like the Gorgeous Competition? But the Pokémon in yesterday's videos seemed quite strong!
Or is this particular Pokémon a bit weaker?
What a waste that he was intimidated by so many of Baimu's fans just moments ago!
"Gahrur!"
Infernape agilely jumped back two steps, observing the swirling smoke ahead.
The audience was unusually buzzing, half amazed by Infernape's super-fast punch speed, and half curious why Baimu didn't order Hydreigon to dodge, and even more, why there was no reaction after taking a punch.
Is it possible it was downed with just one hit?
As Kesong anticipated the outcome of Infernape's Sonic Fist, the audience was curious about the situation.
Whoosh~ Whoosh~
The smoke dissipated.
Only to reveal Hydreigon standing still, slowly flapping its six leaf-like wings, its steadfast posture causing an uproar among the audience, and the slightly smug expression on Kesong's face quickly froze.
No... no reaction?
Both he and Infernape stared at the indifferent Hydreigon, whose gaze was even filled with ridicule, leaving them utterly astonished.
While Sonic Fist isn't an exceptionally powerful technique, it shouldn't have no effect at all, right?
The audience was also particularly curious about this, their eyes fixed on the scene inside the arena.
Kesong frowned and said, "Close Combat!"
I refuse to believe you can take this move without a scratch!
"Roar!"
Infernape let out a fierce howl, its body igniting with a reddish-brown flame, leaping suddenly towards Hydreigon, like a warrior cloaked in fighting spirit.
Who could have expected that as it moved, the latter would also flap its wings vigorously.
Whoosh!
The wind howled!
Hydreigon suddenly ascended and flew higher into the sky, causing Infernape's fierce dive to miss, forcing it to look up to see where it had flown to continue its pursuit.
Kesong's gaze was originally focused on Hydreigon, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the ground beneath Infernape's feet slowly cracking.
His pupils contracted sharply!
"Power of the Earth."
Baimu issued his first command since the start of the match.
Kesong shouted frantically, "Infernape! Get out of the way!"
Unfortunately, the command was too slow compared to the orange-red shining light erupting from the cracked ground!
Boom!!
The surging ground attribute energy erupted violently like a volcanic explosion, and the terrifying power instantly blasted the dazed Infernape into the sky!
The fighting flame on Infernape's body dissipated, and it let out a sharp wail.
"Roar——"
The situation, which was just under Kesong's control, reversed in an instant!
However.
Hydreigon in the sky wasn't finished with the airborne Infernape; its three heads simultaneously inhaled deeply, its chest rapidly expanding like a balloon.
At the critical moment, Hydreigon opened its three large mouths and roared fiercely!
"Sizzle——!!"
The rolling flames mixed into a three-colored energy giant dragon rushing downward!
Kesong was powerless to stop it, only able to watch Infernape as it descended to the ground, being engulfed by a grotesque, multicolored flaming giant dragon!
Boom!
The ground trembled wildly.
Accompanied by a deafening explosion, the destructive flames burst open, forming a huge fiery vortex that roared in the arena!
Some of the audience were jaw-dropped, while others waved their flags, cheering incessantly.
Hydreigon's terrifying Dragon's Pulse shook their spirits, as if giving a harsh lesson to all those who doubted Baimu and its strength earlier.
Inside the arena.
The flames dispersed.
Kesong gazed at the silhouette standing in the smoke, unable to help but shout joyfully, "Infernape! Are you alright——"
His words had just left his mouth.
The figure, seeming to hear his call, wobbled and fell, revealing its fainted eyes.
The referee, seeing this, raised the red flag representing Baimu's side without hesitation, "Infernape is unable to battle, Hydreigon wins, the advancing contestant is—Contestant Baimu!"
"Sizzle——!!"
Hydreigon threw its head back and roared.
The audience erupted in excited cheers again.
Though the battle between Hydreigon and Infernape was short, the former's strength had been showcased from multiple aspects.
Endurance—taking a punch without moving.
Mobility—reacting much faster than Infernape.
Aggressiveness—the combo of Power of the Earth and Dragon's Pulse was flawless, leaving Kesong no room to fight back.
Baimu dared to make such a vow at the Gorgeous Competition's grand event, truly confident!
Numerous reporters eagerly snapped photos of Hydreigon and Infernape, though more importantly, the calm and collected Baimu. Just how much of Hydreigon's strength did Kesong's Infernape draw out?
Everyone was curious.
And seeing the lively atmosphere in the arena, Baimu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Should be able to meet Shanren's demands now, right? He had even specially chosen the most flamboyant Hydreigon to participate in the battle, though its form may not be as dazzling as a Super Evolution.
But when it comes to vocal prowess, it's definitely the loudest!