"Wallace, this man Feng Che is quite close to the Draconid people," Steven Stone warned his friend in a low voice. "Don't get any bad ideas about him. His strength is already on par with an Elite—I'm not even certain I could defeat him."
Steven's warning was driven by the contents of the ancient murals he had studied, and the realization that the world could face an unprecedented catastrophe if Groudon and Kyogre were awakened. He planned to approach Feng Che after the match to inquire about any information regarding Kyogre.
The Battle: Gravity vs. Bond
On the battlefield, Mega Audino unleashed a barrage of Shadow Balls that blanketed half the arena. In response, Mega Greninja manifested two razor-sharp water blades, slicing through the projectiles with such precision that they dissipated into a mist of energy.
"Now, Mega Greninja! Giant Water Shuriken!"
Feng Che's Greninja hoisted a massive, three-meter-wide shuriken and hurled it at Mega Audino. Norman's Audino struggled to hold its ground, its hands trembling as it tried to block the sheer physical weight of the projectile.
Norman realized he had been checkmated by his own strategy. Under the influence of the hundredfold gravity field he had created, the giant shuriken now weighed as much as a mountain.
"I have to choose," Norman thought, sweat pouring down his face. "If I keep the gravity, the weight of that shuriken will crush Audino or blast it out of the arena. If I cancel it, Greninja's speed will become untouchable."
Norman made the difficult decision: "Mega Audino, cancel the Gravity field!"
The moment the pressure lifted, Mega Greninja's speed reached a terrifying level. It manifested a hundred Double Team clones that leaped across the arena, unleashing a torrential storm of Water Shurikens. Mega Audino's Protect barrier lasted only a second before shattering.
Before it could react, a water blade was pressed against Mega Audino's throat. Norman raised his hand in surrender as Audino reverted to its normal form.
The Selection Results
By that evening, the captains for the seven training squads were finalized:
Squad 1: Caitlin
Squad 2: Sabrina
Squad 3: Drayden
Squad 4: Steven Stone
Squad 5: Koga
Squad 6: Feng Che
Squad 7: Raihan
Master Sky, the World League head, reviewed the list with interest. He noted that Feng Che had successfully become a captain despite the squad containing two Elite Four members. Sky, dissatisfied with the current state of the Unova region under Champion Alder, began contemplating moving Feng Che there if he performed well in the upcoming assessments.
"Unova is a mess. Team Plasma has grown into a shadow organization with a Champion and seven Elites," Sky's secretary, Julie, noted.
"In the face of overwhelming strength, all conspiracies are paper tigers," Sky replied coolly. "If Alder cannot handle it, I will step in personally. For now, keep an eye on Feng Che and Sabrina."