Gu Qiu could clearly feel Frogadier's emotions.
The sudden surge of overwhelming power had shaken it.
For a moment—
It felt lost.
Overwhelmed.
But Gu Qiu's presence was like a beacon in the darkness.
Guiding it.
Anchoring it.
Helping Frogadier seize control of the Half-Tailed Beast power.
Across the arena—
The audience was completely stunned.
Even the university students who had mocked Gu Qiu earlier were now silent.
"What exactly is Gu Qiu's Frogadier?"
"How does it have so many strange and terrifying abilities?"
Their disbelief was obvious.
Even Yu Hao's mentality had begun to change.
Gu Qiu was too dazzling.
So dazzling that Yu Hao could no longer see a direction ahead of him.
People were like that.
When someone slightly better appeared—
Jealousy emerged.
Discomfort followed.
Especially if that person used to be inferior.
But when the gap became too large—
So large that jealousy itself became impossible—
The heart changed.
Yu Hao lowered his head slowly.
"Gu Qiu…"
"…I'll probably live in your shadow for the rest of my life."
Meanwhile—
On the battlefield.
"Onix, break through!"
Brock's voice rang out sharply.
"Quickly! Don't let Frogadier finish gathering its power!"
His instincts were screaming.
If Frogadier fully stabilized that terrifying form—
He would lose.
When Brock released Onix earlier—
He had never considered the possibility of defeat.
Losing to a trainer who had started only ten days ago?
That would be far too humiliating.
But—
"Too late."
Gu Qiu slowly opened his eyes.
A faint smile curved on his lips.
The sinister chakra swirling around Frogadier wasn't overwhelming anymore.
Frogadier's willpower was stronger than he expected.
The moment Gu Qiu opened his eyes—
Another chakra tail appeared.
Three…
Then four.
The Half-Tailed Beast form stabilized completely.
Four massive crimson tails swayed behind Frogadier.
The aura instantly grew heavier.
More violent.
More oppressive.
The air itself felt suffocating.
"Attack."
With that single command—
Frogadier exploded forward.
Like a wild beast finally unleashed.
At the same time—
Every Multi Shadow Clone vanished instantly.
Their chakra returned to the original body.
Frogadier's stamina recovered slightly.
This had been Gu Qiu's backup plan.
If the Half-Tailed Beast form lost control—
The clones could stabilize it.
Now that control had been secured—
Their chakra returned.
"Onix—Protect!"
Brock reacted immediately.
But—
Frogadier was simply too fast.
Before Onix could fully react—
Frogadier was already in front of it.
A claw descended from above.
Brock's command was perfectly timed.
His reaction speed was exceptional.
But Onix—
Couldn't keep up.
BOOM!
The crimson claw slammed down.
Onix's massive body was blasted away.
The entire battlefield trembled.
Dust erupted into the air.
"This is bad…"
A chill ran down Brock's spine.
He remembered his confident words earlier.
Win or lose—
I'll give you the Badge.
Now it seemed—
He might lose decisively.
Frogadier charged forward again.
Its crimson tails whipped through the air.
The killing blow was coming.
Brock slowly lowered his hand.
There was no point continuing.
The outcome was already clear.
He had underestimated Gu Qiu.
If the battle had started like this from the beginning—
He would never have allowed it to reach this stage.
"I surrender!"
Brock's voice echoed across the arena.
He refused to risk serious injury to Onix.
His expression carried a hint of helplessness.
At that moment—
[Ding!]
Your Frogadier defeated Onix.
EXP gained.
Level Up!
Frogadier reached Level 27.
"Frogadier, return."
Gu Qiu calmly withdrew it.
He wasn't surprised by the outcome.
The moment Brock surrendered—
Frogadier exited the Half-Tailed Beast state.
As the crimson chakra faded, exhaustion quickly appeared on its face.
"You worked hard."
Gu Qiu took out a Water-type Energy Cube and handed it over.
Frogadier's eyes lit up instantly.
A little foodie.
It grabbed the cube happily and started eating.
Completely ignoring the shocked crowd around them.
Perhaps in Frogadier's heart—
Anywhere Gu Qiu stood was the safest place in the world.
The arena remained silent for a long moment.
That battle—
Was unforgettable.
Different from anything they had ever seen.
Many spectators had already become Gu Qiu's fans.
Brock walked over with a bitter smile.
"I didn't expect your Frogadier to be this strong."
Gu Qiu shook his head modestly.
"You went easy on me, Gym Leader."
"If you had used your true main team, Frogadier wouldn't have stood a chance."
He specifically said Frogadier.
Not Pikachu.
Brock laughed.
"Haha. You've only been a trainer for ten days and already reached this level."
"I've truly witnessed what a genius looks like."
He paused for a moment.
"Perhaps during the upcoming Battle-as-Exam…"
"You can help Lady Lorelei vent some frustration."
Gu Qiu raised an eyebrow.
"Vent frustration?"
Brock nodded.
"Some heirs of major families spoke disrespectfully toward her."
"She ignored them. After all, they're just juniors."
"But their strength is real."
"Several of them will participate in the Battle-as-Exam."
"With your talent…"
"You have a solid chance of breaking into the Top Ten."
Top Ten?
A flicker of surprise crossed Gu Qiu's eyes.
Even after everything he had just shown—
Brock still said Top Ten.
It seemed the competition would be intense.
Brock suddenly took out a small, exquisite box.
"This is your honor."
He opened it.
Inside—
A shining gray badge rested quietly.
The Boulder Badge.
He handed the box to Gu Qiu.
"This should be your first Gym challenge, right?"
"This case holds eight badges."
"My Boulder Badge is already inside."
"Take it."
Gu Qiu accepted it with both hands.
"Thank you."
The moment the badge entered his hand—
The entire arena erupted.
"Gu Qiu!"
"Gu Qiu!"
"Gu Qiu!"
His name echoed throughout Pewter Gym.
In the crowd—
Mei watched proudly.
That was the boy she liked.
At the same moment—
Another familiar voice rang inside Gu Qiu's mind.
[Ding!]
Congratulations to the Host for completing the mission: Defeat Brock.
Mission Rating: S-Rank.
Rewards obtained…
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