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The sixth round of matches thoroughly solidified Li Xiang's reputation, confirming his status as the top student personally invited by Mo Ye, the Abyssal Elite Four, and highly valued by the school.
He became the brightest star at Misty City university.
No one was foolish. Knowing a shining star was rising, and they could only watch from afar, they wouldn't deliberately act like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, standing against the school and Li Xiang.
These people were realistic and self-aware. Inappropriate comments from past posts, whether positive or negative, were deleted by them on their own, as if nothing had ever happened.
Even Li Xiang's matches were no longer uploaded to the forum and the people started focusing on other students.
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, these front-line attackers decisively backed down, unwilling to be the scapegoats anymore.
The forum became quiet, just like when Li Xiang first arrived at Misty City university. He knew that after displaying absolute strength, these people had nothing left to say.
Of course, the fact that not a single one was still kicking up a fuss surprised him; he hadn't expected these adult and teenage students to be so clever.
Those who understand the times are true heroes.
Truly worthy of being the outstanding young trainers selected from thousands to attend Zhu Xia's Big Six universities.
"Feels like we're back to the Youth Training Camp days, the Great Demon King," Li Xiang murmured softly.
Back in the Youth Training Camp, he truly deserved the title of the Demon King. When he went to eat, few students dared to meet his gaze.
When competing for performance points, they would run as far away as possible, and if their prey was stolen, they wouldn't utter a word and immediately flee.
He had actually been looking forward to their revenge matches. It made him feel almost embarrassed.
During the Three-Camp Joint Exam, his notoriety was such that if someone shouted, "Li Xiang is coming!" within a five-hundred-meter radius, people and Pokémon would vanish completely.
There was even one time when Li Xiang suddenly jumped out, intending to challenge someone, he scared a boy so badly he wet his pants, crouched on the ground wailing, refusing to get up no matter what, completely subdued.
Was he really that scary?
It was just fifty performance points, and he was a fourteen-year-old young man, after all.
So, after arriving at Misty City university and realizing he was being targeted, Li Xiang had a faint feeling that his reputation from the Youth Training Camp days would resurface.
The fact that his name became a forbidden word on the forum further solidified his Demon King title.
But, well… at each stage of life, Li Xiang's titles were different.
During elementary school, some called him Fatty.
At the start of the Youth Training Camp, everyone called him Vice Class President.
In the mid-phase, he was known as the Demon King.
After graduation, he was the National First Ranker.
Now, he had become the head of Misty City university's Four Great Villains.
"Dammit! Who came up with that!"
Seeing someone call him the head of the Four Great Villains in the WeChat Group, Li Xiang jumped up from the sofa in anger.
'What the hell are the Four Great Villains! Who's this 'Utterly Malicious'!?'
White Day: No idea, someone sent me this screenshot, I'm not sure either. I'll look into it for you.
[Please do.]
After typing these words, he didn't send them immediately but added another line.
[If I'm the head of the Four Great Villains, then who are the other three?]
Only then did he send it.
White Day clearly didn't know either and said he would ask around.
Li Xiang waited silently.
After about fifteen minutes, the reply came.
White Day: The other three seem to be Senior Abigail, Senior Lu Shu, and Gong Xu, according to the person I asked.
Abigail specialized in Dark-types, Lu Shu had a Drapion, and this girl wasn't as simple as she seemed on the surface, so being called a villain was normal.
[But.. why is Gong Xu one too?]
He posed this question to White Day.
White Day explained: Because Gong Xu is always asking people for double battles all day long, he's called the Double Battle Maniac. He smiles handsomely but gives off a smiling tiger vibe. Plus, he also has many Dark-type Pokémon, so he was included in the Four Great Villains.
Li Xiang: "..."
'That's too forced! It feels like they just dragged him in to stick the villain title on me! Dammit, don't let me find out who you are!'
'And calling me the head of the Four Great Villains? If you like giving people nicknames so much, you'll get a taste of what 'Utterly Malicious' really means!'
"Roar?"
Incineroar looked at the furious Li Xiang and curiously pushed his shoulder.
"Incineroar, be honest, do I seem like a villain to you?"
Li Xiang sat up straight, facing Incineroar, and tried to widen his eyes.
'Villain?'
Incineroar thought about the meaning of the word, then looked at the handsome Li Xiang. After brief but deep consideration, it seriously nodded.
"Roar!"
'You're definitely a villain! A great villain! A super villain!'
"Dammit—"
Li Xiang was so angry he shoved Incineroar, shouting, "Get lost!"
"Roar!"
Incineroar's body remained unmoved, and it disdainfully patted its chest.
'You asked for it yourself, and now you blame me for telling the truth?
So hard to please!'
It stood up, slid open the floor-to-ceiling window, and headed outside.
Lately, there had been cat cries in the neighboring forest at night, and it was a bit concerned.
Not getting a satisfactory answer from Incineroar, Li Xiang was unwilling to let it go and immediately went to find his dearest dog, Riolu.
But….
"Riolu."
'To be honest, your personality is pretty nasty.'
Riolu said seriously.
"Fine, you get lost too."
Li Xiang threw the Riolu in his arms aside and went to find who he thought was the coolest, Greninja.
Riolu looked bewildered, scratching its head as it watched Li Xiang's retreating back.
Balcony.
Greninja stood amidst a myriad of flowers, feeling nature, its pupils narrowed in extreme contentment.
Not far away, in a wooden hut, Corviknight squatted on soft straw like a hen.
"Greninja, Greninja! Am I a great benefactor?"
Li Xiang smiled as he put his arm around Greninja's shoulder, whispering, "Look, I bought so many beautiful flowers for you. That should qualify me as a great benefactor, a great person, right?"
Greninja tilted its head, glanced at him, its tongue scarf around its neck twitching slightly.
"Speak properly. Stop licking things all the time."
As if he had eyes on the back of his head, Li Xiang grabbed the tongue that had quietly stretched out, his face still maintaining a smile.
Greninja took a step back, looked at Li Xiang's expectant face, and shrugged.
Adopting a 'See, do I even need to say it?' posture.
Then, it instantly activated its protective coloring and disappeared into the air.
"You—!"
Li Xiang swung at the empty air, gritting his teeth.
"Caw caw!"
A soft caw caught his attention.
'Right! There's still Corviknight!'
Li Xiang's eyes lit up as he approached Corviknight, holding onto the doorframe. "Corviknight, what do you think?"
"Caw?"
'Can my nine-thousand-word essay be waived?'
Corviknight looked at Li Xiang with shining eyes.
"No, you shattered two bathtubs yesterday. I'm already letting you off easy."
"Caw..."
'Oh, never mind then.'
It closed its eyes, retracted its neck, adopting a 'this crow refuses to speak to you' attitude.
Crack crack—
Li Xiang clenched his fist, crushing some wood splinters, took a deep breath, and headed downstairs. It's fine, there were still three chances left.
'Rotom, Rotom would definitely give an objective evaluation.'
Study.
Li Xiang found Rotom, who was inside the computer, constantly coding.
He called out softly, "Rotom~"
"Huh? Ew, keep your voice normal."
Rotom looked at Li Xiang with disgust. "What's up?"
"Well, it's like this."
Li Xiang objectively and fairly explained what had happened to him to Rotom.
"Doesn't it make no sense? For a kind man like me."
He said discontentedly.
Hearing this, Rotom continued writing code, answering very perfunctorily, "I think this nickname suits you quite well."
"...Huh?"
"You've been asking around, right? You've asked Incineroar and the others, right?"
"Uh, yes."
"Then you don't need to ask the other two either. One's a simple-minded dining table, the other is constantly tricked by you into chopping vegetables. You won't get a positive evaluation."
"You saying that makes me feel very awkward."
"Awkward is awkward, so what? It's just a nickname. It's not like you haven't been given nicknames before."
"But this one is malicious..."
"The previous ones weren't all friendly either."
"But I'm still unhappy."
"Then do you know why everyone thinks so poorly of you yet still stays by your side?"
"..."
"Because we like you. No matter how nasty your personality is, no matter how you behave, as long as it's you, we like you. If it weren't you, no matter how good the personality, we wouldn't want them. That's what everyone thinks."
The usually tsundere Rotom was now speaking in an extremely calm tone, narrating slowly through the speaker.
"Don't care about others' evaluations. It doesn't matter if others dislike you. It doesn't matter if your personality is nasty. We will like you."
It flew out of the computer, dug into the electric fan, pressing its face against Li Xiang's, though its voice still came from the computer. "I know why you're unhappy. Someone saying bad things about you should indeed make you unhappy."
"But it's okay. We will stay with you. Don't pay them any mind."
A soft sound came from behind.
Li Xiang turned his head slightly and found Incineroar and the others standing behind him.
'Yes.. Who cares about nicknames! Having Incineroar and the others is enough for me!'