"Ladies and gentlemen, please turn your attention to Field Nine!"
"Up next: the League's youngest Intermediate Breeder — Chen Shi, representing Hoenn!"
"And his opponent is no joke either — Kenji from Kanto, semifinalist of last year's Silver Tournament!"
"What sparks will fly between them? Let's find out!"
The arena gates rumbled open.
Chen Shi and Kenji walked out, taking their positions at opposite ends of the battlefield.
Kenji glared with barely disguised hatred.
He recognized this boy.
One of those six prodigies who passed him at registration without giving him a glance — the humiliation still burned like acid.
His pride had cracked that day.
And now, fate had handed him the object of his resentment.
Kenji sneered, his voice dripping venom.
"'Youngest Intermediate Breeder,' huh? Don't make me laugh. You're just a breeder who feeds other people's Pokémon. Stop acting like you're special. I'll show you your place."
Chen Shi stopped, blinking once.
He didn't flare up.
Didn't respond.
He just stared, expression flattening.
Trash talk was normal.
Arrogance was normal.
But this?
This man had just insulted the entire profession — on a worldwide broadcast — in the middle of the World Championship.
Daiu's eyebrow twitched inside the rest lounge.
"Oh, that guy's dead. No one's letting him walk away after this."
Furong blinked innocently.
"Why? He was just being cocky."
Cynthia scoffed.
"He insulted breeders — publicly. He made Kanto look like it despises them. He'll get eaten alive for that."
And indeed—
The audience erupted into chaos.
Breeders in the stands shouted and cursed.
League staff scrambled to calm them.
Online viewers detonated in fury — Kenji's approval rating plummeted straight into the abyss.
Meanwhile, in the VIP box…
Agatha narrowed her eyes and smiled coldly.
A Kanto trainer publicly disgracing the breeder profession?
That was an embarrassment to her region.
And Agatha was not a forgiving woman.
Down on the field, the referee raised his voice over the noise.
"Trainers — send out your Pokémon!"
Kenji grinned savagely, pretending nothing was wrong.
"Feel despair."
"Go — Nidoking!"
The colossal purple brute stomped onto the field, radiating raw killing power.
Chen Shi's ability automatically scanned it:
Pokémon: Nidoking (Life Orb)
Level: 59 (Gym Peak)
Tier: Elite (Ace)
Ability:Sheer Force
Moves (excerpt): Ice Beam, Earth Power, Thunderbolt, Earthquake, Sludge Bomb, Stone Edge…
Chen Shi raised a brow.
A Life Orb + Sheer Force Nidoking.
That was no weakling — that was a legitimate finisher with terrifying burst potential.
Still… he wasn't worried.
No need for Charizard.
No need for Metagross.
This boy needed a quick lesson.
"Go — Swampert."
Swampert emerged with a heavy thud.
Kenji snorted.
A Swampert? Really?
In his mind, breeders' Pokémon were always mediocre — capped, underpowered, tools.
He already saw himself winning.
The referee dropped his hand.
"Begin!"
Kenji barked instantly:
"Nidoking — Ice Beam!"
Frost gathered at Nidoking's horn—
Chen Shi's voice was calm, almost lazy.
"Swampert — Waterfall."
Swampert's eyes sharpened.
The ground behind it shattered from the explosive force of its kick—
CRACK!
In an instant, Swampert blurred forward, appearing at Nidoking's flank before the Ice Beam could even fire.
The Waterfall slammed into Nidoking, sending shockwaves across the arena.
Kenji's face contorted.
"Impossible!"
Even Daiu and Cynthia sat bolt upright at the speed.
"What acceleration…!?"
"That's beyond Extreme Speed!"
The competitors watching on-screen were stunned.
That wasn't normal Swampert speed.
That was a missile.
Swampert didn't pause.
Riding the momentum, it unleashed a brutal Hydro Pump, point blank.
BOOOOM!
The arena floor trembled violently.
Reality wasn't like the anime.
If you fail the first exchange, the flurry doesn't stop.
Even at Gym Peak, Nidoking couldn't endure the back-to-back water strikes — especially after being interrupted mid-cast.
The Life Orb meant nothing.
The Sheer Force meant nothing.
Nidoking collapsed instantly.
"Swampert!" Swampert roared proudly, landing beside Chen Shi.
Kenji's face twisted into pure disbelief.
"No—NO! That's impossible! He cheated! REFEREE, HE CHEATED!"
He thrashed, screaming, as two staffers grabbed him and dragged him off the field.
Chen Shi recalled Swampert and spared Kenji one last look.
It wasn't victory in his eyes.
It was pity.
The kind you give to someone who demolished themselves.
The crowd roared for a completely different reason than before as Chen Shi quietly stepped off the battlefield.
He wasn't going to waste breath on the defeated — or on fools.
[Match Result: Chen Shi defeats Kenji in a clean, decisive victory.]
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