Chapter 808: Returning to the Road of Champions_1
The titles of Grand Contest Master and Top Coordinating Master that Fang Yuan recently acquired spread throughout the Trainer community in the Hua Nation.
However, even though the Grand Contest yielded very good results, there were still a group of Trainers who looked down on it.
They pursued pure strength and believed combining skills was a detour, criticizing those who hadn't even fully enhanced their strength and yet chose to delve into such techniques, considering it forsaking the fundamentals for the trivial.
Fang Yuan didn't comment on this viewpoint.
Because the existence of these people did have some significance, and Fang Yuan didn't want Coordinating Trainers to overly pursue combination skills; their appropriate reminders were necessary.
Improving a Pokémon's basic qualities is what Trainers should do foremost.
No matter how many combination skills are studied, they are not as important as cultivating a Pokémon's basic abilities. Any technique is meaningless in the face of absolute power.
Just like Fang Yuan's Pokémon, they studied many combination skills, but when facing Darkrai, they still lacked the destructive power of Darkrai's single moves honed to the highest level.
This represented two entirely different paths, but these paths could actually converge.
"The most perfect Trainer should be one who understands battle, cultivation, and coordination."
"Only in this way can a Pokémon's potential be fully unleashed, bringing out the strongest combat power."
"What changes the Grand Contest will bring to the domain of Trainers, let time be the witness."
With this thought, after the first Grand Contest concluded, Fang Yuan returned to the Fang Yuan Institute and decided to use the remaining three weeks to train thoroughly and prepare for the challenges of the Road of Champions.
...
During this time.
The influence of the Grand Contest continued to ferment after its end.
For instance, the public revelation of Mega Evolution by Xie Qingyi had spread across the world.
Chairman Antonio from the League inquired about the research progress on Fang Yuan's side.
After all, the Alliance had helped Fang Yuan build the Super Evolution Institute at Alliance Island.
It was a world-class research facility, surpassing 99.9999% of the research institutes in the Hua Nation.
Yet Fang Yuan had not visited even once.
Chairman Antonio was almost in tears—did Fang Yuan really have any intention to popularize Mega Evolution?
Countries around the world were also watching the Hua Nation, with hidden spies activated, all for grabbing even a sliver of information about Mega Evolution.
There was also the Ron Award-winning "Mama Mega Evolution" Doctor Qizao, who had been waiting eagerly at Alliance Island for Fang Yuan to join the research.
But no matter how much they anticipated, Fang Yuan really had no time for Alliance Island; he was busy preparing for the Road of Champions.
In any case, definitely next time.
After challenging the Road of Champions and completing the Mega Evolution Stone Detector, he would certainly make a trip to the League.
The Mega Evolution Stone Detector was what Fang Yuan considered most important.
Without it, even if he were to publish everything about Mega Evolution, it wouldn't mean much.
With so few Key Stones and Super Stones, what's the use of just having the information?
However, if he had this device, it wouldn't just be about collaborating on research into Mega Evolution.
At that time, the China Association would be able to take an absolute leading position within the Elf Alliance.
And Fang Yuan would need to leverage this to exchange for Legendary resources from the League.
In the blink of an eye, another three weeks passed.
Fang Yuan spent these three weeks very productively.
Although the six main forces, including Venusaur, had no advancement in strength levels during this time,
this period of intensive training wasn't aimed at breakthroughs, but rather at solidifying their strengths.
During these months since the World Championship, they had improved rapidly and now needed time to assimilate.
For instance, Milotic's absorption of power from the Sea of Origin was initially not very stable, but now it had completely converted it into its own.
His partner Eevee, Monferno, Self-detonating Magnetic Monster, Glutton, and Dragonite had all stabilized their normal strengths at the top two levels.
The only pity might be that over 80% of the Silver Feather was corroded, yet Dragonite still didn't master the dark state.
But Fang Yuan estimated it wouldn't be long, because over the three weeks, Dragonite became increasingly skilled with Dragon-Type Moves and Outrage.
At the same time, Fang Yuan himself was not idle either.
Training in Physical Strength, Wave Guide, and Superpower were all at their maximum intensity.
Now, it could be said that Fang Yuan and his Pokémon team had reached a relatively perfect peak state.
Perhaps half a year, a year, or two years, in normal circumstances, he wouldn't have any significant breakthroughs in a short time.
It was precisely for this reason that Fang Yuan needed to use the pressure of the Road of Champions challenge to stimulate their potential.
The challenge on the Road of Champions was set by Fang Yuan to be on August 31st.
And today is August 28th, with just two days left before the challenge begins...
...
August 29th.
The Gatekeepers selected by the Trainer Association have already arrived at the Road of Champions in advance.
The President of the Chinese Trainer Association has also personally come here.
Every time the challenge on the Road of Champions begins, he would watch the battles, and this time is no exception.
Not just him, but others from the Twelve Branches, including Fu Hei, a former substitute of the Twelve Branches who had passed the Road of Champions, were also present.
After all, this challenge is of great significance.
Inside a building.
President Wen, flipping through the Gatekeepers' profiles in his hands, chuckled to himself.
The difficulty this time is not low, oh! Principal Mo has emerged from a long absence; even Master Qiao Jing, who doesn't like battling, has come to join the buzz.
It looks like young Fang Yuan is in for a headache.
Let him be arrogant in challenging the Road of Champions; this time, he's going to have a hard fall.
"I say, old man, why are there only seven Gatekeepers?"
A tall middle-aged man beside him, looking at the documents on the table, asked.
Aren't there supposed to be ten Gatekeepers on the Road of Champions?
"About that..." President Wen turned to look at the young Fu Hei and said, "The first four gates are all right. You've challenged the Road of Champions yourself. Do you think, with Fang Yuan's abilities, he could possibly reach the eighth gate?"
"After all, he has said that he won't use that Darkrai this time."
"In other words, even if he uses Darkrai, the chances of completely passing the last three gates aren't 100%."
"Under such circumstances, preparing for seven gates is already quite sufficient."
President Wen stroked his beard, thinking that this way, he not only gave Fang Yuan a chance to gain experience but also saved on costs—how clever of him!
The challenges on the Road of Champions, the first four gates represent one level.
Gates five, six, and seven represent another level of difficulty.
And gates eight, nine, and ten are the most difficult.
Fu Hei, having challenged the Road of Champions himself, knew that even if a challenger had the ability to contend with a Guardian God, the possibility of getting through the last three gates was not great, and completely clearing all ten gates would mean that the Trainer's strength would rank among the top five in Hua Nation.
Therefore, after a moment, he understood the old man's intention.
"Heh... what if he goes back on his word and sends out Darkrai anyway? That Darkrai is not like other domestic Guardian Gods; it has an extraordinarily good relationship with Fang Yuan, and it even went inside a Poké Ball. To say they have no connection, I wouldn't believe it even if you beat me to death," said Fu Hei with envy.
President Wen was taken aback and said, "He probably won't do that, and even if he does, preparing the last three gates at the last minute is not a big deal. After all, all of you from the Twelve Branches are here, in the worst case scenario, any one of you could step in and take over."
Fu Hei's mouth twitched; this opening of the Road of Champions must be the most perfunctory one yet.
For Fang Yuan, having to deal with such an unpredictable President must also be quite despairing because if that's the case, even if Fang Yuan really gets through the first seven gates, what awaits him at gates eight, nine, and ten... will definitely be the ultimate test.
...
"Achoo!!" Meanwhile, Fang Yuan was already on his way to the Road of Champions.
This should be his third trip to the Road of Champions.
On his way to the Secret Location Island of the Road of Champions, Fang Yuan had an ominous premonition.
"Forget it... Maybe I'm just overthinking it."
This time Fang Yuan set out fully prepared.
When challenging the Road of Champions, Trainers are only allowed to bring two teams.
That is to say, 12 Pokémon.
However, unfortunate as it is, even if you add up all of Fang Yuan's Pokémon, there still aren't 12.
Eevee, Self-detonating Magnetic Monster, Monferno, Gengar, Milotic, Dragonite, Venusaur.
Ditto, Positive Charge Gear Child, Negative Charge Gear Child... Even counting Rotom, that's only 11.
Of course, Fang Yuan said he wouldn't use Darkrai and he wouldn't; using a Pokémon that isn't truly his own to take on such a national-level ultimate challenge would also embarrass him.
11 Pokémon will do, after all, it's almost the full number.
But, if you count the spirit egg as a Pokémon slot, then Fang Yuan indeed brought 12 Pokémon.
Because for this challenge, he was prepared to fight with all his might; his opponents are all experts, and not using Darkrai should make them count as high-quality battles, right??
Fang Yuan was on his knees praying that the mysterious elf egg would hatch successfully this time.