Chapter 51: Daily, Monthly, Quarterly, and Semi-Annual Rewards!
Chapter 51: Daily, Monthly, Quarterly, and Semi-Annual Traits!
To create excitement and motivate young trainers, the Challenge Tournament limited participation to those 24 years old and younger.
Participants needed to be at least preliminary professional trainers, and the event was broadcast live to maximize engagement.
To further boost viewership, the rewards were exceptional:
The winner could select one Pokémon egg from the Pokémon Alliance's vault.
A cash prize of 500,000 credits.
A certified professional trainer license.
Normally, a professional trainer license required at least one gym-level Pokémon, making this tournament a rare opportunity to bypass such stringent requirements.
The Pokémon egg reward was particularly enticing, as the Alliance's vault housed many rare and powerful Pokémon species.
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Hikaru's Charmeleon, now at level 28, had been itching for action. With just two more levels to reach gym-tier, this tournament was the perfect chance to hone its strength.
Extending the age limit to 24 had attracted not only student trainers but also experienced independent trainers, making the competition even more thrilling.
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Time flew by, and the tournament began during the Spring Festival, under the bright lights of Shuimu City's largest stadium.
Unlike previous events, the stadium now featured energy barriers to contain the force of high-level battles, ensuring the safety of spectators.
The "Challenge" in Challenge Tournament referred to the true test:
The participants would face Shuimu City's four gym leaders.
These leaders were seasoned mid-level professional trainers, each with at least one leader-tier Pokémon.
The leaders and their signature Pokémon were:
1. Frost Gym – Alolan Ninetales.
2. Grass Gym – Venusaur.
3. Water Gym – Primarina.
4. Fire Gym – Charizard.
However, the leaders wouldn't use their strongest Pokémon to keep the matches fair for participants.
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The stadium roared with energy as the tournament aired in prime time.
In Shuimu City, gym leaders weren't just Pokémon experts—they were symbols of the city's strength and pride.
Seated prominently, the four leaders awaited their challengers, ready to defend their gyms' honor.
Hikaru spotted Aunty Yu, the Frost Gym leader, in the crowd but refrained from greeting her. Any hint of familiarity could spark accusations of favoritism.
To win the tournament, participants had to defeat three out of four gym leaders.
The difficulty would depend on the Pokémon the leaders chose to field.
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Out of the 30 participants, most were university-level trainers. Hikaru, a high school sophomore, stood out among the older challengers.
Yet, his young age didn't mean obscurity.
Fans in the audience and viewers at home immediately recognized him from the high school tournament, where his Charmeleon's stunning fire explosion had left a lasting impression.
"Look, it's Hikaru!"
"He's just in high school, but he's already here? That's incredible!"
"Do you remember his Charmeleon's fire blast? I'm still thinking about it!"
The cheers and support energized Hikaru, though they made his fellow participants wary of him.
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Challengers were called up based on their registration order. Hikaru, being a late entrant, was 27th.
This gave him time to observe the leaders and their Pokémon.
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The first challenger, a stylish girl in shorts despite the winter chill, chose to face Aunty Yu of the Frost Gym.
Her Pokémon was a level 27 Pignite, a Fire-type—a logical choice given Fire's advantage over Ice.
However, Aunty Yu sent out her level 28 Froslass.
What followed was a masterclass in strategy.
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The Froslass's Snow Warning ability summoned a hailstorm, coating the battlefield in snow.
This quickly turned into ice as the snow melted and refroze under Pignite's heat, making movement difficult.
Meanwhile, Froslass glided effortlessly, using the icy terrain to her advantage.
Pignite's powerful Fire attacks couldn't land, and Froslass countered with Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball, eventually knocking Pignite out.
The challenger's quick defeat sent a clear message: type advantage wasn't everything.
Gym leaders were masters of battle, and their experience far outweighed simple elemental matchups.
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By the end of the first day, all six challengers had failed.
The Frost Gym, in particular, proved nearly impossible to overcome, leaving the remaining participants dreading their turn.
Many had initially chosen the Frost Gym, drawn by Aunty Yu's elegance and seemingly gentle demeanor. However, her strategies were anything but soft.
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Over the next two days, the failure streak continued.
By the third day, doubts began to arise. Some accused the tournament of being rigged, calling it a publicity stunt by the Pokémon Alliance.
The Alliance responded quickly, clarifying that all leaders were using Pokémon of comparable strength to the challengers.
The criticism quieted on the third day when one challenger finally succeeded.
Choosing not to face the Frost Gym, this participant managed to win three battles, proving it was possible to overcome the odds.
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February 4th – The Final Day
Hikaru's turn had finally arrived.
It was a special day for another reason—his system would refresh four traits today: daily, monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual traits.
"Come on, give me a gold-tier trait!" Hikaru prayed silently as he accessed the system menu.
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[Green Bound Trait: Self-Motivation] – Temporarily lowers the opponent's attack while boosting the user's attack.
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To be continued…
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