Chapter 224: The First Direct Confrontation

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Greninja landed and instantly vanished into thin air.

For it, camouflage was second nature—no move could compare.

Once Li Xiang realized this, he became incredibly eager to see its camouflage evolve further. Unfortunately, the road ahead was long.

"Let's go."

He turned to speak but froze when he saw Song Jie being forcibly lifted into the air by Bronzong, bobbing up and down like a child being tossed playfully.

Noticing Li Xiang's gaze, the white-haired boy's face flushed visibly red from sheer rage.

Clang! Clang! Clang! 

A rapid series of metallic strikes rang out!

Gritting his teeth, Song Jie swung a hammer at Bronzong with furious abandon until it finally released him. He landed stiffly, lips pressed into a thin line.

Though he often acted casually around Li Xiang, Song Jie usually maintained a composed, mature demeanor—his words measured and convincing.

But being lifted and tossed by his own Pokémon like a kid? If no one had been around, he might have exploded on the spot.

Even so, the white-haired boy looked like he was experiencing social death, teetering on the edge of an outburst.

Li Xiang didn't dare say a word, forcing down his smirk while silently mourning Bronzong's impending doom.

'Once I'm gone, that thing won't live to see tomorrow.'

But why did Bronzong have this habit? Lifting its trainer like a kid?

Compared to this, sleeping in seemed downright normal.

He didn't remember Bronzong being like this as a Bronzor. Did evolution completely change its personality?

'Was there some kind of programming error when it was created?'

Song Jie must have taken a liking to it because of its size.

Li Xiang glanced at Bronzong's height.

An average Bronzong stood around 1.3 meters—a small bell, but this one was pushing 1.8 meters, a proper great bell.

And it might still be growing.

A Pokémon's size wasn't entirely unrelated to its energy level, but that wasn't the main factor. Higher levels could add a few centimeters, maybe even a dozen.

"Ahem. Let's go. I hear something over there."

Li Xiang kept his face stern as he pointed east.

Song Jie studied him for a moment, ensuring he wasn't laughing, then nodded, but when he glanced back at Bronzong, his eyes held a trace of murderous intent.

Bronzong remained utterly unfazed, floating behind Song Jie with its red-ringed eyes half-lidded, the picture of indifference.

It was just a bell. It knew nothing.

Lifting its trainer?

What was that? Had it ever done such a thing?

It was merely fulfilling its innate duty—calling for rain.

...

East Side

A clearing in the mountain forest.

A Probopass with a bright red nose and conspicuous black nostril hairs hovered midair, flanked by three miniature Nosepass orbiting it like floating turrets.

Beside it stood two Pokémon composed of interlocking gears—Klang, the Steel-type.

They were relentlessly pursuing three students and their Pokémon.

Bronze-colored beams fired in rapid succession, flashing like tiny comets as they bombarded the fleeing Pokémon.

"How is a five-point Pokémon this strong?!"

The student at the front looked ready to cry, his Ursaring scrambling beside him.

"My Hitmonchan can't even get close! What do we do?!" shouted another, his Hitmonchan sprinting alongside him.

"We're screwed! Stop whining and just RUN!" roared the third, his Golem keeping pace.

The trio had stumbled upon Probopass and the two Klang by chance.

Thinking they could exploit their Ground and Fighting-type advantages, they had attempted an ambush, but Probopass and its allies were far more coordinated.

They spotted the students immediately, used Magnet Rise to levitate—rendering Golem's Earthquake useless—then stacked three Iron Defenses, boosting their Defense and Special Defense to tank Hitmonchan's Bullet Punch.

A counterattack of Flash Cannon and Gear Grind sent Hitmonchan flying.

And now, the chase was on.

The students were on the verge of collapse. Were they really about to be eliminated before noon?

Just as despair set in, two groups emerged from the forest on either side.

"Help! Please! These are five-point and three-point Pokémon! Stop them! Our Pokémon can't hold out!"

Overjoyed, the trio begged for assistance.

One group was, of course, Li Xiang and Song Jie. The other?

"Huh. Didn't expect to run into them before Qu Sheng's team."

Li Xiang narrowed his eyes. Across the clearing, Luo Dayou's trio stared back.

"Well, well. Vice Class President."

Luo Dayou ignored the fleeing students entirely, grinning broadly. "Fancy meeting you here. What are the odds?"

Luo Dayou was accompanied by a Golurk, while his teammates had a silvery Duraludon and a fiery Darumaka with flame-patterned eyebrows.

"Hey."

Li Xiang responded casually, his gaze locked on the five-point Probopass.

The Probopass, sensing the growing number of threats, halted its assault and prepared to retreat.

Discretion was the better part of valor.

The three fleeing students, seeing their pursuers back off, bolted into the forest without a second thought. Clearly, their judgment had completely shut down—their minds stuck in escape mode.

It would be a while before they realized their mistake.

Song Jie snapped his fingers.

Bronzong shot upward, landing behind the fleeing Pokémon with a resonant DONG!

A brilliant light erupted from its body, forming a transparent barrier that shot into the sky, blocking Probopass's retreat.

—Block.

A move that prevented escape—until Bronzong fell, Probopass and the Klang weren't going anywhere.

Similar to moves like Mean Look, Spider Web, and Arena Trap.

Probopass and the Klang immediately turned their attacks on Bronzong, but Bronzong had already set up Reflect and Light Screen, shrugging off their assaults like an indestructible steel fortress.

Li Xiang knew Song Jie's Bronzong specialized in defense, lacking offensive power but serving as an impenetrable wall.

The two groups locked eyes again.

"Three Pokémon here—two three-pointers and a five-pointer. How do we split them?" Luo Dayou asked, smiling as if Probopass was already in his pocket.

Li Xiang remained calm. "I'll take them all."

Since both groups had discovered them, there was no point in playing nice. Every potential point mattered, and he wasn't about to back down.

Winner takes all.

"That's greedy, Vice Class President. How about—"

Luo Dayou's grin didn't falter, but his Golurk suddenly lunged at the nearest Klang, its fist glowing crimson with a spiraling vortex of energy!

—Drain Punch, a Fighting-type move!

The Klang startled, its gears splitting apart to dodge Golurk's strike, then countering with a spinning Gear Grind!

Clang!

The silver gears struck Golurk—but didn't even make it flinch.

'How?!'

The Klang's steel brain short-circuited. Before it could react, a flaming fist slammed into its largest gear!

Boom!

Fire erupted on impact!

The Fire Punch, amplified by Bulk Up, sent the Klang reeling, gears spinning wildly from the force.

The attacker? A Darumaka that had somehow closed the distance in an instant!

"Tough."

Darumaka's trainer clicked his tongue. Even a boosted Fire Punch hadn't taken it down. No wonder those students had fled.

Without Luo Dayou, he would've run too.

"Vzzzt…"

The Klang tried recalling its separated gear, but Golurk had it locked in a death grip. Turning for help, it saw the other Klang locked in a beam struggle with Duraludon.

Probopass? Its two mini-Nosepass were gone, leaving only one still orbiting it as it futilely bombarded Bronzong with Flash Cannon, its attacks weakened by Psychic.

In under thirty seconds, the hunters had become the hunted.

"Winner takes all."

Luo Dayou finally finished his sentence, his smile deepening.

In his mind, securing two Klang was better than just one Probopass—especially since this was a team effort.

But then his expression froze.

Li Xiang's calm demeanor suddenly made sense.

Greninja.

The invisible ninja had been lying in wait the entire time. By the time Luo Dayou realized, it was too late.

Greninja, its tongue coiled around a PokéBall, had been lurking near the besieged Klang.

The moment the Klang collapsed under Golurk and Darumaka's assault, Greninja flicked its tongue—slapping the PokéBall's button directly onto the Klang's head.

From Luo Dayou's perspective, a PokéBall's capture light flashed out of nowhere, sucking the Klang inside.

His own thrown Poké Ball landed on empty ground.

He'd been robbed.

Luo Dayou's eyes bulged, fury surging through him.

"It's still here—! No, forget it! Secure the second one!"

He hadn't completely lost his head. The camp leader's rules were clear:

—Once captured, a Pokémon cannot be contested.

His teammates cursed under their breaths but stayed focused on the remaining Klang.

Luo Dayou turned to Li Xiang, voice low.

"Well played."

"You said 'winner takes all.'" Li Xiang shrugged, unfazed.

But even if Luo Dayou hadn't, he would've taken the shot anyway. They could always settle things after the match.