Chapter 1224

"Thank you for the guidance; your Pokémon is truly troublesome."

Taking advantage of the fact that no one else could hear, Carney reached out and whispered a complaint to Baimu.

【Endure】.

A Normal-type status move.

At least leaving a shred of stamina for the Pokémon.

She had never even considered learning this move, because ever since becoming a Trainer, Gardevoir had never encountered a situation where Endure was necessary to turn the tables.

Under non-natural learning circumstances, Trainers teach moves to their Pokémon with a specific purpose in mind.

For instance, 【Mean Look】.

It took her a very long time to teach Gardevoir that move.

Perhaps only Baimu in all the world can learn a vast number of moves without restriction, without having to worry about time and effort.

Baimu chuckled, steadied Blissey so it stood firm, reached out and shook hands with it, and said: "Overpraised; Gardevoir's Mean Look is also quite shameless."

"I'll take that as a compliment~"

Carney winked playfully.

Although she lost miserably, her mood recovered extremely quickly, or rather, the acting skills honed over a long time prevented her from casually revealing her inner unwillingness.

Incidentally, Carney actually started studying the playstyles and tactics of the Champions very early on.

【Mean Look】 was tailor-made for Baimu.

She originally intended to use it in the Master Class matches; who would have thought she would encounter him ahead of schedule.

And just like Rinto, knocking her out of the Master Class!

Carney almost laughed from anger, yet also felt helpless; what is there to say when one's skill is inferior to another's.

"happy~"

"... Chansey."

The revived Blissey let out a weak cry, and the barely-standing Gardevoir nodded at it.

The prolonged fierce battle gave rise to a sense of mutual recognition between the two Pokémon.

—A worthy opponent stands before me!

On the big screen, Baimu and Carney's rankings appeared; the Ultra Ball beneath the former turned into a Master Ball, and the number '8' emerged in the center.

Master Class!

Done!

Baimu's heart surged; he was one step closer to his goal.

Of course, reaching Master Class doesn't mean he can slack off; at minimum he has to place top five, even top four.

Otherwise it's very easy to end up like Carney, becoming a gatekeeper of the Master Class.

Among the seven remaining in the Master Class right now — seventh place is the Dragon Storm, Chibana; sixth is the Sinnoh Sunyshore Gym Leader, Denji; fifth is the Battle Tower Tycoon, Matis; fourth is the Sinnoh Champion, Rinto; third is the Sinnoh Elite Four member, Dahlia; second is the Champion among the Elite Four, Lance; first is the previous strongest monarch, Champion Dan Di.

Chibana ranked third in the first half of the season, fought a battle with Dan Di and his hidden rating plummeted, dropping directly to sixth, then fought a battle with Carney and fell to seventh.

Just didn't get the chance to take revenge on the victorious Carney before she ran into Dan Di.

The tragic story of dropping from sixth to eighth, then losing to Rinto in a relegation match and falling out of Master Class.

Finally fought his way back, and the result...

"Hope there won't be a third time."

She murmured softly.

Hearing this, Baimu secretly sneered: 'Hard to say.'

Among the Champions of the various regions, there's still a Rock-type specialist who hasn't made Master Class.

Huh?

Why does he take it for granted that Carney will lose to Dawu?

Probably because she lost three consecutive battles against Champions; but in the anime plot, she ultimately defeated the Flying... pfft, the Dragon Master Champion Lance.

Of course the two might not necessarily meet; following the original trend, Denji, Matis, and Dahlia are the ones destined to be kicked out of Master Class.

Setting aside Dahlia and Denji, those two brothers with officially strong battle power, Matis managed to reach Master Class mid-season, so he has some strength at least.

Just don't know who will be the one to eat them up.

Nothing more than those few people — Carney who hasn't made Master Class, Dawu, Ash, and Alice.

Baimu decided to restore his confidence in her, "Hope we still have a chance to battle again."

"... Are you thinking of something bad?"

The match had just ended not long ago, and Carney still retained a portion of Gardevoir's psychic power; her sixth sense was quite sharp.

Baimu's expression remained calm: "No such thing!"

Carney didn't believe him, or rather, only believed what she wanted to believe, and gave Baimu a charming glare.

Amidst the banter, the two recalled their Pokémon into their balls and left the arena together.

The audience was still unsatisfied.

A battle between regional Champions is too rare; if not for the special environment of the World Championships, they probably wouldn't see them cross paths in this lifetime.

Due to three consecutive losses, Carney's public reputation inevitably suffered a certain impact.

Is the Kalos Champion actually inferior in skill!?

Thankfully people in the Pokémon anime world are generally kind, and don't bite that viciously; otherwise an internet flame war would have started by now.

Trolls stirring up trouble everywhere, die-hard fans mobilizing across the net and annoying bystanders, subsequently a large number of Carney-related memes produced, completely nailing this Champion to the pillar of shame...

However, there are always a few troublemakers.

The two were surrounded by throngs of reporters outside the player tunnel, and someone shoved a microphone in, asking loudly:

"Miss Carney! Baimu is the third Champion you've lost to — do you still have confidence in the upcoming matches?"

Those words immediately drew glares from the surrounding people.

The Carlos region still has reporters this clueless!?

Upon realizing that both the man and the cameraman behind him had rather unfamiliar faces, they understood these two were from the outside!

"Of course, please wait and see."

Carney's smile was elegant; she had considerable experience dealing with reporters.

The other party continued: "I heard the Hoenn region's Champion Dawu is also rapidly rising in the rankings; if you were to battle him, given your performance today——"

"May I ask, what kind of mood do you think my Pokemon were in, persisting in battle until the very last moment?"

Baimu suddenly spoke up, grabbing the microphone and turning it toward himself, staring straight at the other party.

An indescribable pressure rendered the man unable to speak for a moment, his gaze darting and evasive.

"Uh..."

"My Duraludon and Blissey fought with everything they had, simply to pursue the final victory and realize our dream. It was by no means easy for them — assuming you watched the match."

Baimu said deliberately, one word at a time: "I believe they will remember today's battle, whether based on their own selves who gave their all, or on opponents worthy of respect."

Silence fell all around.

Then burst forth a wave of applause.

Not a single sentence in those brief words explicitly mentioned Carney, yet between the lines brimmed with the intent to defend her.

Carney turned her head, her eyes flashing with a strange light.

"..."

The other party was rendered speechless, not because he was choked into silence, but because Baimu's gaze and aura were too terrifying.

His body automatically produced a stiffness-like stress reaction.

As if the moment he opened his mouth, a fist would come flying and blast his head apart.

The other reporters were also startled to varying degrees, but because Baimu wasn't primarily aimed at them, they could still speak.

They talked over each other, incidentally jostling one another, and before long pushed the outside reporter and cameraman out; the atmosphere at the scene became harmonious and friendly.

Once the interview segment concluded.

Carney proactively invited him to go together; the area outside the stadium was packed with all kinds of people, and she worried Baimu wouldn't make it back to the hotel by evening.

The latter originally wanted to say he had his own way back, but on second thought, why walk when he could hitch a ride.

Before long, a spacious MPV, under security escort, drove smoothly out of the noisy, enthusiastic Miare Stadium.

The aftermath of the Champion battle was too great; even though both parties involved had already left, the audience and fans continued to revel wildly, as if conducting some special festival activity.

Inside the car.

Carney said with a beaming smile: "Good eloquence, thank you."

That Baimu would actually take the initiative to defend her, trading barbs with a deliberately provocative reporter, genuinely warmed the Best Actress's heart.

"I merely said what should be said."

He shook his head.

Allowing others to belittle Carney's strength could not bring him any help whatsoever.

It would even make Blissey and Duraludon's struggle seem ridiculous.

Baimu would absolutely not allow anyone to insult his own Pokemon.

"However you put it, you got me out of a fix." Carney laughed very happily.

Losing the match was annoying enough, yet she was also verbally provoked.

Thank goodness she had cultivation and acting skills; that was the only reason she didn't flare up on the spot, but inside she was still quite angry.

Baimu beat her, yet also vented anger for her.

With her mood recovered, Carney continued to invite him to dinner, but was refused.

"Uh... I'm used to holding a private party with my Pokemon after important matches."

He said embarrassedly.

Hearing this, Carney hmphed and turned her head away.

A party? A victory celebration, more like!

This wasn't anything particularly strange, but as the loser, she naturally couldn't join in.

——

Carney guessed right.

Baimu was indeed holding a victory banquet.

MVP Blissey must celebrate, main player Duraludon must celebrate, best support Munchlax must celebrate even more!

"Cheers!"

"Happy!"

"Chii-doo~"

"Lu, lu-tuo~"

*Clink~*

The crisp sound of glass cups clinking echoed in the quiet courtyard.

Under the moonlight, the grill was laid with all kinds of fragrant ingredients, large and small tables piled high with snacks the Pokemon loved to eat.

This was the hotel's courtyard specifically provided for weddings; upon learning Baimu needed open space, the person in charge proactively arranged this area for him and guaranteed no one would disturb them.

And the reason for holding it outdoors was naturally to accommodate giant creatures like Gigantamax Steelix.

And not just it — Queen Leiguanwang, the twin horses, Bao Ban, and a whole series of Pokemon stranded at Platinum Mountain were all brought over.

"Everyone has worked hard, today is a crucial day for us!"

He put down the empty wine cup, and the Pokémon responded in unison, immediately continuing to eat with their heads down.

The Porygon2 eating the cake trembled at a low frequency, emitting a faint buzzing sound.

After a while, it said: "Someone sent a message, it's from the World Championship organizers."

The organizers sent a congratulatory letter, and at the same time informed him that the Master-level competition is held once a month, with rankings still calculated based on hidden points.

Once a month?

Baimu calculated the days and found that he should still have three battle opportunities.

As for the hidden points...

To others it's hidden points, but to Porygon2 it's completely irrelevant.

"Too much!"

It angrily turned the screen toward Baimu, with Champion Dan Di leading at 2025 points.

The second-place Ah Tu is two hundred points behind him!

Is this the value of a perfect record?

Baimu glanced at his own hidden points—1713, in other words he needs to gain a hundred points per battle to have a chance to surpass Dan Di.

And this must happen under the condition that Dan Di does not gain any more points afterward.

Porygon2 exclaimed indignantly: "This is fundamentally an impossible task!"

As soon as it finished speaking, some Pokémon instantly lifted their heads and then hurriedly approached.

Seeing this, other Pokémon, regardless of whether they understood or not, also rushed over in a crowd, including the Galarian Sun Coral.

Of course it understands.

It also understands that if the trainer ascends to the throne of the strongest king early, it too can enjoy a peaceful retirement life early.

If not this year, it will have to delay another year.

How can the lazy coral bear this!

Concerning its future life, it must pay attention, and upon learning that it almost cannot surpass Dan Di, its deep resentment turned into ash smoke, nearly drowning the surrounding Pokémon.

"Hen ga!"

The Shiny Gengar suddenly opened its mouth and sucked in everything, swallowing it all into its belly, then grabbed the lazy coral and spat it back into its hole.

The abstract scene made the Big Mouth Baby show a look of disgust, "Chi duo~!"

Eating!

"Jie xi xi xi xi..."

Gengar sheepishly scratched its head.

Queen Leiguanwang said: 'I can make a move.'

"Even if you make a move, it's still the case that however many points you should gain, you gain that many..." Baimu shook his head, then comforted Porygon2: "It's fine, don't forget the Eight Masters."

Upon recalling this, Porygon2's emotions immediately calmed considerably, "Right, the Eight Masters are the true battlefield!"

Hearing this, the other Pokémon then dispersed to continue eating.

The Sun Coral also acted as if nothing had happened, continuing to enjoy the fruits of its labor.

The celebration banquet lasted until late at night.

Baimu lay on the bed, summarizing the details of today's match.

It can only be said that Karuoni's strength did not disappoint him, undoubtedly surpassing the champion-level trainer Nemo.

If not for his sufficiently active continuous simulation, obtaining a large number of level rewards that raised Happiny to level ninety, while teaching it a pile upon pile of skills.

The course of this battle might become more complicated.

Tactics.

Tactics are very important!

Baimu realized he cannot be like Ash, letting the champions fight him with straightforward tactics.

Karuoni will use the despicable move 【Seal】, let alone others?

"Heroes under heaven are like carp crossing the river..."

He gazed at the ceiling, feeling annoyed when suddenly a sensation of something falling came from his chest.

Hmm?

Baimu lowered his head and saw it was Tao Tailang.

"Miao~! Miao~!"

It was like a child, holding a chocolate banana in its left hand and a red sugar apple in its right.

Both had been bitten, yet it stubbornly tried to stuff them into his mouth.

"Ha sa!"

The Three-Headed Evil Dragon followed behind, extremely unwilling to have its position snatched by this little toy.

Baimu: "..."

He looked at Tao Tailang's crescent-moon-like eyes, the latter smiling happily.

"Alright then."

He each took a bite.

Since Tao Tailang entered battle, it has become more obedient than before. Although it still occasionally seeks favor, at least it no longer causes trouble.

The Pokémon companions felt quite relieved.

They do not want to see the boss and other Pokémon in a state of drawn swords, which is unfavorable to their 'fish and bear's paw' plan.

"Miao miao~"

Tao Dailang happily bit the spot where Baimu had bitten twice more, then turned around and saw the three-headed evil dragon trembling with anger.

It didn't dare to pay attention, just flew away excitedly.

"Hiss... throat..."

The Vinegar King trembled all over with anger, hurriedly came to Baimu's front, and similarly wanted to share what he had eaten—

The dragon's eye fruit, bitten to a pulp and covered in saliva.

Moreover, this thing is bitter and astringent; humans simply cannot eat it.

Baimu: "... Did I offend you somewhere?"

Three-headed Evil Dragon: "Wuu wuu..."