Chapter 454

【You have collected all badges and earned the qualification to compete in the Champion Cup】

The Psychic-type Trainer officially became the first challenger to qualify for the Champion Cup, and seized the opportunity to rise to fame, worshipped by countless Galar citizens.

But before he could appear on a few TV shows or interviews, the Psychic-type Trainer vanished without a trace.

Only Loz, who had spoken with him at the gate of Poni Town, knew that the guy had gone to the Wild Area to train his Pokémon in seclusion, aiming to reach peak condition before the Champion Cup began.

Such things are actually quite common.

Even if Loz hadn't mentioned it, Baimu had seen Chien-Pao, defeated and mentally broken by Champion Dan Di, flee to the Wild Area to train—and end up trapped in a cave, barely able to get out.

The Psychic-type Trainer also had self-awareness; through gym challenges, he had already roughly estimated the strength of the Gym Leaders—

Winning would be extremely difficult.

【You thought to yourself: even defeating a Gym Leader at full strength was a tremendous pressure, let alone challenging Dan Di, the so-called strongest king in the world—so you trained even harder】

The Psychic-type Trainer's method of training Pokémon differed little from Baimu's—he immersed himself as much as possible.

But he found the former's physical strength far exceeded his own; just the move of stopping a charging Galarian Rapidash with sheer force was something he could never replicate.

The memory of Baimu's failed attempt to halt a Darmanitan's charge—only to be flung away—was still vivid.

Is Psychic-type power really that overwhelming?

Could Dragon Heart even achieve that?

He couldn't help recalling Alice's various behaviors… this brat had naturally outstanding physical strength and reflexes; like him, her primary means of communication, Dragon Heart, had never granted her any physical enhancement.

If he remembered correctly.

Baimu turned his gaze back to the simulation, only to find the Psychic-type Trainer had already begun showing signs of "obsession" in his efforts to boost the strength of both new and veteran members before the Champion Cup.

What does that mean?

It means that in the Wild Area now, anyone the Psychic-type Trainer encounters—whether wild Trainers or even passing Electrike—must first be put to sleep by Hypno, then slapped twice.

Just to perfect the accuracy of "Sleep Punch" and "Wake-Up Slap."

Under such brutal training, Hypno had mastered its soul technique: beat the opponent senseless, then put them to sleep, wake them up, and beat them again—so far, no one had lasted three rounds.

Meanwhile, Staraptor, relying on its multiple limbs and the soul enlightenment gained from its prior battle with Octillery, instantly evolved to learn a fake 【Shell Armor】, now constantly approaching wild Pokémon to ask, "Do you know how starfish eat?"

Duraludon, by contrast, followed its routine, using its Mental Cap to learn a fake 【Armored Claw】 from Galarian Slowpoke—since the cap couldn't be broken, it just pounded relentlessly.

As for Orbeetle, as a noble Ultra-Mega Pokémon, it was the only one in the team whose role was to take hits—plus, it routinely sought out opponents to practice on; in battle, its tactic of deliberately sticking its "head" out to be punched left Baimu both amused and exasperated.

Galarian Slowpoke had no special traits; the Psychic-type Trainer thought its Shell Weapon on the left hand was perfect for charging forward and shoving it into the opponent's mouth to spray poison—and it indeed did exactly that.

Combined with its Speed Boost ability, which occasionally increased its attack speed, Baimu had never seen a Pokémon that escaped its poison.

Galarian Rapidash, the latest to join the team, received the most attention from the Psychic-type Trainer, naturally due to its superior physique and close-combat prowess; the Trainer rode atop it like an ancient general, charging back and forth without pause.

If only the Psychic-type Trainer were given a spear, he might pass as Lei Guan Wang at the southernmost tip of Galar.

The scene gradually accelerated.

【You kept close watch on Champion Cup news, and finally, at the station, you saw the announcement that the Champion Cup would be held next week in Circhester—you immediately boarded the train】

The Psychic-type Trainer sat calmly on the train; perhaps due to his long absence, or perhaps because other successful challengers had drawn more attention, the train to Circhester was packed—but almost no one came to greet him.

Until he stepped off at the station—

A flood of media outlets surged toward him; Baimu watched through the simulation as the pixelated Psychic-type Trainer was surrounded by a swarm of camera lenses and microphones, and winced in sympathy.

It's fine if the public forgets—media will remember.

Once the media recognizes you, the public's memory slowly revives; the Psychic-type Trainer, who gained qualification as the first challenger with Psychic powers, was now held in high expectation by many.

The Champion Cup essentially consists of two parts.

One is the semifinals; the other is the finals.

The semifinals require all participating Gym Challengers to compete until only one remains, qualifying them for the finals, where they face the Gym Leaders directly; if they win the finals, they may challenge the strongest Champion, Dan Di.

Therefore.

As Baimu had originally envisioned, if the Psychic-type Trainer reaches the semifinals' top four, he is already at the level of a Four Sage!

And by this logic, breaking through the semifinals is equivalent to winning the Regional Conference.

The finals themselves always gave the feeling of entering the Champion League…

He watched eagerly as the screen lit up; the Champion Cup officially commenced within the Circhester Arena, resembling a crimson ephemerally blooming flower.

Unlike the game, where only four trainers compete in the semifinals, in the anime setting, there were many more—doubled to exactly eight.

【Your first match is about to begin】

The Psychic-type Trainer walked onto the battlefield in his competitive uniform, expression unchanged; his opponent wore similar attire and appeared slightly older.

Any Trainer who had conquered all eight Gyms in Galar had no room for fluke; with so many spectators present, the Gym Leaders had little chance to hold back.

Baimu strongly suspected that Galar's Gym Leaders had no teaching function at all—only the role of defeating challengers or being defeated, purely for the audience's entertainment, reducing the Gym Leaders' personal intentions to near zero.

Back to the matter at hand.

【You defeated your first-round opponent with unstoppable momentum; the audience cheered wildly for you and your Pokémon】

The Psychic-type Trainer's long seclusion had not been in vain; though his first-round opponent was strong, he hadn't expended much energy.

The same went for his second-round opponent.

【You looked at your defeated opponent and deeply realized your strength had become utterly different from before】

……Feels a bit like joy turning to sorrow.

Baimu carefully examined the Psychic-type Trainer's forehead, confirmed there were no smiling faces emerging, and believed the latter's demeanor remained composed—not smug from two easy wins.

You must keep winning!

That powerful orange talent can't lose to double-blue talents, damn it!

He clenched his fists slightly, and the Psychic-type Trainer finally faced his first true rival in the final round of the semifinals—clearly, the opponent was no ordinary Trainer.

Although his Pokémon were all fairly normal, unlike the oddities like Hypno, his mastery of orthodox Pokémon power had subtly matched the Psychic-type Trainer's "freaks" in a stalemate.

Especially the Ultra-Mega Pokémon he chose—Ultra-Mega Butterfree—whose Bug-type exclusive Ultra Move, 【Ultra-Mega Butterfly Illusion】, gave the Psychic-type Trainer considerable trouble.

The side effects—choosing one from sleep, paralysis, or poison—were truly annoying.

Fortunately, the psychic, seeing this situation, cut his losses and recalled his Gigantamax Mr. Mime, sent out Gem Star to wrestle with it, forcibly endured with Regeneration, then used Thunderbolt and Butterfree in a mutual destruction.

And Butterfree was already the opponent's last Pokémon.

The psychic successfully advanced as the semifinal winner, earning qualification for the finals.

【You have successfully advanced past the semifinals and reached the finals stage, just three steps away from challenging the strongest Champion.】

Advancing past the semifinals should, by design, yield at least a Regional Champion-level reward.

Baimu felt excited, yet understood that every opponent in the finals was a formidable foe; every Elite Four member had been pushed to the brink to reach this point.

The screen's time accelerated again, clearly the simulation had no intention of dragging out the suspense.

But just as in the game, where a twist occurred at the start of the finals, the psychic was immediately blocked by Popla, the Dance Hall Leader, as he prepared to begin his first round.

As usual, she posed a question-and-answer format, asking if he intended to inherit the Dance Hall, and offered that if the psychic agreed, she would personally teach him the secrets and experience of Pokémon battling—

No need to think—he refused, leaving the future "Cai Ming" Vampiric Bite a chance.

Dance Hall? No.

Popla, rejected, showed no anger and silently turned away.

And the psychic finally faced his first opponent in the finals—Luluna—exactly as in the game.

Yet Luluna's "strength" in the anime was far beyond the rigid AI of the game; the psychic struggled badly in the first round.

He could hardly believe this was the same Gym Leader he had defeated before.

Same Armored Mawile, same Headbutt—Mr. Mime's Brick Break couldn't crack it open, nearly got hit, barely dodged in time.

Lightning Punch too—whenever Armored Mawile raised its large pincers in front, it became an impenetrable wall, no damage, the Ability "Avoidance" never triggered.

Forced to reveal his trump card, Mr. Mime pulled out the enhanced Hypnosis Punch, finally pushing Armored Mawile back.

But the increased strength wasn't limited to Armored Mawile; Gyarados was equally enhanced; after rain fell, its agility became terrifying, forcing the psychic to reluctantly pull out Slowking for a long-range duel, barely managing a stalemate.

Yet the finals allowed six Pokémon, and the psychic had already struggled so hard at the start—what followed would be no easier.

Baimu watched with difficulty, thinking Luluna's strength was somewhat absurd.

Could every Gym Leader in the Galar region be on a Legendary level?

Hmm…

Hard to say—the early anime endlessly exaggerated the power of the Elite Four; from Red/Blue to Diamond/Pearl, every Elite Four member was absurdly overpowered.

But as the story progressed to later arcs like Journeys, not even the Elite Four remained strong—let alone the Champion, who nearly fell from their pedestal.

Thus, whether Luluna truly possessed Elite Four-level strength, Baimu didn't bother to investigate; he'd only know for sure when he fought her himself one day.

Watching the psychic's grueling battle, his heart tightened—he only needed the psychic to reach the semifinals, and this Orange Talent would be worth it.

Come on! Fighting-type Psychic Big Brother!

On the screen.

The psychic's Gem Star battled Luluna's Swampert back and forth; Gem Star tried to grapple, but Swampert's slimy skin made it slippery, impossible to hold.

After prolonged stalemate, both sides reluctantly switched Pokémon again.

This time, Luluna brought out her ace—replacing it with Garchomp and activating Gigantamax, aiming to quickly break through and knock out one of the psychic's Pokémon.

Unaware that the psychic had been waiting precisely for this moment—he immediately sent out Eiscue and activated Gigantamax, deploying a sequence of Max Guard, Max Airstream, and Max Guard again.

Directly neutralized Luluna's greatest asset—Gigantamax—and simultaneously laid groundwork for the Flying-type Gyarados—Gravity effect.

This move left Eiscue half-destroyed, but the tide turned in the psychic's favor; he rapidly expanded his advantage, swiftly defeating three of Luluna's Pokémon.

Later, he swapped Slowking for Luluna's Armored Mawile, swapped Gem Star for Gyarados, and sent in Galarian Rapidash to seize the opportunity to take down Garchomp.

Regrettably, official Pokémon battles don't allow Rider-Pokémon fusion—the psychic didn't mount it, so Galarian Rapidash's "full power" couldn't be unleashed, and was knocked out by Garchomp's Double-Edge.

But it had indeed contributed to Mr. Mime's entry.

Facing the dying Garchomp, Mr. Mime didn't underestimate; under the psychic's command, he unleashed his lifelong masterpiece—Qi Fist!

【Your Mr. Mime, determined not to disappoint you, struck Garchomp's vital point!】

Baimu: "...?"

Pair this with the BGM—it feels intense, but you're a Psychic-type Pokémon???

【The slow update issue of new chapters has finally been resolved on apps that support source switching—download huanyuanapp. com to view the latest chapters of this book across multiple sites.】

Alright, no more dwelling on it.

【You defeated Luluna and advanced to the next round.】

Baimu took a deep breath—next should be Cai Dou; this Miss was no easy opponent…

On screen, a handsome young man with dark skin and an orange headband appeared before the psychic.

【You:...】

Baimu: "..."

Death group! This is over! Why didn't Mei Rong take this guy out?!

Alright, alright—he's already in the semifinals; shouldn't expect more.

He sighed, watching silently as the Weather Child Chibana tormented the psychic with rotating weather conditions.

Whether he had Champion-level strength was uncertain, but bullying the psychic? Absolutely—he played dirty!

By the end of the match, even though Chibana still used Gigantamax Alcremie, he still knocked out all six of the psychic's Pokémon at the cost of only three himself.

And to have fought this well, Baimu felt the psychic's initial surprise attack had been used too early.

【You lost to Chibana, eliminated in the Champion Cup semifinals.】

【You weren't particularly satisfied with this result, but felt you hadn't let down your Pokémon; as you prepared to leave, Loz found you.】

【You heard that question again—Do you like the Galar region? This time you answered yes, but when Loz invited you to stay as a Gym Leader, you declined.】

【You said you still had many regions to visit, didn't want to settle down too soon, and added you couldn't adapt to the life of a Galar Gym Leader—daily interviews and TV appearances were too hard for you.】

You bowed to Loz, whose face was filled with regret, mentally pondering which region you should travel to next.

Simulation ended.

"Uh…"

Baimu stretched lazily; this simulation lasted longer than the previous ones, mainly because the Gym Battles had been slowed down by added background music.

Still, it was quite entertaining—Mrmime, usually only appearing in hentai manga, had such a tough guy among its kind.

Let's see what the rewards are.

He looked at the rewards.

{Fixed Reward: Move Tutor ×7 (selectable type)}

{Fixed Reward: Psychic's Psychic Training Memory—Summary Volume (re-readable)}

{Fixed Reward: Mrmime's Fighting Move Memory—Includes All Learned Fighting Skills (re-readable)}

…

{Choice Reward One: Raise any Pokémon by five levels (below Lv90)}

{Choice Reward Two: Clue to a Legendary Pokémon (limited to Pokémon with base stat total under 600)}

{Choice Reward Three: Move—Qi Fist (selectable Pokémon to learn)}

{Choice Reward Four: Carry over the 【Elite System】 Talent to the next simulation}

Baimu rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again.

A clue to a Legendary Pokémon!

Holy shit!