Chapter 386: Breaking the Cocoon, Becoming a Butterfly

"Next time, I won't lose to you again!"

In the preparation room, Coach Ge Man threw down a loser's bitter remark and turned to leave.

"Such a standard loser's line… Is this some kind of special culture?"

Baimu watched his back, then checked the related data on his phone, confirming this guy was indeed the rival from the game who competed against Liuqi in the Grand Show.

No wonder the name sounded familiar.

The data showed Coach Ge Man's main Pokémon was a powerful Machamp named "Haozi," perfectly matching that special NPC from the game.

If he remembered correctly, this Machamp had been found by him one rainy night, abandoned inside a cardboard box, and this guy was secretly in love with Liuqi, while the Machamp was in love with the Seven Sisters Bird, Xiao Xiao Qingqing.

What a twisted love!

A humanoid Pokémon falling for a Dragon- and Flying-type Pokémon—more absurd than a Piplup falling for a Wailord; at least those two were both Ground-type.

You two will never have a good outcome!

Moreover, although Coach Ge Man didn't look very old, Baimu still wanted to say one thing—

"This is brutal. So brutal."

Is Liuqi even fourteen?

Probably not.

He sent Liuqi a message asking if she knew a Coordinator named Ge Man; the reply, as expected, was "Don't know her."

A one-sided rival and secret crush—this kid was truly talented.

As he felt sorry for him,

Liuqi suddenly spoke: "My dear student, do you know the Milotic Cup?"

Baimu: "I know—it's a special Pokémon Grand Show hosted by Master Milotic, touring worldwide; the winner receives the Water Column Medal, usable at any region's Grand Show festival, so Coordinators from across the globe compete for it…"

Liuqi: "You type fast! Scary!"

Baimu: "Actually, I just copied and pasted it from the Pokédex."

Liuqi: "Aww~ Can't you admire me just one more second? Okay, serious now. The Milotic Cup will be held in Liuli City next-to-next month—how about our master-student battle happens there?"

Baimu: "Good idea. That way I can skip one Grand Show and collect my fifth Ribbon sooner."

Liuqi: "Wow! So confident?"

She sent a barrage of furious Seven Sisters Bird emojis.

Baimu sent her back a Snorlax snoring.

Liuqi: "Then I'll look forward to the master-student battle at the Milotic Cup!"

Baimu: "Don't cry if you lose."

Liuqi: "How dare you! I'll have to properly discipline you and teach you what humility means!"

She sent a Seven Sisters Bird emoji with a dark, scowling face.

Baimu smiled and put down his phone.

Next-to-next month… Right now I have four Badges; if I treat the Liuli Gym as my final one, only three Gyms remain—I'll definitely make it in time.

Unless something major eats up a ton of time again.

Worst case, I skip the Liuli Gym and just enter the Milotic Cup—big deal.

His gaze fell on the TV screen.

The second match of the first round was about to determine his next opponent; of course, no matter who it was, the Pokémon he'd send out had already been decided.

"Let this battle commemorate your transformation…"

He raised the Poké Ball and held it under the fluorescent light; for a moment, the light seemed to pass through the ball's surface, revealing a flickering, eager fish-shaped figure inside, barely contained.

Five minutes passed quickly.

The opponent in the final of the Akiba Contest emerged.

Baimu rose from the bench and walked toward the player tunnel.

"Let's go!"

—

Hum—

Accompanied by a deep rumbling sound.

The main stage of the arena suddenly split open from the center, revealing a massive square pool, with semicircular platforms extending outward on both sides like launching pads.

"Next up is the Grand Show Final of the Akiba Contest!"

"Who will emerge victorious and claim the Akiba Ribbon? Will it be Mr. Baimu on the right? Or Miss Ling Juan on the left?"

Vivian's gaze shifted between the two contestants, stoking the audience's excitement, "Let's find out!"

On the giant screen,

Two enormous portraits and circular scoreboards appeared side by side.

Baimu locked eyes with the woman across the arena—a tall lady with light brown wavy hair—both radiating unshakable determination to win.

In the Pokémon anime world, gender distinctions are extremely vague, leading to women not only holding strong power and status in Pokémon battling but also being widely recognized as naturally gifted Coordinators.

Isn't it obvious that over seventy percent of top Coordinators are female?

Thus, this opponent demanded his full, undivided attention.

Vivian's sharp voice suddenly rang out, "Second round, first match—Final, five-minute time limit, no pauses, begin!"

Ding!

Amid the crisp countdown, four Poké Balls shot high into the air!

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

"Roar!" "Pehli!"

Vast numbers of blue stars rose and fell, forming the massive, serpentine silhouette of Gyarados, which crashed with a boom into the water, while a large-beaked Gyarados appeared above it, gently flapping its wings.

In an instant, ethereal pale gray clouds gathered above the arena, and crystal-clear raindrops fell straight down, continuously splashing ripples across the clear pool.

Not only that.

Facing the shiny Oddish and Happiny emerging from the sky-blue water vortex, the ferocious Gyarados let out a roar!

"Roar!"

」

Intimidate ability activated!

Both Pokémon remained utterly unmoved.

First, Intimidate had no effect on the Slowpoke with the Oblivious ability; second, their spirits had already undergone a qualitative transformation, so even the Happiny, though affected, looked at Gyarados again without fear or panic—only caution and wariness toward a formidable foe.

Baimu's score was deducted.

But due to the unyielding mental state of the two Pokémon, the deduction was so minimal it was nearly negligible, and even Lingjuan's score suffered a slight reduction as well.

On the other side, the audience, upon seeing the shiny Oddish, erupted in loud clamor.

Vivian also shouted in astonishment, "Incredible! In this final, Baimu has brought out an Oddish that has never appeared before—and it's shiny! Is this one of his secret weapons?"

All three judges fixed their gazes on the shiny Oddish, noticing that beneath its initially shabby appearance lay exceptionally healthy, clean scales, pectoral and tail fins that appeared sparse but were in fact neatly arranged, and a sleek, plump body.

Most captivating of all was the spark of vitality in its eyes—a fundamental difference from the dull, ordinary Oddish; as it swam, it exuded exceptional liveliness and an indescribable unique charm.

Anyone who saw it would find it ugly-cute.

The judges exchanged glances, deeply satisfied.

Many Coordinator Trainers use Oddish, dubbed "the ugliest and most shabby," hoping to create a contrast effect in Brilliant Competitions.

But in the eyes of seasoned judges, many Oddish failed even in appearance alone.

Do wild Oddish look shabby—does careful breeding make them shabby too?

Not necessarily.

At least Patstein and others believed Baimu's Oddish had perfectly embodied what it meant to achieve a comeback transformation.

"I love the light in its eyes!"

"Sugoi~"

The first two could no longer hold back and spoke up.

Lingjuan's commands were drowned out by the commentary over the speakers, but Baimu, with his acute hearing, still received the answer.

"Long Juanfeng! Water Pulse!"

Gyarados's four crown-like dorsal fins glowed brilliant blue; it drew in a deep breath and blasted forward a swirling vortex of azure air, which collided with the massive azure water sphere shot downward by Gyarados—the two vastly different elemental energies did not explode, but instead merged together!

Instantly.

A cross-shaped air-water bullet roared forward, slicing through the water's surface and raising waves of spray; the rain seemed drawn toward it, intertwining with the azure air current to form a tail-like aura, granting it far greater power than either move alone could achieve.

Undoubtedly, this was a highly refined combination technique, its technical sophistication far surpassing the same-element combinations displayed by Coach Ge Man in the previous round!

"What an astonishing Water Pulse! Gyarados has fully demonstrated its coolness!"

Vivian's voice rang out.

Baimu's score beneath his avatar dropped nearly one-sixth—this was only the deduction from initiating the attack; if damage had been dealt to the shiny Oddish and Happiny, the deduction would have been even higher!

"Don't panic! Happiny, Light Screen! Oddish, freeze the screen with Ice Beam, then strike its lower part!"

He shouted his command.

Happiny swiftly raised its hands and conjured a translucent, phantom wall before them; the shiny Oddish followed by opening its mouth and firing a beam of ice-blue lightning.

Yet the Ice Beam did not pierce through the Light Screen as usual—it froze it into a sheet of snowy white glass, which the shiny Oddish then smashed hard with its powerful tail fin.

Thud!

The snowy white glass trembled and tilted, perfectly blocking the incoming air-water bullet.

Sssss—Boom!

The air-water bullet slid along the tilted surface of the glass, soaring over the heads of the shiny Oddish and Happiny toward the sky, then exploded into countless dazzling light particles.

Lingjuan's expression froze; her score was also deducted by over one-sixth due to the disruption of her combination technique.

Success!

The shiny Oddish was overjoyed.

Knowing full well its strength paled beside Gyarados's, it had been repeatedly comforted by its Trainer, yet still struggled to suppress its inner anxiety—but this moment proved that even a weaker Pokémon could fight alongside a strong one!

It had truly transformed.

Everything it had endured these past days was not false.

"Bo~"

The shiny Oddish gazed at the distant, motionless Gyarados and Gyarados, no longer uncertain—only the desire to repay its Trainer by defeating its opponent burned within it.

Just as its Trainer had said, it would use this battle to commemorate its transformation!

"I told you you could do it."

Sensing the shiny Oddish's emotional shift, Baimu and Happiny exchanged a smile; since their companion had reclaimed its confidence, it was time to sound the counterattack's call!

"Black Fog! Use Ability Swap on Gyarados!"

The shiny Oddish exhaled thick, dense black mist, shrouding its side of the field in haze; Happiny's eyes glowed blue, and the confused Gyarados suddenly felt it had lost something vital.

Seeing Baimu's move, Lingjuan swiftly issued her command.

"Gyarados, Hurricane! Gyarados, Dragon Rage!"

Having suffered one setback, she now realized her opponent's strength in countering tactics, and dared not recklessly attack and deduct her own score.

Counterplay? Everyone can do it!

Gyarados flapped its wings rapidly, summoning a vast, biting white gale; Gyarados unleashed a torrent of azure dragonfire—their techniques merged again, forming a dragonfire storm that swept across the entire arena.

The already turbulent water surged violently, rolling waves like a symphony of storm, the grand spectacle causing Baimu's score to be deducted first.

But as the black mist was scattered by the Dragon Flame Storm, the Shiny Ugly Fish had already vanished, leaving only the Happiny standing on the protruding diving board.

"Happy!"

Happiny stood firm, a semi-transparent light wall appearing around it, drastically reducing the power of the biting Dragon Flame Storm, making it feel like a gentle breeze against Happiny's already fortress-like Special Defense!

At the same time, it activated the exchanged Ability: Intimidate.

"Happy——!"

"

Happiny's face darkened with an extremely menacing scowl, as if confronting patients stubbornly refusing to be treated; Gyarados and Hoothoot suddenly recalled their own experiences at the Pokémon Center, when Happiny nurses had jabbed them with giant syringes in the rear.

Both shuddered violently!

On the judging panel, Young Lady Qiao Yin's eyes lit up, and she clapped enthusiastically.

"Happiny, unshaken beneath the storm, swapped its Ability for Gyarados's Intimidate—Gyarados and Hoothoot are now afraid!" Vivian's excited voice rang out.

Ling Juan, ignoring her rapidly deducted score, shouted aloud.

"Snap out of it! The Shiny Ugly Fish is coming!"

Gyarados and Hoothoot snapped back to awareness—but at that moment, the Shiny Ugly Fish had already broken through the water's surface, appearing right before them.

Far away, Happiny suddenly sang a melodious high note.

"Nasii——"

A series of growing pink, lacy heart-shaped light rings enveloped the Shiny Ugly Fish's body; it twisted freely in midair, its surface glowing with breathtaking radiance, then shot out countless hearts flying in all directions.

"So cute! Charm and Enthralling Sound! This is a double concerto of hearts!"

Vivian couldn't help but comment, earning unanimous agreement from most spectators.

"Roar!"

"Peelee!"

Countless hearts struck them; Gyarados and Hoothoot both winced in pain, yet their eyes sparkled with hearts—they were both male Pokémon, affected by the seduction of the female Ugly Fish.

Their Special Attack dropped drastically!

Ling Juan's score suffered an extremely terrifying deduction, plunging below half, barely above one-third!

And at this moment,

The Super Contest had only two minutes left.

Ling Juan's gaze froze; she knew her chances were dwindling—Baimu, judged by outsiders as poor at Super Contests, was far more terrifying than she'd imagined.

If so, then let her gamble everything!

"Gyarados! Hoothoot! Snap out of it! Use Dragon Rage! Hurricane! Don't let it go back!"

She shouted—and the two Pokémon, as the Shiny Ugly Fish plunged into the water, snapped back to focus.

One flapped its wings with all its might, summoning the final fierce storm; the other ignited indigo-blue Dragon Flame, spinning rapidly within the churning pool!

Baimu's expression changed. "Use Psychic to pull Ugly Fish out!"

Happiny quickly extended its psychic energy into the water—but was swiftly shattered by the wild, chaotic energy surges.

In an instant,

Gyarados, wreathed in furious flames, roared as its power merged with the hurricane; a colossal waterspout formed, towering to the heavens, its swirling waters solidifying into a resilient outer wall, lifting the trapped Shiny Ugly Fish into the sky!

The terrifying sight lacked elegance, yet carried the raw, cataclysmic aura of nature itself!

A third combination move!

"Gyarados and Hoothoot have once again demonstrated a stunning new combination move! The Shiny Ugly Fish is in danger! Will it escape in time!?"

Vivian's voice echoed across the entire arena.

Baimu ignored his rapidly draining score and the one-minute countdown, rapidly considering whether to use Gravity.

But when he saw the pool itself forming a vortex from Gyarados's spin, he dismissed the idea.

It would be pointless.

Then how to break it?

Swap fields? That would only trap it elsewhere.

And…

He looked up at the Shiny Ugly Fish, helplessly spinning inside the waterspout, then at the tornado towering dozens of meters high; as he lowered his gaze, he spotted the frozen, glass-like light wall drifting on the water's surface.

A mad idea began to form.

"Ugly Fish! Jump out! Ride the storm and leap out! You conquered the thirty-meter waterfall against the current—how could this waterspout stop you!"

Baimu shouted with all his strength, trying to make the Shiny Ugly Fish hear him over the storm, "Happiny will create a launchpad—but you have only one chance. Do you hear me? This is your only chance!"

"But you can do it! Break free! Let everyone know this is the miracle you can create!"

His voice was swiftly swallowed by the storm.

The closest listener, Vivian, heard every word clearly, astonished: "Mr. Baimu is telling Ugly Fish to jump out? What a bold idea! Less than half a minute remains—can Ugly Fish succeed?"

The audience erupted in uproar; they could barely catch the Shiny Ugly Fish's form within the storm, only glimpsing a purple shadow.

The fury of the wind was evident.

Jump out under these conditions?!

"Delusional! Increase the wind!" Ling Juan refused to give the Shiny Ugly Fish this chance; Hoothoot flapped its wings desperately, accelerating the storm's speed once more!

The water trembled, surging into rolling waves!

—

Within the storm,

The Shiny Ugly Fish, tossed and turned helplessly, was growing faint in consciousness.

Its level was never high to begin with, completely unable to face Feraligatr and Pelipper head-on, and now swallowed by the Water Spout, its stamina had dropped to a critically dangerous level.

In its dazed, half-conscious state.

It heard its Trainer's voice, though the words were vague and unclear.

Jump… Longmen Waterfall… Water Spout… one chance…

It couldn't quite understand.

Was it telling it to charge out from here?

Speaking of which, what's the score now? Has the countdown ended? Getting hit must have dragged Blissey and the Trainer down, right? Are they going to lose?

Sigh.

Even though it had already tried so hard.

Even though Blissey had so reliably supported it, and the Trainer had entrusted such an important match to it, in the end it had still let him down.

As expected, it really was a waste…

"That's wrong!"

"Completely wrong!"

Aggron's furious roar seemed to explode right beside its ear, "No matter how weak you once were, no matter what you've been through, as long as you keep going, you can overcome every difficulty and hardship!"

"A Trainer wouldn't lie. If he believes you can do it, then you definitely can! Don't give up! Don't admit defeat!"

"Climb! Go climb!"

"Don't admit defeat!"

"In this world, miracles exist!"

The shiny Feebas suddenly opened its eyes, and an unknown force welled up within its body, granting the nearly drained creature a moment to catch its breath.

Though its body still spun along with the storm, it had calmed down.

The vague words the Trainer had spoken earlier suddenly became clear.

Climb.

So that's it.

Was it about to start climbing again?

The shiny Feebas, drifting with the wind, gazed up at the unreachable heavens. Though the sky was covered in pale grey clouds, it was still far better than the lightless Longmen Waterfall.

A climb with only one chance.

It seemed there was no time for it to try again and again.

However.

This also meant it hadn't lost yet, right? The Trainer hadn't lost yet, right?

Since there was still a chance.

Then this was the moment to win!

Aggron had once said that there are many chances in life, but you don't need to seize every one — just pick out the most critical one and hold onto that single crucial chance tightly, and that's enough.

A streak of pink light suddenly flashed into the corner of its eye.

Feebas knew the chance that flashed by in an instant, yet absolutely had to be seized, had arrived.

In the past, it had no special talents whatsoever, couldn't do anything.

But right now.

Feebas understood that it now possessed one thing only it could do — one thing sufficient to make the Trainer choose it—

Climb!

"Hiss—!"

"

Boom!

The snow-white glass panel transformed from Light Screen was flung beneath it by psychic force. The tremendous force, accompanied by a sharp pain, caused the glass panel to be torn apart by the storm and shatter in an instant.

However.

In that brief moment, the shiny Feebas, unable to control its own body, found a foothold.

Though the pain made its tail fin feel like it was about to split open, though it was so weak it barely had any strength left, it had grabbed hold.

This most crucial, one-time chance!

Charge out!

The shiny Feebas fixed its gaze on the distant sky and let out a silent cry. The surrounding water currents, swept up by the storm, seemed drawn by some mysterious force, somehow forming a "waterfall" within the raging Water Spout — one that felt incredibly familiar to it!

A "waterfall" leading to escape!

It.

Never admits defeat!

The shiny Feebas surged upstream, not a trace of hesitation in its eyes, only an iron-willed determination.

The brilliant light of life descended swiftly, unable to be concealed even by the roaring Water Spout!

Outside.

The audience saw an incomparably dazzling light blaze across the stage. The Water Spout, once like a natural disaster, seemed to vanish, leaving only a single column of water shooting straight toward the sky.

And within that column of water, an indomitable life surged upstream, attempting to break through it — to break through this seemingly impossible height!

Without realizing it, they clenched their fists, forgetting to shout, forgetting the dangerous countdown on the screen.

Everyone's gaze was stolen away by it.

Until—

The instant the chasm was broken through!

Boom!

Like a peal of Lei Ting!

A figure radiating brilliant light all over its body froze in the high sky; though it was so small, it was so breathtaking.

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And so.

Its form began to change.

The spectators gaped, holding their breath as they gazed up at it.

Gazing up at that miraculous life being born — breaking through dangerous adversity, emerging from the cocoon as a butterfly!

Beautiful.

In that moment, it became a word that belonged to it alone!