Chapter 670: Champion League

Champion Dawu's popularity is no lower than Mi Ke Li's.

The top region champion of Hoenn, the media's first proclaimed Mega Evolution pioneer, and also the Young Master of the tech giant Deven Corporation.

These many identities granted him the power to captivate thousands of young girls.

The instant he stepped out of the car.

Around him, a deafening roar erupted like mountains and oceans.

"Champion! Champion!"

"Champion Dawu!"

Dozens of fiery gazes locked onto Dawu, shouting his name and titles as if at a religious gathering, waving banners and fan cards wildly.

Oddly enough, even without any League staff assisting.

The audience at the entrance spontaneously cleared a wide path for Dawu, their eyes filled with admiration and longing.

Undoubtedly.

This is the weight of a Regional Champion.

The strongest at the peak of Hoenn's Trainer Pyramid, deeply revered by every Trainer who loves Pokémon battles.

Glory of the highest order belongs to him alone.

Dawu smiled warmly and waved to the crowd around him; merely standing there, he naturally radiated a powerful aura, as if bathed in spotlight, holding everyone's gaze.

"The Champion's presence…"

Baimu silently admired.

In the future, when he becomes Champion himself, he'd be happy if half as many people in Orre recognized him as Hoenn people recognize Dawu. Look at how many acquaintances he has in Huang Tie Town—how many in Silicon Beryllium City or Qinggang?

And how many truly understand what a Regional Champion represents, like people in mainstream regions do?

He silently followed Dawu inside, his mask and baseball cap making him look exactly like an assistant, completely unnoticed.

Inside the arena.

Staff bustled about, making final checks and adjustments.

Baimu had planned to head straight to the spectator seats, but Dawu called him over, saying he wanted to introduce him to a few other Masters besides Shi Yuan Zhi.

Dawu did not know that Baimu was already familiar with Queen Boni and Fu Rong.

He'd spent the past few months in Kalos and had few chances to meet other Masters.

Baimu readily agreed.

Since he already knew three of Hoenn's Four Masters, he ought to meet the last one, Hua Yue, too—the Hua Yue fanatic he'd met at the tournament had left a deep impression on him.

Arriving at the preparation room.

Shi Yuan Zhi, Queen Boni, and Fu Rong—all encountered at the noodle shop that morning—were already there.

The last one, a bald youth with only a single red tuft of hair, looking like a gangster from the Black Society, was the Dark-type Master Hua Yue.

The four stood or sat separately, their Pokémon beside them, spaced apart with little interaction, yet the atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious.

"Apologies for keeping you all waiting."

Dawu smiled slightly, stepping aside to reveal Baimu behind him, "Let me introduce you—"

"Baimu."

"The idiot who gave up the Champion League."

Queen Boni and Fu Rong spoke in turn, the latter making a teasing face.

Calm Shi Yuan Zhi gave a slight nod in greeting.

Dawu and Hua Yue both froze for a moment.

"Hey hey hey! You've all already met? Kid, your name's Baimu, right?"

The Dark Master stepped forward quickly, his face inches from Baimu's, as if trying to intimidate him with his gaze—though he was slightly shorter, forcing him to tilt his head up to meet Baimu's eyes.

"They all know you. I don't. Are you looking down on me?"

"Ah…"

Baimu knew the man meant no harm—he was just annoyed at being left out.

This was clear from the dumb, tongue-lolling, tail-wagging behavior of his Houndoom behind him—after all, which Trainer's Pokémon would act so happily while their master was angry?

"It wasn't an opportunity, and meetings aren't about timing—it's about how you build the relationship afterward. Don't you think?" Baimu smiled.

Hua Yue stared at him for a long moment, then pulled back and slapped his shoulder with a loud laugh: "Hahahaha! That's right! I really like that line! Kid! By the way—I like your Salamence too!"

His ace, Absol, was the one he met on a crumbling mountain after quitting his gang life and beginning his journey—he saw it as fate changing his life.

"I thank you on its behalf."

Baimu placed a hand on the wobbling Poké Ball at his waist.

Salamence couldn't handle praise—he might cause chaos if let out.

Dawu shook his head helplessly, not caring that Queen Boni and Fu Rong already knew Baimu, and turned to the four: "Since I've been spared the introduction—everyone, are you ready?"

As if the prelude to a great battle.

Each of the Four Masters wore a different expression; their Pokémon instantly radiated fierce battle intent, locking sharp gazes onto one another.

Queen Boni: "You'll see it in the match."

Fu Rong: "Don't underestimate the Medium!"

Shi Yuan Zhi: "Preparation is merely the foundational step to mastering power."

Hua Yue: "Let's have a grand fight! Hah!"

What the hell is this overwhelming sense of a fighting game character's entrance line?

Baimu stared blankly at Dawu.

The Champion, facing these provocative words from the Four Masters, calmly and confidently spread his hands: "Then I'll wait for all of you on the Champion's throne."

Having said that.

The group strode out of the preparation room with their Pokémon in tow.

"……"

Baimu stood in place with a strange look on his face for a moment, then hurried to catch up with the others' footsteps. On the way to the preparation room, Champion Dawu had said he would have the League arrange him a special seat undisturbed by others.

He did indeed want to focus on watching the four-person match.

The Champion League's tournament format is rather complicated, with a distinction between the overall tournament and the sub-tournament.

The overall tournament is further divided into one with Conference winners participating and one without.

In the former, Conference winners must consecutively challenge the four Elite Four; if all four Elite Four are defeated, they earn the chance to challenge the regional Champion.

If any one of the Elite Four defeats the Conference winner, then that Elite Four member gains the qualification to challenge the Champion; if multiple defeat the Conference winner, those Elite Four members must compete among themselves for the qualification to challenge the Champion.

The latter requires the four Elite Four to hold a six-pick-three elimination tournament, competing for the qualification to challenge the Champion.

The sub-tournament is a Champion League held on a quarterly basis.

Each Elite Four member must defeat those trainers who have received League Elite Four invitations; only by successfully defending their position can they obtain the qualification to challenge the Champion and stage the Champion Challenge.

Conference winners can participate in both types of Champion League, but the former only gives one chance, while the latter requires an invitation.

Although the sub-tournament looks like a perk for the Elite Four, to date no Elite Four member has managed to turn the tables and ascend to the Champion's throne.

Those defeated by trainers invited via Elite Four invitations, on the other hand, are quite numerous.

——

The match venue.

The spectator stands were already packed to the rafters.

Whether it was because Champion Dawu's face carried that much weight, or because the Hoenn League's recent collaboration with Rustboro had gone too smoothly, Baimu was arranged a seat in the Special Guest section, next to Mr. Stone and other League higher-ups.

"Ohohoho, we meet again, young man."

The white-bearded old man let out a kindly laugh and said: "Even though you can't compete, you still want to witness the battles between the Champion and the Elite Four, right? Truly hard to resist~"

Mr. Stone is called "the greatest man in the Pokémon League," and the reason lies in his outstanding contributions to the League Conference and Champion League. Rustboro's frequent private exchanges with him were precisely to gain all sorts of experience in hosting Conferences.

As for why Baimu wasn't competing, he understood that perfectly well.

Below.

Amid the commentator's wildly excited shouts, Champion Dawu and the Elite Four took the stage one after another. The spectator stands roared, and the earth-shaking cheers caused the entire arena to tremble slightly.

The crowd's enthusiasm even surpassed that of the Conference finals.

Baimu watched expectantly as Champion Dawu, draped in his Champion's cloak, ascended step by step toward the sacred flame, where a grand and ornate stone chair had been placed before it.

The moment he sat down, it was as if a king were being crowned — countless ceremonial cannons boomed, and myriad ribbons fluttered.

Solemn symphonic music enveloped the venue.

This treatment!

Baimu clicked his tongue. He had always felt that compared to the Galar region's scheme of building up "the Strongest Champion" and "the Undefeated King," madly hyping Champion Dan Di—

Other regions seemed to have hardly any display of Champion status.

It was only after coming to see the Champion League in person that he realized they simply had no need for daily marketing.

Sit in the highest, most conspicuous Champion's throne in the entire venue, and status and grandeur naturally manifest themselves; anyone glancing over there would feel the aura of dominance radiating outward.

What is an uncrowned king?

This is it!

Still, even with cushions, sitting on a stone throne all afternoon can't be comfortable, can it?

He was a little worried about Dawu-san's butt and lower back.

Not long after.

Under the gaze of ten thousand eyes, the giant screen displayed the results of the computer's random matchups — Kagaya versus Queen Boni, Furong versus Shi Yuan Zhi.

The schedule was two matches this afternoon, one tomorrow afternoon, in a six-pick-three format.

The afternoon after tomorrow would be the final Champion title defense battle — an all-out match.

"Ice beats Dark, why not Ice beats Dragon, Ghost beats Dark?"

Baimu had a sudden thought.

In many regions, the Elite Four seem to have pairwise type-countering relationships — Johto's Psychic and Poison, Fighting and Dark; Sinnoh's Bug and Psychic, Ground and Fire; Unova's Fighting and Dark, Ghost and Psychic, and so on.

This correspondence only ended at Kalos; Kalos only had Fire and Water as a pair, and the other, Steel and Dragon, only had a resistance relationship.

No.

Perhaps they had become a relationship of mutual resistance.

Waiting quietly for about twenty minutes.

The first to battle, Kagaya and Queen Boni, each took their positions on opposite sides of the field. At the referee's announcement, both quickly sent out their Pokémon—

Houndoom and Abomasnow.

Queen Boni was a master of using snow weather; her Abomasnow's debut immediately drew forth an overwhelming white mist and fine hail.

Houndoom, meanwhile, after triggering its Intimidate ability, lunged at Abomasnow at the first opportunity, launching an attack with searing Fire Fang.

"Aoo!"

The howl was exceptionally loud and clear.

The unusually bright flames also demonstrated the tremendous power of this Fire Fang.

Unexpectedly, Abomasnow leaped backward with an agility that didn't match its bulky frame, and colorful light swirled around its body like a thin shield of light.

【Aurora Veil】, a move equivalent to a combination of Light Screen and Reflect, usable only under snow weather.

Houndoom chose to pursue, suddenly bursting with swift speed that allowed its Fire Fang to bite into Abomasnow's body.

But unexpectedly, there was no notable effect.

When the flames exploded across the Blizz King's body, the loudly howling snowman used its wooden mallet to scatter the smoke, then slammed the Houndoom hard into the sky, and while it was falling, swallowed it up in a terrifying blizzard.

Fortunately.

Kagetsu had earlier had Houndoom create a substitute as a launching platform, barely dodging it, thus narrowly avoiding the fate of losing a Pokémon within the first three minutes.

It was truly astonishing that the intimidated Blizz King's physical attacks remained so ferocious.

And Queen Boni's battling style was as calm as the attribute she specialized in; in this first exchange, Kagetsu failed to gain any advantage, and even subtly fell on the back foot.

Faced with this situation, Kagetsu chose to switch.

The one sent out to replace it was Crawdaunt; the moment it appeared, it used Water Pulse to dodge the Blizz King's blizzard, then began powering up with Dragon Dance while waving its ferocious giant claws.

Seeing this, Queen Boni immediately had the Blizz King unleash a field-wide blizzard to ambush, but Crawdaunt, having finished its Dragon Dance, immediately reversed course and, with another Water Pulse, turned itself into a massive ice crystal amid the blizzard.

"What fast movements."

Baimu was quite shocked at Crawdaunt's speed; Water Pulse certainly activates extremely fast, but this was just too fast, wasn't it?

Inside the field.

As it continued shooting toward the Blizz King, it suddenly transformed into an icy Water Pulse; even though the Blizz King dodged in time, the thunderously shattering ice still forced it to raise a claw to shield itself.

By then, Crawdaunt had already closed in on it.

A brownish-red Brick Break struck out, shattering the rainbow aurora screen around the Blizz King; the heavy, super-effective blow immediately made it writhe in pain.

Then, before the Blizz King could counterattack under Queen Boni's command—

Crawdaunt flashed to its flank, and Assurance struck the back of its head dead-on.

The heavy thudding sounds made one's heart tremble.

Kagetsu's motto—"the best defense is a good offense"—his performance undoubtedly showed a tendency to carry it through to the end, and he smoothly regained the rhythm he had just lost.

And the relentless barrage of attacks in a short time drove the Blizz King into steady retreat; Queen Boni issued several commands, but none of them could be carried out.

Queen Boni was forced to recall it.

Her second Pokémon was Walrein; its body, even more massive than the Blizz King's, looked sluggish at first glance—how would it deal with Crawdaunt's offense?

The answer was:

With its thick layer of fat.

Baimu had a deep impression of this Pokémon, not only because it was the first time it made Baimu understand the importance of training Dreepy's evasion, but also because of the way it used its body.

Queen Boni's mastery of such techniques was even greater than Mi Ke Li's.

Unrelated to the ability 【Thick Fat】, its body was naturally endowed with the power to absorb impacts, which also meant that the physically offensive Crawdaunt had no real way to deal with a tanky Pokémon that repeatedly used charge moves to boost both defenses.

Kagetsu went from full of confidence to questioning his entire life.

His initial expression was clearly one of "I believe Crawdaunt can definitely break through your defense," but the result was "why still can't deal any damage."

Obviously, Assurance's critical-hit effect had not triggered even once.

Looking at Queen Boni, she first used Whirlpool to eliminate any possibility of Kagetsu switching, then froze the opponent solid with a blizzard, and finally a Body Press as crushing as a mountain.

The web-like cracks spreading across the ground made Baimu start worrying whether Crawdaunt would be squashed into a shrimp cake.

Luckily, in the end it wasn't.

It had merely been pressed underground.

After recalling Crawdaunt, the hail gradually subsided, and Kagetsu decisively sent out his ace—Absol—and activated Mega Evolution.

The dazzling light drew shrieks from the audience.

The Mega Absol that, in the games, no one except die-hard fans would use, in Kagetsu's hands instead displayed an extreme sensitivity to danger.

Walrein's repeated attacks were all dodged by it with ease, as if it had predicted in advance which side the attack would come from.