Chapter 221: Crushing (4k)

Lysandre lowered his posture, appearing almost as if he were begging Luo Mu to engage in a Pokémon battle, which immediately drew surprised looks from the surrounding guests.

Even Diantha glanced at Lysandre with considerable surprise, her sunset-hued cherry lips parting: "They don't seem to hold any grudge against each other; why is Representative Lysandre so insistent on battling him?"

He was even planning to give away a precious Key Stone unconditionally.

Chairman Zhi Mi responded softly: "He probably wants to recruit him. Champion-level trainers in the Paldea region hold no actual authority or position, at least Luo Mu does not."

"So that means this Mr. Luo Mu is a free agent; no wonder Representative Lysandre is being so aggressive."

Diantha suddenly felt everything made sense; she had also heard rumors that Lysandre wanted to search for excellent trainers for his laboratory.

If those trainers still growing were merely unpolished jade, then to Lysandre, Luo Mu was the rarest gem that had already fully unleashed its own brilliance.

Even Diantha and Zhi Mi, standing beside him, could perceive Lysandre's longing gaze.

Although they felt this version of Lysandre seemed somewhat unfamiliar, their impression of him as a great philanthropist still functioned in their minds to rationalize this strangeness, attributing it to Lysandre being overly eager for talent.

Diantha and Zhi Mi were correct; Lysandre was indeed in a state of desperate need for talent. Since learning from Zhi Mi about Luo Mu's achievements as a trainer and the fact that he was a free agent, Lysandre had been pondering whether he could pull Luo Mu into his own camp.

Just as when he had recruited Malva, he intended to establish a connection with Luo Mu through battle and gifts, then, when the time was ripe, invite him to the Lysandre Labs, expound his ideals, invite him to join his organization, and want him to come into his world.

With Luo Mu as a combat asset, his plans could be realized at a faster speed, and many actions he could not undertake due to his status could be delegated to Luo Mu.

Undoubtedly, Lysandre currently craved talent like Luo Mu; he wanted to obtain Luo Mu himself to help him fulfill his lifelong wish.

Being stared at by Lysandre with such longing eyes, Luo Mu admitted he felt a slight panic, because that gaze was simply too naked and filled with aggression.

Fortunately, Lysandre seemed to notice his own loss of composure; within an instant, he suppressed his emotions, still smiling and holding up the Key Stone, awaiting Luo Mu's response.

Luo Mu admitted that he certainly craved the Key Stone, but setting aside whether Lysandre had hidden tricks embedded within it, he at least did not wish to obtain this important item proving his bond with Swampert from the hands of a villainous boss like Lysandre.

"I can accept the battle invitation, but please take back the Key Stone, Representative Lysandre; it is merely a Pokémon battle with me, and does not require such a huge price to be paid."

His clear voice, needing no microphone, rang out distinctly to every guest present; they first froze, then immediately applauded in unison.

They were applauding both in anticipation of the battle that would soon feast their eyes, and for Luo Mu's carefree attitude toward the precious Key Stone.

Lysandre fell silent for a moment, his right hand holding the Key Stone dropping down; no one knew what he was thinking at that moment.

The battle was held in the open area behind the restaurant that Zhi Mi had reserved at the rear of the hall.

The guests moved one after another to this brightly lit open-air battle field, while well-mannered waiters weaved through the crowd, trays of wine glasses being picked up and set down.

As final preparations were underway, the guests holding wine glasses began to chat.

"Is Representative Lysandre really going to battle that trainer? Isn't he just a researcher?"

"It is said that Representative Lysandre's Pyroar is actually quite strong; otherwise, he wouldn't have befriended so many trainers."

"By the way, did you see it? That champion-level trainer; I happened to be right next to him."

"I saw him too; he looks to be only eighteen or nineteen years old, so young!"

"Stop talking, they are appearing!"

Under the operator's control, spotlights illuminated simultaneously on both sides; Lysandre, now changed into a suit vest easy to move in, and Luo Mu stood on opposite sides of the field, followed by the lights.

Famous trainers such as Diantha, Zhi Mi, and Blaziken Mask stood in closer positions to observe.

Acting as the referee for this sparring exhibition match, Zhi Mi confirmed that both parties were ready, then shouted through the loudspeaker: "Both sides, send out your Pokémon."

"It's your turn to appear, Dragonite."

Luo Mu tossed a Poké Ball toward the sky; a dazzling Bai Guang erupted, and Dragonite flapped its wings, hovering in midair. The formidable aura swirling around Dragonite made everyone understand that its strength was by no means ordinary.

On Lysandre's side, a decision had already been made during the preparation time; no matter what, the existence of Gyarados could not be revealed yet, so his signature Pokémon, Pyroar, was the best choice.

Scorching flames that illuminated the night flared up, and Pyroar, with its red-and-yellow mane and an air exuding the demeanor of a king, landed agilely.

"Roar!!"

Pyroar's confident gaze locked tightly onto Dragonite in the sky; facing the dragon aura that proclaimed dominance, it chose not to show weakness, responding with a domineering roar.

Diantha smiled lightly: "The ability 'Moxie'; in this situation, it can play an unexpected role."

Zhi Mi nodded slightly: "The fighting spirit of both sides is just like scorching art; even I can't help but feel fired up."

Diantha, dressed in an evening gown, took out a Poké Ball; amidst a flash of Bai Guang, a green figure with an extremely unique aura appeared.

Diantha smiled: "Leave the handling of the battle's aftermath to Gardevoir."

As soon as Diantha finished speaking, Gardevoir controlled surging psychic energy to erect a barrier, blocking the shockwaves rippling out from the clash of the two Pokémon over there.

"Fire Fang!"

"Dragon Claw!"

The surging flames before Pyroar instantly converged into huge fangs of fire, closing directly against the emerald dragon claw swinging down from the sky by Dragonite.

Boom!

A violent energy explosion swept outward; black smoke rose under the lights, and both Pokémon retreated several steps within the black smoke, dissipating each other's force.

After this first probing exchange, Luo Mu narrowed his eyes and reached a conclusion: Pyroar's strength was likely at the level of a first- or second-string main fighter on an Elite Four team.

As for that Gyarados which had not yet appeared, adding Mega Evolution, it might be even stronger.

Lysandre was truly an ambitious man who hid his capabilities.

Over there, Lysandre's calm command fell: "Flamethrower!"

A scorching battle intent flashed in Pyroar's eyes as it used its signature move; blazing flames were spat forth by Pyroar, the surrounding air beginning to distort due to the sudden increase in temperature, and the surging flames turned into a sea of fire sweeping toward Dragonite.

"Fight fire with fire; Flamethrower!"

Dragonite, proficient in many types of moves, naturally had some mastery of Flamethrower; a sea of fire even larger in scale than Pyroar's, after a brief stalemate, instantly swallowed Pyroar's Flamethrower and rolled toward Pyroar with fierce momentum.

Pyroar remained calm in the face of danger; its limb muscles instantly exerted force as it leaped high, agilely clearing the sea of fire and charging forward toward Dragonite without hesitation.

During Pyroar's charge, boundless flames shot up into the sky, almost illuminating half the night; violent energy permeated its body—undoubtedly, this was the high-power Fire-type move, Flare Blitz.

To this, Dragonite naturally had no reason to retreat; whether in ranged combat or close-quarters battle, it held absolute confidence.

Surging Dragon-type energy burned into a light flame; the light flame gathered into a ferocious, pale blue divine dragon phantom. Wrapping terrifying killing intent, Dragonite, with an absolutely domineering posture, crashed violently into Pyroar.

Bang—Boom!

Under the trembling gazes of the surrounding guests, Pyroar and Dragonite clashed in an instant; the intense interweaving collision of energy and the contest of pure strength brought visible shockwaves rippling outward to the surroundings. Flames and dragon flames shot up into the sky, and the deafening roar made people involuntarily retreat several steps to avoid being caught in the aftermath.

Clap, clap, clap, clap—

The collision's aftermath tore up the ground, countless small stones hidden in the soil turning into a rain that shot densely in all directions, striking the barrier laid down by Gardevoir.

Gardevoir's calm gaze fluctuated for an instant; whether it was Pyroar or Dragonite, their power had exceeded Gardevoir's expectations.

"Look, isn't the momentum of the flames being suppressed?"

Someone suddenly exclaimed in surprise, and everyone's gaze immediately converged again on the center where Dragonite and Pyroar were clashing.

After several collisions between the two sides, the situation underwent new changes once more.

Pyroar's expression at this moment was clearly abnormal; its four limbs were deeply sunken into the underground mud, as if bearing some terrifying immense force.

The flames fiercely burning around Pyroar's body plummeted from a state of matching Dragonite toe-to-toe; its flame scale constantly shrank, while Dragonite still maintained its initial momentum, even intensifying it by several degrees.

The disparity in strength was exposed without any reservation at this moment.

Your full power is merely my normal output.

For some reason, this thought suddenly surfaced in Zhi Mi's mind, and he praised: "Indeed, his Dragonite is just as powerful as that Cangyan Cangyan Rengui."

Representative Lysandre's Pyroar is strong, but compared to Luo Mu's Dragonite, it still falls quite short.

Diantha lightly sipped the rim of her wine glass, leaving a lip print: "This pure power belonging to Dragon-type Pokémon makes me unable to help but recall that Dragon Master from the Kanto region."

"Once Representative Lysandre's Pyroar falls into a disadvantageous position, it will likely be difficult to turn the situation around."

The result did not exceed Diantha's expectations; seeing that Pyroar could barely hold on, under Luo Mu's command, Dragonite increased its energy output once again; the ferocious dragon-shaped energy phantom completely swallowed the sky-piercing flames, and Pyroar's body was also sent flying by this mighty force, landing in a sorry state.

Covered in scars, Pyroar panted heavily, looking somewhat fearfully at the figure of Dragonite in the smoke raised by the explosion, which easily stirred up a storm to sweep away both the smoke and the unpleasant smell.

In the battle just now, Dragonite was almost just playing along with it; whatever move it used, Dragonite would counter with a similar move, just like that proficient control over the power of flowing wind, which Dragonite hadn't used at all.

This discovery caused the always pride-filled Pyroar to feel somewhat frustrated.

At this moment, Zhi Mi stepped forward and declared loudly: "The battle ends here!"

The purpose of an exhibition match is to stop before going too far, saving face for both sides.

But in the hearts of everyone present, there was already a unified understanding—this battle was an overwhelming victory for Luo Mu and Dragonite, and the title of Champion-level Trainer was fully deserved.

However, this was not strange; after all, Luo Mu is a Trainer specializing in combat, and for Representative Lysandre, who is a researcher, to fight him to this extent was already an excellent performance.

Professionals brought Ground-type Pokémon to begin repairing the messily destroyed venue caused by Dragonite and Pyroar; not long after, the battle portion of the battle banquet restarted, with Trainers fighting each other, sparring to improve, and exchanging experiences.

This was also the reason Zhi Mi held this banquet.

There were battles between the arriving Gym Leaders Olivine and Olympia, battles between Elite Four Drasna and Elite Four Siebold, and even an exhibition match between the host Elite Four Zhi Mi and Champion Diantha.

The rich battles, which stopped before going too far yet remained highly watchable, gave everyone a feast for the eyes; when Blaziken Mask's Mega Blaziken defeated Gym Leader and Battle Chateau Duke Siebold's Tyrunt, it even stirred up a wave of applause.

So this guy dressed in strange clothes actually seems to be quite strong?

But if one were to speak of the battle that left the deepest impression on all the guests, it was undoubtedly the initial clash between Luo Mu and Lysandre, filled with power and wildness.

Unlike those flashy battle performances akin to socializing, this kind of hard-hitting combat shook their hearts and minds even more.

During the voting session, most people tacitly cast their single vote for those two individuals.

The lobby.

After the battle with Lysandre, Luo Mu directed Arcanine to fight a few matches against some unfamiliar people to gain a bit of battle experience, then lost interest in fighting; he simply ran to the lobby to gorge himself alongside Dragonite and Arcanine, while watching others' battles to accompany his meal.

In Luo Mu's opinion, the most interesting match was the exhibition between Diantha and Zhi Mi; neither of them used their ace cards—Diantha sent out Gourgeist, who would in the future solo defeat Lance in the World Coronation Series, while Zhi Mi sent out the somewhat unremarkable Octillery.

That Octillery was very interesting; it could actually track the Gourgeist, which was in the Phantom Force state, by spraying ink; this was probably one of the results of Zhi Mi's cultivation.

Just as Luo Mu was eating with great delight, a sound of footsteps rang out; Luo Mu looked up and discovered it was Lysandre, dressed in a suit and vest.

After the battle ended, Lysandre exchanged a few polite words with him and then disappeared somewhere; to be honest, Luo Mu thought he had already given up, but he didn't expect Lysandre to actively initiate a private chat with him this time.

"Can you chat with me for a few moments?" Lysandre got straight to the point.

Luo Mu swallowed the cake in his mouth in one gulp, picked up a neatly folded napkin from a nearby dining table to wipe the corners of his mouth, nodded, and said: "Sure."

Lysandre smiled, casually pulled over a chair to sit beside Luo Mu, took a round stone with colorful patterns out of his vest pocket, and handed it to Luo Mu.

Luo Mu frowned slightly and refused: "I believe I have already rejected you."

Lysandre shook his head: "This is not the Key Stone I brought out; this is a mysterious gift from Zhi Mi's banquet, and by their unanimous decision, it belongs to us."

"As you can see, I already have a Key Stone, so this one naturally belongs to you."

Lysandre then took out another Key Stone from his inner lining; the two Key Stones emitted a mysterious halo under the lights, full of charm.

"Then I shall accept it without further modesty."

Luo Mu pondered for a moment, then accepted the Key Stone that was the prize from Zhi Mi's banquet; the system in his mind also indicated that there were no issues with the Key Stone.

Holding the smooth, ice-cold Key Stone in his hand, Luo Mu hadn't expected to gather the conditions needed for Mega Evolution so easily; this also meant that Swampert's strength would undergo a leap forward.

But Lysandre obviously hadn't come just to deliver the Key Stone; after preparing himself for a moment, he spoke: "To be honest, I want to obtain you."

Luo Mu: "... Huh?"

We are two hundred monthly votes short of reaching one thousand monthly votes; to be honest, I want to try asking for votes.

If we can reach 1000 monthly votes before the start of the month, I will add three extra chapters then; please help this child out~

(End of Chapter)