Chapter 345: Miss Miss Junsha: We Will Win!

"You are the challenger!"

Miss Miss Junsha's declaration of victory immediately stirred up waves in the inner field, and contestants who hadn't been paying attention just moments ago now turned their gazes toward her.

Just as they were wondering who dared to make such bold claims, some slightly impulsive young people even wanted to step forward and engage her in a verbal duel.

But upon seeing Miss Miss Junsha dressed in simple, casual clothes, they were like mice encountering a cat; all their arrogance instantly fizzled out.

Especially the Feng Su Gou beside Miss Miss Junsha filled the other contestants' eyes with apprehension; this was a powerhouse combining both speed and endurance, not to mention that Feng Su Gou were Pokémon trained by the police.

No wonder Miss Miss Junsha could make such a declaration of victory before the race had even begun.

In response to Miss Miss Junsha's challenge, Luo Mu merely smiled faintly and released his Sufficient Weight from its Poké Ball.

As the Sufficient Weight landed,

in an instant, the entire inner field seemed to quake as if struck by an earthquake, trembling violently for several seconds.

The massive, heavy figure of the Sufficient Weight made the Pokémon of the other contestants nervous to varying degrees.

Especially that Zebstrika and Rapidash, which must have belonged to passing Trainers, involuntarily lifted their front hooves, their movements brimming with unease.

Looking at the Sufficient Weight, Miss Miss Junsha felt more confusion than shock, unlike the disappointment she had felt when her Feng Su Gou failed to see Luo Mu's Feng Su Gou earlier.

Could a Sufficient Weight, with a body weight nearing one ton, really keep up with the speed of a Feng Su Gou when running?

To this, Luo Mu only smiled slightly, stroking the thick, braided hair of the Sufficient Weight while meeting its steady gaze, saying nothing.

Time passed quickly until Mayor Aisha of the main venue finished her half-hour-long speech, delivered with tears and sobs; under the relieved cheers of the spectators lining both sides of the designated track, the contestants began to enter.

A total of exactly thirty people participated in this Pingdie Town Pokémon Marathon, with more than half being passing travelers or Trainers joining out of interest, much like the frequent actions of Ash and his companions in the anime.

In fact, the number of participants in previous Pokémon Marathon events in Pingdie Town usually ranged from a few to a dozen or so, making this edition the one with the highest attendance yet.

This was inseparable from the rapid development of the Paldea region in recent years.

Under the guidance of the staff, the contestants mounted their Pokémon and proceeded one by one toward the numbers painted with water-soluble pigment.

Pingdie Town's widest road was spacious enough to accommodate all thirty contestants, from number one to number thirty, along with their Pokémon.

"Then I'll go ahead first."

Miss Miss Junsha mounted her Feng Su Gou and waved to Luo Mu.

As number 25, she naturally entered the track before Luo Mu.

Luo Mu nodded slightly; waiting for the staff member to guide him, he gently patted the Sufficient Weight, with whom he had already developed perfect rapport during their training period, then similarly mounted it and walked toward the track.

Walking on the asphalt, the mud-made armor of the Sufficient Weight caused the ground to tremble faintly even before it began to run.

At this moment, the commentator was passionately introducing the contestants, and just as Luo Mu entered, the commentary happened to reach Miss Miss Junsha.

"Oh! Contestant number 25 is actually the flower of our Pingdie Town Police Department, guarding our peace and safety, the upright Miss Miss Junsha!"

"Good heavens, her partner is actually a Feng Su Gou, possessing both speed and endurance."

"It seems that the Rapidash of contestant number 6 from the Kanto region, the Rhyhorn of contestant number 7 from the Kalos region, and the Blaze Breed Tauros of contestant number 1, the defending champion, have welcomed another extremely competitive opponent!"

Miss Miss Junsha's appearance clearly stirred up a wave of cheers; whether residents of Pingdie Town or tourists, everyone held an extremely high regard for Miss Miss Junsha, who selflessly dedicated herself to guarding the peace.

Accompanied by the commentator's passionate introduction and the audience's cheers, the Sufficient Weight, displaying its heaviness in every move, carried Luo Mu into the track.

Mounted on the Sufficient Weight, Luo Mu first exchanged a glance with Miss Miss Junsha, then briefly locked eyes with Mayor Aisha of Pingdie Town, who sat on the high platform and whom he had met a few times while registering land information.

Luo Mu could tell that Mayor Aisha was somewhat surprised to see him participating in the event.

After introducing Miss Miss Junsha, the commentator began to introduce Luo Mu, who was riding the Sufficient Weight.

"Uh, next entering is our contestant number 26; yes, although he registered as a farmer, I believe everyone knows his identity—"

"Mr. Luo Mu, a Champion-level Trainer that our Paldea region is proud of, and his partner, the Sufficient Weight!"

The commentator's voice trembled slightly from excitement; he never expected that in his lifetime he would get to commentate on an event featuring a Champion-level Trainer, feeling his commentary career was now complete without regrets!

The surrounding audience erupted in cheers like a tidal wave; even tourists who had just arrived, thanks to the enthusiastic explanations of Pingdie Town residents, now understood what a Champion-level Trainer truly represented.

It meant a powerhouse nearly equal to the Champion of their own League.

And now, they were fortunate enough to witness such a figure personally participating in the event; coming to Paldea for tourism was truly the right choice!

Surrounded by cheers, Luo Mu felt somewhat helpless and troubled at this moment.

This was the downside of high popularity; it would now be difficult for him to casually advertise his farm's milk delivery service.

Indeed, his skin wasn't thick enough.

Riding the Sufficient Weight to the track marked with the number 26, Luo Mu looked around.

Apart from several Chatots equipped with live broadcasting devices and the large screens projecting images, Luo Mu also spotted Grandma Grandma Ju Zi in the crowd.

At this moment, she was waving kindly to Luo Mu and Miss Miss Junsha, her lips moving constantly, clearly cheering them on.

As for the contestants beside him, besides Miss Miss Junsha's Feng Su Gou, there was also the Lycanroc (Midday Form) of contestant number 27, and the combination of contestant number 20's Slowbro and an old man was quite eye-catching, making people curious about how they intended to run.

However, that female rider from the Kalos region, wearing professional riding gear and mounted on a Rhyhorn as contestant number 7, also caught Luo Mu's attention.

He felt as though he had seen this person a long time ago.

After waiting a short while, all thirty contestants were fully assembled, and everyone's spirits tightened accordingly.

Seated on the back of the Sufficient Weight, Luo Mu gently squeezed its sides with his thighs; without any need for communication, the Sufficient Weight understood Luo Mu's intent and nodded steadily.

Soon, a staff member holding a starting pistol arrived at the edge of the track; after confirming that everyone was ready, the staff member lightly hooked their finger and immediately pulled the trigger.

Bang—!

With the sharp bang of the starting pistol, commands from numerous contestants mixed with the neighs of Pokémon, ringing out together.

Among them, the command "Agility" was the most frequent; numerous Pokémon immediately used the move to increase their speed and charged forward.

The Rapidash of contestant number 6 from the Kanto region and the Blaze Breed Tauros of contestant number 1, the defending champion, almost bolted out simultaneously, immediately taking the lead at the very front.

Closely following them was contestant number 13 and his Zebstrika, whose body flashed with electric currents clearly stimulating muscles to enhance running ability, while contestant number 7, dressed in professional riding gear, performed even more brilliantly.

She lowered her body, pressing almost flat against the Rhyhorn, minimizing the resistance to its run to the greatest extent.

Miss Miss Junsha's Feng Su Gou was like a gust of wind, instantly transforming into a ball of red light and shooting forward.

She did not choose to use the move "Agility," but instead had the Feng Su Gou start with "Flame Charge," which grows faster as it runs; although this meant her starting speed wouldn't be leading, it allowed the body to fully warm up, preparing for the endurance battle ahead.

In a certain sense, Luo Mu and his Mudsdale, who should have been the most watched, moved with a slight delay.

The next instant.

The surrounding spectators clearly felt the ground begin to shake, and immediately after, their faces twisted in terror.

Mudsdale's weight approaches a full ton, and it is itself a Pokémon with relatively slow speed; originally, in this kind of speed-plus-endurance contest, it should not have been suitable to appear.

But the moment Luo Mu's Mudsdale began to run, it was as if a sudden earthquake had struck, and the earth began to tremble.

Wherever Mudsdale set its hooves, even the asphalt road was trampled into huge craters, and many Pokémon that had not yet pulled away from Mudsdale fell directly to the ground due to the fierce shaking, clearly losing the capacity to continue running right from the start.

For a moment, all the spectators in the venue had to grab hold of whatever was at hand to avoid falling down.

Grandma Grandma Ju Zi was steadied by Zhengxing, who had accompanied his wife and daughter out to play, while on the high platform, Lady Aisha, upon seeing the dense array of large holes in the asphalt road where Mudsdale had galloped past, nearly fainted from the shock.

How much money will the subsequent repair costs require?

Heartbroken, Lady Aisha stared in bewilderment at the several contestants eliminated right at the start, and at the reciting figures of Mudsdale and Luo Mu on its back, her mind filled with confusion.

It can't be... During that land transfer, I didn't even know Luo Mu's identity; handling it by the book, a week's speed was already quite fast; surely he wouldn't hold a grudge over this matter and openly retaliate during the grand assembly.

Yet the competition rules were written very clearly: in this Pokémon Marathon Grand Assembly, Pokémon are even allowed to use moves, let alone the effects caused by mere running.

The commentator's voice rose in surprise.

"Oh my goodness, the vibrations caused merely by Contestant Luo Mu's Mudsdale starting to run have directly rendered six contestants' Pokémon incapable of continuing to run!"

"However, still leading at the very front are Contestant 6's Rapidash and the defending champion, Contestant 1's Tauros, with Miss Miss Junsha and Feng Su Gou close behind, while further back, Contestant 13 with Zebstrika and Contestant 7, Saki, with Rhyhorn are maintaining almost a straight line!"

"The distance gap between Contestant 26, Luo Mu, and these explosive-type contestants is still too large; indeed, Mudsdale is still..."

Riding atop the galloping Feng Su Gou, Miss Miss Junsha, who could also judge the situation via the broadcasts along the route, looked back; seeing no sign of Luo Mu or Mudsdale, she frowned slightly, feeling a touch of regret.

Indeed, Luo Mu should have brought that special Feng Su Gou to compete.

But in the next second, she could no longer afford to dwell on those thoughts.

Because she had been overtaken!

And not only her; Contestants 1 and 6 were also overtaken simultaneously, the first place changing hands instantly—not to Contestant 13's Zebstrika or Contestant 7's Rhyhorn, but to the old man of Contestant 20 and his Slowbro!

"Are you kidding me?"

Miss Miss Junsha's face was filled with shock.

The commentator, observing the leading contestants through the aerial cameraman Trumbeak, also exclaimed in astonishment: "A massive upset! Contestant 20, the old man least favored before the race, and his partner Slowbro have actually seized temporary first place; their method of movement is..."

"Teleport! It's Teleport! They are using Teleport to travel!"

Staring at the large screen where Slowbro and the old man of Contestant 20, enveloped in dense psychic power, flashed forward at high speed without moving their feet at all, everyone was dumbfounded.

There's such a tactic!?

Riding on Mudsdale's back, Luo Mu watched Contestant 27 and her Rock-type Pokémon Lycanroc exhaust their stamina from the continuous vibrations caused by Mudsdale's running until they finally collapsed, then withdrew his gaze.

He focused his attention on the sounds coming from the speakers on both sides.

Upon hearing that Slowbro and that old man of Contestant 20, who probably couldn't even withstand a single bump, had temporarily taken first place relying on Teleport, even a trace of bewilderment appeared in Emperor Yan Di's eyes.

Good heavens, does this mean I could summon Mewtwo for the next Pokémon Marathon Grand Assembly and Teleport straight to the finish line in one go?

You guys really know how to play the game.

Thinking thus, Luo Mu noticed the track finally changing from asphalt road to wild muddy ground, which also meant he no longer needed to hold Mudsdale back.

A smile curved the corners of his mouth as Luo Mu said to Mudsdale, who had learned part of the Earth's profound principles from the Earth God: "It's about time to get serious."

"Neigh!"

In Mudsdale's eyes, which had always remained steady and calm, a rare glint of seriousness flashed by.

Even more powerful vibrations radiated outward with Mudsdale at the center; running in earnest, Mudsdale created huge craters in the earth with every single step.

Those contestants remaining in the middle and rear could only watch in terror as Mudsdale rapidly approached them, finally sending them tumbling amidst vibrations comparable to an earthquake.

"As long as I eliminate every contestant running ahead of me, I will be first."

The eliminated contestants heard only the rumbling ground and those words echoing in the air; even if they rallied and stood up again, the figures of Luo Mu and Mudsdale were already completely out of sight.

Along the entire five-hundred-kilometer marathon route, most of it consists of wild areas, after all, since Pingdie Town must ensure that traffic is not overly affected.

Even for some Pokémon, running five hundred kilometers in one go is no easy task, after all most Pokémon's levels are actually not very high.

And once fatigue set in, these contestants seemed as if pursued by the Grim Reaper; the humming of the earth behind them grew ever closer, until their Pokémon could no longer withstand the terrifying shockwaves and crashed to the ground, able only to watch Mudsdale's figure stride away with resentment.

After more than half of the five-hundred-kilometer full course had passed, the landscape among the six leading individuals underwent a massive shift.

Thanks to continuous warming up, Feng Su Gou had nearly formed a straight line alongside Rapidash and Tauros, sharing first place, while Zebstrika and Rhyhorn chased closely behind.

As for Slowbro and the old man of Contestant 20, who had led initially, their psychic energy was exhausted; like a meteor, they flashed briefly and then vanished, voluntarily withdrawing halfway through the race.

Under the commentator's narration, the characteristics of the several participants were displayed with great clarity.

In terms of running speed, Feng Su Gou, Rapidash, and the Blaze Breed Tauros, these three Fire-type Pokémon, were almost in the same tier.

Rapidash, with flames blazing fiercely on its mane, galloped with its four hooves appearing to barely touch the ground, while the Blaze Breed Tauros ran like a wild ox, charging recklessly along the way without showing the slightest fatigue.

Meanwhile, Miss Miss Junsha's Feng Su Gou was top-tier in both endurance and speed, showing a trend toward taking first place, yet because Feng Su Gou had not yet learned the move Extreme Speed, it could not pull away from the pack.

Close behind them, within a stone's throw, were Zebstrika, using electric currents to stimulate its muscles and accelerate its running speed, and Contestant 7, Saki, a clear professional, with her Rhyhorn.

At this moment, the contention among these five had remarkably reached a white-hot stalemate, with various moves appearing frequently.

Thunder Wave, Flamethrower, Work Up, Flare Blitz, and Bulldoze...

The refusal of these five to yield provided a spectacular show for the audience following this Pokémon Marathon Grand Assembly, leaving everyone shouting in delight.

In the spectator stands, Zhengxing, holding a Sunflora, and Grandma Grandma Ju Zi watched the large screen with some worry.

Even the Trumbeak, which still retained its stamina, had gone to film the struggle among the top five contestants, resulting in Luo Mu not appearing on the large screen for quite a long time.

More than an hour had passed since the start; the race had remarkably entered its latter half.

The distance remaining to return to the finish line at the starting road was clearly only about fifty kilometers.

At this moment, among the five leading humans and their Pokémon, besides the tense atmosphere, a deep sense of confusion was circulating.

Although the several were busy fighting for first place, attacking each other with moves, they discovered that at some point, the sounds of struggle from the lagging contestants behind them had ceased, replaced instead by the roaring of the earth.

At first, several people thought it was the effect of Contestant No. 7 Sachi and her Nidorino's Stomp, but now it seemed that was not the case.

As the roaring grew closer, the Pokémon began to tire from continuous high-speed running and clashing moves; behind the five runners whose pace had slowed, a figure maintaining a constant maximum speed rapidly approached.

"They're catching up!" the commentator exclaimed in shock: "Without even attacking, merely by running, the Luo Mu and Mudsdale combination has eliminated over twenty other contestants and is now catching up to the leading five!"

Mimicking No. 7 Sachi by pressing her body tightly against the back of her Feng Su Gou to dodge the Rock Blast from the Tauros, Miss Miss Junsha looked back in surprise, her face filled with disbelief.

According to the broadcast, Luo Mu and Mudsdale were a full hundred kilometers behind her; with the finish line nearly in sight, how could they still catch up!?

Approaching within 45 kilometers of the finish line, Luo Mu and Mudsdale first caught up to Contestant No. 13's Zebstrika and Contestant No. 7's Nidorino.

"Damn it, why isn't it tired at all!" Contestant No. 13 gritted his teeth, then looked down at his already exhausted Zebstrika; knowing they couldn't continue like this, he issued a command to the Zebstrika: "Grass Knot!"

The Zebstrika let out a loud neigh, approaching Mudsdale with light steps, its hind hooves glowing with a green aura as it fiercely kicked toward Mudsdale!

Since Electric-type moves were nearly ineffective against Ground-types, the only option left was Grass Knot, which was super-effective against Ground-types, while also boosting agility.

"Contestant No. 13 and Zebstrika are the first to attack Contestant No. 26 Luo Mu and Mudsdale!"

Amid the commentator's excited narration, facing the kick from the Zebstrika's hind hoof, Mudsdale didn't even bother to lower its gaze, adopting an attitude of complete non-defense.

Only a dull collision sound rang out; to the shocked expressions of Contestant No. 13 and the Zebstrika, the attack landing on Mudsdale's sturdy body not only failed to take effect, but the vibration from Mudsdale's earnest running caused them to lose balance and crash to the ground!

No. 7 Sachi looked back and found that No. 13, who had been battling her for so long, had been eliminated just like that; her face showed utter surprise: "This is truly..."

As Luo Mu and Mudsdale's towering figures rapidly approached, Sachi fell silent for a moment, ultimately deciding not to issue the "Stomp" command.

If her guess was correct, Mudsdale wasn't even using a move right now; it had reached this point relying solely on stamina, its Ability, and the vibrations from its running.

Rather than taking risks, it was better to finish the entire course; after all, this was her purpose in traveling to the Paldea region without her daughter's knowledge to participate in this marathon event.

Everything is about participation, anyway.

"Oh, oh, oh! Following Contestant No. 13 and Zebstrika, Contestant No. 26 Luo Mu and Mudsdale have now overtaken Contestant No. 7 Sachi; only three remain ahead!"

"As expected of a Mudsdale raised by a Champion-level Trainer; even though it's just a farm Pokémon, the sense of oppression Mudsdale brings is among the strongest!"

"Contestants No. 1 and No. 6, seeing Mudsdale approaching ever closer with undiminished speed and showing no signs of fatigue, have chosen to cooperate and jointly attack Mudsdale!"

Approaching within 30 kilometers of the finish line, just as they were about to re-enter the streets of Pingdie Town, Luo Mu and Mudsdale completely caught up to the three ahead.

No. 1's Tauros and No. 6's Rapidash both attacked Mudsdale with Flamethrower, while Miss Miss Junsha, after some thought, ultimately chose not to join the siege.

She disdained doing such things.

Luo Mu knew that once they entered the urban area, it would no longer be easy to settle things with those two in one go; revealing a helpless smile like that of a victim, he said in a deep voice: "Since you two started this, Stomp!"

Bathed in flames, Mudsdale, which had completely blocked the fire's assault for Luo Mu behind it, looked solemn and let out a neigh.

Its front legs, thick like heavy boots, rose high with Mudsdale's motion; an earthy yellow light symbolizing the mighty power of the earth quickly gathered, then slammed down heavily!

In an instant, the earth emitted a groan as if bearing an unbearable burden; the ground trembled continuously under Mudsdale's heavy strike, spiderweb-like cracks spreading outward, and the earthy yellow shockwave rippling from the cracking ground nearly instantly flipped over the Rapidash and Tauros that had been continuously using Flamethrower.

Although Miss Miss Junsha and Feng Su Gou, having not initiated an attack, managed in time to erect a Protect barrier to shield themselves.

But once Stomp ended, looking at the Rapidash and Tauros lying on the ground with swirl eyes, as well as the disheveled Contestants No. 1 and No. 6, Miss Miss Junsha opened her mouth, unsure of what to say.

At this moment, the main venue on the screen also fell into an atmosphere of complete silence.

A single thought simultaneously floated in everyone's minds—

Wait, did it just one-shot them?

(End of Chapter)