Chapter 682: So, the teacher not only has mechanics, but his stats are also this outrageous

March 22nd, Sunday, clear skies.

The first High Ball tournament of the year is about to kick off in the Casseroya Lake Gym's Poké Dome in Goldenrod City.

Because of this, the spectator stands of the Poké Dome have been packed since early morning.

After all, this is a top-tier tournament of High Ball caliber. Most of the audience are locals from the Kanto and Johto regions, but there are also many loyal fans who have traveled from other regions to cheer for their local contestants.

Before the start, under the shining Poké Ball icon, the giant screens in the arena are scrolling through the star contestants of this tournament.

Most are Psychic-type Gym Leaders from various regions, along with some highly renowned Elite Trainers.

"Ten-year fan of Ms. Sabrina here, reporting for duty!"

"When it comes to strength, Ms. Glimwood of the Kalos region is no slouch either. There are levels even among Psychics!"

"It's hard to imagine that in the pre-tournament promotional video, the most normal-looking one seems to be Teacher Qingyu..."

In the scrolling footage, most other trainers show off their carefully designed special poses in front of the camera, appearing quite chuunibyou, while only Qingyu looks no different than usual.

However, that unchanging, confident smile makes him feel all the more familiar to the fans who know him.

"He smiled just like that when he accepted our challenges in Paldea. That's the vibe!"

"Go get 'em, Teacher Qingyu! Show everyone the strength of Paldea!"

"To be fair, did you guys forget... we also have a legitimate Psychic Gym Leader from Paldea, Ms. Tulip, participating in this Master Tournament?"

"..."

In a sense, Qingyu's high popularity does make it easy for many other excellent trainers to be inadvertently overlooked.

However, after being reminded by others, these fans from Paldea quickly react and start cheering for both Tulip and Qingyu.

Meanwhile, in an inconspicuous corner of the Poké Dome, a black-haired boy with an edgy, slanted fringe is anxiously waiting for the opening ceremony.

"I heard Ms. Hu Tao is one of the commentators for this tournament! I'm so excited!"

"As for the matches... watching them won't hurt. Besides, I'll be standing on this big stage sooner or later anyway!"

The boy's voice isn't quiet, and despite the noisy environment of the dome, it still draws the gaze of a few audience members nearby.

Among them, another red-haired boy of similar age glances at him before quickly shaking his head.

What a load of hot air...

Still, it has nothing to do with me anyway.

The red-haired boy has a cold expression, seemingly waiting earnestly for the tournament to begin.

To prove that guy's thinking is wrong, he must become the strongest trainer.

This Master Tournament, held right here in the Johto region, is a great opportunity to absorb the battle experience of excellent trainers; it might be helpful to him.

Besides, he heard that a young but incredibly strong Gym Leader would appear in this tournament, someone worth focusing on.

Just as the red-haired boy is thinking earnestly, the somewhat neurotic boy beside him suddenly stands up in excitement, his outburst giving him quite a start.

"Ms. Hu Tao is the best!!!"

Countless audience members also notice the change on the giant central screen.

Aside from the "Ms. Hu Tao" who looks truly adorable and is on the boy's mind, sitting beside her is a handsome, red-haired middle-aged man.

Compared to Ms. Hu Tao, the Dragon Tamer Lance—a phenomenon in Johto and known to almost everyone—is clearly more eye-catching.

"Good morning, everyone!"

Hu Tao's sweet voice echoes through the arena.

As the most famous star broadcaster and radio host in the Johto region, Ms. Hu Tao's professionalism is beyond doubt; with just a few words, she immediately heats up the atmosphere.

As for Lance beside her, he remains almost entirely silent throughout, maintaining his cold, "handsome man like the wind" persona.

Qingyu, sitting in the individual contestant lounge, cannot help but shake his head.

Although he knew Lance would be on the commentary desk, likely because he is responsible for commentating on the upcoming matches, but...

Just looking at his performance over the past few minutes, it feels like he is the "vase" while Ms. Hu Tao is doing all the work to liven up the atmosphere.

It's very subtle.

As time passes, Hu Tao quickly gets to the point:

"And so, this Goldenrod City Psychic Master Tournament officially begins now!"

"Next, let's turn our attention to the exciting matches about to start. Let's look forward to the brilliant performances of all the contestants in the first round~"

Unlike in the past, the pragmatic Johto region did not choose a long opening ceremony or exhibition matches between star contestants, but instead went straight into the first round of the main tournament.

Of course, Qingyu speculates that it's more likely because the biggest name in Johto, Lance, is already at the commentary desk, and given the personalities of the other Elite Four members, it's unlikely they would come specifically to play an exhibition match, so they just gave up on the idea.

"Looking at the schedule, my match time is quite early today, but the opponent is a name I've never heard of."

While waiting for the first match to officially begin, Qingyu mutters to himself while waiting patiently.

The format of this tournament is similar to the Dragon-type Master Tournament in Mesagoza; within the first three days, five rounds will be played rapidly to determine the eight winners who will advance to the knockout stage.

Compared to sports tournaments from his past life, the various championships in the Pokémon world are very fast-paced; relatively speaking, the Type Master Tournament is already quite friendly.

And if it were a regional tournament with more contestants, they would even be divided into groups during the group stage, with nearly a hundred matches taking place each day to quickly screen out the elite contestants for the knockout stage.

Overall, there are pros and cons.

Also, because no one has a record on the first day, opponents are entirely up to the luck of the draw.

However, perhaps to make the viewing experience progressive, the seeded contestants do not face each other head-on on the first day.

Qingyu is also scheduled for the third round of the first day, against a Psychic-type trainer named David.

Theoretically, trainers whose names he hasn't heard of shouldn't be considered top-tier.

"Although that's what I say, I still can't be careless in the first battle; I must secure the win."

Qingyu thinks to himself, silently starting his preparations.

Half an hour passes quickly.

The exchanges between the contestants in the first two rounds were certainly exciting, but for the audience, they could only be considered appetizers.

The real main course is already scrolling across the giant screen!

"Teacher Qingyu is up so early? Brothers, let's get the atmosphere hyped!"

"Although I know it's impossible for Teacher Qingyu to flip over in the group stage, I still have to say—Go for it, Teacher Qingyu!"

"To be honest, did you guys forget... Teacher Qingyu has already been jinxed before the battle even started, 2333."

Standing in the contestant tunnel, because the noise is too loud, Qingyu can't really hear what the audience is saying.

However, there is no doubt that they are repeatedly mentioning his name.

Qingyu's expression is a bit complex about this.

Popping the champagne at halftime is a bad idea; what if it triggers some mysterious causal force...

"Now, let's turn our attention to the next two contestants!"

Ms. Hu Tao continues to enthusiastically drive the atmosphere of the entire arena.

"They are—"

"From the Johto region, who once made it to the top eight in the Silver Conference, the talented contestant David!"

"And..."

As her voice falls, the Poké Dome suddenly falls into an eerie silence for three seconds, until she once again uses her passionate voice to make the introduction:

"The excellent Gym Leader from the Paldea region, participating in a High Ball tournament for the first time, contestant Qingyu!"

Honestly, this introduction is a bit plain.

But it doesn't matter; just hearing the two words "Qingyu" is enough to make the entire arena boil over.

"Oh oh oh oh oh!"

"Teacher Qingyu, the god forever!"

"I feel for the opponent's psychological shadow area; sometimes luck is something you can feel directly..."

Cheers and applause erupt instantly, and in the expectant gazes of many audience members, Qingyu slowly walks out of the contestant tunnel.

Both sides stand on the battlefield and lock eyes, meaning the battle is about to break out.

However, before the battle begins, David, as the opponent, suddenly smiles and takes the initiative to speak enthusiastically:

"Teacher Qingyu, I'm your loyal fan; my badge in your live stream is already almost level 20!"

As he speaks, an obvious look of excitement appears on the young blonde man's face.

Qingyu, however, cannot help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

Sure enough, the fans in his live stream don't seem simple at all!

Running into a real fan in the first round of the Master Tournament, is this reasonable?

In this kind of occasion, it doesn't seem easy to throw the match even if he wanted to; it would be noticed if he wasn't careful...

Just as Qingyu smiles politely and prepares to say a few polite words to brush it off, David reaches out and interrupts him.

"Although I also thought about saying a few things like 'Teacher Qingyu, please go easy on me' or 'Leave some face for a fan,' but after stepping onto the battlefield, I suddenly felt—"

"Would it be a happy thing to have a battle with Teacher Qingyu when he's serious?"

"So, let's have a passionate battle, Teacher Qingyu!"

"..."

Feeling the opponent's serious gaze, Qingyu sighs in relief and nods slightly, replying seriously:

"I understand, please go easy on me!"

At the signal from both sides, the referee waiting quietly in the arena nods and raises the flag in his hand.

"Battle begin!"

After a whistle, both sides throw their Poké Balls at the same time.

Red light flashes, and the starting Pokémon of both contestants quickly appear before the audience.

"Contestant David chose his ace Pokémon, Exeggutor; it seems he wants to go all out from the start."

Entering his professional domain, Lance, who had been silent for most of the time and had almost no presence outside of the screen, immediately becomes active.

"As for Qingyu... Lucario is also one of his main forces; it's a very steady choice."

"Theoretically, the Fighting type is completely countered by Psychic-type moves, but the Steel type's excellent defensive synergy makes up for this disadvantage."

"Of course, compared to these theoretical contents, the actual performance of both sides is the key factor in determining the outcome."

After Lance says a few sentences in a row, Ms. Hu Tao beside him also nods in approval.

"That's right."

Professional content should be left to the professionals; she is an expert at hosting, but an amateur at battling.

Therefore, it's better to leave all of this to Mr. Lance, and she will only be responsible for coordination, maintaining her basic duties as a host.

Seeing Qingyu send out Lucario, David breathes a sigh of relief.