Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game.

……

"Eevee, aim at the gem and finish with one last Quick Attack!"

"Buyi!"

The gem starfish was dumbfounded. What happened to the promised mutual attack?

Why don't you play by the rules?

Ibu, you big-eyed guy with thick eyebrows, you actually betrayed the mage's team?

Before the lightning-fast impact, this was the last thought of the gem starfish before it regained consciousness.

Then, its consciousness gradually faded.

(Two chapters tonight will be posted at 23:59 PM, mwah~)

Chapter 56 Don't believe it, question it first!

"Starfish, wake up!"

Hearing his opponent's unwilling resurrection roar, Xia Chen curled his lips. "Red can wake up Mosquito Coil because he is Red. Do you have the protagonist's halo? You can't just roar randomly."

As the starfish slowly collapsed, the referee rushed over to check on the situation.

After confirming that the gem starfish was incapacitated rather than asleep, he blew the third whistle, signaling the end of the match.

Xia Chen and Ibrahimovic win!

The moment the result of this "underdog victory" was announced, the live chat exploded.

"Holy crap, we really won! Master Pigeon is awesome! (voice cracks)"

"What do you mean, 'Master Pigeon' is awesome? It wasn't me, Ibrahimovic, who carried us? Master Ibrahimovic is awesome! (voice cracks)"

"Haha, Master Yi, that nickname is amazing!"

"To be honest, this match wasn't very impressive. The Shadow Clone gamble was just right. The opponent was also a bit impatient. Wouldn't it have been clear which one was the real one once Ibrahimovic used his move?"

"Indeed, luck plays a big part. It's quite difficult for an Ibrahimovic to go all the way in this kind of competition."

"I trust Master Yi!"

"Don't believe it, question it first!"

…………

"Ah Chen is amazing! He even beat the gem starfish!"

After the match, Xia Chen led Ibrahimovic back to the players' rest area, where a man named Zuo Ke struck up a conversation with him.

He was one of the seven students from Gucheng Middle School who made it to the main competition.

Xia Chen smiled and replied, "I'm lucky."

From his perspective, it was indeed a close call for Ibrahimovic to defeat Staryu.

If Eevee gets hit by that water cannon, he'll be badly injured, if not killed.

More importantly, under the high-pressure impact of the water cannon, Ibrahimovic would have absolutely no chance of getting close.

Therefore, the maneuver of instantly killing Starmie with a Shadow Ball and Quick Attack is naturally impossible.

So, everything still originates from that 50/50 probability, which allowed me to dodge the shadow clone of the water cannon.

However, after so many matches, hasn't Ibrahimovic's luck been a little too good?

Xia Chen scratched his head and then gave up thinking. Luck is too mysterious. If luck comes, even a lucky streak won't be a problem.

If you're unlucky, how about a triple miss with a water cannon?

After greeting the others, Xia Chen led Eevee to the Pokémon healing room at the back.

Although Ibrahimovic wasn't seriously injured in the match, he expended a lot of energy and stamina.

Moreover, the treatment room also has a TV broadcasting the competition live, so you can cheer for Mingyi and the others.

…………

Xia Chen's match was ranked relatively early, with the other six players from Gucheng Middle School all following behind him.

In the following matches, they took to the field one after another. Without any internal clashes, four advanced and two were eliminated.

Xia Chen was most concerned about Mingyi and Yulongtao, both of whom were among the four who advanced.

Yu Longtao won relatively smoothly. Without encountering any Fairy or Ice-type natural enemies, he used a combo of Focus and Dark Strike to take down his opponent's Lekcat.

But Mingyi's path to advancement is more like that of the main character.

Not only did they encounter a fire-type natural enemy, but it was also a Charmeleon in its second-stage evolution form.

Tentacos was in a tough fight right from the start, and the chat was filled with comments like "I'm done for" and "Next game".

But as Xia Chen's chosen one of the world, how could Mingyi possibly fall in the first round?

The Charmeleon trainer, having a significant advantage in the second half, opened the champagne and, oblivious to his own folly, unleashed a [Ghost Face].

Using a move that weakens a Snivy with the Contrarian ability would have predictable consequences.

Snivy's speed increased dramatically in an instant, and it dodged Charmeleon's deadly spark in a flash.

Then, he unleashed a barrage of moves designed for prolonged battles, including Tight Bind, Leech Seed, and Super Drain, taking advantage of his speed difference.

The Snivy managed to hold onto its last sliver of health, completing a miraculous comeback.

Meanwhile, Charmeleon in the background and its trainer were completely nailed to the pillar of shame of the Piplup Cup.

…………

Xia Chen originally wanted to have a celebratory meal with Ming Yi, but Ming Yi boldly declared, "Let's save this meal for when we win the championship on the 6th!"

It has a kind of heroic spirit, like the man who killed Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm.

Xia Chen shrugged. It seemed that he, a "successful fish" who "would consider himself a success if he didn't get eliminated in the first round," would have to bear the consequences alone.

During the meal, Xia Chen noticed another surge in his Pixiv follower count. In the morning, it was just over 420,000, but by evening it had reached nearly 430,000.

There haven't been any viral videos lately, so there's only one possibility: his identity was exposed during today's match.

Xia Chen wasn't surprised, after all, the Bogaman Cup is a popular competition recently, and he had already anticipated it before the competition.

He doesn't care about his identity being exposed now. Anyway, ever since his face was accidentally revealed, he has embarked on a path of no return where he makes a living by his looks.

Compared to this trivial matter, there was another matter that deserved his consideration.

The seminar starts the day after tomorrow, but I haven't been eliminated yet.

What solution?

Xia Chen sighed, looking at Ibu who was happily enjoying the victory celebration beside her, and for a moment he didn't know how to bring up this matter with her.

He thought about it and decided to wait and see for another day tomorrow.

In the round of 16, Ibrahimovic can't possibly advance any further, can he?

It's really strange to think about it. Am I the first player in the history of the Bogaman Cup who doesn't want to advance?

…………

The following day, in the official live stream of the Pogaman Cup.

A refined-looking man in a suit and glasses was talking animatedly about the match on the screen, while a female commentator in black stockings, holding a Piplup, nodded rhythmically in agreement.

On the screen, an Eevee is locked in a fierce battle with a Grovyle.

The male commentator passionately rapped, "The situation on the field is very delicate. Although Ibrahimovic has been under pressure from the Tortoise since the beginning, he has never suffered any fatal damage. On the contrary, Ibrahimovic, with his petite size and agile movements, has also caused some trouble for the Tortoise. Although the game has lasted for nearly ten minutes, there is still no winner. However, if this continues, the situation will be very unfavorable for Ibrahimovic."

The female commentator chimed in, "Hey, how so?"

The male commentator spoke eloquently: "As everyone knows, Grass-type Pokémon excel at prolonged battles. Leech Seed, Giga Drain, and Photosynthesis are all moves that can cause opponents a lot of trouble. And Torterra, a Pokémon, has excellent durability. When the two are combined, if the opponent's attack power is insufficient, they will be in trouble. In game terms, it's like, 'You're not even hitting as many as I'm dealing damage.'"

"Clearly, this Eevee has neither a move that counters Torterra nor enough attack power to break through Torterra's defenses. So even though her movement is excellent, her damage output is insufficient."

"Wait, Eevee changed her move! She stopped dodging and turned around to use Yawn on Torterra!"

"Wow, Eevee's hidden move was really deep! The opponent never expected that yawn. Before going to sleep, Torterra released Leech Seed, which Eevee dodged!"

"Let's see what mischief Eevee will secretly do while Torterra is asleep. It's self-motivation! Xia Chen is very smart. He knows that what Eevee lacks right now is output, and self-motivation can make up for it perfectly."

"The forest tortoise still hasn't woken up. Another round of self-motivation! Greed, greed, greed! Xia Chen's greed has reached the heavens!"

"After the second round of self-motivation, the forest tortoise finally woke up. However, it was about to face an opponent who had self-motivated twice in a row. How should it fight?"

Chapter 57 I really didn't want to advance.

"Eevee dodged Leech Seed and retaliated with a Swift! Let's see how much damage it did? Judging from Torterra's pained expression, it must have been extremely high!"

"Eevee finally has the ability to confront Torterra head-on. She stopped dodging and took another Shadow Ball at close range. Although Torterra's Mega Drain hit, it couldn't absorb the damage at all. Eevee's damage is terrifying now. Mega Drain can't solve the problem. We can only see if Photosynthesis can help us stall for time during Eevee's strong period."

"Okay, it's not being used now, so this Torterra probably won't photosynthesize anymore. That just means this Torterra is gone. Sure enough, Eevee finishes off with another Swift, and Torterra collapses to the ground."

"Let's congratulate Xia Chen and his Ibrahimovic on advancing to the round of 16!"

The commentator's voice was passionate and energetic, and the audience responded with enthusiastic applause and cheers.

In stark contrast, however, was a face as somber as water.

It wasn't the trainer of the Torkoal who lost the match, but Xia Chen who won and advanced.

This unbelievable scene was faithfully captured by the camera, which immediately sparked a heated discussion in the live chat.

…………

"Huh? Did I see that right? It wasn't Ibrahimovic who won? Why does Master Pigeon have such a long face, looking like he lost?"

"Actually, the forest tortoise was asleep. The game wasn't over yet, but Master Yi had already been taken back into the ball. With the two layers of self-motivation gone, he couldn't play at all, which is why Master Pigeon had that expression."

"I

"It rang! You're still trying to lie to me!"

"My uncle works for Bogaman Company, and here's the latest official news! Ibrahimovic has just been found to have used a movement cheat! His urine test showed not a single drop of urine! Xia Chen and Ibrahimovic are both disqualified!"

"Holy crap, is this for real?"