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

"Let me reiterate the competition schedule and format. The qualifying rounds will be from the 10th to the 15th, using a double-elimination system. Out of three to four hundred participants, only sixty-four will advance to the main tournament. After a two-day break, the main tournament will begin. Note that once you enter the main tournament, it will be a single-elimination system with sudden death."

The rules are simple, and Xia Chen and the others already knew them; emphasizing them once was enough.

Afterwards, Teacher Lin Quan said a few more words about urging everyone to be united and friendly and not to cause trouble, and then let them go back.

The participants in the competition are all seasoned seniors with excellent self-management skills.

As for the minor who sneaked in... Teacher Lin Quan made a special exception and stayed behind to say a few more words.

After Xia Chen answered all the questions, Lin Quan let him go back to his dormitory.

Although Funan University is not as strong as Kyoto University, it is still one of the best universities in the southwest of the Donghuang region. Its accommodation and training facilities are no worse than those of Kyoto University.

Coupled with the rather quiet and elegant scenery around them, Xia Chen and the elves were quite satisfied after taking a stroll.

After putting away my luggage and settling into the room, it was almost dinnertime.

Since they had just arrived and didn't know where to get ingredients, Xia Chen decided to take the elves to experience the cafeteria at Funan University.

They went in high spirits, but left in disgrace.

Xia Chen and his elves ordered a total of ten dishes, almost all of which were bright red at first glance.

They put eggplant in every dish they cook!

Even Milotic, who is not picky about food, couldn't stand it anymore after a while, so Xia Chen had to buy some Energy Cubes for the Pokémon to eat.

But who knew that the energy cubes you could buy here were all spicy?

Upon looking at the packaging, he saw four large characters printed on the outside: "Special Supply from Funan".

Xia Chen had no choice but to lead the elves in retreat.

…………

On his way back to the dormitory, Xia Chen was thinking about how to get some ingredients when a fragrant aroma suddenly wafted into his nose.

The chef's nose was exceptionally sharp, and Xia Chen immediately realized that this person's culinary skills were quite good!

Following the scent, Xia Chen finally arrived at a dormitory building.

As luck would have it, it was right next door to me.

The number two seed is naturally next to the number one seed, so... is this Hu Yang's dormitory?

Xia Chen was surprised. He didn't expect that someone with thick eyebrows and big eyes like you would also be a chef!

Xia Chen rang the doorbell, intending to ask Hu Yang where he bought his groceries.

A short while later, the dormitory door was opened.

The man who opened the door was burly and had a smiling face, but his eyes were red as if he hadn't slept well. It was none other than Hu Yang's ace Pokémon, Gengar.

"Gengar?"

The purple-clad fat man wasn't as ferocious outside the battlefield; instead, he looked rather adorable and innocent, tilting his head and asking Xia Chen what he was doing there.

Xia Chen smiled and replied, "Oh, I wanted to ask where you bought your groceries?"

"Sana~ (The food here is too spicy, we want to cook it ourselves.)"

Gardevoir, standing next to Xia Chen, patiently added to what her trainer hadn't finished expressing.

Gengar remembered the person who had come from the capital with them. As the saying goes, you can rely on friends when you're away from home. After thinking for a moment, it let Xia Chen and the others in.

A gentle voice came from inside the house, "Gengar, who's here?"

"Gengar!"

Gengar darted back to deliver the message, as if Hu Yang could truly understand it.

Hu Yang opened the door and saw Xia Chen and Shanaduo walking into the courtyard, and he showed a rather surprised expression.

Out of politeness, he invited, "Would you like to grab something to eat?"

Xia Chen paused for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "Okay..."

Ok?

I just came to ask a question, how did I end up getting a free meal...?

…………

Xia Chen didn't know why he ended up sitting at the dining table in Hu Yang's dormitory. Maybe it was because... Hu Yang had a kind of approachable quality about him?

Anyway, while enjoying Hu Yang's cooking, Xia Chen chatted with him casually.

First and foremost, of course, is Xia Chen's biggest concern: grocery shopping.

"Well, since my Pokémon are used to eating my cooking, I cook for myself when I go out to compete. The team leader knows this, and the school arranges for the Pokémon to deliver the food regularly. You can just talk to Ms. Koizumi."

Xia Chen nodded in realization. Is this the status of the top dog at Shanghai University?

No way, I want to be a school bully too.

Having made up his mind, Xia Chen decided to go and talk to Teacher Lin Quan about this later.

Wait, why did he just call Lin Quan "Teacher Xiao Quan"? What kind of weird verbal tic is that?

Taking a bite of the tender and juicy pork chop, Xia Chen silently complained to himself.

To be fair, Hu Yang's cooking is quite delicious, at least 70% as good as his own.

This is not boasting; Xia Chen's culinary skills are hailed as the "Cooking World's Herona."

Although this title is only recognized by Xia Chen, Cynthia herself, and Gadria...

In short, Xia Chen, who had just eaten half a meal, filled his stomach to full capacity here.

Gardevoir ate gracefully beside her, and by all accounts, she had eaten quite a bit.

Finally, naturally, there wasn't enough food. Sylveon and Milotic looked at the bewildered Poplar elves and gave them embarrassed smiles.

In the past, it was always other people's elves coming to their house for a free meal, but occasionally the roles were reversed, and it felt quite strange.

Seeing this, Hu Yang went into the kitchen to prepare some more food, and Xia Chen felt embarrassed and went over to help.

Hu Yang knew that this junior was also a food vlogger, so he didn't refuse.

In the kitchen, the two cooks chatted about their culinary skills and daily routines of raising elves, and the atmosphere grew increasingly harmonious.

After talking, the two discovered that they had many common interests.

For example, furry, furry, and furry things...

After the meal, Xia Chen felt that Hu Yang was one of the people he got along best with at Beijing University.

After all, he hadn't spent much time at school in the past six months, and basically didn't know anyone...

…………

After the meal.

"Interested in a match?"

This was Hu Yang's suggestion; as a trainer, battling is undoubtedly the best post-meal activity to aid digestion.

Xia Chen would certainly not refuse the invitation from the pastry chef.

It seems that, apart from the teachers, there is no one stronger than Hu Yang on this campus.

Xia Chen readily accepted the challenge.

Night always falls earlier in winter; it was only a little before seven o'clock, but it was already pitch black outside the window.

Although there was a fairly large battlefield in the dormitory courtyard, it was pitch black without any large lights, making it impossible to fight.

After discussing it, the two took their Pokémon to the battle arena in the school team dormitory area to fight.

Funan University's team system differs from that of Kyoto University, not only having a first and second team, but also a reserve team.

Therefore, the dormitory area here is large and there are many dormitories, so naturally, there are also many people in the battle arena.

Everyone was planning to play some games after dinner to digest their food, so even though the arena was quite large, Xia Chen and Hu Yang couldn't find any empty seats when they arrived.

After registering their names and joining the queue, the two casually found a match and started watching battles to pass the time while waiting.

Judging from the cut-off scores, Funan University's strength ranks among the top ten in Donghuang. In addition, since this is the school team, the overall quality of the game was quite good.

Of course, this is based on an objective perspective. From Xia Chen and Hu Yang's point of view, four words are enough to describe it: two noobs pecking at each other.

This is actually normal. After all, Beijing University has always held the top position in Donghuang, with its admission scores being 20 or 30 points higher than the second-place university, not to mention Funan University, which is behind it.

There's a significant difference in student quality and resources; it would be abnormal if there were no gap.

Therefore, Xia Chen's assessment of this match was that it felt inferior to... matches played by players ranked in the top 500 of the school.

However, neither of them were the type to gossip while watching a match, and they watched the game quietly together.

One can imagine that if Xia Chen or Hu Yang were to point fingers and make comments, it would inevitably provoke dissatisfaction among the students of Funan University, followed by arguments, challenges, and a cycle of showing off and being humiliated.

Xia Chen felt a chill run down his spine just thinking about it.

…………

After watching most of the show, it was finally their turn.

The two followed the signs and soon found the empty battlefield.

They were assigned to their sides, took their places, and then waited for instructions from referee Rotom on the battlefield.

While waiting, Xia Chen and Hu Yang, two rather unfamiliar faces, attracted the attention of many members of the Funan School Team.

After a moment's thought, they realized there was only one possible scenario.

If they're not one of us, then they must be the students from Beijing University who are supposedly staying here to participate in the Donghuang Youth Competition.

Two of the top ten students from the most prestigious academy in Donghuang are battling it out, so I had to come and join in the fun.

The news spread like wildfire, and the students of Funan University, who were waiting for the air battleground, all turned into onlookers and gathered around the battlefield.

Before long, almost all the twenty or thirty people who weren't playing in the arena gathered around.

Xia Chen and Hu Yang didn't care. With the referee's whistle, the battle officially began.

This is Xia Chen's second time fighting against Hu Yang; the first time was just a week ago.

That time, Xia Chen lost miserably.