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

For a moment, the whole world seemed to fall silent, and then...

bang——

This time, they didn't throw flashbangs, they threw stun grenades.

A tremendous sound, seemingly capable of shattering eardrums, spread rapidly with the aftershocks of energy, like ten thousand sonic monsters roaring and releasing sonic waves.

The first barrier separating the battlefield from the audience shattered instantly, and this was merely the energy generated by the sound waves caused by the aftershocks of the explosion!

The second layer was also teetering on the brink of collapse amidst the spreading sound waves.

With a serious expression, Leon immediately threw out a Poké Ball to release Charizard and Rillaboom.

If this energy radiation doesn't stop, we'll have to ask the two of them to come to the rescue.

Fortunately, the center of the explosion was also the center of the battlefield, and the energy aftershocks from the explosion were absorbed very evenly by the battlefield barrier.

After breaking through the second layer of protective shield, things finally calmed down.

The light dimmed, and the hearts of the audience, who were almost in a panic and had to pull out their Pokémon to save their lives, were still pounding.

Even so, they couldn't wait to look out onto the battlefield.

The scene in mid-air was astonishing, as Leighton stood tall and suspended in the air, seemingly unaffected by the ice and snow.

On the other side, Articuno's magnificent feathers were charred black, its smooth, silky tail had lost its luster, and even its wing-flapping movements seemed somewhat unsustainable.

All of this means...

…………

"Articuno is no match for Gullardon; there's a difference between legends and legends..."

In the top-floor office of the Marocomón Group's energy headquarters building, Lóz looked grave.

"It seems your Plan B is not going to work out."

He turned to look at Sakaki, who was sitting in the guest seat in a VIP posture, and said.

Sakagi's sharp, triangular eyes were framed by a furrowed brow.

"Therefore, the speed at which Leton has recovered its strength has exceeded my expectations... I'm afraid only the three legendary birds together can contend with it."

Loz unconsciously lowered his crossed legs, a body language expression of his increasingly relaxed state of mind.

He asked, "So what do we do now? That Articuno can't even deplete Gulliver's stamina, which means that when we carry out the plan in a bit, we'll need to fight a Gulliver at its peak."

Sakaki shrugged. "Simple. Let's leave it alone for now, turn off the suppressor, let Mugenta and Guleton fight for a while, and then we can reap the benefits."

"You are crazy!"

Loz jumped up, glaring angrily at Sakaki. "Do you know what kind of energy Mutana can unleash after the inhibitor is turned off? It will destroy the entire city!"

Sakaki didn't get up, his voice calm, "So you want to fight against Guleton, and even that Deoxys, while carrying out the energy harvesting plan?"

"That's not an option to turn off the suppressor! That would destroy the entire Galar!"

Loz was no longer the refined gentleman he once was.

Sakaki said indifferently, "Suit yourself. I won't make a move until Guleton and that Deoxys are no longer a threat."

As if he had thought of something, he added, "Just a reminder, under the effect of the suppressor, the newly awakened Wujitai might not be able to defeat Guleton and Deoxys with their strength. Your plan might not even start before Wujitai is sealed away again."

Loz paused for a moment, then threatened defiantly, "Then Zacian and Kuramat won't show up either."

Sakaki patted the head of the cat lying beside him and said nonchalantly, "You're right, but I can still go to Kalos, Hoenn, or even Unova. I've heard there's a group of very interesting guys there."

Loz slumped back into the soft chair, remaining silent for a long time before muttering, "Olivia was right, you're a madman... Perhaps I should cooperate with Xia Chen..."

Sakaki smirked coldly. "Madman? Compared to you, the alliance leader who disregards countless lives for energy, I'm still far from being a madman."

Chapter 401 Above the Dome, Crimson Descends

Silence fell over the room once more.

After a long while, a deep voice finally sounded.

"Alright, when shall we awaken Mugenta?"

Lorze's compromise put Sakaki in a great mood.

He stroked the cat boss a little harder and replied, "When the competition ended, when Dan Di presented the award to Xia Chen."

Loz frowned. "So early? Shouldn't we wait and see if Xia Chen leaves Galar?"

Sakaki said calmly, "Don't even think about it. Cynthia and Gadriya arrived in Galar last night. Do you think they're here for sightseeing?"

A third silence.

This period of quiet lasted exceptionally long.

at last.

"Okay, I'll have Olivia go to the underground energy plant now..."

…………

The tense atmosphere that had been palpable on the battlefield at the beginning was now completely gone.

It wasn't Guleton that changed, but Articuno.

At this moment, it had completely lost the arrogant spirit it displayed at the beginning, which was eager to compete with Gruerton.

After just a few exchanges, Articuno realized the vast difference in skill between it and Guruton.

But its pride as a legendary elf wouldn't allow it to back down.

With its wings, stained with charred black, fluttering against its icy blue, Articuno flew towards Gullton, this time choosing close combat.

Foolish, but very courageous.

This way, Articuno might feel that it lost with more dignity.

However, a beam of icy blue light appeared behind it, and Articuno's charging body was suddenly pulled back into the specially made Poké Ball.

Did Lyubo choose to replace Articuno?

All the audience members present were very puzzled.

Did Leighton simply admit defeat because he knew he couldn't beat them?

Or perhaps... he possesses an even stronger legendary Pokémon?!

This bold conjecture caused some commotion in the audience.

Legendary battles between spirits—the more the better, of course.

However, this wish could not be fulfilled. After retrieving Articuno, Liu Bo raised his hand and directly chose to concede defeat.

Although this was to be expected, the scene was still noisy.

This is the first time in this competition that someone has voluntarily conceded defeat so far, and it happened in the finals!

Not only in this World Gym Leader Tournament, but it has been a very long time since a player has conceded defeat in a match of this caliber.

Trainers and Pokémon are both proud, and this is especially true for the stronger they are.

Admitting defeat once could become a stain on one's entire professional career.

Perhaps no one will remember how many championships you won throughout your career or how powerful your Pokémon were. Instead, they will bring up the match in which you conceded defeat and rub it into your memory repeatedly.

However, Uncle Liu is already in his seventies or eighties and has no professional career left... so he doesn't seem to care about public opinion anymore.

So at this moment, apart from the Kanto viewers who were slightly angry, most people from other regions expressed understanding in the comments.

After all, the difference in strength between Articuno and Gullardon is obvious to all.

Although both are legendary Pokémon, their performance throughout the match was as effortless as a champion battling a gymnast.

Is Articuno too weak? Or is Gullardon too strong?

Judging from the effects of his moves, Guleton's strength is undoubtedly much greater than it was half a year ago.

What else is there to say?

We can only admit defeat because we are outmatched.

…………

Although the final was short and both teams used only six Pokémon in total, the audience was still very excited to see a legendary Pokémon battle again.

Let's give a round of applause and cheers to this newly crowned world dojo master champion, who is only nineteen years old.

No one felt that Xia Chen's victory was unfair because he sent out the unconventional Gu Leton.

Putting aside the fact that they were able to subdue Guleton and cultivate its strength to this extent, that in itself is a testament to their abilities.

Neither side brought any legendary Pokémon, and Xia Chen firmly suppressed his opponent in the first two rounds of the battle.

If we're talking about disregarding martial ethics, then Liu Bo, the Articuno, should be the first to be sent out.

The awards ceremony was held promptly, half an hour after the match ended.

Taking advantage of this time, Xia Chen took Dorambaruto and Senbu, who had lost their fighting ability during the battle, to the infirmary at the Hammerlocke Arena for treatment.

He had intended for Gulerton to rest as well, but the guy arrogantly declared that he hadn't even broken a sweat and didn't need to at all.

Xia Chen had no choice but to let it go.

Soon, the classic and magnificent music of "We Are the Champions" began to play in the Quan Guan Arena, and the awards ceremony officially started.

From the relatively unknown Bogaman Cup when he first started out, to the World Gym Leader Championship, one of the world's top competitions, this is Xia Chen's fifth championship in three years.

The prestige of the championship is getting higher and higher, and more and more partners are appearing next to Xia Chen in the group photos after the victory.

Currently, the number of elves standing or flying around Xia Chen has reached ten.

Apart from the Burning Bugs that are currently nestled in Xia Chen's arms, they have all had outstanding performances in this competition.

The burning insect wriggled in Xia Chen's arms, seemingly a little embarrassed to appear in the championship lineup's group photo without ever having played a match.

Xia Chen comforted him, "It's okay, you'll definitely have a chance to play in the next competition!"

If all goes as expected, Xia Chen will participate in the next competition, which should be the Donghuang Tournament at the end of the year.

Given the growth rate of the Burning Worm, it should have evolved into a Volcarona by then.