Fang Yuan: ...
Damn, why do I get the feeling that you, Super Power King, have ill intentions, wanting to see cute group members get bullied?
Mewtwo was definitely right to beat you up.
Shi Lan: [Here we go. Oh, Miss, she's temporarily unable to go online due to some matters.]
The Jiadelia Family's butler, Shi Lan, also popped up to give an explanation on behalf of Caitlin, preventing her from getting kicked out.
Speaking of Caitlin, one can't help but mention Nastina.
Fang Yuan hasn't been able to contact Nastina recently and asked Shi Lan about her whereabouts. Shi Lan said that Nastina and Caitlin are currently practicing their superpowers together and might need to close themselves off for some time.
The fact that it takes two superpower behemoths to master a treasure together made Fang Yuan curious about what this Jiadelia Family treasure could be.
But right now, the most important thing is the competition.
"Let's go, Eevee."
Fang Yuan called out to Eevee, who was bullying a Hunting Phoenix Butterfly in the flower field. It was almost time, and it would be better to head to the preparation room and wait; otherwise, the staff might start to worry.
"Bwoo!!"
...
Time was getting closer to the start of the competition.
The stands of the Orange Sports Field were now filled with people.
"Dad, good luck!!!" Lt. Surge's daughter, A Xing, was in the stands, continuously cheering for her father, who had yet to appear.
"Why hasn't the match started?" In one direction, Xiaozhi and his friends had also arrived, taking a seat somewhere in the stands. Among them, Xiaozhi was the most anxious, while Brock and Misty sighed helplessly at Xiaozhi's impatience.
"Looks like it's that bastard's match..."
Besides these people, there were three sneaky figures roaming around the venue.
The Team Rocket Trio had followed Xiaozhi here and, in order to make some money, got jobs at the Orange Sports Field, currently selling popcorn.
Only after arriving did they realize the trainer competing that day was Fang Yuan, who had tricked them into paying for his meal.
The three of them were angry and wanted to pull off a big heist.
However, as they looked towards the guest seats and decided to give up.
Ice Ticoon Kona was sitting up there with a smile. In addition to her, there was Yongci, the head trainer of the Orange League— it wasn't looking good for mischief-making.
But it wasn't that they were scared; they just felt the risks outweighed the benefits!
After all, they were the daring Team Rocket Trio who, under the watchful eyes of the Chairman of the League at the Quartz Conference, robbed the match's Sacred Fire while in their uniforms. Even the officers of Team Rocket couldn't compare to their courage.
It must be said, the Team Rocket Trio made a wise choice. Aside from Ke Na, the Ice King, there was also a Champion Level trainer in disguise, sitting in plain clothes among the audience.
Lu Qiya watched nervously as Uncle Mikoli, wearing a hat, sat beside her, worried the people nearby would recognize this Coordinator Master...
But Lu Qiya never expected Uncle Mikoli would actually come to the Orange Archipelago for Fang Yuan's sake.
At this moment, with all the heated discussions in the venue, Fang Yuan and Lt. Surge had already started walking towards the field from both sides of the passage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Orange Sports Field!!"
At the same time, the commentator began to speak.
"The upcoming match is an advancement battle of the Pokémon World Championship Poké Ball Group, where both contestants are remarkable figures!! Coming from the left is the owner of the Vermilion City Gym, the Master of Ninja Techniques, Mr. Lt. Surge!!!"
"And from the right, a powerful trainer who only signed up for the championship a week ago, but with astonishing strength, jumped over tens of thousands of ranks to get here in just two matches—Mr. Fang Yuan!!"
"Which of these two will advance to the Ultra Ball level and become the ultimate winner? Let's watch with anticipation!!"
As the commentator finished speaking, the venue erupted in cheers, though at least 80% of the audience was cheering for Lt. Surge.
After all, Lt. Surge's battles in the King's Cup had already won him a large number of supporters, while Fang Yuan appeared like a fledgling newly debuted.
But there were also some people who were paying extra attention to Fang Yuan.
There had been rumors in the past two days that a trainer named Fang Yuan had defeated Heavenly King Ke Na—could this be the same person??
While the audience was intrigued by this unknown battle, Lt. Surge, wearing a black and purple ninja outfit with a red scarf fluttering behind him, had already reached one side of the field.
And Fang Yuan, in his age-old red and white battle suit with a red baseball cap, had arrived across from him.
The two of them looked up and locked eyes.
"I'm very much looking forward to the kind of battle you will bring me—" Lt. Surge said earnestly to the mysterious young man before him, still wondering why Ke Na had arranged for him to battle Fang Yuan.
"Mr. Lt. Surge, I share the same anticipation," replied Fang Yuan earnestly to the Poison Type Master in front of him.
Fang Yuan had long been curious about the limits of the Poison domain.
Whether it was Gengar or Venusaur, they both had some Poison attribute talent, but Fang Yuan simply couldn't find any suitable Poison type cultivation methods. Even the terrifying poisons cultivated to the Species Limit by the Poison type Elves on Earth seemed mediocre to Fang Yuan.
Both Eevee and Milotic could easily purify such toxins.
Toxins of such grade, if given to Glutton or Venusaur, were merely icing on the cake, a common tactic among many that could not bring about any substantial change in strength. So, seeing Lt. Surge, Fang Yuan was somewhat eager, hoping his opponent would use some poison that felt truly miraculous to him.