The day of the freshman representative battle arrived.
Roy reached the competition entrance precisely on time and encountered Reece.
"Hey, how have you been preparing?" Reece clapped Roy on the shoulder, glanced around cautiously to ensure nobody was eavesdropping, and whispered confidentially: "I've collected some intelligence on the recommended students over the past few days. I'll forward it to you shortly."
"Engaging in unnecessary activities as usual," Roy remarked with a smile and gave him a blank look. Dispensing with politeness, he instead inquired, "Where's your sister?"
"The Breeder major she enrolled in has scheduled a written examination, so her testing location differs from ours." Reece explained with a smile. In reality, a substantial portion of the information he'd gathered originated from Serena—the attractive young woman maintained a considerably broader social network.
Naturally, he couldn't admit this to Roy or his sister would berate him mercilessly.
"Incidentally, my sister instructed me to relay something to you..."
"She said, 'Good luck.'"
"Thanks." Roy responded with a slight smile. "I appreciate it."
The two continued conversing while waiting in the registration queue.
After ten minutes, they finally reached the front of the line.
"Please present your student identification."
"Here you go."
Roy produced his student ID card, allowing them to enter his information into their system.
"Name: Roy, Class 20 freshman, participating Pokémon: Riolu, Trainer ID: 976600. Please verify your details and confirm." The senior student managing registration displayed a polite smile, though her eyes continuously assessed this student who had become a prominent topic throughout campus.
Wow~ He appears even more handsome than his photograph suggests.
Unfortunate that he's about to receive a harsh lesson in this tournament.
"The information is accurate," Roy confirmed with a nod.
"Here's the competition rulebook." After providing Roy with the manual, the senior student smiled and indicated the direction. "That's the contestants' corridor, and your waiting area is the third door on the left... Best of luck in the competition, freshman!"
"Thank you."
Roy responded courteously before turning to depart.
"Next participant."
The moment Roy left, the senior student immediately abandoned her smile as she addressed Reece, who was next in line.
Reece, who typically demonstrated confidence when interacting with women, had initially intended to request her contact information, but his aspirations dissolved instantly.
'This world that judges by appearance—if you're weary of it, demolish it!'
The Mu family possessed excellent genetic traits, and Reece could never be considered unattractive. He even satisfied most people's criteria of handsomeness.
But appearance remains perpetually relative.
Female students comprehended this concept most thoroughly. Beautiful girls frequently brought their less attractive friends along to enhance their own appeal by comparison.
Reece had never experienced the preferential treatment accorded to exceptionally handsome individuals since he had associated with Roy since childhood.
"Third door on the left..." Roy arrived at a room labeled 'Group F' on the doorplate, swiped his student ID card, and entered.
Instantaneously, every gaze in the room shifted toward him.
"Is that Roy?"
"Perfect, the boy with the excessively confident attitude. Let's see if I don't utterly defeat him."
"He has a Riolu regardless, don't underestimate him."
"Heh, a Pokémon's strength derives only thirty percent from natural talent and seventy percent from the Trainer's skill... No matter how gifted that Riolu might be, with a Trainer like him, its potential is wasted."
Roy completely disregarded the deliberately audible discussions surrounding him. He located a place to sit but unexpectedly noticed a familiar face.
The other individual also regarded him with evident surprise.
Unlike the confident students nearby who aspired to defeat Roy, Callan remained completely speechless.
Why did he have to participate in the same qualifying group?
Just my unfortunate luck.
It wasn't that he feared confronting Roy—that would be unnecessary concern.
The Freshman Representative Tournament was structured in two phases: qualifiers and the main tournament.
The qualifiers were divided into eight groups: A through H. Only the top two competitors from each group would advance to the main tournament.
Recommended students enjoyed the privilege of being designated as seeded players, with each group assigned at most one recommended student. Callan represented the seeded player in Group F.
Following yesterday's battle, Callan had recognized Roy as a rival of comparable capability... Having such a formidable opponent within his group constituted terrible fortune. Wouldn't this jeopardize his advancement prospects?
Every year during the freshman representative competition, recommended students weren't guaranteed to secure first place in their respective groups. Occasional upsets occurred due to unconventional strategies, advantageous type matchups, or genuine unexpected talents emerging...
For recommended students, finishing second in their group resembled "performing poorly on an examination but still passing because your parents maintained a relationship with the instructor."
Roy's presence signified one undeniable fact.
"Now that he's participating, I cannot afford any errors. Otherwise, I might fail to qualify for advancement."
While Callan nervously contemplated these implications, the large display screen in the waiting room illuminated.
"Group F, first match of the initial round..."
The two students whose names were announced rose from their seats, exchanged determined glances, and departed from the waiting area.
Shortly thereafter, a live broadcast of their battle appeared on the screen.
The qualifying rounds accommodated no spectators.
Roy observed thoughtfully.
'Only participants in the same group can observe the results of the qualifiers...'
"But contestants can utilize their phones freely, so information will inevitably circulate..."
"The capacity to gather intelligence regarding opponents constitutes an additional component of the assessment..."
Roy glanced momentarily at the ongoing battle—a contest that could only be characterized as two inexperienced competitors ineffectively exchanging rudimentary attacks. His expression conveyed absolute disdain, comparable to someone enduring an irritating video on public transportation.
He abandoned watching the match, retrieved his phone, and began reviewing the information Reece had forwarded to him.
It wasn't until the fourth match that Roy's turn finally arrived.
His initial opponent was a rotund individual wearing glasses who stood with hands positioned on his hips, regarding Roy with evident derision.
"Well, aren't I fortunate."
Though not classified as a recommended student, the plump Trainer could marginally qualify as second-generation. His parents were both Trainers but had failed to achieve the 'professional level' threshold. While not comparable to legitimate second-generation Trainers, he nonetheless remained confident about defeating someone from an ordinary background like Roy.
This match appeared straightforward, and the portly Trainer seized his Poké Ball.
"Go, Onix!"
"..."
Roy also threw his Poké Ball simultaneously but refrained from the dramatic exclamation exhibited by his opponent.
The enormous rock serpent roared skyward with impressive presence.
Compared to the massive Onix, Riolu's diminutive stature resembled a child confronting a sumo wrestler—small and apparently vulnerable.
"Onix, Dragon Breath!"
Dragon energy began accumulating and condensing within Onix's massive jaws.
Naturally, Roy wouldn't foolishly wait for his opponent to complete the attack.
Besides, this particular Onix—
Its attack preparation proceeded with excessive slowness!
"Quick Attack!"
The instant Roy's command was issued, Riolu propelled himself tens of meters with astonishing velocity, launching like lightning directly toward Onix's exposed jaw!
"Quickly, evade—"
The plump Trainer appeared so shocked he couldn't even complete his sentence when he witnessed an improbable scene unfold.
BOOM!
Riolu collided forcefully with Onix's jaw, and despite the tremendous size disparity resembling a mayfly attacking an ancient tree, the rock serpent staggered and collapsed.
Dragon Breath, only partially formed, dissipated completely as Onix crashed thunderously to the ground.
"Rock Smash!"
Riolu landed gracefully beside the fallen Onix. Before Roy could even finish articulating his command, as if comprehending his intentions perfectly, Riolu's right hand illuminated with brilliant white light, concentrating Fighting-type energy. In an instant, its arm descended like a bolt of lightning, striking Onix's vulnerable head.
BOOM!
With a deafening impact, Onix wailed in excruciating pain. Its massive body dragged and rolled violently across the ground, displacing waves of sand before being completely ejected from the battlefield's boundaries.
Three seconds later, the referee announced the definitive result.
"Onix is unable to battle. The winner is Roy!"
In the waiting room, everyone except Callan displayed identical expressions of profound shock as the plump Trainer—eyes bulging incredulously and jaws virtually striking the floor.
Seconds... it was accomplished in mere seconds?!?