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Torracat was here to deliver itself as a sacrifice, so naturally, it didn't bother dodging the attack.
Wrapped in flames, it showed no fear, charging head-on into the seismic shockwave of the Earthquake attack!
BOOM!!!
A thunderous roar echoed as Torracat was sent flying backward, as if it had been hit head-on by a truck!
Li Xiang blinked, narrowly avoiding the flying Torracat by a hair's breadth. The wind howled in his ears, the force of the impact lifting his clothes and kicking up dust around him.
The sheer power of the Earthquake was terrifying!
He turned his head slightly and saw Torracat crash to the ground, rolling four or five times in the dirt before finally coming to a stop, lying on its back with its fluffy belly exposed.
Knocked out.
An instant knockout!
In the round of 24 advancing to 12!
Outside the arena, the students watching erupted into murmurs. It wasn't that they thought Torterra was overwhelmingly powerful—though it was indeed strong—but a one-hit knockout seemed too absurd!
Many of them had come to watch after seeing Li Xiang's previous matches, expecting him to pull off some miraculous strategy or trick against such an opponent. But instead…
What a joke!
Was this staged?
The referee glanced at Li Xiang but didn't say anything, simply blowing the whistle.
On the other side, Torterra's trainer, Shan Ce, was also stunned. He stared at the knocked-out Torracat, his mind filled with question marks.
Did I… win?
That quickly?
With a single Earthquake that could've easily been dodged?
What's going on? Did I bribe this guy at some point and forget about it?
Shan Ce looked at Li Xiang, who didn't seem the least bit upset and even had a smile on his face, which only deepened his confusion.
Just as he was about to step forward and ask a few questions, reaching out to stop Li Xiang, he saw the latter quickly recall Torracat and walk away.
Li Xiang's steps were so fast that the students who wanted to ask him what he was doing, or if he was throwing the match, couldn't catch up.
What speed!
"No way! I don't believe he wasn't paid off!"
"This is too much!"
"If you're going to throw, at least make it convincing! Who do you think you're fooling?"
Many people cursed loudly. Since the person being criticized wasn't there, they didn't hold back at all.
But there were also some who looked at Shan Ce, who was standing there with a dumbfounded expression, and wondered if Li Xiang had simply decided to enter the loser's bracket because he knew he couldn't beat Shan Ce.
But if he entered the loser's bracket, he'd still have to face many strong opponents!
The risk of losing would only increase.
Wouldn't it have been better to fight Shan Ce head-on? Even if he lost, he'd still end up in the loser's bracket, but if he won, it would've been a huge victory!
…
The news of Li Xiang's "staged" match spread faster than he had anticipated.
Several of his classmates had been among the spectators and recorded the entire match. They even posted it in the class group chat with a bold caption:
[Oh no! The class rep got knocked out!]
This immediately caused an uproar.
Yang Tianwang, Qu Sheng, and others quickly chimed in, and even the usually silent Song Jie surfaced, asking for details.
After learning the specifics, they all replied with "..." and fell silent.
Only Ni Wei, who had lost to Li Xiang in a previous match, kept shouting in the group, saying that the class rep didn't know the principle of "keeping the benefits within the family."
He should've lost to me instead of someone from another class!
The class rep is biased, blah blah blah.
These people seemed to think that Li Xiang had a good chance of winning if he hadn't thrown the match.
Of course, the person in question was unaware of all this.
At the moment, he was sitting on a patch of grass, comforting the utterly devastated Torracat.
The poor cat felt like it had suffered a humiliating defeat, and no amount of massages, chin scratches, or catnip could make up for it.
"Hey, it's all for your future glory!" Li Xiang reached out to pat Torracat's head, but the cat pushed his hand away with its paw.
"Meow."
No thanks, I'm not falling for your tricks.
Li Xiang scratched his head and patiently explained, "Listen, if we lose this match, won't people underestimate you?"
"Meow!" Torracat turned and yelled at Li Xiang.
And whose fault is it that I'm being underestimated!
"My fault, my fault," Li Xiang quickly apologized, then continued, "But if you go on a rampage later and prove yourself, wouldn't that make you even more impressive? It's called 'falling before rising'…"
After a long spiel, Li Xiang managed to confuse the little cat, but Torracat eventually understood one thing:
Today's defeat is for tomorrow's triumph!
Alright!
I, Torracat, live for the spotlight!
Under Li Xiang's encouragement, Torracat's ego swelled, even though it was already pretty inflated.
Unfortunately, the little cat didn't realize that the whole "fall before rising" trope rarely applies to ordinary people.
Even if Li Xiang had been utterly crushed in the match, the spectators wouldn't think he was all bark and no bite. They'd just assume he was throwing the match.
If any idiots tried to mock him, Li Xiang wouldn't even need to respond—Yang Tianwang and Qu Sheng would defend him.
Li Xiang and Torracat returned to the classroom.
Sure enough, Li Xiang was immediately ambushed by his two best friends.
Both of them asked why he didn't fight Shan Ce head-on and where he got the confidence to make a comeback from the loser's bracket.
"Every extra match is another layer of uncertainty!" Qu Sheng said through gritted teeth. "What if…"
"Don't even start. I'm confident," Li Xiang quickly stopped Qu Sheng from jinxing him.
He had so many trump cards he hadn't used yet, and they were practically gathering dust.
Even if he faced one of the "early starters," he was willing to give it a shot.
Among the first-year students, there were five "early starters." Including Li Xiang and the four he knew, that made ten people, seemingly filling all the slots.
But Li Xiang knew the world wasn't that simple.
There would inevitably be someone who didn't get a slot, and the chances of Li Xiang running into an "early starter" were high. Even the "early starters" might face each other, and at that point, it was anyone's game.
"You're really something," Yang Tianwang sighed, patting Li Xiang's shoulder. Everyone else is worried about entering the loser's bracket, but this guy isn't the least bit concerned and is even smiling!
Li Xiang didn't respond, bidding farewell to the two and heading over to Song Jie, who had been glancing his way at least a dozen times.
The guy probably had a ton of questions, wondering why Li Xiang would do something so counterintuitive.
Couldn't Li Xiang beat Torterra?
Song Jie didn't think so. Based on his understanding of Torracat and the others, if Li Xiang had played his cards right, he had a very good chance of winning!
What was the point of entering the loser's bracket?
"Hey! I'm back!" Li Xiang waved at Song Jie with a smile.
"You… never mind. Good luck."
Song Jie had a lot he wanted to say, but when face-to-face with Li Xiang, he found himself at a loss for words and could only offer his blessings.
Li Xiang raised an eyebrow. "What, just because I lost one match, are you cutting ties with me?"
"Cut the crap! I just don't feel like talking to an idiot like you," Song Jie spat. "I just don't get your strategy."
You're not supposed to get it, Li Xiang thought to himself, stretching his limbs and looking forward to his performance in the loser's bracket.
In the next match, no matter who the opponent was, he'd definitely send out Torracat.
Otherwise, the little cat might just tear his computer apart.
…
Over the weekend, responding to the invitation from Xu Wan's father, Li Xiang took the light rail and made his way to their house.
Initially, Xu Dongran had offered to send someone to pick him up, but Li Xiang had firmly declined.
Unsolicited kindness is always suspicious, especially from an uncle he'd never met before.
Surprisingly, Xu Wan's family lived in the same neighborhood as his senior sisters.
The only difference was that Xu Wan's family lived in a slightly lower area, while his senior sisters lived higher up.
Moreover, Xu Wan's house was more like an estate than a home.
Rich people, huh?
Li Xiang thought to himself. Before he could press the doorbell next to the iron gate, the gate automatically opened.
A large, orange, tiger-striped Pokémon with fur standing on end came running over, tongue lolling out happily.
It had a black saddle on its back, with several ropes attached to it, pulling a small cart. On the cart sat a boy around seven or eight years old.
As the Arcanine and the boy approached, the latter got off the cart and blinked.
"Are you Brother Li Xiang?"
Quite polite.
"Hello," Li Xiang nodded, guessing that this was probably Xu Wan's younger brother, Xu Ye.
Xu Ye's eyes lit up upon hearing Li Xiang's response. He stammered through a rehearsed speech, then took Li Xiang's hand and led him to the cart.
With a tug on the rope, the massive Arcanine started running back, and the iron gate automatically closed behind them.
Li Xiang glanced around and noticed that the yard was quite similar to Song Jie's, with nothing particularly special.
When they reached the entrance of the villa, the door was wide open. Xu Wan and a man who looked to be in his thirties stood there, chatting and laughing.
Crap!
The elder came out to greet me personally?
What kind of honor is this for a kid like me!
Li Xiang's heart skipped a beat, feeling more and more like this dinner was a trap.
Even relatives wouldn't normally wait at the door for a child's arrival!
This made Li Xiang raise his guard even more when talking to Xu Dongran.
Fortunately, Xu Dongran didn't do anything unusual. He treated Li Xiang like a typical elder would treat a younger relative.
First, he explained his relationship with Li Xiang's father—they were good friends.
Then he asked about Li Xiang's future goals, his current grades, and whether he was confident in his abilities.
Very ordinary.
The meal was also ordinary—five dishes and a soup. There was no housekeeper, only a female Indeedee, and Xu Wan's mother had cooked the meal herself.
Xu Wan's mother was also very kind, serving Li Xiang food, soup, and rice, and offering him fruit and TV.
This made Li Xiang stiff and overly polite, almost to the point of being awkward.
Throughout the meal, Xu Dongran didn't mention anything about Ultra Beasts.
Instead, he talked about the fun times he and Li Xiang's father had in school, as well as some family gossip.
The grandfather Li Xiang had hoped to meet wasn't there.
The dinner was about to end with much ado about nothing.
Until—
"Xiao Xiang, come with me to the study. I have something to show you."
Xu Dongran said warmly, gesturing for Li Xiang to follow.
"…"
Li Xiang nodded silently.