Wang Sheng glanced at Li Hao, scoffing, "You're quite lucky, aren't you? To meet me in the first round. I hope you can last a few more seconds and not bore me too much."
Li Hao hung his head, not daring to speak.
Wang Sheng smirked triumphantly and turned to leave.
As he passed Jiang Mo and Li Xiang, he deliberately stopped, sizing up Jiang Mo, "Oh, isn't this the genius Researcher? What, are you also here for the tryouts?"
Jiang Mo gave him a faint look but didn't respond.
Seeing Jiang Mo ignore him, Wang Sheng's face darkened, and his tone held a hint of threat: "Kid, don't think you're hot stuff just because you have a bit of fame. When you meet me in the tryouts, I'll show you what real strength is!"
Jiang Mo still didn't respond, just watched him calmly. In his heart, Wang Sheng was already as good as dead.
Wang Sheng snorted coldly and swaggered off with his hangers-on.
Li Xiang watched Wang Sheng's retreating back, frowning, "That guy is really arrogant, so conceited because of his family's background."
Jiang Mo smiled, "Don't mind him, people like that will get their comeuppance sooner or later."
Li Xiang nodded, "You're right. But Jiang Mo, you need to be careful. Although Wang Sheng's character isn't great, his strength is indeed formidable. His Pokémon were all cultivated with heavy investment from his family, and it's said they've all reached the Elite Level."
Jiang Mo nodded, a hint of confidence in his voice, and said, "I understand, but I'm still confident in my own strength."
Li Xiang clapped Jiang Mo on the shoulder, "Good! I like that confident attitude of yours. Let's go, it's our turn to draw lots."
Jiang Mo walked to the drawing box and casually drew a slip. The staff member took the slip and announced loudly, "Jiang Mo, first battle, opponent is... Zhang Yu!"
A bespectacled boy in the queue heard his name and his face immediately tensed up.
He clearly hadn't expected to draw an opponent like Jiang Mo.
Jiang Mo looked at Zhang Yu, smiling and nodding.
Zhang Yu forced a smile, but his heart was already pounding.
After the drawing, Jiang Mo's first tryout quickly began.
The battle arena for this match was a standard rock battlefield, covered with tall, hard rocks, and surrounded by students and teachers watching the battle.
The Rotom floated in the air, its screen displaying the battle rules: "3v3 battle. The side whose all Pokémon lose their ability to battle is declared the loser. Let the match begin!"
Zhang Yu stood at the other end of the battlefield, looking somewhat nervous.
The news of Jiang Mo's victory over Li Xiang in yesterday's 'True Man Showdown' had already spread, and Zhang Yu didn't think he could beat Jiang Mo.
Although he knew Jiang Mo was strong, as a top student from Kyoto University, he also had his pride and would never give up easily.
"Jiang Mo, please guide me!"
Zhang Yu took a deep breath and threw out his first Pokémon: "Quagsire, I choose you!"
"Qua!" A round-bodied Quagsire appeared on the field, its eyes showing a hint of honest.
Jiang Mo smiled slightly and took a Poké Ball from his waist: "Eevee, prepare for battle!"
"Bui!"
Eevee lightly leaped into the arena, its tail gently wagging, looking exceptionally confident.
"Eevee? Jiang Mo actually sent out Eevee?" A murmur of discussion arose from the stands.
"Eevee is cute, but it hasn't evolved. Its battle power should be average, right? Is Jiang Mo being a bit overconfident?"
"What do you know? Jiang Mo is a genius Researcher; he discovered Eevee's new evolution. His Eevee definitely isn't simple!"
Zhang Yu was also a bit surprised, but he quickly adjusted his mindset: "Quagsire, use Mud Shot!"
"Qua!" Quagsire opened its mouth, and a lump of Mud Shot towards Eevee.
Jiang Mo remained unhurried, knowing this was a perfect moment for a grand display. He softly said, "Eevee, evolve!"
"Bui!"
Eevee's body was instantly enveloped in white light. After the light dissipated, an elegant Leafeon appeared on the field.
"What? Eevee evolved? Did Jiang Mo's Eevee have a Leaf Stone?" A gasp of surprise erupted from the stands.
"That's not right. Eevee needs a Leaf Stone to evolve into Leafeon, but I didn't see Jiang Mo use any item just now!"
"Is Jiang Mo being too flashy? Evolving during a battle, Eevee might not even adapt to its evolved body in a short time."
Zhang Yu was also stunned, clearly not expecting such a move from Jiang Mo, but he quickly reacted and commanded, "Quagsire, don't mind that, continue using Mud Shot!"
"Leafeon, dodge, then use Leaf Blade!" Jiang Mo commanded calmly.
Leafeon leaped lightly, dodging the Mud Shot, then the leaves on its head glowed emerald green, transforming into a sharp Leaf Blade that slashed directly at Quagsire.
"Qua!" Quagsire was hit by Leaf Blade, its body swayed. Under the four-times super effective attack, it clearly took considerable damage.
"Quagsire, hold on, use Water Pulse!" Zhang Yu gritted his teeth and shouted.
Quagsire barely stabilized itself, condensed a ball of water, and hurled it towards Leafeon.
"Leafeon, use Protect!" Jiang Mo reacted quickly.
Leafeon stood in place, its body instantly enveloped by an energy shield, blocking Quagsire's Water Pulse.
"Leafeon, end the battle, use Leaf Blade!" Jiang Mo's voice held a hint of decisiveness.
Leafeon once again condensed Leaf Blade; this time, the attack was even more ferocious.
Before Quagsire could react, it was struck by Leaf Blade and immediately lost its ability to battle.
"Quagsire is unable to battle! Leafeon wins!" The Rotom announced.
A gasp of admiration came from the stands: "Leafeon is too strong! Four-times super effective against Quagsire, it's a complete crush!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, four-times super effective is just that simple and unadorned. Two Leaf Blades easily finished the battle."
Zhang Yu gritted his teeth, recalled Quagsire, and threw out his second Pokémon: "Kingler, it's up to you!"
"Kingler!" A huge Kingler appeared on the field, its pincers gleaming with a cold light.
"Bui~"
Eevee looked at the large crab in front of it, its eyes filled with disdain. This was its first battle, and it wanted to perform well.
"Leafeon, use Leaf Blade!" Jiang Mo still commanded calmly.
"Kingler, use Crabhammer!" Zhang Yu was not to be outdone.
At the command of both Trainers, the two Pokémon immediately moved. Leafeon's Leaf Blade and Kingler's Crabhammer collided, creating a loud crash.
Leafeon's speed and agility far surpassed Kingler's. Furthermore, with no water in this rock battlefield, Kingler's (a Water-type Pokémon) agility was further reduced.
"Leafeon, create distance, use Razor Leaf!" Jiang Mo keenly noticed this and quickly adjusted his tactics.
Leafeon quickly retreated, the leaves on its head transforming into countless flying leaves that swept towards Kingler.
"Kingler, use Protect!" Zhang Yu hastily shouted.
Kingler raised its pincers, putting up a Light Screen that blocked the Razor Leaf attack.
However, Protect's effect only lasts once, and the success rate of subsequent consecutive uses will be greatly reduced. Zhang Yu knew the upcoming battle would be even more difficult.