“Hiss!”
Rapidash leaped out of its Poké Ball, its body burning with intense flames, appearing majestic and formidable.
Rapidash was Li Hao’s last Pokémon, but its strength was only at the early Elite Level, clearly no match for Eevee.
“Rapidash, fight it! Use Flare Blitz!” Li Hao commanded loudly.
Rapidash opened its mouth, snorting sparks, and charged fiercely towards Eevee.
Jiang Mo calmly commanded, “Eevee, meet it with Muddy Water!”
Eevee’s body was instantly enveloped by a surge of Water-type energy, and a stream of water shot out from its mouth, carrying a murky current that collided with Rapidash.
“Boom!”
The clash of water and fire produced a loud bang, and steam filled the entire battlefield.
“Hiss!”
Rapidash let out a painful whinny, its body swaying, clearly having sustained considerable damage.
On the other side, Vaporeon was slowly recovering its stamina by using 【Aqua Ring】.
Li Hao’s expression grew even uglier. He gritted his teeth and continued to command, “Rapidash, don’t give it a chance! Use Take Down!”
Rapidash quickly rushed towards Eevee, attempting to deliver a fatal blow with Take Down.
Jiang Mo smiled slightly and commanded, “Eevee, use Quick Attack to dodge!”
Eevee’s body once again transformed into a streak of lightning, easily dodging Rapidash’s attack.
Immediately after, Jiang Mo gave another order: “Eevee, use Water Pulse!”
Eevee quickly gathered Water-type energy, and another stream of water shot out, directly hitting Rapidash’s body.
“Hiss!”
Rapidash let out a painful whinny, its body swayed, and it finally collapsed weakly to the ground, losing its ability to battle.
“Rapidash is unable to battle, Eevee wins!” Rotom announced loudly.
Thunderous applause and cheers immediately erupted from the stands.
Jiang Mo’s Eevee easily secured victory in this match with its feat of defeating three Pokémon.
Jiang Mo recalled Eevee and turned to walk towards Lu Jiyin at the side of the arena.
Lu Jiyin excitedly patted Jiang Mo’s shoulder: “Big Cousin, you’re amazing! Eevee is simply invincible, too dirty—no, too strong!”
Jiang Mo smiled and said, “This is just the first match of the elimination rounds. Don’t flatter me too much.”
…
Jiang Mo only had this one match today, and Lu Jiyin’s match was also over, so Jiang Mo and Lu Jiyin returned to Kyoto University’s lounge together.
As soon as they entered, they saw Li Xiang and President Wu Teng sitting there chatting.
Li Xiang saw Jiang Mo and Lu Jiyin enter together and immediately showed a surprised expression.
“Oh, isn’t this Da Shao Lu? How did you end up hanging out with Jiang Mo?” Li Xiang teased with a smile.
Lu Jiyin saw Li Xiang and also smiled: “Li Xiang? I didn’t expect you to be here too! What a coincidence!”
Jiang Mo looked at the two with some surprise: “You two know each other?”
Li Xiang nodded, a hint of teasing in his tone: “Of course I know him. How could I not know the dignified Da Shao Lu of the Lu family in Ning Province? I even had dinner with him when I went to Ning Province before.”
Lu Jiyin also explained with a smile: “Big Cousin, Li Xiang is a descendant of the Li family in Yu Province. We’ve met a few times before, but I didn’t expect you two to know each other.”
When Jiang Mo heard the words “Li family in Yu Province,” his heart immediately became vigilant.
He clearly remembered that the mastermind who hired the Hunter Organization to hunt him down was the Li family.
Although he had many thoughts, Jiang Mo’s expression did not change much, remaining calm.
“So that’s how it is. It seems everyone here is an acquaintance,” Jiang Mo said with a smile, a hint of ease in his tone.
President Wu Teng, watching the group from the side, couldn’t help but tease, “You all have such profound backgrounds, it’s truly enviable. Only I am from a humble, poor family, relying entirely on my own efforts.”
Li Xiang waved his hand and said with a smile, “President Wu Teng, don’t be modest. Your outstanding talent is even more admirable.”
“I’ve heard your story: from the slums, you worked your way up through sheer strength to get into Kyoto University and even became the president of the Fighting Club. You’re simply a model of success against all odds!”
President Wu Teng smiled, a hint of emotion in his tone: “Yes, life in the slums was indeed difficult when I was young.”
“I had a big appetite and often didn’t get enough to eat. I could only rely on snatching food. Fortunately, I was big, so I often managed to snatch food from other children, which is how I survived.”
“Later, by a stroke of luck, I caught my first Pokémon, and that’s when I got a chance to turn my life around.”
Listening to President Wu Teng’s story, Jiang Mo couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.
President Wu Teng’s experience was indeed a typical rags-to-riches story. From a child in the slums, he gradually made his way to where he is today, becoming the president of Kyoto University’s Fighting Club. The hardships involved are unimaginable.
“President Wu Teng, your experience is truly admirable,” Jiang Mo said sincerely.
President Wu Teng waved his hand, a hint of humility in his tone: “There’s nothing to admire. It was just good luck. However, getting into Kyoto University really changed my life.”
Lu Jiyin patted President Wu Teng’s shoulder and said with a smile, “President Wu Teng, you’re too modest. Being able to get to where you are today through your own strength isn’t something you can do with just good luck.”
Li Xiang also nodded, a hint of admiration in his tone: “That’s right, President Wu Teng’s strength and perseverance are truly admirable.”
Then Li Xiang asked curiously, “Oh, by the way, Da Shao Lu, why do you call Jiang Mo Big Cousin? Are you two related?”
Lu Jiyin heard this and looked a bit awkward, speaking vaguely: “This… this is a long story, but you just need to remember that Jiang Mo is my closest Big Cousin, even though we’re not blood relatives!”
Jiang Mo: “??? (๑•̌.•̑ ๑) ˀ̣ˀ̣”
…
After chatting for a while, Lu Jiyin suddenly suggested, “Oh, by the way, since we’re all so familiar, why don’t we go out to eat together? It’s my treat!”
Li Xiang teased with a smile, “Da Shao Lu, are you planning to cover our food and lodging for the duration of the competition?”
Lu Jiyin waved his hand generously: “Of course! I, the dignified Young Master Lu, can certainly afford that much money.”
“Besides, if you don’t agree, I won’t leave. I’ll pester you every day!”
Jiang Mo smiled, pondering inwardly.
He had originally planned to find a hotel nearby, but all the hotels in the vicinity had been fully booked a month ago.
Without a background, he couldn’t even book a hotel.
And the power of Dawn couldn’t reach Kyoto, so he could only stay at the school.
Now, with Lu Jiyin’s insistence on inviting them, he saved himself a lot of trouble.
“Since Da Shao Lu is so enthusiastic, then we won’t be polite,” Jiang Mo said with a smile.
Li Xiang and President Wu Teng also nodded, expressing their agreement. Seeing that everyone agreed, Lu Jiyin immediately became happy: “That’s great! I’ve already booked rooms at a nearby five-star hotel. Let’s go now!”