July 8th, Wednesday.
The eagerly awaited
Piplup Cup
final officially kicks off today.
This is the most talked-about tournament in years.
The two finalists couldn’t be more different:
One is a prodigy from Zhejiang University’s
Battle Department
, already receiving attention from multiple
Gym Leaders
at a young age.
The other? An unknown rookie who, shockingly, majors in
Finance
and isn’t even a professional battler!
This stark contrast has only fueled the match’s growing popularity.
Surprisingly,
Lu Ye
’s support rate on online platforms is overwhelmingly dominant!
“Teacher Lu is actually this young?”
“Practicing in a rookie tournament? Teacher Lu is seriously shameless!”
“Beating up kids? That’s what it means to have talent but no morals!”
While it might seem like he’s lowering himself, with Teacher Lu’s shamelessness, joining a rookie event just for the prize money is totally within his wheelhouse.
“Strongly recommend disqualifying Teacher Lu!”
“Isn’t Teacher Lu at
Master-level
? How did the organizers let him in?”
“You’re overthinking it! He meets the age requirement, and what’s wrong with grabbing some prize money and easy cash?”
“Let him grab it, let him grab it!”
Responding to the online chatter, Modu Gym Leader
Tang Hui
smiled:
“His command skills are certainly impressive... but calling him a
Master
is a bit much, isn’t it?”
Song Pengcheng
, the gray-haired Chairman of the Modu Association, hesitated before saying anything.
Masters
under twenty years old aren’t uncommon.
The current World Champion took the
League Champion
title at just eleven.
But if
Lu Ye
really were a
Master
, would he be here at a rookie tournament?
Would anyone actually do that?!
“Maybe... he has some special opportunity,” Song Pengcheng muttered.
Sitting beside them was a burly man with a thick beard who nodded.
“I’ve seen his videos — he’s good... but it’s just a game.”
“No matter how well he commands, weaker
Pokémon
can’t overcome a gap in raw power.”
The man squinted.
“Thinking he can hone his
Pokémon
by using
Lu You
? Hmph, he’s being naive.”
Tang Hui glanced at the Gym Leader of
Lei City
,
Lu Jianghai
.
Lu You’s father, and the Electric-type Gym Leader of Lei City.
He was here both as a guest and to cheer for his son.
Guests don’t affect the match outcome, but witnessing his son win a title in person would still mean a lot to a father.
“Let’s hope so.” Song Pengcheng chuckled dryly.
At the Mercedes Arena, the venue was already packed.
Huge banners of
Piplup Inc.
hung around the battlefield, and
Magnemite
drones hovered in the air, doubling as aerial cameras.
Unlike traditional drones, the
Sturdy
-ability
Magnemites
could withstand residual battle shockwaves — making them perfect tools!
“Go, Teacher Lu!!”
In the top-four,
Han Xiaoxiao
, a diehard fan, led a professional cheering squad.
Another top-four contestant,
Feng Shu
, joined in with energetic drumming.
In the player tunnel,
Lu Ye
broke into a cold sweat.
These days, even grabbing some easy cash gets you recognized!
“Gengarrr!”
Haunter
looked eager to battle.
The
Dusk Stone
from last night had already been licked clean by Haunter.
It tasted more like candy than a stone.
After finishing it, Haunter gave Lu Ye a longing, bashful look.
“That’s all there is.” Lu Ye shrugged.
Haunter
: (°ー°〃)
“Battle well today. Maybe you can earn another one soon.”
“Gengarrr! (☆_☆)”
Lu You
walked onto the battlefield with a nervous expression.
Facing the smiling young man, Lu You said seriously:
“Don’t talk to me. I won’t listen to anything.”
“Huh?” Lu Ye raised an eyebrow. “Not even a greeting?”
“No! You’re just trying to mess with my judgment!”
“Hmm... Have you eaten?”
“Not yet... I’ll eat after the match.”
The announcer, surprised, exclaimed:
“Are they trash-talking each other? The tension is palpable!”
“I know a good restaurant. I can recommend it later.”
“Really? I don’t like sweet Shanghainese food...”
“The match has begun!” The announcer shouted. “This will be a historic final!”
Red light flashed.
Magneton
and a grinning
Haunter
appeared on the field.
Lu You relaxed slightly.
This trainer... seems pretty friendly.
I just need to focus on my commands!
Lu You’s eyes sharpened, and just as he opened his mouth,
Magneton
crashed to the ground.
“An incredible burst of speed! That was Haunter’s
Shadow Punch
!
In the audience,
Feng Shu
flinched.
A
Master
using sneak attacks?
“Classic Teacher Lu...” Feng Shu muttered.
Before Lu Ye realized it, his cheeks flushed.
Purely unintentional!
Haunter
just went for it on his own — shameless!
Haunter
grinned and vanished, reappearing near
Magneton
, eyes glowing with
Hypnosis
.
“Electric Terrain!” Lu You shouted.
Electric currents crackled around
Magneton
, forming an electromagnetic field.
In
Electric Terrain
,
Pokémon
can’t fall asleep, and Electric-type moves get a power boost!
In the guest seats,
Tang Hui
glanced at
Lu Jianghai
.
So this is the Lei City Gym’s secret training method!
Hypnosis
failed.
“Thunderbolt!”
Blinding lightning erupted from
Magneton
’s magnets.
Boom!
Just when the tide seemed to turn, the crowd gasped.
Another
Haunter
appeared behind
Magneton
!
Thunderbolt
shattered
Haunter’s Substitute
.
The real
Haunter
appeared behind
Magneton
, igniting a
Will-O-Wisp
.
“Haunter dodged Thunderbolt!” The announcer yelled.
“
Will-O-Wisp
lands perfectly!
Magneton
is burned!”
Burning achieved the goal.
Lu Ye rubbed his chin.
Lu You’s priority was ensuring accuracy.
Magneton’s
best status move...
Thunder Wave
or
Supersonic
?
With
Electric Terrain
,
Thunder Wave
was the obvious choice.
“Haunter,
Hex
!”
“Magneton,
Thunder Wave
!”
Black mist enveloped
Magneton
, leaving it barely standing.
Lu Jianghai
pounded the table, shocked by Lu Ye’s predictive skills.
“If
Thunder Wave
hits...” Tang Hui murmured.
Electric sparks paralyzed
Haunter
.
Lu You’s eyes lit up.
There’s still hope!
“Haunter, end it with
Hex
.”
Haunter
grinned, pulling out a
Cheri Berry
and chewing it loudly.
“Gengarrr! ヾ(≧∇≦*)ヾ”
Paralysis cured!
With a pointing gesture, black mist enveloped
Magneton
once more.
Screech!
The referee raised the flag:
“Winner, Modu University — Lu Ye!”