Meanwhile, in a dormitory at Hushi University in the Donghuang region.
“What a shame there isn’t a fifth move slot.
If Tiger God could have used Protect just now, it would’ve been an absolute checkmate.” Looking at the tragic silhouette of Incineroar collapsing on the screen, Xia Chi clicked his tongue in regret while teasing his Sprigatito, who was staring curiously at the computer monitor.
The bullet comments quickly flooded in to condemn his humblebragging.
“Lmao, Raihan’s face has gone completely dark.” “How did he even dare to set up with Swords Dance?
So ballsy.
Wasn’t he afraid of getting instantly KO’d by Draco Meteor?” “He had to make that gamble.
The difference in their Pokémon’s stats is just too big.
Even though Incineroar and Pachirisu really gave Raihan a massive headache, their offensive pressure was still lacking.
Without enough turns to make moves, he could only hope to sweep with Swords Dance.” “The analysis above makes perfect sense.
May I ask what rank you are, kind sir?” “Nothing much, just Poké Ball Rank Tier 2!” “…” Having no time to interact with the chat, the highly focused Xia Chi quickly recalled the fainted Incineroar.
In its place, he sent out his last Pokémon: Pachirisu.
The current situation was absolutely critical, not just because it would decide the winner of the entire match, but more importantly…
Garchomp, Pachirisu, Salamence, Tyranitar…
Why did this matchup look so much like that legendary masterpiece where Pachirisu became a god?
*Is it actually going to be replicated by me in this parallel world?* Seeing Pachirisu’s relatively healthy HP bar, Xia Chi felt a surge of anticipation.
*Whatever, let’s stop overthinking and just do it!* Reining in his thoughts, Xia Chi called out in a deep voice, “Pachirisu, Follow Me!
Garchomp, Rock Slide!” *** As Galar’s second-strongest trainer right under Leon, Raihan possessed excellent mental fortitude.
He recovered his composure just a moment after his brief flash of anger.
Although a Garchomp boosted by Swords Dance was terrifying, one couldn’t ignore that Tyranitar’s two Earthquakes had already chipped its HP down by nearly half.
This meant that Salamence’s Draco Meteor still had a chance to seal the deal.
“Since this guy’s Garchomp runs Swords Dance, it can’t possibly have Protect.
And Salamence is faster than Garchomp…” Raihan muttered to himself in analysis before shouting aloud as if he were in a real, physical battle, “Target Garchomp!
Salamence, Draco Meteor!
Tyranitar, Earthquake!” The game *Path of Champions* went all out on the special effects for high-powered moves like Draco Meteor and Leaf Storm.
A purple draconic breath swelled in front of Salamence, signaling the arrival of a terrifying storm.
And just as Raihan expected, Garchomp did not use Protect.
Perhaps its trainer confidently deemed it unnecessary, or perhaps it didn’t have the move in the first place.
But none of that mattered anymore.
Because Draco Meteor had already been unleashed!
Raihan leaned back on his sofa with a smug chuckle.
*I admit this booster has some skill, but unfortunately, I’m still the superior strategist~* He watched with satisfaction as the magnificent meteor shower streaked across the center of the screen, heading straight for…
the space right next to Garchomp?!
Raihan bolted upright in shock, staring wide-eyed at the Draco Meteor.
Despite being aimed squarely at Garchomp, it had bizarrely redirected to strike Pachirisu on the head.
On the TV screen, the three pseudo-legendaries—Salamence, Tyranitar, and Garchomp—seemed to serve as mere backdrops to this white electric squirrel.
They watched in collective shock as it easily and comfortably survived a devastating attack that should have crushed it.
[Pachirisu used Follow Me!
It drew in Salamence’s Draco Meteor!] The battle log subtitle at the bottom of the screen wasn’t large, but it practically blinded Raihan.
What kind of joke was this?!
Follow Me?!
What kind of bullshit moveset was this?
Nuzzle, Helping Hand, Super Fang, and Follow Me?
Is this something a human being could actually come up with?
Raihan collapsed powerlessly back onto the sofa.
He could only watch as Garchomp, shielded by Pachirisu, swept both Salamence and Tyranitar with Rock Slide.
Was there even a need to keep watching?
A Swords Dance-boosted double-effective move…
Salamence and T-Tar, who were already low on HP, wouldn’t survive this even if they had a hundred thousand lives!
As for Flygon, who hadn’t even left its Pokéball yet?
It would just be Pachirisu’s punching bag.
Once the squirrel got bored, it would just toss it to Garchomp like some stray can on the side of the road to be kicked aside.
*Let it end…
Just destroy everything…* Galar’s sunny boy heartwrenchingly chose to forfeit, turned off his TV, and ended his stream at lightning speed.
He left behind a stream chat that was absolutely exploding with activity as the viewer count continued to soar.
“Hahahahaha, a shameful rage quit!
Raihan, you finally got what was coming to you!” “Hubby, what’s wrong?
Say something, hubby!” “Lmao, Raihan is going to have nightmares about Pachirisu tonight.” “11:00 PM: It’s fine, it’s just a game.
3:00 AM: How the hell did I lose to a Pachirisu?!” “I highly recommend any trainers planning to participate in the League Conference challenge Hammerlocke Stadium in the next few days.
Raihan’s mental state has definitely collapsed.” “Actually, Raihan must be absolutely fuming right now.
Who do you think he’s going to vent his anger on?” “To be fair, Iono played insanely well this game.
Looks like Raihan’s title of the strongest Gym Leader is a bit of a sham.” “Do people seriously think poor Iono was the one playing?
No way, right?” “Master Shui Ye is too strong!
Follow Shui Ye, miau!
Follow Shui Ye, thank you, miau!” “…” *** “Thank you, Master Iono, for the ten Master Balls!
You’re so generous, boss!
I wish you good health!” As one side suffered, the other thrived.
While Raihan logged off in shame, Xia Chi began happily raking in the cash.
The flashy animation for the platform’s most expensive gift, the Master Ball, repeatedly lit up the stream.
Having just finished an intense, high-stakes battle, Xia Chi didn’t waste a second and began calling out his thanks.
It seemed this match had really given Iono a massive thrill.
To gift ten Master Balls at 10,000 yuan each—what kind of wealthy background did she have?
Oh, right.
A famous Gym Leader and Paldea’s biggest influencer.
Yeah, makes sense.
At the same time, the viewer count in Xia Chi’s stream continued to skyrocket.
This wasn’t just due to the traffic drawn in by the ten Master Balls, but also because he was shamelessly riding the coattails of two mega-streamers, Iono and Raihan.
One had logged off in a red-hot rage, while the other was currently active in Xia Chi’s chat.
This play was the definition of winning so hard he was numb!
The atmosphere in the stream right now was incredibly harmonious.
Whether they were fans, haters, passersby, trolls, or instigators, everyone was full of praise for Xia Chi’s final match.
After all, from an outsider’s perspective, Xia Chi had used an off-meta team to defeat the trainer hailed as the strongest Gym Leader.
Doing so in such a highly dramatic fashion made it an incredibly spectacular show.
By tomorrow, the recording of this match would surely spread like wildfire across the internet.
However, while laymen watched for the spectacle, professionals analyzed the strategy.
At this moment, many high-level players who truly understood competitive battles began studying Xia Chi’s seemingly bizarre team composition.
The style, which emphasized tactical elements like synergy, support, pivoting, and defensive coverage, began to slowly seep into a competitive landscape that had previously worshiped raw power clashes and passionate brawling.
And this impact wouldn’t just affect the game *Path of Champions*; it might also have much deeper, real-world consequences.