Chapter 124

The tall and handsome young man emerged from the contestant's tunnel with a deliberate pace.

The audience erupted in cheers, their excitement rising with each passing moment.

"Come on, Teacher Luke!"

"Magic City University, you've got this!"

"Luke, your mom's here to support you!"

The resounding cheers left the commentator in awe as he remarked, "Contestant Luke from Magic City University sure is a crowd favorite!"

The referee raised a flag and announced, "Both sides, release your Pokémon!"

Simultaneously, Luke released his Poké Ball.

The sphere bounced lightly on the ground before settling into Luke's palm.

"Uirt~!"

Squirtle made its entrance, adjusting the sunglasses perched on its face and looking remarkably composed.

Duan Cheng declared sternly, "Go, Onix!"

In an instant, a flash of red light and a loud reverberation filled the arena.

The audience gasped in amazement.

"What in the world is that huge Onix?!"

"It's gigantic! Luke is really bringing the thunder today!"

"Isn't this Squirtle going to be shattered by its iron tail?!"

Onix loomed, casting an enormous shadow that blocked out the sun. It gazed down at Squirtle with a rock-like face that seemed to exude mockery.

The commentator gravely noted, "Onix typically has a length of 8.8 meters, but Duan Cheng has clearly chosen an exceptional specimen for his Onix!"

Boom!

Onix rotated its upper body, producing a grinding sound as rocks scraped against each other. Its intimidating presence was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.

Luke looked up and examined Onix.

[Onix, Rock + Ground Type

Ability: Sturdy

Moves: Dig, Iron Tail, Rock Slide, Rock Polish, Bind...]

Luke contemplated for a moment.

Well, it did seem superior to the one he had acquired from the Magic University Breeding House.

However, Onix's special defenses and physical attacks still left much to be desired...

Not every Onix possessed a physical attack stat of 13,000, after all.

The referee's whistle pierced the air, signifying the start of the battle.

"Onix, Dig!" Duan Cheng commanded.

The ground shook as gravel flew, and Onix disappeared underground, burrowing rapidly through the rocky tunnel!

Luke raised an eyebrow.

Oh, it turns out there's no need to worry about the venue maintenance fee?

In that case, I can breathe easy!

The commentator exclaimed, "Onix exhibits remarkable speed while underground in its tunnel!"

A loud rumble filled the arena, and in no time, the tunnel's walls displayed deep grooves as Squirtle approached.

It seemed that Squirtle had no chance; its Water Gun wouldn't reach the target due to its limited range.

"Now's the time, Onix!" Duan Cheng hesitated no longer. "Dig!"

With a deafening roar, Onix burst from beneath Squirtle!

Luke squinted, patiently awaiting this very moment.

"Withdraw!"

The forceful impact sent Squirtle soaring into the air. In mid-flight, Luke issued another command, "Squirtle, use Water Gun!"

Squirtle promptly extended its head and, with a graceful motion, pushed its sunglasses up.

"Uirt~!" Squirtle opened its mouth wide, releasing a powerful surge of water!

The commentator was taken aback, exclaiming, "With the help of the Water Gun's propulsion, Squirtle has executed a perfect cushioning maneuver!"

Duan Cheng, too, was caught off guard by Luke's swift transition from defense to offense. Onix, with its colossal size, had no chance of evading the oncoming deluge!

"Roar!"

Onix twisted in agony, its massive form nearly collapsing from the torrential water column.

In the stands, an atmosphere of humiliation permeated the air.

"Is Water Gun even a special move?!"

"I get it! If Hydro Pump is Water Gun, then this must be Teacher Luke's strategy to paralyze his opponent!"

"Wait, is this Hydro Pump or what? You're not being honest at all!"

With a splash, Squirtle landed gracefully, thanks to the water's cushioning effect. Onix's massive form lay amidst the rubble, its struggles betraying the physical toll the battle had taken on it.

Duan Cheng appeared bewildered.

His Onix had never faced such a disadvantageous situation when challenging QL Province Gym.

A single shot of Water Gun – what's so special about it directly hitting Onix's "sturdy" body?!

Duan Cheng swallowed hard and gave the command, his voice filled with determination, "Onix, use Rock Slide after Dig!"

Even though he lost sight of Onix in the tunnel, the accuracy of Rock Slide was a concern. But it was better than facing a direct hit like before!

Onix, its face twisted in pain, burrowed underground once more, leaving the field riddled with potholes.

Luke contemplated for a moment, then commanded, "Water Pulse!"

With the aura guiding it, Squirtle knew exactly where Onix was. Squirtle closed its eyes momentarily, and when they opened, a flash of light gleamed. In an instant, Squirtle inhaled deeply, puffing up its cheeks, and aimed at the ground, releasing a powerful jet of water!

The surging impact propelled Squirtle into the air, and the colossal Water Pulse surged like a massive wave, seemingly poised to engulf the entire arena!

The commentator expressed disbelief, "Water Pulse is covering the entire arena! But... this power is absolutely astonishing!"

Luke was also a bit perplexed. Was this really Water Pulse? He had already mistaken Water Gun for Hydro Pump, and now it seemed like Water Pulse was taking on an entirely new form.

Are you still Squirtle? Can you even be called Squirtle, you little rascal?!

Boom!

The rippling waters surged and bombarded Onix within the tunnel, water gushing out from the tunnel entrance. The ferocious Water Pulse knocked Onix into unconsciousness!

The audience fell silent.

This unevolved Squirtle displayed incredible battle strength, leaving everyone in awe.

"Teacher Luke... Could the breeding be this amazing?"

"I saw it holding an Everstone earlier... Is Teacher Luke trying to deceive us?"

"Damn, I nearly forgot it hasn't evolved yet!"

The referee snapped out of his daze and blew his whistle, announcing, "The winner is Luke!"

Duan Cheng withdrew Onix and sighed deeply.

In their previous match, Duan Cheng had clearly felt the gaping chasm between them. This gap in vision couldn't be compensated for by mere badges.

After shaking hands with Luke, Duan Cheng said sincerely, "Congratulations."

Luke nodded and replied, "You put up a good fight."

Duan Cheng blinked in surprise. Was this guy for real? Squirtle didn't show any signs of injury. Could he really call this a good fight?

This was just infuriating!

"Uirt~..."

Squirtle patted the dust off its shell, a hint of caution in its eyes. It had come close to losing the battle!

Luke looked at Squirtle's serious expression and couldn't help but feel a little amused. He probably knew what was on Squirtle's mind.

"Let's go... Let's get you healed first..."

Luke sighed inwardly. Even though Onix couldn't harm Squirtle at all...

"Uirt~!"

Squirtle nodded cautiously. Regardless of whether it was injured or not, it seemed like it was going to need a whole lot of Top Rank Potions!

On the first day of the Open Challenge, excitement filled the air at the various venues.

However, to the surprise of many, a Seeded Contestant and QL Province's Rookie Champion were both eliminated in the very first round!

"What's going on? I came here specifically to see Duan Cheng!"

"Who did he lose to? A local gaming enthusiast?"

"Hehe, Teacher Luke came to play this game. How could he not dominate?"

Even Magic City Gym Leader Tang Hui, upon hearing of Duan Cheng's elimination, was taken aback.

After all, Duan Cheng had earned the QL Province Badge and being eliminated in the first round was quite the upset.

However, when Tang Hui learned about the opponent who had faced Duan Cheng, he couldn't help but wear a strange expression.

Luke, the same individual who had performed astonishingly well in the Piplup Cup...

And now, in less than a month, he had bred an incredibly powerful Squirtle...

Pushing up his gold-rimmed glasses, Tang Hui blushed with embarrassment as he mumbled, "Perhaps I should start preparing for the Gym challenge?"