Chapter 64: We have Julian

"The young man is still too inexperienced; if you're feeling embarrassed, just watch and see if the streamer feels it too or if it's just you feeling awkward."

"Really? You didn't recognize that high school student?"

"Who is he? Your father?"

"I recognized him a while back; he's the grandson of Walker Elite."

"Wow, it really is him! I saw his video on Vibrato not long ago where he was dominating a pseudo-Elite, he made it look way too easy."

"He has a Silver Metagross, along with Lucario and Dragonair."

"Streamer, hurry up and make your move! Whether you can marry into a wealthy family depends on your strategy."

"I remember that the anchor's family background seems to be good"

"Better than the Walker family?"

Lin Lin was momentarily stunned when she read the comments. She noticed Julian had vanished from the crowd.

Though she didn't intend to pursue him, encountering the grandson of Walker Elite was unexpected.

"Streamer, Julian is wearing a Lake No. 1 middle school uniform. He'll definitely be competing in the team event tomorrow since their competitor is tough; you should broadcast it live!"

A local fan from Lake city chimed in.

"I can't do it tomorrow; I've got plans," Lin Lin replied.

The live stream was merely for fun. She had come all the way from Bash for a significant purpose.

In the team match, the competition was set between nine teams divided into three groups of three, creating a few automatic byes.

Lake No. 1 Middle School and Lit Middle School got unlucky; they avoided the byes unlike another team that got them.

Sam approached Julian, his demeanor serious as he awaited the five key players.

"Beating Lit Middle School means we clinch the championship."

Among the remaining teams, none posed a real threat—only Lit Middle School could stand up to Lake.

"As long as we win, the other teams will be no match for Lake Middle School."

"Don't worry, with Julian on our side, losing is not an option!" Will said, patting his own chest.

It was a peculiar sentiment; it sounded more like he doubted his own abilities while placing all his trust in Julian.

"Julian is our ace, while their ace is Nolan—he's formidable."

"No matter how strong Nolan is, Metagross can beat him"

"His main Pokémon is Pupitar" Sam looked at Will with a somewhat unfriendly look.

Julian pulled Will's clothes but the guy didn't seem to notice at all, and said in surprise, "Pseudo legendary?, Julian has two pseudo legendaries."

Julian facepalmed, finding Will's lack of awareness baffling.

"Will, didn't you read the information I provided about them? You don't even know if their team has a pseudo-legendary?" Sam nearly shouted in frustration.

Yesterday, he had provided the team with details on their opponents, aiming to ensure everyone had a grasp of the rival trainers and their Pokémon.

Knowing this kind of intel would be vital, all coaches were likely doing the same.

Everyone was supposed to prepare, but now it seemed Will hadn't reviewed the materials at all.

These documents contained not just the types they're skilled in but also their Pokémon's weaknesses and the places that can be targeted.

And these two points are the key to victory.

"Julian didn't check it either," 

When Will saw Sam's expression that he was about to eat him, he panicked and sold Julian directly.

Sam Nott turned his head sharply and looked at Julian.

"I did." Julian replied in a heartbeat. 

"I'll take care of you when the match is over. If you lose the match, you're dead." Sam looked at Will fiercely.

He worried that Will might become a blemish on his coaching record if he didn't step it up.

"Han, Zosh, Shen, Will, and Julian will compete in that order. Remember to play to your strengths and avoid putting your Pokémon in harm's way; their future depends on it," Sam cautioned earnestly.

While Pokemon bodies are indeed much tougher than humans', they still compete against other Pokémon.

The more intense the battle, the more likely it is to cause significant injury. Even if some Pokémon recover, they may sustain hidden injuries that will hinder their development.

Every major event sees a few Pokémon sidelined with irreversible injuries, often due to trainers not conceding defeat.

For Sam, prioritizing the health of their Pokémon was far more important than any honor or glory. 

Unfortunately, some trainers habitually prioritised the opposite.

As the match commenced, Han made his way to the opposing battlefield, followed closely by his rival Link.

"Julian, what kind of trainer is Han's rival? Surely he's not an Electric-type?" Will asked, concern etched on his face.

Although he and Han hadn't interacted much, that's because of their differing attribute types but their attitude towards each other was still good.

"I don't know," Julian said.

"Didn't you say you read the data?"

Will shot Julian an incredulous look, his eyes wide with disbelief. He was annoyed at Julian for misleading him, as he had assumed Julian actually analyzed the data after their late-night gaming session of King's Glory.

"You Deceived Teacher Sam"

Sam Nott, who was standing in front of Julian, the corners of his mouth kept twitching. These guys regarded him as transparent.

"Old Sam"

Will prepared to report Julian's antics but was cut off when Sam snapped, "Shut up and focus on the match."

Will felt a swell of frustration from the blatant bias, muttering under his breath, "It's amazing if you have strength."

"It's really amazing to have strength," Julian said.

"Keep your mouth shut!" Will retorted angrily.

Julian fell silent, his gaze fixed on the battlefield where Han had summoned his Trump Card, Blastoise, while his opponent sent out a Gengar.

Neither Pokémon had a distinct advantage based on type, but Gengar, being both Poison and Ghost-type, posed a significant challenge.

Ghost-types are notoriously tricky, possessing a wide array of unusual moves. Among the 18 types, the most powerful attackers are certainly Dragon-types, but when it comes to complexity, Ghost-types reign supreme.

Gengar is known in the outside world as the "Ghost King," capable of learning moves from various other types.

Ghost-type Pokémon are often regarded as masters of stealth, akin to assassins in the world of killers, and their partners often belong to the same spooky classification.

Last year, the Ice-type Elite from Drakoria was nearly assassinated by a Froslass, and while the attempt failed, the Elite lost a main Pokémon in the process.

Information like this may remain a secret unknown to the public, or perhaps John let something slip to Julian unintentionally.

Trainers specializing in Ghost-types tend to be fewer than those of other types, as a misstep could lead to their own souls being harmed by their Pokémon.

*****

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