At the second-floor viewing window...
“That Tetsusuke fellow made Top 8 at the Unova Higaki Tournament,” said President Damalanji, stroking his white beard with a grin.
“Didn’t expect Lu Ye to win the first match so decisively.”

The red-haired man stood with arms crossed, deep in thought.
Something about that last match felt... off.

Teacher Lu had no reason to be that focused.
But those eyes—those were the eyes of a man burning with battle spirit!

“Probably someone ticked him off again.”
Lance sweatdropped, thinking, Please don’t let it be that kid Gold...

Back on the battlefield, Sirfetch’d stood tall with his leek, calm and composed.

Brock, who had arrived late, found an empty seat among the packed crowd and asked quietly:

“He won the first match?”

“Crushed it,” Blue shrugged. “Teacher Lu went full try-hard~!”

Brock looked slightly conflicted, coughed lightly, and changed the subject:

“Why aren’t you running your stall today?”

“Day off!” Blue huffed. “There’s no customers anyway—might as well come watch Teacher Lu battle!”

“Hmm… makes sense.”

As they chatted, another wave of cheers erupted from the crowd.

“Tetsusuke sends out his second Pokémon!”

The commentator’s voice boomed through the stadium.

“Hailing from the icy tundra, the symbol of brute strength—Beartic!”

Boom!

“ROOOAAARR!!”

The hulking white bear was massive and intimidating. Its icy fangs glistened as it breathed out cold mist.

The tremor from its landing made Sirfetch’d flinch.

“Quack? (ŎдŎ；)”
Can I actually beat that thing?!

“Hot-sear first, then ice-chill—makes the meat firmer?”
Chef Lu Ye’s mind briefly wandered, then snapped back to focus on the sash tied around the bear’s forehead.

“Focus Sash, huh... No wonder he dared send out Beartic despite the type disadvantage.”

In the stands, Brock noticed it too.

“With Beartic’s raw power,” Brock said gravely, “it absolutely has a shot at a one-hit KO.”

Blue rested her cheek in her palm and yawned lazily. “Cubchoo is so cute, and then it evolves into this giant bruiser.”

“...You’re not even nervous, are you?”

“What’s there to be nervous about?” Blue pouted.

“Look, it’s about to end.”

“The match has resumed!”

Sirfetch’d lunged forward and slashed with Leaf Blade, drawing a painful roar from Beartic.

“ROOOAR!!”

Beartic threw its head back and bellowed. A blizzard blew from its jaws as snow and wind swept across the field.

“Beartic’s Ability is Slush Rush!” the announcer explained. “Its burst speed in hail is terrifying!”

In a blink, Beartic beat its chest and dashed forward, rapidly closing the gap between them.

“ROAR!” It exhaled icy breath, clenched its fist, and unleashed an explosion of brute force!

“Beartic, Superpower!”

The punch howled through the air. The ground cracked beneath Beartic’s steps, fissures spiderwebbing across the arena.

“Can you dodge it?” Lu Ye asked calmly.

“QUACK!! (艹皿艹)”
Even a slacker like me has been training hard, okay?!

Sirfetch’d raised his shield—but the quake knocked the leek shield from his grip. He immediately leapt back!

“Defog!”

With a single sweeping slash, wind roared out from his leek blade.

The heavy hail of the snowy battlefield began to fade and weaken.

“He even has a countermeasure move like that...”
Tetsusuke looked conflicted.

Now he understood that unique sting… the sting of being perfectly read by Teacher Lu.

With Slush Rush negated, Beartic slowed down again.

“Quack!”
Sirfetch’d’s Leaf Blade shimmered with sharp green energy as he swung!

Thud!

Beartic hit the ground with a crash!

“That Sirfetch’d just took down two in a row?!”

Viewers and fans couldn’t believe it.

“Wasn’t this supposed to be Teacher Lu’s weakest Pokémon?!”

“Fake news... He totally played the info game. Teacher Lu, you sly old b*****!”

Tetsusuke was down to his final Pokémon.

This Top 8 finisher from the Higaki Tournament…
Never expected to run into Teacher Lu so early at the Kanto League.

He let out a deep sigh, threw out an Ultra Ball, and reignited the fire in his eyes.

At the very least... I want to win one match from him!

“Teacher Lu’s not recalling Sirfetch’d?” Blue blinked.

Brock looked conflicted, recalling what Lu Ye said the day before, and murmured:

“Maybe... Teacher Lu wants to give it everything he’s got—so he has no regrets.”

A flash of light from the Ultra Ball.

BOOM!

A hunched, deep-eyed Conkeldurr landed with a heavy thud, gripping two giant concrete pillars.

“Conkeldurr, a powerhouse who wields massive concrete slabs with ease!”

The commentator gasped. “Tetsusuke’s style is definitely all-out offense!”

No fancy tricks.

Conkeldurr took solid, grounded steps, each one reverberating through the battlefield.

Then it gripped one of its pillars with both hands and raised it high overhead.

The towering stone beam blocked the sun—its presence dominating.

It was almost unthinkable how much power that one swing could carry.

But the white knight stood firm, showing not a hint of retreat.

In that moment, the crowd was awed by this Pokémon.

Can it win?
Even if it can, shouldn’t it look at least a little afraid?

But no—it was so calm, so steady, it made you believe.

Lu Ye looked up.

“Sirfetch’d, Leaf Blade!”

“QUACK!!” Sirfetch’d gritted his teeth and swung his blade.

CRACK!
Blade met pillar in a screeching clash.

“Conkeldurr, Hammer Arm!”

It brought down more force!
Sirfetch’d trembled from the impact, gripping his leek tight.

After two battles, Duck Duck was clearly near exhaustion.

Conkeldurr smirked slightly—but suddenly froze.

Craaaaack!

Gasps spread across the arena.

“Wait, is that...?!”

From the clash point, web-like fractures spread across the concrete pillar—
growing... expanding...

CRUNCH!

Conkeldurr collapsed to its knees. The shattered concrete split apart and fell from its grasp.

The stadium went utterly silent.

Tetsusuke let out a long breath.
“Swords Dance… that must’ve done it.”

Lu Ye gave a small nod, looking at the steadfast Sirfetch’d.

Even slackers have moments when they really want to win.

Especially when even Togepi had pulled off a triple KO.

Duck Duck wasn’t about to be left behind.

Weaponless and kneeling, Conkeldurr panted heavily.

Sirfetch’d was completely spent too, barely lifting his blade—
But his eyes flashed with resolve.

Leaf Blade—final strike!

“The winner has been decided!”
The announcer’s voice trembled with passion.

“Another 3-KO sweep!”
“From Donghuang: Trainer Lu Ye!!”

“QUACK!”
Sirfetch’d let out a long breath and nearly collapsed on the spot.

So many people watching though…

I’m so done, ducking back home to lie down ASAP~~(´థ౪థ)σ

“You did great.”

Lu Ye stepped forward, crouched, and gently rubbed Duck Duck’s head, smiling.

“Tonight, I’ll tell Gengar to skip your training session.”

“Quaaack~” Sirfetch’d squinted happily, turned into white light, and returned to his commemorative Poké Ball.

Phew~ that fight was still worth it after all!

Cheers erupted all around.

“Congrats.” Tetsusuke shook Lu Ye’s hand and said sincerely, “Teacher Lu.”

“You fought well too,” Lu Ye nodded. “You pushed Scallion Pancake to his limit.”

Tetsusuke chuckled softly.

It looked like this Sirfetch’d could now proudly claim a spot in Lu Ye’s roster.

Even though Teacher Lu was younger than him,
Tetsusuke genuinely felt the respect of a senior being passed down.

At the same time.

The giant screen in the celebration plaza updated once more.

“From Donghuang…”
A passerby read the screen aloud, stunned.

“Teacher Lu?! Another 3–0?!”

“D**n—Higaki Top 8, and he still treats it like a Baby Cup?!”

“Go big or go home… maybe he’ll do the same thing in the finals?!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read