I, the first trainer of the new world

A swift and powerful eagle.

Lei Yan took a deep breath, and his gaze on Serena was no longer dismissive; the pride buried deep within him crumbled.

He had to thank the girl before him for breaking his naive arrogance. Just like Liu Ruyan, he had the desire to move forward, and his gaze never lingered on this moment.

Every dojo master harbors a desire to defeat the King, especially Jinlai and Liu Hui.

In the first 'placement tournament' during that sweltering summer, Jin Lai and Liu Hui were dubbed the weakest duo, a title they accepted because it was true.

But that title has long since disappeared, and now only one of the eight strongest people on Earth remains.

Fu Xing, Zeng Sheng, Zheng Yaqian, Lin Wen, Yi Ke, Luo Kaier, Jin Lai, and Liu Hui are the eight masters who can be included in textbooks during the hot summer.

This isn't a change they could achieve by simply staying in the same place; it's a result of their continuous training in the Pokémon world, growing stronger and stronger, and gaining recognition from everyone.

Lei Yan also harbors a desire to become one of them.

Or rather, every gymnastics trainee has a desire to secure a place among them.

His gaze grew increasingly resolute, filled with fighting spirit.

This battle was no longer a gym challenge; it was his way of proving to his opponent that he was not just "this level," and that he was indeed a gym leader candidate recognized by the Summer League.

Thank you for bringing me back to the right path when I was almost going astray. Thank you for making me realize how petty my arrogance was. And thank you for reaffirming my determination to become stronger.

Therefore, I will use all my strength to defeat you.

With all of my... everything!

"It's your turn, Light Fly!" Lei Yan threw the Poké Ball in his hand with unwavering determination. The red and white Poké Ball drew a graceful arc in the air and flashed red light with a crisp opening sound.

As the Poké Ball bounced back precisely, Lei Yan grasped the returning Poké Ball, his expression now shrouded in fighting spirit.

"Fri~"

A light pink figure floated in the air, a gentle smile on her face, her touch like a veil.

Qianlin's eyes flickered slightly: "The Floating Pokémon is light and airy, and it's a Water/Ghost type. This Pokémon doesn't have a very high compatibility with the Sandstorm team."

However, its resistance is quite good, and its skill pool is also very interesting. It would be fine to simply use it as a rotation character in some teams.

Flareon/Flying Talonflame is not at an advantage against Water/Ghost's Float. Float can resist most high-powered moves except for Brave Bird, and Fighting and Normal-type moves are also ineffective against it…

With a slight flicker in his eyes, Qianlin's lips curled into a slight smile.

I know what you're up to.

The next moment, Lei Yan and Qian Lin spoke almost simultaneously.

Lei Yan: "Magic Space!"

Qianlin: "Provocation."

Lightly, with a gentle smile, turned her body, releasing magical energy in all directions. However, before this power could fully unfold, the Arrowhawk instantly shot out, its dark energy surging and transforming into a black light that landed on Lightly.

The magical power dissipated.

The fighting spirit in Lei Yan's eyes vanished in an instant, leaving only utter astonishment.

Despite his surprise, he didn't forget that they were still in battle, and quickly shouted, "Light Flake, spray water!"

Water energy converged, and a light, floating tentacle rose, condensing endless water droplets in the palm of the hand, transforming into a terrifying water column that shot straight up, like a volcanic eruption, occupying the entire sky.

The Fiery Arrow Eagle darted swiftly between the water columns, its body swaying constantly, its wings fluttering, as a gentle breeze blew once more.

Let's drive again with a favorable wind!

Dodging attacks while using moves is not easy. Even though the Arrow Eagle was moving very fast between the water columns, it could not completely dodge the moves. The terrifying water columns bombarded its body.

The next second, a red light flashed, and Talonflame returned to its Poké Ball.

Amidst the bursts of water, a gentle breeze blows as another Poké Ball falls, and as the Poké Ball is activated, Starmie lands in front.

"Starfish, 100,000 Volts!" Qianlin pointed with his right hand.

“mie——”

Golden lightning flashed as the gems on the starfish shimmered, transforming into lightning serpents that coiled around the water column and continued forward, climbing up the light, floating body.

"Fri!"

She cried out in pain, the convergence of water energy vanished without a trace, and she flew backward.

The red light flashed again.

Lei Yan's face was serious as he threw the Poké Ball with all his might: "Excadrill! Swords Dance!"

"Ka!"

The dragon-headed ground squirrel landed in the center of the field.

Qianlin smiled, his eyes teasing: "Gem Starfish, turn back quickly."

“mie——”

The gem starfish spun its body, flying past like a spinning blade. The dragon-headed ground squirrel had just landed and instinctively clasped its arms together. Before it could even make a move, the excruciating pain from the water blade's cutting made its eyes turn red.

The steel blade on the claws fell, slicing out a blade of light to attack the gem starfish, but almost at the same time, the gem starfish turned into a red light and instantly disappeared from the spot.

The dragon-headed groundhog gritted its teeth, and as it brought its arms together, a red, illusory sword blade rose from its body.

However, Lei Yan's expression changed drastically, but before he could speak, Qian Lin grinned and said, "Fiery Arrow Eagle, Flame Charge."

"Wow!"

The wounded Arrowhawk swept across the land, shooting straight out like an arrow released from a bow. Terrifying flames enveloped it, transforming it into a giant fiery red falcon that flew close to the ground and appeared in front of the Dragon Head Ground Rat in the blink of an eye.

boom!

A terrifying roar echoed throughout the stadium, and flames mixed with smoke erupted, almost engulfing the entire battlefield.

"Wow—"

The Arrowhawk's body broke through the dust and soared into the sky, its wounds not changing its gaze in the slightest.

Lei Yan stared wide-eyed at the Fiery Arrow Eagle in the sky, his expression dazed: "Are you... serious...?"

He just wanted to steal a Swords Dance while Talonflame was off the field and needed time to switch out, but his opponent read his moves and forced him to switch out with a Water-type move first, followed by a Fire-type move to deal damage at close range. Excadrill didn't even get to do anything, and before he could even finish his Swords Dance, he was hit by two super-effective moves.

Will it lose its fighting ability as soon as it appears?

Is the person on the other side with the ability to read the map really Carlos's trainer?

Why does it feel like dealing with her is even more stressful than dealing with Emperor Ruyan?

Are you serious?

Amidst the whistling wind, Qianlin tossed Starmie's Poké Ball aside, a smile playing on her lips: "I thought it was Garchomp, but it's Excadrill. You really like Garchomp, huh?"

Starmie wasn't originally intended by Chihaya to counter Excadrill; she didn't even bring Hydro Pump, only U-turn. Now, Raiyan has chosen two Pokémon, both of which are countered by Starmie.

He probably wanted to force a Swords Dance when Talonflame was rotated out of the field, probably taking into account that Starmie would carry Water-type moves, but Excadrill could still withstand one move.

Once Tailwind disappears, Excadrill in a sandstorm can easily defeat Starmie. Even if Talonflame enters the battle, it won't be able to trigger its ability if it's not in good condition. Without priority, Talonflame wouldn't be at a disadvantage even if it had to trade with Excadrill, since it still has a Flying Sprite with Taunt in reserve.