Chương 154: Aiming for the Championship

The battle was over, and the flying ice crystals and dust gradually subsided.

Cynthia slowly lowered her hands, which had been in command, but surprisingly showed no sign of frustration or defeat.

She knew very well that Regirock was only able to be subdued with the help of Lu Sha and the others, and that with her current strength, she was no match for Cattleya.

This battle was less of a friendly sparring match and more of a way for her to fulfill Regirock's desire for revenge.

As for what choice Regirock will make after this battle...

She didn't know, but she accepted whatever the outcome might be.

"Regirock, you've done very well. It's my fault for not being strong enough, which dragged you down."

Cynthia walked slowly through the broken ice to Regirock's massive, scarred body.

She took out the top-grade wound medicine, stood on tiptoe, and carefully applied the ointment to the cracks.

Compared to the five-meter-tall rock giant, the girl's figure appeared incredibly small, and even applying the medicine seemed extremely difficult for her.

While doing all this, she was already prepared to be abandoned by the other party.

"Reggie! (Human, you've done a great job.)" Unexpectedly, a deep, resonant voice echoed gently in Cynthia's mind.

Regirock did not blame him; instead, a hint of approval shone in his gleaming round eyes.

It is not blindly arrogant.

The absolute difference in strength is like an insurmountable chasm, which cannot be bridged by command alone.

It even knew very well that if it hadn't received Cynthia's command to hold, it would have been unable to fight when faced with the first wave of dragon power.

"Reggie! (We'll get our revenge later!)" Regirock slowly bent down, extending his massive, rocky hand, and stopped in front of Cynthia.

At this moment, it finally recognized reality.

With its own capabilities, even if the man and shark on the other side were reduced to ashes, it would have no chance of taking revenge.

The previous battle at Tianguan Mountain was a humiliation it had never experienced in its long history.

It was provoked in a nearly humiliating manner by a human and an unevolved Pokémon, yet it had no way to retaliate.

But in the blonde girl before it, it saw boundless potential and the hope of revenge.

"Alright! Let's get stronger together, and one day, we'll take it all back from Cattleya and Lu Sha in a fair and square way!"

Cynthia was slightly taken aback, then her eyes lit up with dazzling surprise and fighting spirit.

She nodded heavily, extended her small fist, and met Regirock's giant rock fist.

One large and one small, one rock and one flesh, they completed the heavy vow collision in the frozen ruins.

Not far away, Lu Sha, who had witnessed the entire scene, withdrew his gaze with satisfaction, even stroking his chin in a rather old-fashioned manner.

That shark of a man loves doing things that are helpful to others.

The key point is that today he finally managed to smash this hard rock to the ground, and he felt refreshed and clear-headed.

Thinking back to that massive explosion, which forced the young lady to push her superpowers to their limits, they almost perished there.

Fortunately, the ending is good now.

Not only did Cynthia successfully capture Regirock, but judging from the big rock's temper, it will definitely be a punching bag that can be bullied repeatedly in the future.

Click click click click!

On the other side, seeing that the commotion had subsided and everyone was gathering around her, Dorasena quickly spoke first: "Everyone, everyone, look here!"

She clapped her hands lightly, the crisp sound instantly drawing everyone's attention back: "Just now, Gadriya and Cynthia gave us a near-perfect warm-up match. On the world stage we're about to step onto, you'll encounter geniuses no less than Gadriya, as well as opponents far inferior to you."

Dorasena remained smiling, her gaze sweeping over the young faces: "But I hope that no matter who your opponents are, you can all showcase the spirit of Zhuqing Academy and your own unique style. I hope to see your most dazzling moments at this Academy Cup."

"I will also record all of this with my camera. No matter where I go in the future, this will be the most precious memory of my life."

"Cut! (Stop, stop, stop, why does this sound more and more like a deathbed... no, a farewell speech?)" Lu Sha rolled her eyes and couldn't help but complain.

Dorasena's words were eloquent, but paired with her ever-slow and deliberate smile, they lacked any of the passionate spirit that a departure ceremony should have.

Having a woman with a dark side give a pre-battle pep talk is like asking a pampered young lady to be a cheerleader—it's completely uninspiring... well, maybe not.

"Because this was indeed my parting message."

Dorasena wasn't angry. She just smiled at Lu Sha, gently tucking a strand of chestnut-colored wavy hair behind her ear, and said with a touch of emotion, "This will be the last time I lead the team to participate in the Academy Cup, and also my last month working at Zhuqing Academy."

"Actually, it's not just me. For all of you here, including Cynthia and Gadriya, this should be your last year as students at the academy."

"After this tournament, everyone will either graduate or travel to different parts of the world, and it will probably be difficult to gather together like this again."

"Gardelia definitely won't stay at the school, so I'm really looking forward to Cynthia taking over the team's leadership for next year's Academy Cup and bringing another championship trophy back to our Zhuqing Academy."

"If I have the chance, I will."

Cynthia nodded solemnly, then couldn't suppress her curiosity any longer: "Teacher Dorasena, where do you plan to go after you leave the academy?"

"Oh dear, someone offered me a high salary to become a shareholder in their company. I didn't want to accept at first, but the offer was just too much."

When Cynthia saw Dorasena spread her hands, feigning helplessness, but her eyes kept drifting towards Lu Sha's direction, she instantly understood.

If nothing unexpected happens, the people Dorasena will be following are the man and the shark in front of her.

As for what kind of company it was, she didn't know the specifics of its business, but she assumed it was related to Carlos.

A wave of emotion washed over Cynthia.

Her grandparents also had an incredibly powerful network of connections, but that network was built up slowly over several decades after her grandfather became an Elite Four trainer.

And Gadria and the others, at such a young age, have already started making plans?

But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Cynthia smiled with relief.

Although they are the same age, the other is a true Heavenly King-level powerhouse.

In this world, having the strength of a Heavenly King already means having the right to all privileges and resources.

In comparison, she herself still has a very, very long way to go.

Once the Academy Cup is over, I must train even harder. Cynthia secretly vowed to herself.

"Click! (Alright, alright, stop saying goodbye here! Move aside, let me speak!)" Lu Sha chuckled and strode to the very center of the group.

"Click! (Don't just stand there, brothers and sisters, raise your hands with me!)" The team members looked at each other, puzzled, but led by A-Liu and Wu-Song, they followed Lu Sha's raised shark arm and put their hands together.

"Click! (Celebrating the victory of the Academy! Sinnoh will win! The champions are ours!)" As Lu Sha's powerful dragon roar resounded, everyone in the arena froze for half a second. Then, a burning light ignited in everyone's eyes, and smiles involuntarily spread across their faces as they erupted in a unified shout: "Zhuqing Academy will win! Sinnoh will win!!"

The shout pierced through the dome.

With an unstoppable and high-spirited belief, the group turned around and strode out of the school team's training ground covered in solid ice.

However, just as they reached the college gate and were about to board the shuttle bus to the airport, the scene before them made everyone stop in their tracks.

The wide, tree-lined avenue was now densely packed with students and faculty members.

There was no organized rehearsal; it was all spontaneous farewell.

"Jiajia! Nana! We have to win, carrying our share!!"

A clear female voice broke through the noise, and Prantina rushed out of the crowd like a light lark, hugging Cattleya who was walking at the front.

Lu Sha noticed that her young mistress's body stiffened slightly the moment she was hugged.

Surprisingly, faced with Prantina's enthusiastic embrace, the usually aloof young lady did not use her mental power to push her away.

Instead, Cattleya slowly raised her hand and, somewhat awkwardly but gently, patted Plantina's back twice.

Seeing this, Lu Sha smiled.

In fact, he knew better than anyone that the young lady was never a true block of ice.

She was simply trapped in a cage since childhood, had no friends, and didn't know how to interact with the world, so she used indifference as a protective shield.

It's nice to be like this now, with a touch of everyday life.

"Lu Sha, you can do it!"

Pal also squeezed through the crowd and punched Lu Sha's sturdy shoulder hard.

"Click! (Leave it to me. You guys just get your popcorn ready in front of the TV and watch me sweep through the audience.)" Lu Sha grinned widely, his smile both ostentatious and confident.

"That won't do! Watching on TV isn't enough! Once you make it to the quarterfinals, we're going to buy plane tickets and fly to Hoenn to cheer you on!"

Diamond walked forward with a simple smile and stuffed a heavy package into Lu Sha's arms.

Without giving Lu Sha a chance to refuse, he handed over the backpack and took two steps back: "This is a farewell gift that I and everyone in the academy cafeteria prepared for you. It's all your favorite flavors, and I guarantee there will be plenty!"

"Click! (Thanks, I'll be waiting for you guys in Kanaz City. If I don't hear your cheers from the stands when we get to the quarterfinals, I might get angry and throw the game!)" Lu Sha joked, holding the heavy bag of goodwill.

"Haha, don't worry! Even if my leg breaks, I'll crawl over! No matter what, we have to win! Go for it!"

Seeing that Lu Sha accepted the gift without hesitation, Diamond stepped forward and gave Lu Sha a firm hug.

Because of Gadalia's unintentional creation of the group, Lu Sha often joked and bantered with these people in the group.

Before they knew it, they had become quite familiar with each other.

Moreover, they are on the same page right now.

If Lu Sha can win the championship, the glory will belong to every member of Zhuqing Academy.

"Click! (Leave it all to me! Hoenn, here I come!)" Amidst the gentle breeze and sunshine, and the thunderous cheers of the entire school, Lu Sha and Jia Deliya boarded their private car.

The car doors slowly closed, the engine roared, and carrying the geniuses of the Sinnoh region, it sped towards the battlefield known as Hoenn.

Kanto region, Quartz Academy.

On the towering quartz plateau, fierce winds whipped up coarse sand and dust.

With a high-pitched dragon roar, a massive Dragonite tore through the clouds and crashed down in the center of the gathering plaza.

The violent air currents shook the surrounding trees violently, while on a broken boulder at the edge of the square, sat a giant man as tall as an iron tower, sitting steadily cross-legged.

"Oh, so you're the one leading the team this year, Wataru!"

The giant Shiba grinned, its thick lips parting to greet the figure in a black and red cloak on the dragon's back, braving the gust of wind that came with the dragon's descent.

"Last year they got thrashed at home. Can they get their revenge this year?"

Du did not answer immediately. He first glanced down at Shiba, and then nodded in greeting.

As a classmate, Du's life trajectory was completely different from theirs.

Backed by the Dragon Clan, Du led Quartz Academy to victory in the Academy Cup in his first year of school with overwhelming force.

The following year, he made a strong entry into the Heavenly King Challenge and ascended to the throne of the Kanto Four Heavenly Kings.

Although he is still old enough to qualify for the Academy Cup, he no longer belongs to this competition.

For a current world champion who has just shone brightly at the World Championships, going back to dominate a group of students would be a blow to his prestige and reputation, regardless of the outcome.

He was only there as a representative of Quartz Academy to lead the escort team.

"I have to get it back! These past few months of hellish training have completely transformed me."

Shiba rubbed his calloused fists and couldn't help but sigh, "But to be honest, you geniuses are really freaks. You're all about the same age, but your strength is terrifyingly high."

"Boosting the morale of others while diminishing our own. That's not something you, Shiba, would say."

A voice as clear as frost and snow came from behind the boulder.

Accompanied by the crisp click of her high heels, Kona pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses and walked gracefully over.

Although she has only just turned eighteen, she already possesses an aura of icy sophistication that keeps strangers at bay. Every gesture she makes exudes a maturity and aloofness beyond her years.

"I don't want to boost others' morale, but I've heard that the monsters emerging from various colleges this year are more outrageous than ever before."

Shiba shrugged helplessly and rattled off a list as if it were his own treasure: "God and Wallace from Hoenn, Cattleya from Sinnoh, Karen from Kalos, Raibou from Galar, and Yaji from Padia..."

When Shiba uttered this long list of names that would make an ordinary trainer despair, there was not a trace of cowardice on his face.

On the contrary, his eyes were filled with a burning, fervent fighting spirit.

For a pure fighter, the real thrill comes from the visceral, hand-to-hand combat with these monsters.

"Oh."

Kona snorted coldly, crossed her arms, and raised them in an astonishing arc: "We've been two years behind, and this is our last time participating in the Academy Cup. After winning the first championship, we aimed for a three-peat. We suffered an unexpected defeat in the second, and now we only have this last chance for revenge. This time, we absolutely cannot let these three years of hard work go to waste. If we keep going like this, I'll get too old."

"old?"

Upon hearing this word, Watari and Shiba reacted in unison.

The two exchanged a silent glance, their expressions turning somewhat strange.

Looking at Kona's exquisite face, which, despite being only eighteen, already exuded the mature charm of a twenty-five-year-old, they swallowed their complaints.

After all, when it comes to looking older than one's age, the two of them are the real heavyweights.

Du's cold and stern face didn't look like that of a boy under twenty at all.

The situation with Shiba is even more outrageous.

Whose 18-year-old boy has the weathered face of a 38-year-old man and a body full of muscular muscles?

"No matter what, with you all here, plus Ah Ju and the others, Guan Du will never lose, and absolutely cannot lose!"

Du suppressed his unusual expression, his gaze suddenly sharpening as he swept over the crowd below like a hawk: "I don't want to see you all return looking disheveled on my first expedition after becoming a Heavenly King. If you really pull off such a humiliating feat, I will absolutely not let you off the hook."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lance dramatically flicked his black and red cape behind him, and in the whistling wind, he stood tall and straight on the back of the Dragonite once again.

"Target: Hoenn! Follow!"

"Aww!"

Dragonite let out a deafening roar, its wings flapped violently, and it transformed into a streak of yellow lightning, tearing through the clouds and hurtling towards the Hoenn region.

Below, Shiba laughed and jumped off the boulder, while Lorelei silently took out a Poké Ball.

The rest of the Quartz team members also summoned their respective Pokémon, each displaying their unique abilities as they soared into the sky, chasing after Lance's figure.

Without chartered planes or private cars, they had to rely on themselves to get to Hoenn.

This year's World Academy Cup is the only one in history that it has not been held in Kanto.

Because they lost the championship trophy last year, Quartz Academy also lost the right to host this year.

Sending these trainees across the ocean while he himself traveled to Hoenn was both a punishment from the Kanto Alliance for losing their honor and a silent spur to action.

After all, Quartz Academy used to never need to travel far.

>