Chương 38: Hearing the voice but not seeing the figure

The auditorium was not far from the dormitory, and when Gadriya arrived with Lu Sha, it was already bustling with people.

This magnificent building, constructed to accommodate two thousand people, now resembles a hierarchical pyramid.

The second floor belongs to the faculty and staff, while the first floor is clearly divided into three areas: left, center, and right, corresponding to students in grades one, two, and three, respectively.

At Zhuqing Academy, ability is the only passport.

The higher the student's ranking, the closer they sit to the front, enjoying the envious view from everyone else.

The moment Gadriya carried Lu Sha through the main entrance, the noisy hall seemed to be silenced, followed by whispers and stares.

Countless gazes were cast upon him, no longer with the curiosity and disdain he had at the beginning of his school years, but instead with awe.

In just ten days, the legend of Cattleya has evolved into a campus ghost story.

On the first day of school, he beat up the top student, hypnotized the teacher in the first class, and sent the teacher to prison.

Rumors circulated that she passed the investigator's exam, that she beat up all her roommates on the same floor, and that even the 25th floor below could feel her ridiculously strong superpowers.

In the students' eyes, this was no freshman, but a great demon king who had descended upon the beginner village.

According to school rules, Pokémon are strictly prohibited from being released into the auditorium.

But at this moment, Lu Sha was being held in someone's arms in a very casual manner, while the faculty and staff responsible for discipline around them looked at the ceiling in perfect unison, pretending to be studying the structure of the light fixtures.

After all, no one wants to follow in the footsteps of their colleague who went to jail.

"Click! (Tsk tsk, look at those eyes. Our current demeanor is no different from the villains' entrance.)" Lu Sha opened his mouth, which was full of sharp teeth, and let out a strange, clapping laugh, clearly enjoying the treatment.

"If we're going to be the villains, then who's going to play the heroes?"

Cattleya responded with a smile, still in a good mood.

Now, she can accept the gazes of those who see her as a monster.

In any case, she could never be the same kind of person as others.

Lu Sha is right. Since we can't make everyone like us, we'll make them fear us and let them live in our shadow forever.

"Click! (Who knows, maybe it's Plantina, maybe it's Cynthia, maybe it's Gossip.)"

"You think highly of them?" Cattleya raised an eyebrow.

She could sense that Lu Sha wasn't trying to elevate these people by belittling herself.

But shouldn't the righteous side defeat the villain in the end?

"Cut! (The good guys are the good guys, but unfortunately, not every story ends with the good guys winning. Unfortunately, we've got the script where the bad guys win.)"

"A villain winning script... I really like this script."

A playful smile curved Cattleya's lips as she walked straight to the center of the first row, to the seat that symbolized the pinnacle of new life, and sat down with composure.

Although there are twenty seats in the first row, only a handful of people at the very front can actually sit there.

Cynthia sat on the innermost side, accompanied by Dr. Mustard, the vice principal of the Celebration Academy.

The grandfather and grandson looked solemn, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible heaviness.

The three members of the Prandina group arrived in a hurry and sat down on the far right, giving each other a strange glare.

"Huh? (What's wrong? Still not over the loss last time? Kids who hold grudges don't grow tall.)" Lu Sha felt confused. They hadn't done anything recently, and their exchange yesterday was quite friendly.

If everyone is going to start reading together, that's Cynthia's fault, what does it have to do with them?

Not long after, the giant screen in the center of the auditorium lit up.

Today is the first match of the World Championship quarterfinals, and Professor Oak is the opening guest to give a speech.

On the screen, the newly retired top trainer, who is also a leading figure in Pokémon studies, is eloquently discussing his theory on the harmonious coexistence of humans and Pokémon.

The students in the audience were drowsy, and Lu Sha was no exception.

The peaceful coexistence we enjoy today is not something that can be achieved by mere words.

Lu Sha only recently looked up this history.

About thirty years ago, Professor Oak used Dragonite's iron fists to defeat the Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Galar regions one by one, forcing everyone to sit down and listen to his reasoning.

As for regions like Carlos and Alaro, they surrendered before Professor Oak could even charge in.

In the end, they didn't even manage to get a branch of the league; they are currently still affiliated with the Unova and Sinnoh leagues.

Don't assume that being affiliated is a good thing for Sinnoh. Each region has economic autonomy, and the League only cares about whether each region has followed the League's rules.

The Kanto League only needs to issue regulations every day, while the Sinnoh League is running around like crazy, not only managing its own region but also coordinating with the Kalos region.

But truth only exists within range... no, only within Dragonite's coverage area.

After Professor Oak finished his speech, the battle finally began.

"Next up, the Sinnoh region's Mustard Bamboo Elite Four member will face off against the Kanto region's Agatha Elite Four member!"

As the narrator's passionate voice rang out, the scene shifted to the battlefield.

"The King of Mustard Seed Bamboo!!"

Cheers erupted from the auditorium behind them.

But looking at the event venue, there was almost no sound.

There was no applause, no cheers, not even a boo.

On the screen, an old man with white hair and beard, standing proudly in the wind, walked onto the stage, with an elegant Roserade standing beside him.

This is Sinnoh's last remaining member, and also Sinnoh's strongest member at present.

His opponent, Kikuko Tenno, looked even older than him, leaning on a cane and exuding a chilling and oppressive aura.

When Grandma Kikuko appeared, the audience erupted in cheers, which could be clearly heard in the auditorium even though the live broadcast was being recorded.

This differential treatment left Sinnoh fans watching the live stream in different locations feeling resentful.

But no way.

The tournament rules stipulate that the home venue is wherever the World Championship winner is located.

Because of the invincible Professor Oak, the home venue for the World Championships has been Kanto for the past few years without fail.

If they want to change their home venue, they have to win the championship first.

"Crack! (Tsk, these Kanto people are really rude. When Mustard Bamboo King came on stage, they didn't give him any face at all.)" Lu Sha said with a tsk.

"It's a pity that we can't feel that level of pressure through the screen. But one day, we will stand there too."

"Cadelia said softly, while stroking Lu Sha's dorsal fin," she said.

She enjoyed growing up with Lu Sha and hoped to achieve the highest success together.

She longs for the day when she can stand on the world's highest stage with Lu Sha.

The battle begins.

There were no formalities, no probing.

"Go forth, you cunning tengu!"

"Go! Gara gara!"

Almost the instant the Poké Ball was released, the battle had already begun.

"Click! (Tsk, both are so sneaky. Alolan Marowak in Fire/Ghost form, and Swiftmend in Grass/Dark form! Fire beats Grass, and Dark beats Ghost, both Pokémon that can counter the opponent's main type!)" Before Lu Sha could finish speaking, a deafening explosion came from the screen.

Boom!!

The two figures collided in the center of the arena, and the ground within a radius of a hundred meters was as if it had been plowed by an invisible giant plow, with soil and rocks churning wildly.

The high-speed cameras used for live streaming could only capture the remaining flames and black afterimages in the air.

"Click? (No, you can't even see that clearly, what's the point of looking at it!)" Lu Sha was dumbfounded.

Is this what a battle between kings is like?

It disappeared in a flash, like a ghost, leaving no afterimage, just a loud bang.

Are you sure this level of combat footage is broadcast?

The probing seemed to have ended, and the Pokémon on both sides increased their speed. Only two shadows could be seen flying back and forth, followed by a series of loud explosions.

"This is the first time we've seen footage of a Champion-level match," Cattleya said softly.

"With the current level of camera technology, we can't capture the details of a Champion-level match. Besides, previous World Championships were only for live viewing; recording wasn't allowed, and there was no broadcast."

"Click? (Then why is it okay this time?)" Lu Sha was stunned for a moment.

If he remembers correctly, this should be a live broadcast from all of Sinnoh, and it's even a mandatory requirement for the League to watch.

Students watch it at school, while cattle and horses watch it at the company.

Seemingly remembering something, Lu Sha and Gadriya glanced in Cynthia's direction almost simultaneously.

Something is wrong!

Something's not right!

Seeing the extremely heavy hearts of Cynthia and Mustard, Lu Sha realized the problem.

The battle has only just begun, yet he looks like he's already lost.

unless...

Lu Sha suddenly turned around and looked at the Mustard Bamboo King in the picture.

Tsk!

That old man is ruthless!