The participant benches were spacious, with enough distance between trainers that releasing Pokémon there was no issue.
Since joining Lin Feng, Serperior had spent very little time, if any, inside a Poké Ball. Naturally, if it wanted to come out, Lin Feng wouldn't force it back in.
So now, in addition to the Alolan Vulpix in his arms, Lin Feng had a Serperior standing beside him, towering nearly three meters tall, upright and proud. It overlooked the ongoing battles in the arena with a composed air.
The other trainers, who had just begun to pay attention to the matches, were instantly taken aback.
Wait a minute. Aside from the other Pokémon he's shown, now there's a Serperior too? Could it also be under one year old?
You really don't hide anything, do you?
This sudden display even caught the attention of Ji Yan in the audience. At a youth-level tournament like this, it was rare to see a top-ranking Elite Four member watching, except maybe from their hometown. He had only come because he'd heard about a five-month-old Blaziken with the Speed Boost ability, already at a dominant, pseudo-legendary level. He wanted to see firsthand how a young trainer could raise such a Pokémon so quickly.
But now, looking at the Serperior, Ji Yan raised an eyebrow. Even he hadn't seen one of such exceptional quality.
"This is strange… Goomy, Alolan Vulpix, Blaziken, and now a Serperior. Such a diverse team, with types that counter and complement each other. How did he even train them to this level?"
Ji Yan was stunned. Normally, Dragon-types feared Ice, Fire-types counter Ice, Fire also counters Grass, Grass counters Water, and so on. Managing a team with such type interactions was already impressive. But this boy had each Pokémon trained to perfection.
'This isn't good…' Seeing the Serperior released, Ji Yan frowned. It meant the boy's Blaziken might not be sent out early, reducing the chance to see it in battle. He couldn't exactly force the boy to use it.
'Or maybe I should wait until after the match and ask him directly.'
The two thoughts tangled in his mind, but he ultimately returned his focus to the ongoing battles.
"Do you want to come out?" Lin Feng looked at Serperior beside him.
"Xiuxiu…" a calm voice emanated from the Pokémon.
Lin Feng smiled. As he suspected, outside the Poké Ball, Serperior resumed its distant, aloof demeanor. He nodded in response. It didn't want to stay inside, it just wanted to be out, even though the Poké Ball was now a luxurious one.
The tournament had reached the match between participant 45 and 46, and Lin Feng's turn was approaching.
The numbers for the first matches had been kept secret to prevent trainers from looking up videos of opponents during the waiting period. For Lin Feng, though, this was no problem. In fact, he even contemplated whether he should aim for the championship. After all, his original intention had merely been to explore Xinghua Mountain and take some Pokémon out for a bit of exercise. For example, his Dragonite…
Its temperament had improved considerably and no longer lunged at people randomly. And, of course, he was here to watch Qin Shu's match. But after visiting the store, the little Vulpix insisted on battling. There was no arguing with it.
In the end, Lin Feng handed the initiative to the Alolan Vulpix.
"Do you want to be champion, little one?"
"Yingyingying?"
The Alolan Vulpix blinked, turning toward him from its observation of the ongoing battles. It licked his cheek and responded with a serious "Yingyingying!" (No, I don't!)
"Hmm?" Lin Feng was caught off guard. "You don't want to? Why not?"
"Yingyingying!" (Because I am the Nine-Tailed Hero!)
The little fox's expression was full of pride.
"Yingyingying!" (A true hero leaves no name!)
Lin Feng stared. That was… an unusual preference. He didn't understand it, but he could somewhat empathize.
If one considered the creators of anime, it made sense. Suspense and anticipation were necessary for storytelling, so they often created characters who hid their identities like some famous characters from past special-effects shows. A child death-god hero might never reveal their true identity, even if unusual situations arose. Logic would be preserved for continuity. Or a transforming hero like Ultraman would only reveal their identity in the final episode.
From that perspective, the Nine-Tailed Hero's philosophy made sense: the true hero's deeds didn't require recognition.
Lin Feng chuckled and said, "Do you know why the Pikachu hero never reveals its identity after defeating the evil Pikachu?"
"Yingyingying?" The Alolan Vulpix was confused. It had never thought about that.
Lin Feng continued, "Just like in that Pikachu Thunder anime you watched. The main character always protects the town, stopping the evil Pikachu, yet when everyone complains about the hero disappearing after the battle, the hero never announces who it is."
The little fox tilted its head, remembering scenes from the show. Every time the protagonist was misunderstood, it was heart-wrenching to watch.
"Xiuxiu…" Lin Feng continued, "From the protagonist's perspective, it's like finishing the job and quietly stepping away. The hero doesn't want everyone to know about the deeds so that they aren't idolized or misinterpreted."
"Yingyingying…" The Vulpix nodded, absorbing this explanation.
"But there's more to it," Lin Feng said with a grin.
"Yingyingying?" The little fox perked up, curious.
"It's simple. The Pikachu hero protects not just the town but also its family and loved ones living there. If it revealed its identity, each battle with the evil Pikachu would put those loved ones at risk. Hiding ensures their safety."
"Yingyingying!" (So that's why!)
The Alolan Vulpix was amazed. Its question had been answered, the mystery solved.
"This could be the reason," Lin Feng added, smiling. "But honestly, whether a hero leaves a name or not depends on the creators. Sometimes, the anime team just wants to set up suspenseful, heartfelt moments."
Unnoticed by him, Jirachi, who had been listening nearby, froze, absorbing every word.