The Ryūji Dokan, the Dragon Gym, was located in the north of Kyoto and covered a very large area. Centered around a massive battlefield that could accommodate hundreds of thousands of people, various buildings had been built, including shops, aquariums, zoos, and libraries. It was one of Kyoto's biggest sources of income, with millions of tourists visiting every day.
"There are so many people," Zhang Tian sighed. He had never seen such a huge crowd.
"Be scared. This is the largest business district in Kyoto. You can make money here every day," Bea said with a smile.
"It's true that I'm a little scared. Even in the magical capital, I haven't seen such a huge flow of people," Zhang said. If I didn't have psychic powers, I don't know how long it would take to squeeze through here. Praise be to psychic powers.
"Let's go in," he said, and with another Teleport, they appeared in the hall of the Dragon Gym. There were far fewer people here. To challenge the Dragon Gym, you needed to have the strength of a Gym Leader, so naturally, not many people could come in.
"Teleportation? Who is so bold as to use Teleportation here?" someone said, amazed.
"It turned out to be him. No wonder." Everyone recognized Zhang Tian, the young genius who was like the sun in the sky. There were many rules in the Dragon Gym, but such rules were useless for an Elite Four-level trainer.
"Rare! I was wondering who was so daring as to use Teleportation in my gym. It turns out to be you, kid," a voice said. It was Iris, dressed in a dark purple dress, walking down from the upper floor.
"Gym Leader Iris, we meet again," Zhang laughed softly.
"You're here to challenge the gym?" she asked.
"Yes. After all, I want to be a champion," he replied with a smile. To challenge the Champion Road, he needed eight gym badges.
According to the rules, the first and second gyms were at an elite level, the third and fourth at a Gym Leader level, the fifth and sixth at a quasi-Elite Four level, and the seventh and eighth at an Elite Four level. In other words, anyone who could obtain eight badges from a major nation was a true Elite Four-level trainer. This was the value of the badges of the Great Powers, unlike those of small countries that could be obtained casually.
"Then come with me. I've wanted to get a taste of those powerful Pokémon of yours for a long time," Iris nodded, leading him towards the battlefield.
A challenger had just been defeated, and the referee, sitting on a Braviary, flew into the air. "Audience, you are about to see a good show! The first day of our Great Xia, Zhang Tian, is about to challenge our gym leader! In other words, you will see a battle at the level of the Elite Four, which is very difficult to see!"
"Great! It's been a long time since I've seen Miss Iris go out in person!"
"This is going to be a good show!"
The audience cheered. Both Zhang Tian and Iris were powerful trainers with great reputations. The battlefield, which could accommodate hundreds of thousands of people, resounded with cheers.
"The Rookie King enters!"
"The Gym Leader enters!" the referee announced loudly.
"Zhang Tian! Zhang Tian!"
"Iris! Iris!"
The shouts were deafening. In this world where Pokémon battles were the most popular form of entertainment, the audience was incredibly excited. Zhang Tian smiled, happy. He loved this feeling, this atmosphere. He walked out of the contestant tunnel and onto the battlefield.
"He's a natural trainer," Iris thought, surprised. "Not only is he not intimidated by this atmosphere, he likes it." She walked out of the passage on the other side, and the cheers grew even louder. Strong trainers were popular, but strong and beautiful trainers were even more so.
"The rules of the competition are as follows: One, the flight altitude cannot exceed 1,500 meters. Two, it is a 3v3 singles battle. You are not allowed to change Pokémon during the battle, unless it is a skill replacement. Three, special means such as Gigantamax can only be used once each. Four, the Rookie King's Kinship Skill is different from a Z-move and can be counted as a fifth special means, meaning that after he uses his Kinship Skill, he can also use a Z-move. Five, to be fair, after defeating an opponent, you must also recall your own Pokémon. Okay, the game begins. I will start the countdown."
The rules are basically the same as in the Rookie Competition, Zhang thought.
"Who do you think will win?" someone in the audience asked.
"It should be the Gym Leader. She is a veteran champion-level trainer. Although Zhang Tian is powerful, he is a junior, after all."
"That's right. And I remember he said that in two months, he will definitely become a champion-level trainer. He's really full of himself."
"I hope the Gym Leader can teach this young man a good lesson."
In the VIP room, a middle-aged man in a red fighting suit was watching the screen. "Tie Xin, who do you think can win?" an old man in a Tang suit asked with a smile.
"It must be Iris. This kid is only a few years old. His command ability and combat skills are definitely not comparable to hers," the middle-aged man said with disdain.
"Then you underestimate this genius. He is a future legend personally certified by Professor Oak. I think this little guy can win. His Pokémon are powerful," the old man replied.
"Hmph, future legend? I don't know how many people have been blown up like this over the decades, but what can happen in the end?"
"Then let's make a bet. If you lose, you will give me a set of Z-stones with all attributes. If I lose, I'll give you two sets," the old man said.
"Oh, that's what you said! It's a deal!" the middle-aged man's eyes lit up.
If Zhang Tian had been there, he would have recognized them. The middle-aged man was Flint, the Fire-type Gym Leader of the Great Xia, and the old man was Surge, the Electric-type Gym Leader. Both were champion-level trainers.
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"Begin!"
"Come out, Redhelm Arzuros!"
"Charizard, let's go!"
A very tall Charizard, half a meter taller than normal, appeared before Iris.
[Charizard]
Level: 68 (Elite Four)Ability: BlazeItem: Charizardite X
Before Zhang, a Redhelm Arzuros, dressed in scarlet and full of a strong smell of blood, appeared.
[Redhelm Arzuros]
Level: 60 (Elite Four)Ability: BloodthirstyItem: Redhelm Arzuros Mega Stone
"Roar!" it let out a terrifying roar, and a murderous aura rose, the thick smell of blood spreading across the field. The cheering audience instantly fell silent. The Redhelm Arzuros may not be the strongest of Zhang's monsters, but it was the one that loved to kill the most.
"Such a terrifying murderous aura, such a strong smell of blood. How many people has this Pokémon killed? How many Pokémon has it killed?" Iris's brows furrowed. She was startled. More importantly, she could feel a madness in its aura. This Pokémon loved to kill. It was not normal. She had never seen such a terrifying and bloodthirsty Pokémon. She didn't understand how Zhang had subdued such a madman.
"What a terrible Pokémon!"
"How did he subdue this crazy guy? It won't suddenly get out of control, right?"
The audience was frightened.
"Respond to my heart, Keystone! Redhelm Arzuros, Mega Evolve!" Zhang raised his left hand, and the Keystone on it lit up with a dazzling light.
"Can this Pokémon also Mega Evolve? I really didn't expect it," Iris thought. She took the Keystone from around her neck. "Charizard, let's go! Mega Evolve X!"
"Belly Drum!"
During the process of Mega Evolution, her Charizard used Belly Drum. This ability to use a status move during Mega Evolution was something Zhang had only ever seen Bella do.
"Mega Evolve! Mega Evolve!"
"That vicious Pokémon can even Mega Evolve!"
"Both sides are Mega Evolving! So handsome! What crap is Gigantamax and Terastallize? I like Mega Evolution the most!"
"Is this a champion-level trainer?" Zhang thought, watching the Charizard use Belly Drum. "Compared with the inexperienced Leon, a champion-level trainer like Iris is more oppressive and powerful. My time as a trainer is too short, otherwise I would have mastered this ability as well. But even then, the victory will be mine."
ROAR! The white light faded, and the two Pokémon completed their Mega Evolutions. Charizard turned black and blue, its attack now at +6. The price, of course, was a deep wound that appeared on its body, blood constantly flowing out. The Redhelm Arzuros's fur was now covered in a thick carapace, and it had grown to 10 meters, far larger than the Charizard. Its ability changed to Bloodthirsty Evil, and its defense and special defense were instantly boosted by +1.
Belly Drum, what a perverse skill, Zhang thought. Attack +6... such a skill should not be allowed. Next time I encounter a Pokémon with Belly Drum, I will definitely use Taunt at the beginning. An attack boost of +6 was equivalent to a 4x increase in power. It was terrifying.
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