Chapter 51: Overwhelming Pressure
After Zhu Lan’s sharp rebuke, Chen Xi quickly realized the immaturity of his past thoughts.
Originally, Chen Xi’s idea was to accumulate his own strength, and once he reached the Elite Four level, he would guide his family’s policies to decisively align with the Kanto Alliance.
This kind of thinking was very normal, a commoner’s individualistic heroism.
The most typical example is ‘with great power comes great responsibility’.
It was as if once he became powerful, he would do certain things that he was certainly capable of, showcasing his abilities.
In reality, without a fortunate encounter, such a person would mostly be a nobody; even with one, they would at best be a reckless individual.
After re-evaluating himself, Chen Xi understood that he wasn’t fighting alone; he had many resources at his disposal.
He shouldn’t think of himself as a savior, but rather how to leverage the reputation of the Five Great Families to use a small force to move a great weight, orchestrating the power of the entire Sinnoh region.
Yes, the Kanto Alliance was truly formidable, but that referred to the entire Kanto Alliance.
If he were to face a single force from Kanto, even if that force was Team Rockets, even though the Yuan Family currently didn’t have a Tianwang level Trainer, they wouldn’t necessarily be afraid. This was Chen Xi’s confidence.
If he could integrate and command the entire power of Sinnoh, then even against the Kanto Alliance, Chen Xi could contend.
And this required extremely high personal strength and unparalleled prestige.
Without becoming an Elite Four level Trainer, everything would be a castle in the air.
Without enough prestige to command the entire power of Sinnoh, he would ultimately be fighting alone.
So now, in addition to his personal Growth, Chen Xi also needed to build a public image for himself, a renowned persona.
Currently, Chen Xi was not an Elite Four level Trainer, and in terms of strength, he could only advance step by step, with no other way.
However, Chen Xi was the heir of the Five Great Families, capable of having his family construct a stage play for him called 'Dragon Slaying'.
The purpose of this play was to demonstrate that even without an Elite Four level Trainer, the Yuan Family still possessed the ability to slay Elite Four level Pokémon.
At the same time, it was also to create a new image for Chen Xi, the next core figure of the Yuan Family.
This image was not about Chen Xi's personal strength, but about his ability to use people and leverage talent.
A twelve-year-old commanding a Hunter Organization to hunt and kill a Salamence—even if others knew Chen Xi relied on his family’s power, even if they were aware that the Hunter Organization included the help of several Master Trainers.
But what did that matter? It was still slaying an Elite Four level Pokémon without being one himself. This was reputation.
As long as Chen Xi entered Qiefeng Academy with such an aura, he would possess the most perfect innate advantage.
Qiefeng Academy would also be the place where Chen Xi established his initial core team.
Therefore, this dragon-slaying expedition was a gamble for Chen Xi, one where success was the only option.
To ordinary Trainers, Chen Xi was merely engaging in a boring game for a noble young master.
But Chen Xi himself knew very well that he was gambling his own fate, staking his entire future.
The next day, these lists were submitted, and the original team of over four hundred people quickly saw seventy or eighty leave.
In the end, even with the Superior Trainers provided by the Yuan Family, there were only three hundred thirty-odd people left.
To be honest, Chen Xi was quite surprised that over three hundred people remained; he had originally expected fewer.
Chen Xi reorganized these people, breaking down their original formations and dividing them into five groups based on the Pokémon they owned: scouts, MTs, control, damage dealers, and medics.
They were further arranged according to seventeen types (there was no Fairy type), and team leaders for the basic teams were selected from the Yuan Family’s contingent.
During this process, Chen Xi clearly felt his mind active and his memory astonishing.
In his previous life, even with a computer to record so much information, he probably would have had to review it several times to get an impression.
But now, he could recall most of the Pokémon these people used and the skills they knew almost immediately after glancing at the roster.
Chen Xi guessed that this was due to his long-term practice of meditation using the Calm Mind method.
Although his Psychic abilities were not yet capable of telepathy, Teleport, or even using Psychic skills.
However, the clarity of thought and enhanced memory brought by Calm Mind alone made its value unquestionable.
Chen Xi left behind a team of over fifty Trainers, composed purely of Yuan Family members, to serve as his core force.
Almost all of them were Superior Trainers, some even Master Trainers, and no fewer than seven of them commanded Quasi-Heavenly King Pokémon. All were led by Qing Ze, whom Chen Xi could absolutely trust.
Next, he reorganized and trained the entire Hunter Organization, at least to ensure they understood Chen Xi’s commands, emphasizing discipline in a manner similar to a university military training.
After five days of refinement, Chen Xi led this team to officially set out for the Salamence’s lair.
Soon, the first obstacle appeared: the sandy terrain the group faced.
When Chen Xi arrived with his team, he clearly saw that this sandy area was several football fields put together, blocking their only path.
There was absolutely no way to bypass it to reach the Salamence’s lair.
“How did you get across last time?” Chen Xi asked Sha Xie, turning his head as he saw the sandy area.
“Last time, we used Ground Type Pokémon to pull us across,” Sha Xie quickly replied, “But even so, we were attacked by Hippowdon lurking in the sand.”
Chen Xi nodded and said to Qing Ze, “Qing Shu, have the family’s weather manipulators bring heavy rain to this sandy area.”
For the Yuan Family, the Sunny Day and Rain Dance skills were quite proficiently mastered, as they were crucial for plant Growth.
It wasn’t possible for everyone to know them, of course, but it wasn’t difficult to find a dozen or so among so many Superior Trainers.
Soon, Trainers summoned their Ludicolo, who happily began to Rain Dance to the beat.
Under the effect of Rain Dance, rain clouds gathered in the sky, and before long, heavy rain began to fall like pebbles, pattering on the sand.
Instantly, the continuous rain seeped into the sand. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes… The sandy ground continuously absorbed the water from the heavy rain, as if devouring it endlessly.
But Chen Xi remained unmoved. If the Rain Dance wasn’t enough, Chen Xi even intended to have all the Water Type Pokémon pour water onto it.
In any case, the entire sandy area could definitely be filled.
Sure enough, with the continuous pouring of rain, the Hippopotas and Hippowdon in the sand emerged ferociously from the muddy sand.
But at this moment, they were not at all terrifying; instead, they were utterly disheveled.
There was even a level 68 Hippopotas that tried to kick up sand to dispel the mist in the sky.
But all it managed to kick up was a lump of mud. Facing the suppression of over a dozen weather manipulators, it was truly helpless.
The Hippowdon ambushing in the dunes were strong. Even if they encountered Pokémon of a higher level, they might be able to Bite them, drag them into the desert, suffocate them to death, and then eat them.
But once a Hippowdon leaves the desert, its threat is greatly reduced.
Not to mention, it could only survive in the muddy, water-filled swamp it hated most, making it a living target.
Then, at Chen Xi’s command, these Hippowdon and Hippopotas were barraged by Water Gun from Water Type Pokémon, all of them losing their ability to fight.
Seeing the sandy area that he had crossed with such trepidation, Chen Xi simply crushed it and moved on.
This scene left Sha Xie dumbfounded, filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
“Give me such Elite Trainers from the Yuan Family, and I could also pass through without injury.”
Of course, this was definitely not Sha Xie’s thought alone.
Chen Xi had people capture all these Hippopotas. They were spoils of war, after all, and he even found a Soft Sand imbued with the power of earth.
Chen Xi decisively announced that he would take one-third of these spoils, the contributors would take one-third, and the remaining one-third would be put into the team’s pool, to be calculated into points and exchanged after the dragon-slaying was over.
The hunters had no objections, as the Yuan Family had done most of the work this time, and they were fortunate to even have a selection.
Next, they arrived at the border between snow and grassland, where cold winds blew incessantly.
Precisely because of this airflow, the flocks of birds circling in the sky appeared exceptionally swift and fierce.
And when Chen Xi arrived here with his team, the flying flock, led by a level 71 Altaria, along with Staraptor, Starly, and other Altaria, directly rode the cold wind and charged down!
“That’s it!” Gang Ren said, “Even with my Scizor team, under the impact of these Flying Type Pokémon, we were beaten and fled in disarray.”
“No Weather ability… to prevent weather-changing moves from affecting this downward extreme cold airflow!” Chen Xi observed for a moment, then said to Qing Ze beside him, “Qing Shu, give them a wide berth!”
“Understood, Young Master!”
Hearing Chen Xi’s command, Qing Ze led the Yuan Family Trainers to summon numerous Venusaur.
As soon as these Pokémon appeared, they immediately used Ingrain to stabilize their position below, and Vine Whip to weave a net above, with Grassy Terrain spreading in between.
The withered grass underfoot instantly turned vibrant green, giving an unparalleled sense of vitality.
“Grass Type, they can’t stop these flying birds, can they?!” Sha Xie exclaimed worriedly, looking at the scene before him.
Chen Xi, hearing this, didn’t emphasize anything, merely glanced at Sha Xie, looking full of confidence.
The leading Altaria looked at the net woven from plants before it, showing a hint of disdain.
It flapped its wings, and several Air Cutters sliced through, instantly shredding the woven vine net.
“I knew it, Grass Type facing Flying Type is a huge disadvantage!” Sha Xie thought to himself how he should run.
The Altaria was full of triumph, and looking at the pathetic opponents before it, it naturally let out a cry.
It led the bird Pokémon, riding the cold wind, to charge at high speed towards the Trainer’s position.
It wanted to teach these people an unforgettable lesson.
Watching these birds directly ride the cold wind and charge upwards.
But these vines had already re-woven themselves into a net before they charged up, once again demonstrating the Growth ability of Grass Type Pokémon.
At this moment, the Altaria no longer had time to dodge; it could only continue to command the flock to charge forward.
It didn’t believe that the vines it had easily torn apart could be that sturdy.
In an instant, they crashed headfirst into the vine wall!
These incredibly flexible Vine Whips extended extremely long with their charge.
But the Vine Whips simply would not break.
At the same time, behind them, more Vine Whips extended out.
These Pokémon that had crashed into the vine net were immediately sandwiched from front and back. In a flash, they were continuously enveloped by the ever-growing vines, wrapped up like dumplings and then tied like zongzi.
“This… what’s going on?”
Sha Xie and Gang Ren were both a bit confused. A Quasi-Heavenly King level Pokémon led the charge, yet after all that charging, it couldn’t break through the vines. This wasn’t logical.
At this moment, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Poison Powder, various powders flowed out from the vines.
In a blink of an eye, these Pokémon, which had originally been struggling, quickly quieted down.
Chen Xi sent people with Poké Balls to capture them, but there were too many. He only selected those that appeared to have good potential, leaving the rest to the Spirit Hunters.
These Spirit Hunters were not picky; adhering to the idea that it was foolish not to take advantage, they decisively captured these bird Pokémon.
The second obstacle was easily overcome.
Sha Xie was somewhat dazed. He didn’t understand why the bird Pokémon couldn’t break through the vine net organized by Grass Type Pokémon.
Chen Xi naturally wouldn’t explain to him. This tactic was a Grass Type MT strategy specifically researched by the Yuan Family.
Simply put, it uses the Ingrain skill to fix Grass Type Pokémon to the entire earth, and they can also share life and strength with other Ingrained Pokémon, achieving absolute leverage from teammates and the environment.
To break through such a defense with a physical charge, it would at least require the same number of Tauros using Ultimate Impact to have a chance.
Otherwise, it would just be a joke.
Chen Xi only needed to smile at this moment, letting Sha Xie know that he was unstoppable.
Entering the snowy environment, it was not an ideal place for Grass Type Pokémon to perform well.
But in fact, this time, facing the Abomasnow group, there wasn't even a need for Trainers to act.
Qing Ze appeared alone, and the Abomasnow, along with his Snover, retreated.
Because Qing Ze displayed Green Leaf Power.
On other continents, Green Leaf Power could at most allow communication with Grass Type Pokémon, and provide effects like 100% Grass Type affinity, etc., but it didn’t have direct command ability.
But in Sinnoh, Green Leaf Power represented the dominion of the divine beast Arceus over Grass Type Pokémon.
Unless a Pokémon possessed sufficient bonds, otherwise, at the level of merely being a strong subordinate, when facing an owner of Grass Power, Grass Type Pokémon would basically choose to obey the commands of the Green Leaf Power owner.
Because in their eyes, they were obeying the commands of Arceus.
This command could not cause them direct harm, such as making them go into a Poké Ball; that was impossible.
But asking them to clear a path, these Pokémon would absolutely not object.
Soon, the third obstacle in the Salamence Subjugation was easily passed without a single casualty.
Sha Xie stared blankly at the sky, feeling the deep malice of this world like never before.
His half-lifetime of effort might not even compare to the power mobilized by a rich young master’s whim for a game.
“What are you staring at? Let’s go! Is the Salamence up ahead?” Chen Xi said to Sha Xie.
“Oh, coming right away, coming right away! I’ll lead the way, I’ll lead the way!” Sha Xie said with a fawning smile, walking at the very front!
Therefore, this hard-won powerful connection must be held on to tightly!