The Zero Moon Cup’s fourth day marked the highly anticipated start of the main competition.
Unlike the semi-closed setting of the preliminaries, countless spectators poured in for the main competition, filling the stands to capacity.
Many people held up banners with slogans like “Go, XX Player!” on them, clearly indicating they were the support groups for contestants who had made it to the main competition.
Lin Fan stood in the player ready area, looking at the banners outside with a hint of envy, his belief in winning the championship growing even stronger.
To become a stronger Trainer faster, this initial capital would undoubtedly be a great help to him.
Once he truly became a somewhat famous Trainer and could earn money independently, he could bring Lin Dad and Lin Mom to the competition venue for every match.
Shaking his head, Lin Fan stopped thinking about these things, found a front-row seat, and closed his eyes to rest.
He was D group number 5, and his battle was this morning, while Su Ling was F group number 1, and her battle was in the afternoon, so she wasn't with Lin Fan but continued her urgent extra training.
Clearly, even though she said Machop might not lose to Onix, Su Ling was actually under a lot of pressure.
After all, since she came to compete, how could she not want to win the championship?
Recalling Su Ling's determined gaze, Lin Fan wisely refrained from saying, “Even if you beat Wu Heng, there’s still me. Want to win the championship? Better just go to bed.”
As the competition drew near, a group of delegates in suits also made their collective appearance, taking their seats in the special guest area.
Not only were there people from the Xiyue City Trainer Association, but also sponsors from Ling Yue Company, and other relevant personnel.
But what caught Lin Fan’s attention the most was the steady, rock-like, close-cropped middle-aged man in the very center.
By intuition, Lin Fan recognized the other party’s identity: the Rock-type Gym Leader!
Besides the fact that the other party was in the center, Lin Fan recognized him for another important reason.
“Hmm, the same squinting eyes as Wu Heng, completely carved from the same mold.”
Lin Fan nodded, acknowledging Gym Leader Wu's genes.
Scanning the guest area, Lin Fan didn't see the person he had expected, which surprised him a little.
He had thought that Niu Zhan Shi should also be here; it seemed he had guessed wrong.
But precisely because of this, Lin Fan became even more curious about his identity.
Of course, it was absolutely not because the higher the other party’s status, the better the gifts he would theoretically receive after winning the championship. Was Lin Fan such a shallow person who would easily believe others?
...
At exactly 8:00 AM, the announcement sounded punctually over the broadcast:
“The main competition is about to begin. a group contestants, please prepare yourselves. Exceeding ten minutes will be considered an automatic forfeiture.”
The broadcast played three times, and at the same time, fireworks soared in the center of the arena, accompanied by stirring background music, signaling to everyone that the competition was about to begin.
Although Lin Fan had always been relatively calm, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement amidst the earth-shattering cheers from the stands.
Life is but a few moments, and this competition was undoubtedly the first step for him and Beedrill to enter the public eye.
“A little excited…”
Lin Fan grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement, and the Poké Ball containing Beedrill on his waist also slightly swayed, indicating that the latter was also becoming restless.
As the cheers from the audience subsided, a group number 1 contestant and a group number 2 contestant walked onto the battleground from the ready area.
Once the two stood firm, the audience immediately erupted in cheers far louder than before, occasionally interspersed with shouts like “I love you, Yue Bao!” and “Kirlia is the best in the world!”
Lin Fan also squinted slightly, looking at the person on the left side of the field.
Xu Yue, the daughter of the Psychic Gym Leader, whose initial Pokémon was Ralts, now evolved into Kirlia.
With a superior family background, stunning looks, a cool demeanor, and impressive strength, it was no wonder she had such high popularity.
The organizers placing her as a group number 1 clearly had the intention of igniting the arena's atmosphere.
Xu Yue's face was calm, completely unaffected by the fervent atmosphere.
But her opponent, an ordinary-looking boy with glasses, couldn't help but swallow, clearly overwhelmed and unaccustomed to such an atmosphere.
As the referee announced the start of the match, both released their Pokémon.
Kirlia vs. Teddiursa.
As the glasses boy’s Pokémon, Teddiursa also inherited its Trainer’s social anxiety, its body stiff, and its combat power plummeting.
The result was as expected: Kirlia stood still, and Teddiursa didn't even get close to Kirlia before being lifted away by two consecutive Confusion attacks from the latter, securing the first victory.
Xu Yue remained calm, calmly recalling Kirlia, her white long dress gently swayed by a light breeze, displaying utmost elegance.
This scene, as expected, once again triggered waves of cheers, completely igniting the fervent atmosphere within the arena.
After one battle, the remaining 14 people were paired up and entered the arena.
Geodude vs. Ekans, Geodude wins.
Pidgey vs. Rattata, Pidgey wins.
Sandshrew vs. Nidorino, Nidorino wins.
Venonat vs. Meowth...
After the a group battles concluded, the competition entered a brief break, followed by the b group contestants beginning to prepare.
The seeded player in b group was named Lin Mo, and his Pokémon was Scyther, a relatively rare Bug-type Pokémon.
“Scyther, I want one too.”
Lin Fan’s eyes flickered, carrying a hint of longing.
Scyther has two evolutions, but rather than evolutions, it’s more accurate to say they are transformations into different forms using specific items, because according to the game data, the base stats of all three forms are the same, all being 500.
However, all Pokémon that require items have one characteristic: their strength will increase to a certain extent after using the item, and the higher the quality of the item used, the greater the boost.
Additionally, Scyther’s typing is Bug/Flying, which is a very common, even arguably weak, type combination, so Trainers who insist on using Scyther without evolving it are relatively rare.
At least in Lin Fan’s opinion, if he obtained a Scyther, he would definitely evolve it into Scizor. The Bug/Steel typing is extremely excellent, and both its physical attack and physical defense are outstanding, making it undoubtedly one of the most prominent Bug-type Pokémon.
However, Lin Fan felt that evolution should respect the Pokémon’s own wishes; if Scyther was unwilling to evolve, then he naturally wouldn't force it.
With the Insect Plate, as long as it was a Bug-type Pokémon, its achievements in his hands would not be low.
After a moment of daydreaming, Lin Fan suddenly came back to himself and chuckled self-deprecatingly.
“I haven't even seen a trace of Scyther yet, and I'm already thinking about what it should evolve into.”
Shaking his head helplessly, Lin Fan continued to focus intently on the match on the field.
Although he didn't have a Scyther now, it was still good to observe how others trained and used Scyther in advance.
He might even find time to have a friendly sparring match with his Beedrill against theirs.
Double Needle vs. Double Scythe, just thinking about it was interesting.