Chapter 6

"National Unified Pokémon Battle Preliminary, officially begins!"

There were two judges in the arena, one scoring the new trainers' on-site command, and the other scoring the performance of the beginner Pokémon in battle.

Generally, it was just a formality.

As long as the performance wasn't too poor or outrageous, both judges would give a decent score.

After all...

The participants in the preliminary were all juniors and seniors from the same alma mater!

Of course, every preliminary battle would be recorded by a battle recorder. The recorded footage, along with the judges' scores, would be reviewed again by the Pokémon League supervisors, which also eliminated the possibility of cheating.

In this world, cheating also had very serious consequences—lifetime revocation of the qualification to become a League-certified trainer.

Few people would take such a risk; the cost was too high.

"Yang Kai Bai is performing very calmly..." Judge Gu Shun, who was scoring the new trainers' on-site command, nodded slightly.

Judge Yu Xiaoyu, a senior, nodded and said with a smile, "So is the Psyduck. It looks composed and steady. I don't think many new trainers choose Psyduck as their beginner Pokémon, right?"

Gu Shun thought for a moment and said, "Be confident, no need to say 'it seems.' I remember in our year... there was only one person in the entire grade, right?"

Yu Xiaoyu said, "Yes, Wen Pengyu. I still remember his name. I wonder how he's doing now and which Pokémon University he went to."

Gu Shun gestured towards the battle arena, "Let's watch this preliminary battle first! A Psyduck against a Krabby... although they are both water-type Pokémon, it's not that easy."

Yu Xiaoyu giggled, "Why is this Psyduck standing with its eyes closed on the battle field? Is it meditating?"

Gu Shun and Yu Xiaoyu didn't know about the little incident in the waiting room and thought it was just a habit of Yang Kai Bai's Psyduck.

Just like them, sometimes before an exam or a Pokémon battle, they would close their eyes and take a few deep breaths to adjust their state.

It seems this Psyduck... has something!

Often, beginner Pokémon would show signs of fear in such a formal and serious battle arena, and under the influence of their opponent's momentum, they might lose right from the start.

It's like a difficult problem on an exam; no matter whether you can solve it or not, you should first write down the word "solve" and then write down all the formulas you can think of...

In terms of momentum, you can't lose!

Clearly, in Yu Xiaoyu's view, the Psyduck was performing well!

Bonus points! Bonus points!

However, how could Gu Shun and Yu Xiaoyu have thought that the real situation with the Psyduck... was that it was sleeping?

And it was even standing while sleeping!

At this moment, even if Yang Kai Bai felt a bit cool inside, since he had come...

Yang Kai Bai knew the scoring rules for the preliminary.

His homeroom teacher, Song Yunchun, had reminded him many times.

New trainers' on-site command.

Beginner Pokémon's battle performance.

The Psyduck was now fast asleep, and no matter how Yang Kai Bai tried to wake it up, he couldn't, let alone command it to battle!

But!

The opponents in the preliminary battle, whether they were Gyarados, Staryu, Poliwag, or Krabby, were all Pokémon raised and cultivated by the Pokémon League's breeding center, specifically for the National Unified Pokémon Battle Preliminary as "examiner Pokémon"!

They had balanced strength and were very common water-type Pokémon, easy to breed in large numbers.

The rules of the preliminary didn't say that new trainers couldn't command the "examiner Pokémon" to attack their beginner Pokémon, did they?

Yang Kai Bai thought...

Since he couldn't command the sleeping Psyduck, he could "command" the Krabby!

Although the Krabby wasn't Yang Kai Bai's Pokémon, it was also a Pokémon without a trainer. If Yang Kai Bai couldn't command it temporarily, but kept commanding it, making the Krabby impatient...

The beginner Pokémon's battle performance might not get a high score...

But he could make up for it with the score for the new trainer's on-site command!

More importantly...

Yang Kai Bai had other plans in mind!

He believed... his Psyduck must have undiscovered abilities!

Which Psyduck can stand still without falling over while sleeping?

"Krabby, use your pincers to attack!!"

The moment Yang Kai Bai issued his first attack command...

Krabby: ...

???

"Let's start!" Gu Shun focused, but he vaguely felt something was a bit off...

What did that new trainer, Yang Kai Bai, say just now?

Psyduck... pincer attack?

Does Psyduck have pincers?

Judge Gu Shun suddenly felt a bit confused!

Judge Yu Xiaoyu also showed a surprised look, "Ah! He's commanding the Krabby! He's not commanding... the Psyduck!!"

Gu Shun was even more confused, "Why is he commanding the Krabby? That's not his beginner Pokémon! Who commands the examiner Pokémon to attack their own beginner Pokémon?"

At this moment, the Krabby in the pool, with its pincers raised high, seemed to be in a state of "drawing the sword and looking around in confusion"...

Krabby: (⊙…⊙)

Who is that person?

Why is he commanding me?

Don't act like we're familiar!

Not familiar, not at all!

...

Not familiar?

Yang Kai Bai couldn't agree with that.

Familiar, we must be familiar!

"Krabby, use your pincers to attack the Psyduck's head! Attack the Psyduck's head and knock it down! You will win this battle!"

Yang Kai Bai's plan was already taking shape.

In the anime...

Misty's Psyduck, due to various reasons, had to be hit on the head to reach the pain threshold to activate its psychic powers and burst with energy.

Psyduck had eaten a lot of baozi early in the morning...

And they were even filled with a tree fruit recipe!

And it started sleeping like this?

Yang Kai Bai looked at the Psyduck, which was standing still, sleeping soundly, and holding its head...

It was like a mystery... unfathomable!

Krabby was almost driven crazy by Yang Kai Bai!

Who are you?

What gives you the right to command me?

You want me to use my pincers to hit the Psyduck's head? Do I have no dignity?

No! No!

Krabby was so angry that it started foaming at the mouth...

If Yang Kai Bai wasn't standing in a safe area, out of Krabby's reach... no, it was him.

Krabby would have already lunged at Yang Kai Bai with its pincers!

Since it couldn't reach Yang Kai Bai...

It would vent its anger on the Psyduck!

Krabby charged towards the Psyduck!

Swinging its pincers, the attack style seemed like a mad frenzy, making Judge Gu Shun's heart race!

The examiner Pokémon was enraged!

Enraging the opponent's Pokémon...

Do new trainers already know such advanced tactics?

But with Krabby's frenzied attacks...

Could the Psyduck withstand it?

Judge Yu Xiaoyu was worried about the Psyduck.

What is this new trainer doing?

How can he command the opponent of the Psyduck?

...

Krabby's frenzied charge stirred up a fierce splash in the pool, its target—

The Psyduck, which was standing still, holding its head!

Just as Krabby's pincers were about to hit the Psyduck...

"Psy!"

The Psyduck moved!