Join my p@treon for more chapters
[email protected]/Tempest_29
Three more powerful Trainers approached the battlefield one after another. Their goal wasn't to defeat Eddie completely, but rather to overcome his Gabite.
After all, it seemed they had accepted they couldn't defeat Eddie himself, but if they couldn't even force him to use his second Pokémon, it would be too embarrassing for their pride.
Although Gabite is a Dragon-type Pokémon, it was obvious to everyone that it hadn't fully evolved to its final form yet.
The Trainers felt humiliated at the prospect of being defeated by a Pokémon that hadn't reached its final evolution, even if it was a Dragon-type.
So, except for the first challenger—an Intermediate Trainer—the others who came up to challenge Eddie afterward, including Uncle Dereck, were all Advanced Trainers.
The Pokémon they chose could either use Ice-type moves, or like Uncle Dereck's, were Pokémon with neither type advantages nor disadvantages against Gabite, hoping to wear it down through attrition.
Naturally, their predictable strategy made it easier for Eddie to spot weaknesses, resulting in them being defeated one after another by his Gabite. Eddie didn't even need to send out Greninja; Gabite had completely dominated the arena single-handedly.
"Ding! Gabite gained experience! Level +1! Reached level 33! Learned [Dragon Claw]!"
Watching Gabite defeat 10 Pokémon without assistance, Eddie was reminded of someone boasting: "I want to defeat 10 opponents!"
"Those who battled more cautiously might have had a chance to defeat Gabite," Eddie thought, "but these Trainers became increasingly aggressive, allowing Gabite to win ten battles in a row. How embarrassing for them."
Eddie acknowledged that Gabite was incredibly powerful—beyond his expectations—but winning ten consecutive battles was no small feat.
This was a gauntlet-style tournament with no breaks between matches. Eddie couldn't even use his powers to restore Gabite's energy on the battlefield.
Under these conditions, Gabite still managed to defeat ten opponents in succession. While this was largely due to Gabite's impressive strength, the poor strategic choices of the challenging Trainers had contributed significantly to the outcome.
"Very good! The winner is this... By the way, young man, I don't believe I know your name yet," said the old man.
Seeing that Eddie had claimed final victory, the elderly gentleman hurried to the ring, ready to announce Eddie's victory. Suddenly realizing he didn't know Eddie's name, he paused awkwardly before asking.
"My name is Morning Sun, a Rookie Trainer who just started my adventure from Pallet Town," Eddie replied.
Although Eddie was telling the truth, hearing these words from the mouth of the tournament winner made the other Trainers wince.
Especially those who had been defeated by Eddie—they nearly covered their faces in shame, too embarrassed to look at anyone.
"Damn," they thought, "with your strength, you still call yourself a Rookie Trainer? Then what does that make us? Baby Trainers?"
"Morning Sun... not a bad name," nodded, as if hearing it for the first time. "I hereby declare that the winner of this tournament is Morning Sun!"
Eddie studied the old man's face carefully but found his expression perfectly normal, showing no signs of recognition.
"First, please accept these 100,000 Pokédollars," Colton announced.
The old man took out 100,000 Pokédollars and handed them to Eddie publicly, demonstrating that he wasn't trying to deceive anyone.
While Eddie appreciated the money, he wasn't particularly short on funds. He was more curious about the rare Pokémon that had been promised.
"I imagine everyone is curious about the Pokémon I mentioned earlier. I'll release it now for all to see. Morning Sun, do you mind?" Yingyan asked, considering Eddie's perspective before revealing the Pokémon.
"Not at all. Please release it so everyone can see that what you said is true," Eddie replied.
In truth, Eddie was concerned that if the old man gave him the Pokémon privately, he might receive something ordinary. But in public, Yingyan would need to present something truly impressive.
"Very well. Come out and show everyone your mighty power!" Yingyan exclaimed.
The old man seemed genuinely excited as he pulled a Luxury Ball from inside his suit. The Poké Ball had a distinctive contest-level appearance to it.
With a gentle toss, he released the Pokémon inside the Luxury Ball.
A small Pokémon emerged that somehow conveyed an impression of incredible solidity.
It had grayish-green, rock-like skin and a blunt horn protruding from its head. Its eyes were red, its arms short, and each foot had a single toe.
Its abdomen was covered with diamond-shaped red armor, and four diamond-shaped black holes marked its waist. The center of its tail was conical, surrounded by plate-like structures.
"Incredible! This guy really struck gold—he's got a pseudo-legendary," Eddie thought.
The moment Eddie saw this Pokémon, he recognized it as an extremely rare species. The display screen on his Pokédex confirmed the Pokémon's information:
Name: Larvitar
Type: Rock/Ground
Ability: Sand Stream
Level: 5
Potential: Quasi-Elite
"This is the pseudo-legendary from the Johto region, Larvitar—the first form of Tyranitar!" Yingyan announced.
The Kanto and Johto regions are very close, so many Trainers present had ventured there on their journeys.
Naturally, most were familiar with Tyranitar, the famous pseudo-legendary Pokémon of the Johto region.
"Damn it, it's a Larvitar! I should have fought harder," lamented one of the Trainers who had faced Eddie earlier. Even as he said it, he knew he was just talking without substance.
Even if he had given his absolute best, he might have defeated Gabite, but what chance would he have had against Eddie's second Pokémon?
"This is indeed a rare and precious Pokémon," Eddie said, turning to Yingyan. "Are you sure you want to give it to me? This will evolve into a pseudo-legendary Pokémon someday."
Eddie spoke politely, but his hand was already gently stroking Larvitar's head. The Larvitar seemed to take a liking to Eddie, nuzzling against his hand affectionately.
"Morning Sun, you obviously know this Pokémon's potential to become a pseudo-legendary someday," Yingyan replied softly, also reaching out to touch Larvitar's head with a hint of reluctance. "But if it stays with me, that day may never come."
"I can't let this little one miss the opportunity to battle other Pokémon in challenging environments just because of my selfishness. And you, Morning Sun—a Trainer who can control a Sinnoh pseudo-legendary—should have no problem raising a Johto pseudo-legendary."
With those words, Yingyan handed the Luxury Ball to Eddie, waved goodbye, and left the ring.
Larvitar clearly understood its original trainer's intentions; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so receptive to Eddie. Its initial bond with Eddie seemed promising.
Of course, Larvitar also sensed the powerful aura emanating from Gabite, who hadn't yet been recalled to its Poké Ball. The little Pokémon recognized that its new trainer was capable and had the ability to raise it properly.
After all, how else could a Trainer command a pseudo-legendary Pokémon with such ease?
"Lar-vi!"
As Yingyan walked away, Larvitar kept waving goodbye to the retreating figure of its former trainer. Yingyan looked back at Larvitar one last time, then continued walking without hesitation.