Chapter 398: Arriving from Afar
The one that Mega Evolved was Metagross.
It was Pan Shanyu's Metagross.
When its massive form after Mega Evolution appeared before the public, it caused an uproar.
A pseudo-legendary... could also Mega Evolve, and it was Metagross at that! Several buffs stacked together, and in an instant, this news was pushed to the absolute peak!
The boost from Mega Evolution was obvious.
And at this moment, apart from the strength increase Mega Evolution could bring to Pan Shanyu, what everyone was more concerned about was how much of an advantage Metagross's Mega Evolution could bring to Huaxia on the network end!
Metagross!
It had always been a crucial Pokémon for Huaxia in occupying the forefront of virtual technology and the network end.
Besides being extremely powerful, it was also extremely rare.
Unexpectedly, it could now also Mega Evolve!
This was undoubtedly a historic enhancement for Huaxia's computer processing capabilities!
"Virtual technology should be online soon! Nintendo should be able to create virtual games then. That way, battling will be even more convenient!"
"Yeah, yeah, it's also very significant for education!"
...
These were all things that happened during the fourth round of matches.
Hikaru was also quite surprised.
Never mind the bonds required for Mega Evolution; just the Mega Stones themselves were now fetching sky-high prices for ordinary people. Not to mention, currently, few people in the market could even distinguish the types of Mega Stones.
Furthermore, this was a Metagross Mega Stone, even rarer.
This Pan Shanyu's background felt quite significant...
But this had nothing to do with Hikaru.
He still didn't think he would lose.
Mega Evolution, that's all.
Even if an Elite Four level Metagross Mega Evolved, it would only be level 65.
Fourth round matches.
Hikaru was up against Zhu Yuyu, the seeded contestant from North China University.
The result went without saying; Hikaru won.
But Sakura (Xiao Ye) wasn't so lucky.
She was up against Ma Xiaojian.
In the final day's match, with her Dragon Tamer power and Mega Evolved Metagross, she narrowly lost, having defeated five of the opponent's Pokémon.
There was no helping it. Most of Sakura's (Xiao Ye) Pokémon had just reached Master level. Without the boost of Mega Evolution, they naturally couldn't compare when battling against an opponent's veterans.
However, stopping at the top fourteen, this result was still very impressive.
In the contestants' seating area.
The final match of the fourth round was currently underway.
Liu Xuan and Pan Shanyu.
The two who were originally considered the most hopeful for the championship this year had actually clashed at this point.
But now, the outcome between the two was already obvious.
Not to mention that Metagross and Pan Shanyu had mastered Mega Evolution; even if they hadn't, just Metagross reaching Elite Four level first would have left Liu Xuan helpless.
Thus,
The fourth round of matches quickly concluded.
The seven winners were Hikaru, Pan Shanyu, Ma Xiaojian, Bai Yuecheng, and three other contestants who performed well in the matches.
Reaching this stage, basically all were well-known contestants.
As usual, there was a three-day rest period.
By this point,
The main tournament of the Youth League had been going on for a month.
Today was January 15th.
Tomorrow was the start of a new week. Hikaru casually followed behind Sakura (Xiao Ye), wondering what kind of Entry would refresh tomorrow.
For Entries, [Entry Duplication] was good.
A few skill-type Entries would also be nice.
Especially for Bulbasaur. The last battle with Ash had allowed Hikaru to clearly see Bulbasaur's shortcomings.
Once the opponent was a Steel-type or Poison-type Pokémon, its SubToxic strategy was reduced to just "Sub."
Its offensive moves were too monotonous.
It could learn that Magical Leaf, and then learn Leaf Storm.
Unfortunately, Grass-type moves were too restricted.
Or perhaps, Bulbasaur's strength was still a bit weak?
He thought again of the Serperior in the Qinling Mountains, wondering how it was doing now.
Could it have reached Champion level?
He had sent so many talent energy cubes; perhaps its talent had truly reached Champion.
Defeating it was still a long way off...
Sigh...
Lost in thought, he walked out of the arena. After discussing with Sakura (Xiao Ye), the two planned to head back to the university.
But the moment he stepped out of the Didi, Hikaru's peripheral vision swept past the university gate, and his steps faltered for a moment.
The fourth round had just ended. The university entrance was currently bustling with people. Some even cast their gazes towards them, discussing in low voices.
They were mostly words of praise and envy. Hikaru had long since gotten used to these as his fame grew.
What made him pause was a girl standing hesitantly at the school gate.
A white long-sleeved shirt, paired with casual gray trousers, and a light gray single-brimmed hat. Her attire was always so simple.
Perhaps because he was looking, the other person also clearly saw him.
The moment her gaze met his, Hikaru subconsciously looked away, then glanced to the side.
Only to find that Sakura (Xiao Ye) beside him was already looking at him with an inexplicable expression, making it impossible to avoid. She looked somewhat resentful, yet also a bit sighing.
Finally, she said softly, "Look at you. Don't say anything rash, let me handle it."
She naturally linked her arm with his, then walked up to Xue Nai and greeted her sweetly, "Hello, Senior Sister."
Although she had mentally prepared herself, when this scene truly unfolded before her, Xue Nai still found it hard to speak. All the tension from the flight had ultimately dissolved into a weak, "Hello you two..."
"Senior Sister..."
Hikaru also greeted her.
Sakura (Xiao Ye) continued to ask, "Senior Sister, you came to Kyoto to...?"
Xue Nai didn't quite know what she was saying herself, her smile somewhat forced, "Just came to see. Isn't junior brother about to compete in the Youth League finals?"
She only felt a chill all over.
The duel between women was silent, and now, she had already lost...
Sakura (Xiao Ye) pressed on, "To cheer for Bro?"
"Mhm... well, junior brother Hikaru and I are from the same school... watching skilled trainers battle up close is also somewhat helpful..."
"That's great! Let's go together. It just so happens I was eliminated in this round of matches too. We can go watch Bro's matches together then."
Sakura (Xiao Ye) released Hikaru's arm, smiling brightly, and naturally walked to Xue Nai's side, "Senior Sister, have you found a place to stay yet?"
Xue Nai was a bit puzzled, "...Not yet..."
If Hikaru and she were truly childhood sweethearts, then she herself was the latecomer.
Why was she being so enthusiastic?
Was it to display her victory to her?
Sakura (Xiao Ye) continued, "These few days are leading up to the Youth League finals, so the surrounding hotels and inns are all fully booked. If you'd like, junior sister can help you find a place."
Her tone was very enthusiastic, like entertaining a guest who had come from afar.
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