"There's no way he has two Torracats," Hagen stated firmly, his eyes fixed on the screen.
"Congratulations, Feng Che. You defeated Wormadam with ease," Examiner Ikeda said, stepping back. "I'm sending out my next partner now."
"Fine. Return, Corvisquire." Feng Che recalled the Ditto and slipped the ball into his pocket, pretending to grab another. "Sorry, Ikeda. I prefer to use a fresh Pokémon for each round to minimize the strain on them."
"I respect that," Ikeda nodded. "Go, Ferroseed!"
Ferroseed resembles a metallic durian, a spherical plant covered in protective green thorns and black stripes. It possesses a hard, metallic body and small yellow eyes with black pupils.
A Gym-level Ferroseed? Hagen really is trying his hardest to force out my Torracat, Feng Che thought. "Go, Torracat!"
The "Torracat" (Ditto) emerged. "Torracat, use Flamethrower!"
Just one hit. The 4x weakness was devastating. The Ferroseed was charred black and collapsed instantly. It was so fast it almost looked like a rigged match.
In the Stands
"Blue, let's go. Feng Che isn't the one who attacked the League," Professor Oak said, standing up.
"It seems we weren't the only ones suspicious of him. The Elite Hagen is clearly trying to corner him by sending out Pokémon with 4x weaknesses to Feng Che's known starters. It makes the whole thing look like a farce. A Gym-level Ferroseed? I'm surprised they even found one for this," Oak snorted and turned to leave.
Observation Booth
"What now, Hagen? Are you going to say he has a spare Incineroar too?" Blaze joked.
Hagen's eyes were bloodshot. "No... my sixth sense is never wrong. Something is off. He has to have an Incineroar."
"Hagen, I understand you're stressed, but the evidence is right there. You're chasing shadows," Blaze said, rubbing his temples.
Examiner Ikeda was starting to feel the heat. Two rounds, two one-shots. He was beginning to doubt his own luck. Please, let the next one last longer. I'm losing face here. A Gym-level Ferroseed... what was I thinking?
"Alright, let's continue. I have high hopes for this one. Go, Onix!"
"Ah, finally. A Pokémon that isn't made of paper," Ikeda muttered.
"Return, Torracat," Feng Che said, swapping in his "Froakie" (Ditto).
The Onix was a behemoth, over ten meters of grey, articulated stone. It towered over the small frog.
"Froakie, use Water Gun!"
Feng Che expected to test the snake's durability and slowly wear it down. But the second the high-pressure stream hit the Onix's head, the massive stone serpent crashed to the ground, unconscious.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Ikeda's mental state crumbled.
He wasn't the only one. In the booth, Hagen let out a strangled cry, coughed up a spray of blood, and collapsed.
"Congratulations... Feng Che," Ikeda stammered, handing over the C-Group pass with a trembling hand. "You've passed the primary selection. Wait for the bracket notification." The examiner stumbled away, feeling physically and mentally drained.
Feng Che exited the tunnel to find Sabrina leaning against a pillar. She had disguised herself to avoid being mobbed.
[Sabrina: It seems your problem is solved.]
Yes. I gave them exactly what they wanted to see, Feng Che replied.
[Sabrina: Good. Get some rest. I've been assigned to the Sevii Islands to monitor Lugia and the Legendary Birds. Boss Giovanni wants them captured if they return to their nests. Dr. Fuji needs their blood for the cloning project.]
"They're likely too spooked to return so soon," Feng Che noted. "But who knows? Maybe they're homebodies."
[Sabrina: One more thing. Koga, Janine, and Surge are under heavy surveillance, so they won't be your opponents. Blaine is also barred due to his history with Giovanni. Your final test will be against Brock, Misty, and Erika. They will use their strongest teams.]
Three days later, the group stage ended. The four finalists were decided:
Group A: Red
Group B: Blue
Group C: Feng Che
Group D: Green
The lot drawing followed: Red vs. Green and Feng Che vs. Blue.
"Dammit! Blue got him first!" Red grumbled, pacing the room. "Why do I have to fight Green? I wanted a crack at Feng Che!"
Green sighed from the corner. "Red, thank you so much for implying I'm the easy win. Truly."
Blue sat quietly, reading a book. He was satisfied. Feng Che's Pokémon are strong, but I'll be the one to unmask his true ceiling.
The Semi-Finals: Feng Che vs. Blue
"Feng Che, finally. We get to do this for real," Blue said, his eyes sharp with excitement. "I'm using my primary team. Don't hold back."
Feng Che won the coin toss for the second move. "Your lead, Blue."
"Go, Pidgeot!"
Blue's bird was magnificent—two meters tall with vibrant plumage and powerful wings.
"Go, Alolan Niales!"
As Niales emerged, a sudden Snow Warning triggered, and thick snowflakes began to fall over the summer arena.
"An Alolan Niales? Rare," Blue noted. "But my Pidgeot won't be grounded by a little snow. Pidgeot, use Extreme Speed, followed by Air Slash!"
The bird vanished, reappearing instantly in Niales' face. It swung its wings like blades, but the Pidgeot's strike shattered the fox into icy shards.
"A Substitute?! When?!"
"Pidgeot, use Aerial Ace to dodge the Aurora Beam!" Blue shouted, spotting the real Niales appearing in the mist.
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