I have been waiting for this battle for a long time!
As Shang Ren spoke, everyone could feel his battle intent.
He Xiaomai, usually taciturn: "..."
At this moment, He Xiaomai had a fairly good idea of the level of her teacher Fang Yuan's strength.
Just the ability to create such a terrifying nightmare training realm with Darkrai, the Nightmare God, ensured his strength was definitely not inferior to the top guardian gods in the Alliance Island God Realm...
This Champion Shang Ren... what comes next...
He Xiaomai shook her head.
"Alright, if it's a battle you want, then a battle it is."
Fang Yuan was resigned; this Shang Ren must have gotten cocky after defeating Xie Qingyi and Xu Haoran.
But as the Island King, he did seem to have the capital to be arrogant.
"What are the rules? And since we're old friends, don't say I didn't give you a chance. Pick any of my Pokemon to battle against."
If he used his main force, Fang Yuan was afraid Shang Ren would claim he was bullying him.
If he used his kids' squad, Fang Yuan was afraid Shang Ren would say he was looking down on him.
If he used Darkrai... Fang Yuan feared Shang Ren might accuse him of being inhumane.
It was best to let Shang Ren just pick one himself.
"Really?" Shang Ren was astonished.
Then, Shang Ren smiled, "In that case, let's make it a 1VS1 rule."
"But, there are no restrictions on the Pokemon carrying items. How does that sound?"
Fang Yuan: "Okay."
"As for which Pokemon to battle against..."
Shang Ren glanced at the Eevee on Fang Yuan's shoulder, then fell into deep thought.
At this time, not only was Shang Ren deep in thought, but Master Kong Hai and the others were also pondering.
Soon after, Shang Ren figured it out.
He definitely couldn't pick a Pokemon from Fang Yuan's second team; doing so would diminish his stature as the Island King in front of Master Kong Hai and the young Trainers.
As for the Pokemons on Fang Yuan's first team - Eevee, Self-detonating Magnetic Monster, Monferno, Gengar, Milotic, Dragonite...
First to be ruled out were Milotic and Dragonite, because they weren't Fang Yuan's strongest force either, and choosing them might seem like bullying Fang Yuan.
Gengar... Like his Tyranitar, Gengar could Mega Evolve, but Shang Ren wasn't sure he would win, so he chose not to pick it.
As for Eevee, it was Fang Yuan's beginner Pokemon, capable of evolving by itself and had mastered Z-Moves early on, definitely one of Fang Yuan's strongest. Shang Ren wasn't confident against it either.
The Self-detonating Magnetic Monster... his impression wasn't deep, but this Magnemite seemed to excel in group battles, lacking presence in single combat, so it wasn't a good option either.
After much consideration, Shang Ren finally knew which one to choose.
Fang Yuan's Monferno!
That Monferno was definitely one of Fang Yuan's hallmark Pokemon, it sent Volcarona, the Fire Moth, flying with a single punch, stirring the blood of countless Hua Nation Trainers.
But as Fang Yuan's teammate, Shang Ren knew well the huge price that Monferno's explosive power had cost.
Not only did it collapse, it also had to request the legendary artifact, Fire of Life, for treatment from the association.
This explosive power definitely couldn't be used continuously. Since Fang Yuan was fighting him just for a friendly match, they wouldn't go all out.
If Monferno lost its explosive power, without the ability to Mega Evolve, its strength surely wouldn't be too formidable.
Moreover, Monferno's fighting style – the Intersecting Force Tactics – didn't mesh with Z-Moves. Shang Ren felt that Monferno probably wouldn't specialize in Z-Moves.
So...
Monferno was not only Fang Yuan's hallmark Pokemon, Fighting Type, which had the advantage over his Tyranitar, but most importantly, it seemed to be the least threatening option overall. Choosing Monferno would have the best effect, proving himself without worrying about the risk of an upset.
After analyzing everything, Shang Ren thought himself a genius.
"Then... let it be Monferno," Shang Ren said with a slight smile.
Fang Yuan: ???
Eevee: ???
Monferno, inside its Poké Ball at Fang Yuan's waist, was also bewildered.
What was this about him?
After a moment of surprise, Monferno clenched its fists inside the Poké Ball. What did Shang Ren mean by challenging it? Was it being targeted as an idol? Monferno didn't think so... After all, anyone could guess why Shang Ren wanted to challenge Fang Yuan.
So that meant... he was looking down on it??? Monferno's fists grew firmer. Did everyone think it was easy to bully!!
"Monferno—"
As Shang Ren spoke, Master Kong Hai and others were surprised and looked at him.
The impression Monferno had left on them was too profound, and its performance in the world competition was too strong. Everyone became curious about Shang Ren's current strength upon learning he intended to challenge Monferno.
Now, feeling the unexpected and amazed looks from the crowd, Shang Ren was sure he had made the right choice.
A Pokemon that looked strong but wasn't overly so, in Fang Yuan's team, was definitely only Monferno.
It had to be the right choice!
"Well... okay then," Fang Yuan said, speechless.
He hoped Shang Ren would be alright.
The current Monferno was capable of inflicting damage on its own by opening The Sixth Gate and had the power of a top guardian god – beating the Alliance Guardian God wouldn't be an issue!
......
Master Kong Hai took the initiative to act as the Referee, and with the help of his Psychic Attribute Spirits, the protective facilities of the arena could be taken up a notch.
The other five young Trainers, along with He Xiaomai, took their seats in the closest spectator stands, then focused intently on the Trainers at each side of the arena.
The Hua Nation Champion, the Island King, Shang Ren!
With countless titles, known as the legendary Researcher, Fang Yuan!
Both stood on either side of the arena.
"Then, let the battle begin~!" Master Kong Hai's cheerful voice rang out clearly.
This was the signal for the battle to start.
A moment of silence passed between Shang Ren and Fang Yuan on either side of the arena before they both threw their Poké Balls simultaneously.