On the second day, the second match for Team Drakoria began, and the first to take the stage was still Ian.
After all, he had already revealed his ace Pokémon yesterday, and even his strength had likely been assessed by other teams.
So, it made sense to send him out again.
Ian was quite pleased. Today's opponent was only slightly stronger than the opposing team from the previous day, and with his strength, sweeping all ten opponents wouldn't be a problem.
As Ian stepped onto the field, the spectators from Drakoria, who had been impressed by his performance the day before, immediately recognized him. Applause and cheers instantly followed.
--
> "Someone on the forums said that Ian's Tyranitar is an early-stage Pseudo-Champion."
> "Isn't that obvious? If it were at the Elite-level, even at its peak, Ian wouldn't have defeated ten Elite-level Pokémon so easily yesterday."
> "Revealing an early-stage Pseudo-Champion Pokémon right away—is Champion Walker being a bit overconfident?"
> "Do you really think there's only one Pseudo-Champion level trainer on our team?"
> "My wife Ember is so beautiful—she must be at the Pseudo-Champion level too."
> "Yesterday, Champion Walker, Celebi, and Jirachi were spotted by people in thirty different cities across Maplia eating local specialties."
> "Damn, is this some kind of special forces-style tourism?"
---
Compared to others who climbed four mountains in four days, Julian visited thirty cities in Maplia in just hours and spent the entire time eating with the two little ones. There was simply no comparison.
As the world's youngest Champion-level trainer, Julian was already widely known globally.
Especially after commanding Kyogre, his fame skyrocketed even more, to the point where almost everyone knew his name.
That meant that wherever Julian appeared in Maplia, he was easily recognized.
Even if no one approached to disturb him, people definitely took photos of him.
As a result, the Maplian internet was now flooded with pictures of Julian, Celebi, and Jirachi enjoying various foods, their expressions clearly showing they were having a great time.
With that single move, Julian had unintentionally given a huge boost to the Maplian cuisine.
The Maplian government was overjoyed—they had never expected such a windfall.
Especially the shops Julian had visited—each had now become the most popular spots on their respective streets.
Ian did not disappoint, once again achieving the feat of sweeping all ten opponents with his Tyranitar.
Two consecutive ten-man sweeps—though the opponents weren't particularly strong—solidified Ian's reputation as a genuine Pseudo-Champion level trainer.
Pseudo-Champion trainers under thirty were typically found only in major countries. For ordinary small and medium countries, due to resource limitations, even if they had such trainers, their numbers were extremely few.
Ian, as a pseudo-Champion, was indeed very powerful, especially for small and medium-sized nations. Encountering this guy was practically a devastating blow.
Even if they had managed to defeat Ian at the cost of several team members, Drakoria still had others behind him.
The national teams of other countries weren't foolish. Since Julian chose to openly reveal Ian's strength, it was certain that there were even stronger trainers in his team—perhaps more than one.
With the exception of a few other major nations, most countries were trembling at the prospect. Even the major powers were feeling the pressure.
By the end of the session, the number of teams was reduced from 180 to 90.
In seven days, the competition would shift from team-based matches to individual 6v6 battles, to be held in Babath.
This format was particularly unfavorable for stronger teams. With a bit of bad luck, internal battles within the same team could occur, potentially allowing weaker teams to snatch advantages later on.
From the initial 360 teams, only 90 remained. Any team that made it through the preliminaries undoubtedly had some strength, with at least one Pseudo-Champion level trainer in their ranks.
"Why isn't Pannar on the list?"
Looking through the list of 90 teams, Julian noticed the absence of their little brother nation.
Had they been eliminated? While Pannar wasn't particularly strong, they weren't exactly weak either.
"Pannar had bad luck—they ran into Malasiar and even lost three Pokémon in the match," said Ella, who stood beside him.
Training was a profession that required competition to improve, and competition inevitably came with casualties.
Therefore, the event organizers did not prohibit trainers from targeting and taking down each other's Pokémon.
If you chose to participate, you must be prepared for the possibility of your Pokémon being killed. As cruel as it was, it also served as a warning to all current and aspiring trainers.
Those who wished to enter this line of work, must be mentally prepared.
Pannar and Malasiar were long-standing rivals, so when they met, it was inevitably a life-and-death struggle—there was nothing else to say.
If they encountered Malasiar later, Julian would just help their little brother take revenge.
---
After gathering the team, they boarded a plane and left Maplia. However, they didn't return to Drakoria but went directly to Babath.
Although the individual matches won't start for another seven days, returning home and then flying to Babath would only be a waste of time.
Besides, Julian wanted to spend these seven days traveling and exploring Babath.
Putting aside the relations between the two countries.
Some aspects of Babath were indeed quite commendable.
For instance, their "cultural" industry had a global reach and had served as an "enlightenment teacher" for countless teenagers. The industry had also become one of Babath's pillar industries.
Babath was also home to the world's most famous red-light district.
"I'm not going there."
Looking at Ella, who had been following him like a shadow ever since they arrived in Babath, Julian showed a slightly helpless expression.
"I am a man of integrity," Julian declared with a solemn face.
"Commander, I saw you browsing information about the red-light district yesterday," Ella said calmly.
Julian's expression stiffened, and he retorted angrily, "You were spying on my privacy!"
"I just happened to see it by accident," Ella replied, her expression unchanged.
"I just wanted to take a look, not actually go in. It's just curiosity," Julian explained.
"Many bad habits begin with curiosity," Ella countered.
"If you insist on going, Commander, I will inform Slowking, who is currently visiting renowned chefs."
Babath's cuisine was famous worldwide, so once Slowking arrived here, it had gone to visit famous restaurants and chefs to exchange and learn, which could also be considered a kind of cooking challenge.
If Slowking found out Julian went to the red-light district, the outcome… hmm… it was better not to imagine it.
The image was too terrifying.
Julian shook his head.
"Fine, follow me if you must."
He shot Ella an annoyed glare, then turned and headed elsewhere with the two little ones.
The red-light district would have to wait for now. He would wait for an opportunity to shake Ella off, and then would see how she planned to stop him.
He secretly gave himself a thumbs-up for his cleverness.
Watching Julian's defeated expression, Ella allowed a slight smile to curl the corners of her lips.
Julian, armed with a guide to Babath's cuisine, embarked on a journey to eat his way through Babath with the two little ones in tow.
*****
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