"Hey, someone's challenging Lin again! It's happening at Field Three come on, let's go see!"
The crowd around the youth tournament arena stirred with excitement. Goodra was currently having its eligibility checked, and the commotion nearby was growing louder by the second.
Compared to the quiet morning matches, the afternoon air was alive with energy. Thanks to Lin Feng's Blaziken, whose fiery kicks had already made him somewhat famous online, a few spectators from neighboring cities had come just to see him in action.
"Wait, is that a Goodra? When did Lin catch that?" someone gasped. "He's bringing that to the Youth Cup? Isn't that completely unfair?"
"Hold on, aren't Pokémon supposed to be under a year old for this division? How could that Goodra be under one year?"
The referee was checking, and the Rotom tablet hadn't flashed any red warnings so the entry seemed valid. Still, murmurs of disbelief rippled through the stands.
"Who's Lin again?" one boy asked, confused by the chatter.
"Oh, you don't know? He's the breeder who raised that ridiculously powerful Blaziken! People call him 'Little Lin' online. His Pokémon are famous for being… well, absurdly strong for their age."
As the audience whispered, the referee on Field Three received the report from the verification system. The data blinked on the screen: Age: approximately ten months.
He stared at it for a long moment, speechless.
Ten months?
This Goodra's aura felt like something out of an Elite Trainer's lineup.
After a moment of hesitation, the referee finally nodded toward Lin Feng. "Qualification confirmed. Age requirement met."
Then, after a short pause, he added in a gentle tone, "However, please be mindful of your battle intensity."
Lin smiled faintly. "Got it."
He turned toward his Goodra, patting its slick, lavender shoulder. "Don't be nervous. We'll take it slow."
The opposing trainer's stomach dropped.
Don't be nervous?
Wasn't he the one who should be nervous?
He looked at his own Pokémon, a Geodude trembling slightly on the field, and felt his confidence shrink.
"Battle, begin!"
The crowd immediately began cheering for the underdog.
"Come on, Geodude! Don't lose too badly!"
"Make Lin work for it!"
"Even if you lose, lose with pride!"
Encouraged by the voices, the opposing trainer clenched his fists. Seeing that Lin Feng hadn't issued any commands yet, he decided to act first.
"Geodude, use Rock Throw!"
Geodude took a deep breath, stones forming rapidly in front of its face before launching through the air. The rocks whistled as they flew toward Goodra.
Unlike most elite-tier Pokémon, Goodra didn't react with composure. It panicked, flinching at the incoming barrage. But then, a soft green glow spread from Lin Feng's aura to his Pokémon.
His calm voice followed, steady and sure. "Don't panic. Use Protect."
The words reached Goodra like an anchor in a storm. It reacted instinctively, summoning a shimmering barrier that enveloped its body.
The stones struck the shield one after another thud, thud, thud but none broke through.
Goodra peeked open its eyes and blinked. Not a single scratch. It tilted its head in surprise.
From behind came Lin Feng's warm reassurance. "It's okay. You're safe. Don't be afraid."
There was a reason Lin Feng had brought Goodra to the Youth Cup for this exhibition match, even though it was already at a Champion-level of strength.
Despite its power, Goodra's heart was fragile still that of a timid child. Its battles had always been guided, its strength built up through protection and routine rather than confidence.
It didn't yet understand what it meant to fight for itself.
When Geodude's Rock Throw came earlier, Lin had felt a pulse of deep fear radiating from Goodra a trace of old trauma, remnants of the pain it once endured before joining his team.
Even when facing a low-level opponent, the shadows of those memories still clung to it.
"Goo...?" Goodra murmured softly, patting its chest. It didn't hurt?
A flicker of curiosity replaced its fear.
Maybe battle wasn't as terrifying as it imagined. Maybe it could be... fun?
It remembered what Alolan Vulpix had told it the night before:
"Battles are like games! You'll see it's exciting. And once you win, you'll officially be part of the Hero Squad!"
Goodra turned its big round eyes toward Lin Feng and Mewtwo, its tail wiggling with excitement. "Goo goo!" (It didn't hurt! It's fun!)
Its innocent enthusiasm made the opponent's trainer grit his teeth. He thought they were mocking him.
Just because I'm weaker doesn't mean you can laugh at me like that!
Frustration sparked in his chest. "Geodude! Don't let them underestimate you! Use Brick Break!"
Geodude roared and lunged forward, arms glowing white.
Meanwhile, Goodra was still busy chattering happily with Lin Feng.
"Alright, alright," Lin chuckled. "Goodra, look behind you."
"Huh?" Goodra turned its head just in time to see two glowing fists swinging toward it.
But Lin didn't give a command this time.
Goodra froze for a moment, unsure what to do. It lifted its short, gooey arms in front of its face, bracing for the blow.
Thud.
The sound was heavy but there was no pain. Slowly, Goodra opened its eyes.
Geodude's fists were pressed helplessly against its palms, the attack completely absorbed.
Goodra blinked in confusion. Why doesn't it hurt?
Geodude blinked too. Why didn't that work?!
"Geo?" it squeaked weakly.
Goodra tilted its head, still holding Geodude's hands, then curiously lifted them up to inspect them. It looked as if it were examining a strange toy.
The poor Geodude struggled desperately, but it was no use Goodra's grip was far too strong.
Finally, Lin Feng smiled, eyes gleaming with pride. "Alright, Goodra. Use Toss. Send it back to its trainer."
"Goo~!"
With a gleeful hum, Goodra spun once and threw Geodude like a rubber ball. The Rock-type tumbled through the air before landing safely though dazed right in front of its astonished trainer.
The referee's mouth twitched. A moment ago, he'd been wondering if Goodra was merely a pre-Elite-level Pokémon. Now… it was clear this was near the peak of the Elite tier, if not higher.
Still, the way it fought so clumsy, so childlike it almost felt like watching a toddler's play battle.
But professionalism prevailed. He raised his flag and announced, "This match goes to Goodra!"
"Goo goo!" (I won!)
Goodra's eyes lit up like stars. It bounded joyfully across the field toward Lin Feng and Mewtwo, its arms outstretched, leaving sticky trails of slime on the floor.
It reached for Mewtwo first, eager to share its happiness but the psychic Pokémon blinked once and teleported two steps aside.
Goodra froze, arms still hanging in the air. Its smile faltered just a little. But then it shrugged Mewtwo always avoided hugs anyway.
A moment later, Lin Feng knelt down and wrapped his arms around it instead, not caring that his jacket got soaked. "You did great, Goodra. From now on, you're officially a member of the Hero Squad."
Goodra blinked, then broke into a delighted grin. "Goo goo!" (Really? Yay!)
Its tail swayed wildly, splashing droplets across the floor as the crowd burst into laughter and applause. Even the opposing trainer, still holding his dizzy Geodude, couldn't help but smile.
Somewhere in the stands, someone whispered, "So that's Lin Feng's real strength not just power, but heart."
And as Goodra happily hugged its trainer tighter, Lin Feng could feel it not just the warmth of its gooey embrace, but the spark of confidence finally taking root inside its gentle heart.