[Why is your Aron only Level 1?!]
Qingyu wasn't surprised at all when that message appeared in the chat.
After briefly glancing through the team editor earlier, he had immediately noticed something unusual—Pokémon · Champion actually had a level system that didn't exist in real-life battles.
It was very similar to the games from his previous life.
Most likely, it was a balancing mechanism designed to simulate differences in strength during battles.
In ranked matches, Pokémon were set to the maximum level by default, but Qingyu discovered that players could manually lower the level if they wanted.
And it was precisely because of this discovery that he became truly certain—
This strategy, built entirely around Aron, was absolutely viable.
Not only Aron—Hippowdon was also set to Level 1.
"Relax. The streamer has his own plan."
Qingyu confirmed his lead Pokémon at lightning speed and locked in the lineup for this match.
The battle began.
The two lead Pokémon were Charizard and Hippowdon.
The moment Hippowdon hit the field, its Sand Stream Ability activated, instantly replacing the clear, sunny battlefield with a raging sandstorm.
Pokémon with Sand Stream automatically summon a sandstorm upon entering battle.
Only then did the chat belatedly realize—
This Hippowdon was also Level 1.
One Level 1 Pokémon might be a misclick.
Two?
That was definitely intentional.
Perhaps because it was facing a Level 1 Hippowdon, the opponent immediately sent a "Slowpoke question mark" meme.
After all, ranked battles normally defaulted to equal levels.Seeing a baby-tier Pokémon suddenly appear left the opponent completely confused.
Qingyu wasn't about to lose the meme war and responded with a "Psyduck scratching its head" sticker.
His strategy only worked after the opponent attacked him, so he willingly handed over the initiative and casually interacted in chat.
—Besides, even if he wanted to move first, he couldn't outspeed a Charizard anyway.
The level gap was right there.
Before either side even issued commands, the two were already trading memes back and forth without losing ground.
"Charizard, Flamethrower!"
Finally, the opponent lost patience and commanded Charizard to unleash a stream of fire.
[Bro, why are you chatting instead of playing? Do you even know why the opponent is confused?][Streamer still pretending to be a pro? That Flamethrower hits like a truck!][Does this guy not even know this game uses voice commands? I'm dying of anxiety watching this!][I'll give it one more minute—my blood pressure can't take this!]
The chat exploded with "praise," but Qingyu remained completely calm.
He had no intention of issuing any commands, watching silently as the blazing flames surged forward.
Sometimes, letting a Pokémon faint early was far more valuable than stubbornly keeping it alive.
The instant the attack landed, Hippowdon's face was scorched black, its HP bar instantly emptied, and its massive body collapsed to the ground.
"Thank you, Hippowdon!"
Qingyu wiped away tears that didn't exist and immediately recalled it.
Even though it was just a supporting role in this match, successfully setting up the sandstorm already made Hippowdon a massive contributor.
Hippowdon was the MVP!
After the first exchange, Charizard's HP ticked down slightly under the raging sandstorm.
In sandstorm weather, Pokémon that are not Rock-, Ground-, or Steel-type continuously take chip damage.
At the same time, Qingyu made his next move.
"Go, Aron!"
The small Steel-type Pokémon appeared on the field, looking incredibly tiny amid the swirling sand.
"Flamethrower!"
This time, the opponent hesitated for exactly zero seconds.
Another torrent of flames blasted from Charizard's mouth straight toward Aron.
[I'm done. Another Level 1? If you don't want to win, just say it…][So the question is—how exactly are you planning to win?][It's probably Sturdy, right? I don't fully get it, but why do I suddenly feel like this streamer is about to do something crazy?][Prophet detected. If there's a twist, you're the first one we stab!]
The chat guessed correctly.
Qingyu's Aron did indeed have the Sturdy Ability.
Sturdy worked similarly to a Focus Sash—when the Pokémon was at full HP, it couldn't be knocked out by a single hit.
And that gave Qingyu exactly one chance.
Before the opponent could react, Qingyu's lips curled upward slightly as he spoke:
"Aron—charge!"
Facing the roaring flames pouring out of Charizard's mouth, the silver-plated little Pokémon showed no fear.
Its eyes hardened with determination.
The moment its Trainer's command was given, Aron charged forward without hesitation.
As its steel head collided with the Flamethrower, the green HP bar above it was nearly wiped out instantly.
A Level 1 Pokémon was basically the equivalent of a newborn—expecting it to fight a fully developed Charizard was clearly unreasonable.
Seeing this, the chat froze.
With that tiny body, charging headfirst was basically suicide, wasn't it?
Several viewers were just about to type—
When the next scene on the screen made them all go completely blank.
Aron, its HP reduced to a flickering sliver, burst through the flames.
The last trace of red on its HP bar was shockingly vivid.
Even the opponent hesitated for a split second—
And Qingyu seized that opening.
"Endeavor!"
The steel-clad little monster slammed into Charizard's abdomen with everything it had.
That sudden, unanticipated headbutt instantly drained nearly all of Charizard's HP.
If Charizard hadn't still been standing, its HP bar would have looked completely black—with only the faintest hint of red at the very end.
At the same time—
Aron, which had been one hit away from fainting, saw its red HP bar rocket back up to full in an instant.
A scene worthy of a medical miracle left the entire livestream utterly speechless.
[What just happened?!][Where did my Charizard's HP go???][Streamer's hacking, right?! This Aron isn't normal—how did it heal to full?! What kind of busted move is that?!][If it's not turned off… does that mean it's turned ON?!]
The game had only been out for a month.
Most players were still beginners who barely understood Pokémon battles at all—none of them had ever seen anything like this.
That tiny Aron barely bumped into Charizard—
And Charizard's HP bar was practically erased in a single hit?!
Wait—even though its HP was almost invisible, Charizard hadn't fainted yet!
Some viewers finally realized this.
However—
At that exact moment, the sandstorm left behind by Hippowdon swept across the field on schedule.
Charizard, barely holding itself together, staggered as the sand blasted into its face.
Its last remaining strength was completely drained.
Charizard fainted.
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