Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game.

Xia Chen smiled and replied jokingly, "Tell me and I'll tell you."

Seeing that she hadn't managed to outsmart Xia Chen, Qinglu pouted and said, "Fine, let's see who's the best on the field this afternoon!"

Pride as it may be, Qinglv wasn't foolish enough to reveal such an important matter as their lineup in front of an evenly matched opponent.

The two stopped talking about the afternoon's match, and lunchtime quickly passed.

At 2:00 PM sharp, the match between Alice and Dacto officially began.

This match, which most viewers expected to produce few surprises, turned out to be full of unexpected twists and turns.

It was so unexpected that it shocked even the commentators, including Da Ye Adeike, and the guests, including Gatricia, Cynthia, and other top champions.

Because Darkrai's starting Pokémon is the legendary Nightmare God Darkrai!

A genuine legendary Pokémon!

When this shadowy sprite appeared on the battlefield, the entire arena erupted in uproar.

If one had to describe the level of shock the audience experienced, then the commentary by former Unicron Champion Aldace would reveal just the tip of the iceberg.

"My creator god! My Arceus! What am I seeing? A legendary Pokémon? A legendary Pokémon appearing on the battle field? Viewers, please remember this moment: July 7, 2025 in the League Calendar. After 37 years, since the legendary battle Pokémon Mastery last used his Pokémon Urshifu in the Masters Tournament, we have once again seen a legendary Pokémon on the battle field! He is none other than Darkor, a player from the Sinnoh region!"

Such a level of influence is enough to show how shocking the world was by the appearance of Darkrai and Darkrai.

The audience's reaction was even more exaggerated. Within half a minute of Darkrai's appearance, the live broadcast room was so flooded with comments that it almost crashed.

…………

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! The legendary Nightmare God Darkrai? Seriously?"

"Could it be Zoroark in disguise? Even if it is, that means there's a Darkrai in Darkrai's team!"

"What makes him worthy of becoming Darkrai's [Divine Beast Tamer]? Just because his name contains the word 'Darkrai'?"

"I have to say, his gloomy temperament actually suits Darkrai quite well. As for the name, could it be that this Darkrai is their family's guardian spirit?"

"I had thought that a legendary Pokémon might appear in this competition. I thought it would be Guleton, but I didn't expect it to be Darkrai!"

"Don't be ridiculous. Whether Xia Chen has captured Guleton or not is another matter entirely. There is only one legendary Pokémon user in the world, and that is Darkor from our First League, Sinnoh League!"

"Another brainless Sinnoh fanboy is starting to rant. How many times has he won the Elite Four and Champion tournaments between regions? He started bragging about being the number one league after Cynthia won the Masters Tournament once. Don't forget that the number one league right now is Unova!"

The discussion quickly shifted from shock at the appearance of the legendary Pokémon to pointless flame wars, and amidst the clamor, Darkrai's debut officially began.

Whether it used Quick Attack or was simply too fast, the shadow flashed by, and Darkrai was instantly in front of Dragonite.

Dark-type energy coalesced, and with a wave of its hand, it unleashed its signature move, Dark Hole. Dragonite fell into a deep sleep, and Darkrai skillfully followed up with Dream Eater. Then, Dragonite lost its ability to battle.

That's right, a pseudo-legendary Dragonite with strength approaching Gym Leader level and the ability [Multiscale] which allows it to resist damage at full strength has fallen!

Not only that, Alice's second Pokémon, Haxorusaur, and her third Pokémon, Excadrill, both of which were close to Gym Leader level, were easily defeated by Darkrai's simple combo of Dark Hole and Dream Eater.

Thus, the host Alice was defeated by Darkrai, who unexpectedly defeated three opponents without taking any damage!

The whole place was excited!

Without a doubt, this Darkrai is far stronger than Alice's rank. Is it Champion-level? Or Legendary-level?

No one knew, because its performance throughout the game was far too relaxed and carefree.

In just two minutes, a 3v3 match was over, with most of the time spent on Alice switching spirits in shock and despair.

She failed to pose any threat to Darkrai, and thus, Darkrai's strength remains a mystery.

Amidst the shocked and excited gazes of the audience, Darkrai calmly retrieved itself and stepped off the battlefield.

Behind her was Alice, whose emotions were still difficult to calm down.

…………

The news of the legendary Pokémon appearing at the World Youth Championship spread throughout the online world in a very short time, attracting many viewers who came to watch, only to find that the competition had already ended.

However, those who were drawn in did not leave immediately, because the next match was equally anticipated.

Xia Chen, a man who has been entangled with many legendary elves and is rumored to have subdued Guleton.

Now that Darkrai has shown up, will Leighton play in this game against the Celtics?

There was about a half-hour interval between the two matches, which provided just enough time for public opinion to ferment.

At 2:30 PM, amidst much anticipation, the second match of the first round of the World Youth Championship, Xia Chen vs. Qinglv, is about to begin!

On opposite sides of the battlefield, Xia Chen and Qing Lü stood facing each other, their mentality unaffected by the previous match.

For Xia Chen, Daclai's appearance did not change his starting lineup for this match. As for whether to send out Guleton in the next round or the final against Daclai, he would have to discuss it with Guleton when he got back.

Qinglv had a similar idea.

Whether Xia Chen will play for Guleton is beyond his control; the game will proceed as planned.

With the referee's whistle, two flashes of white light appeared, and the starting Pokémon of both sides entered the arena!

The opening featured Milotic and Blastoise, a not particularly surprising start.

Milotic controls most of the Pokémon in the Blue and Green team, and Blastoise is not only Blue and Green's ace Pokémon, but also a Pokémon that is not afraid of Milotic.

Although it was expected, there were still slight boos from the audience. They were inevitably a little disappointed not to see Gullarden appear.

Blastoise, Rock Totem!

"Menas, freeze-dry!"

The battle did not stop due to other factors. At the command of both trainers, the two Pokémon began to unleash their moves.

The game officially begins.

I'm feeling a bit weak, please be understanding.

I hereby vow that I will not take any more leave this month!

Chapter 283 VS Green

Both being Water-type Pokémon, Milotic and Blastoise don't have any particularly effective moves to defeat their opponents.

The reason why the Water type is the second strongest type after the Steel type is because of its excellent resistances. Apart from the Electric and Grass types, it has no weaknesses.

These two types of moves are rarely learned or mastered by Pokémon other than those of their respective type.

Therefore, when the two Water-type Pokémon met, neither had a good STAB move to choose from, and instead opted for two non-STAB moves, Rock Tomb and Freeze-Dry, respectively.

The difference is that Green directs Blastoise to use Rock Totem to control its speed, while Milotic's Freeze-Dry has a double effect against Water-type Pokémon.

Blastoise remained unfazed by Milotic's freeze-drying technique. Its durability and stamina were excellent, making the freeze-drying process a piece of cake.

And it's also a good opportunity to test the strength of the opponent's attack.

Most importantly, you can't lose momentum. If you use your ace Pokémon and still cower in your shell in the first head-on battle, then Green isn't Green.

Blastoise's attack speed seemed to be even faster. Just a second after the green one opened its mouth, the ground around it rumbled, and several rocks emitting an earthy yellow energy light appeared in mid-air, which Blastoise manipulated to smash towards Milotic.

Milotic is a medium to large-sized Pokémon, and it can't do anything in terms of flying or diving. Faced with rocks that surround it from all sides, it has almost no chance to dodge.

Just as these rocks, imbued with special energy, were about to strike Milotic, the space around him suddenly distorted, and a dark dimensional rift opened. Milotic slipped into it, narrowly avoiding the rocks.

…………

"What? This isn't freeze-drying, it's a sneak attack?"

As a former champion, Adeker could not possibly have been unaware that Milotic might have been a manifestation of Soroark. The reason he reacted so dramatically was simply to liven up the atmosphere.

"So Xia Chen's starting Pokémon was Zoroark disguised as Milotic! It seems he also guessed that Qinglv would most likely start with Blastoise, so he didn't choose Milotic as his starting Pokémon."

"The advantage of this quick attack is that Zoroark's Phantom Assault not only evaded Blastoise's probing rock blockade, but also gave her the opportunity to get close to Blastoise. However, is hand-to-hand combat with Blastoise a good choice?"

Adek's doubts are not without merit. For an assassin-like elf like Zoroark, stealth attacks are usually used to avoid danger and adjust positioning.

Xia Chen had Zoroark use Phantom Assault first. Although it was indeed unexpected and avoided the damage and slow effect of Rock Blockade, the risk was still considerable.

Therefore, upon seeing the vanished Milotic on the battlefield, Azure did not panic, but decisively and calmly commanded: "Blastoise, hatch!"

"Kame!"

The Blastoise raises its head and roars to the sky. At the same time, white light flows around its body, and the shell on its back is cracked, making it look lighter and smoother, as if the shell has been shaved.

But it became bald, and it also became stronger!

An orange-yellow light, signifying enhancement, constantly shone and surrounded Blastoise, making it look deep and dangerous.

"It's hatching! Green is so decisive, it's using a do-or-die move to lure Zoroark closer!"

Da Ye added from the side, "Shell Hatch is a special power-up move exclusive to shell-type Pokémon like Shellder, Shuckle, Torkoal, and Blastoise. Although it has the side effect of lowering both defenses, its effect is to greatly increase attack, speed, and other offensive stats. Zoroark has appeared! As expected, Xia Chen wouldn't allow Blastoise to power up so recklessly!"

…………

Just as Da Ye was explaining the power of breaking the shell, a second spatial rift appeared on the battlefield, and Zoroark, disguised as Milotic, emerged from it.

And it appeared right next to the hatchling Blastoise!

A violent, deep purple-black energy surged wildly from the crack as Zoroark appeared, coalescing into a claw-like shape that grasped at Milotic's body as if to annihilate the Blastoise beneath it.

Blastoise, which was just a little bit away from hatching, naturally wouldn't give up. So, the Shadow Claw, carrying a chilling evil aura and an indescribable sense of fear, firmly gripped Blastoise's body.

Blastoise's eyes widened, and its whole body trembled slightly. Judging from its appearance, it was not just the pain of being hit by the phantom attack, but more like it was staring directly at something that would reduce its sanity, and was extremely frightened.

Unaware of Blastoise's unusual condition, Green continued to command, "Blassaurus! Now, Water Gun!"

However, Blastoise, which usually responds immediately, is unusually inactive, much like a computer crashing due to high CPU usage.

This unusual scene caused Qinglu's brows to furrow tightly.

Blastoise had just hatched, and this should have been the perfect moment for it to launch a counterattack, but it inexplicably stopped.

This not only delays the battle, but more importantly, hatching not only greatly enhances Blastoise's attack capabilities but also significantly reduces its defense.

Wouldn't this give Zoroark an excellent opportunity?

Qinglu's heart sank. He finally understood why Xia Chen was confident in letting Zoroark engage in close combat. It was this strangely effective Spirit Ambush!

"The Shadow Claw-like Phantom Assault was fierce under Milotic's claws, like a dragon baring its fangs and claws. Blastoise chose to take the hit head-on! Phantom Assault hit! At this moment, Blastoise, having just hatched, was also about to counterattack!"

"Blue-Green's choice is Hydro Pump. At this distance, Hydro Pump will inevitably inflict damage on Zoroark that is no less than that from Phantom Assault. So Blastoise still comes out ahead. Wait, Blastoise didn't move. Is it... cowering?"

Blastoise's unusual behavior stunned even the well-informed Alder. In all his years of battles, he had never heard of anyone's Phantom Strike causing a flinching effect.

The camera lens focused on the Blastoise, and in the footage, its eyes were filled with fear and madness, not like cowering, but more like terror.