Pokémon: I have no choice but to do this old thing?

The semi-final venue had been merged into a single main venue, and the atmosphere in the stands was even more enthusiastic than before. Zhang Jianying stood in the players' preparation area, looking at the standard league match arena in the center of the field, and his mood was much calmer than during the preliminary rounds.

"It seems I'm getting more and more used to these kinds of occasions."

He reached out and ruffled Kirullian's hair, muttering to himself.

"Does spending too much time with a tortoise make your skin as thick as its shell?"

The Poké Ball at the waist shook violently, clearly indicating that the turtle was quite unhappy with the analogy.

Kirlia couldn't help but chuckle, its sky-blue hair swaying gently in the breeze. It stretched out its little hand and placed it on the Poké Ball, soft psychic ripples spreading out slowly, soothing its sulking little brother.

Its gentle appearance was like that of an older sister mediating a family conflict. The Poké Ball gradually stopped shaking.

"Please welcome both players to the arena!"

Standing on the field was a composed young trainer, with his Floatzel looking exceptionally spirited beside him. Data Vision immediately provided the following information:

【Snorkeling Weasel】

【Features: Free and easy movement】

[Skills: Water Gun, Tidal Whirl, High-Speed ​​Movement, Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Water Jet, Rain Dance]

[Inherited Skills: Aqua Tail, Aqua Ring]

"Free and easy? Too bad my Kirlia doesn't know how to provoke."

He muttered to himself, "Otherwise, I could provoke it and make it shut up on the spot. Let's see how it can roam freely then."

"The match begins!"

"Snorkeling Weasel, pray for rain!"

Floating Weasel let out a long cry, and dark clouds instantly gathered above the arena. A light drizzle began to fall, soaking the clothes of both trainers. With the help of the rain, Floating Weasel's form began to blur, and its speed noticeably increased.

"Kirullian, meditate!"

"Snorkeling Weasel, move at high speed!"

Both chose to enhance their abilities simultaneously. The Floating Weasel's figure left afterimages in the rain, while Kirlia's psychic aura became increasingly solid, as if she were draped in a blue veil.

"The Ripple of Water!"

"Instant teleportation!"

Kirlia's figure flashed across the field, but Float Weasel, with its astonishing speed, kept close behind, and continuous Water Pulse bursts of water across the field. The two figures chased each other in the rain, the scene was extremely intense.

"This can't go on..." Zhang Jianying's mind raced. "I need to use my mental power to control myself."

Simultaneously, it was supplemented through telepathy: "Quietly use precognition."

Kirlia's eyes blazed with psychic power, and a hidden energy disappeared into the void. At the same time, it pushed its hands forward, unleashing a powerful psychic strike aimed directly at the Floating Weasel.

"Frozen Beam!"

The Floating Weasel spewed out a cold ray, which collided with the Psychic in mid-air, bursting into a blinding light. At that very moment, the precognitive attack arrived precisely, striking the Floating Weasel in the back.

"Now! Teleport to close the distance, magic flashes!"

Kirlia seized the opportunity and suddenly appeared in front of Floating Weasel, its Fairy-type dazzling light bursting forth instantly.

At the last moment, the Floating Weasel used a water jet to barely avoid a fatal blow, but it was still hit by the aftershocks of the magical flash and cried out in pain.

"Tsk, this is really troublesome..."

Zhang Jianying clicked his tongue in amazement.

The ensuing battle turned into a war of attrition. The Floating Weasel used its speed advantage to constantly harass the enemy, while Kirlia relied on Psychic and Instant Transmission to maneuver around them. Rain soaked Kirlia's hair, but the fighting spirit in her eyes burned even brighter.

"It's time to end this." Zhang Jianying conveyed the tactical message through telepathy: "Show an opening and lure it close."

Kirlia understood and deliberately feigned fatigue after using Teleport, making her movements sluggish.

The audience gasped in amazement at the actor's outstanding performance.

"It's out of strength, snorkeling weasel! Get close with the water jet and give it one last water tail."

The snorkeling weasel fell for the trap and charged straight at you with a jet of water.

"Now!"

The moment the Floating Weasel got close, Kirlia's eyes flashed, and her prepared Magic Dazzle erupted at point-blank range.

At the same time, it used its mental power to create a barrier, blocking the snorkeling weasel's tail slam.

The snorkeling weasel collapsed and couldn't get up, and the rain gradually stopped.

"Bang!"

The snorkeling weasel rolled its eyes, and the rain in the sky gradually stopped.

"The snorkeling weasel is unable to fight; Zhang Jianying advances to the finals!"

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause, cheering for the exciting match.

After bringing Kirlia back to the rest room, he released Turtwig from its Poké Ball. The two little ones looked at their seemingly serious trainer with puzzlement.

"Our growth period has been far too short. Let's not even talk about the Floating Weasel just now. The Crow Leader from the last round, although the energy level difference wasn't that big, had a much more impressive skill pool than yours."

He paused, then continued, "If Kirullian hadn't been so exceptionally talented, the results of these two matches might have been different."

The grass-fed turtle blinked innocently at its leader, its meaning clear: the turtle didn't want to use its brain, and they could just come up with ideas.

Zhang Jianying finally couldn't help but burst out laughing. He patted the turtle's shell with a hint of annoyance. "Hey, you're a real genius, throwing the problem at us."

Kirullian couldn't help but chuckle, patting the other side of the turtle shell with her little hand, as if lecturing her "unambitious" younger brother.

"After the match, let's go to the item shop and see if there are any skill discs that suit you. If Kirlia is good at provoking, that Floating Weasel won't be able to keep jumping around for long."

The grass turtle didn't care at all, lazily lying on the ground and shaking its shell, as leisurely as an old cadre waiting to collect his pension.

Before leaving, Zhang Jianying asked, "By the way, who will go first? If the attributes are unfavorable, will we need to switch?"

Kirlia shook her head, a firm response coming through telepathy: "No, if we just leave the problems to our teammates, then all our previous efforts will be in vain."

A determined look appeared on Kirlia's small face as she gently took her trainer's hand: "Trust me, Sword, I will always bring you victory!"

The tortoise paused, giving Kirlia a deep look. Its usual leisurely and languid demeanor vanished, replaced by an unprecedented sharpness in its eyes. The tortoise remained silent, but the faint shimmer of emerald light on the leaves atop its head clearly reflected its unwavering determination—it was determined to avenge its leader!

The sad memories that Kirlian whispered under the cover of night flashed through my mind: when it was still an elf egg, those painful memories about the laboratory and the loss of loved ones.

A deep, intense ferocity flashed in the usually calm turtle's eyes, but it was quickly concealed. Only the tightly clenched claws beneath its shell revealed its inner turmoil.

Hearing Kirulian's words, Zhang Jianying stopped at the entrance of the passage, his figure split in two by the light. He didn't turn around, but his voice carried clearly behind him:

"No matter what lies ahead, we will face it together."

The brief words echoed in the passageway, carrying an undeniable firmness.

……

"Please welcome both teams to the arena!"

The opponent in this Celebration Cup final was a vibrant young girl. After the referee's signal, both of them simultaneously threw their Poké Balls...

【Wearing a Bear】

【Characteristic: Furry】

[Skills: Impact, Round Eyes, Bind, Sleep, Ram, Retaliation, Sword Dance, Arm Hammer]

[Inherited Skills: Power Generation, Rolling]

"The match begins!"

Upon seeing that its opponent was a grass-fed turtle, the girl visibly relaxed and confidently commanded:

"Wearing a bear costume, sword dancing!"

"Grasshopper Turtle, quicksand hell!"

Several illusory swords appeared around the bear-like figure, their clanging sounds echoing throughout the arena.

The Turtwig quickly created the most powerful quicksand, causing the ground beneath Bear's feet to sink. However, Bear managed to break free from the quicksand hell using only brute force.

Zhang Jianying couldn't help but gasp in astonishment at the bear-clad figure's wild performance: "That strength is outrageous!"

"Wearing a bear costume, charge!"

"curse!"

Wearing a bear-like garment that tore through quicksand, it charged forward with terrifying force, sending sand and stones flying wherever it went.

The grass turtle adjusted its body posture in time, using its shell to receive the powerful attack. With the enhanced effect, it managed to withstand the bear's charge, but was still knocked backward, its claws carving two deep marks on the ground.

"Green grass field! Seed bomb!"

The emerald green light quickly spread across the area, and the grass turtles launched seed bombs continuously while recovering their strength.

But the bear, disregarding everything, stubbornly continued forward despite the explosion, leaving only a few scorch marks on its furry body.

"Wearing the bear costume, hold it down, arm hammer!"

Although the tortoise was under pressure, its eyes remained calm and collected. Thanks to the continuous stamina recovery provided by the grassy terrain and its hardened shell, it managed to withstand the bear's heavy blows.

Zhang Jianying looked at the new scratches on the shell with heartache, but then the grass turtle turned around and gave him a reassuring look.

"Keep cursing! Then use brute force!"

Turtwig, bracing for Usagi's fierce onslaught, began to gather Ghost-type energy. Deep purple energy flowed around its body, and as its power increased, its eyes grew sharper. Taking advantage of Usagi's noticeable slowing of its charge, Turtwig's entire body shone with a dazzling brownish-red light, and it slammed into its opponent with all its might like a cannonball.

"Wearing a bear! Block it, full-power arm strike!"

"Grasshopper Turtle, Seed Bomb!"

Wearing a Bewear, the Pokémon unleashed a Fighting-type move at the last moment, causing the two Pokémon to collide violently with a deafening roar.

At the crucial moment when brute force was clashing with the arm hammer, the leaves on the grass seed turtle's head suddenly lit up, and several seed bombs, amplified layer by layer, accurately hit the face of the bear wearing the armor.

After the violent explosion, the smoke and dust slowly dissipated. The grass turtle struggled to its feet, supporting itself with its forelimbs, while the bear-wearing turtle finally developed round eyes and collapsed backward.

"Wearing a bear costume, Zhang Jianying is incapacitated and takes the first point!"

Zhang Jianying used a Poké Ball to recall the wobbly Turtwig, and said softly to the ball, "Well done, Turtwig, thank you for your hard work. Now leave the rest to us."

The Poké Ball swayed slightly in his palm, as if responding to his words.

At the referee's signal, the final match began, with both sides simultaneously sending out their Pokémon.

The girl's second Pokémon, Weavile, leaped nimbly into the arena. Its sharp claws gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and its red crown resembled a burning flame.

Mammalian

【Characteristic: Sense of oppression】

[Skills: Ice Shard, Siege, High-Speed ​​Movement, Claw Sharpening, Malicious Pursuit]

[Inherited Skills: Freeze Punch, High-Five Strike, Hell Thrust]

"Goodness, they're really going all out with the assassin style," Zhang Jianying couldn't help but complain. "But..."

He looked at Kirlia, who stood gracefully, and suddenly revealed a "friendly" smile: "Hehe, have you ever seen a mage who can use Blink more than ten times?"

"The match begins!"

"Mavila, high-five!"

"Kirlia, teleport!"

Weavile lunged forward with lightning speed, its sharp claws aimed straight for Kirlia's vitals. But Kirlia, already anticipating this attack in the future scene, gracefully vanished from her spot, reappearing at the other end of the field, her skirt fluttering gently.

"Ice gravel!"

"Strong mental focus!"

Mavila summoned sharp ice shards, but Kirlia's psychic powers struck first, freezing all the ice shards in mid-air.

"The Magic Shine Enchantment has been restored to its rightful owner," Zhang Jianying chuckled.

Kirlia pushed her hands horizontally, and the frozen ice shards suddenly changed direction, enveloped in pink light, and shot towards Weavile at an even faster speed. Each ice shard was mixed with fairy-type energy, and its trajectory was extremely tricky.

"Move at high speed to avoid it!"

The girl shouted hurriedly.

Weavile transformed into a black shadow, weaving through the arena and narrowly avoiding all the ice shards. But just as it stopped...

"I've already foreseen your fate." Zhang Jianying snapped his fingers. "Magic Flash!"

The dazzling fairy light, like a precision-guided missile, struck the newly appeared Mannequin with deadly accuracy! Mannequin screamed, wisps of white smoke rising from its body…

"This is impossible!" the girl on the other end exclaimed.

Zhang Jianying shrugged. Since he wasn't sure if the other side could hear him, he didn't bother shouting. He simply muttered to himself, "Have you heard of Observation Haki? Uh... I think I'm on the wrong channel. Anyway, speed is meaningless against Kirlia."

Mavira struggled to his feet, his eyes blazing with fury. He had never felt so humiliated!

"Sharpen your claws!"

The girl changed tactics, attempting to turn the tide by strengthening herself.

He glanced at his opponent with a complicated expression.

"So brave, huh? You think Kirlia is some slow tank like a turtle? You think she'd give you a chance to buff herself?"

"Magic Flash, interrupt it."

Kirlia pushed her hands lightly, and the dazzling light of the Fairy type burst forth once more. Weavile's skill was interrupted, and it let out a wail as it crashed heavily to the edge of the field, convulsing.

"Mavira, stand up! I believe in you."

"..."

"While I admire its never-give-up spirit, you should at least respect the basics. Manuela's tiny body has already taken several hits from skills that counter it. Even with two health bars on credit, it still can't stand up..."

Holy crap!

To everyone's astonishment, Mallow stood up shakily, her eyes burning with anger and resentment.

It had never fought such a frustrating battle in its life, not even managing to touch the hem of its opponent's clothes throughout the entire match. Every time it felt it was about to succeed, the uniquely colored Kirlia on the other side could always anticipate its movements, effortlessly dodge, and then elegantly counterattack.

"When we get back, I have to make my trainer buy me a Gardevoir plushie so I can beat it up every day to vent my anger."

Thinking about this, Manuela thought the idea was brilliant, couldn't help but laugh out loud, then rolled her eyes with a satisfied look and fell straight down...

At this moment, Zhang Jianying was discussing with Kirlia through telepathy: "Just use 20% of your magic power in a flash, be careful not to overdo it and give it a quick death..."

Before she could finish speaking, the Weavile on the other side suddenly gave Kirlia a creepy, enigmatic smile, then promptly lay down...

Kirlia: "???"

Zhang Jianying: "???"

The girl opposite: "???"

Manuela: "^o^"

An eerie silence fell over the entire arena, and even the referee was momentarily speechless.

Realizing what had happened, Zhang Jianying flew into a rage, gritting his teeth and jumping up and down: "Was that little bastard giving my Kirlia a lewd smile just now? If that happened in the wild, he'd be ashes scattered! My Kirlia is still a child!"

As a Pokémon capable of sensing emotions, Kirlia clearly detected the protective instinct and fury burning within it. This intense emotional surge instantly scorched its heart.

It was stunned at first, then a blush uncontrollably spread across its delicate little face and quickly burned to the tips of its ears.

A cherished feeling, intertwined and resonated with an indescribable emotion, quietly plucked its heartstrings, and finally turned into a heartbeat that suddenly accelerated.

……

At this point, the referee finally realized what was happening and raised his flag: "Mavira is unable to fight! The champion is—Zhang Jianying!"

After a moment of silence, the entire arena erupted in deafening applause and cheers. The battle was nothing short of an elegant artistic performance; Kirlia maintained her composure throughout, her skirt remaining perfectly still.

Even the inexplicable ending is full of unexpected comedic elements.

Completely unaware of her Weavile's genius ideas, the young trainer shook her head with a wry smile and walked into the arena to shake hands with Zhang Jianying: "This match... is just too frustrating."

Zhang Jianying gave a stiff smile, maintaining a friendly demeanor on the surface (but actually gritting his teeth) and said, "Your Weavile... is very special. I hope to have more 'interactions' with it in the future."

At that moment, the Turtwig inside the Poké Ball seemed to sense its trainer's emotions and suddenly jumped out of the ball on its own. After learning what had just happened through Kirlia's brief telepathic communication, its usually gentle gaze vanished.

"Ugh!"

The grass turtle let out a deep roar, and suddenly a surging aura erupted from its body.

It stared intently at the Poké Ball on the girl's waist, the leaf-shaped markings on its shell flashing with a violent light, as if it were about to rush up and drag the Weavile out for a good beating.

This was the first time Zhang Jianying had ever seen a grass turtle so excited. He quickly squatted down and stroked its shell reassuringly: "Calm down, turtle, the competition is over."

Kirlia also floated over, gently stroking the leaves on the head of the Turtle with her telepathic powers, conveying its gentle voice: "It's alright, I wasn't hurt."

With the two's reassurance, the Turtwig gradually calmed down, but it still stared warily at the Poké Ball opposite it, as if to say, "If you dare to disrespect my boss again, I'll beat you up every time I see you."

At this moment, Weavile, who was on the other side, regained consciousness after receiving simple treatment. After realizing the misunderstanding that had just occurred, the girl hugged Weavile and awkwardly apologized.

As Mavira awkwardly gestured to explain the true meaning of that smile, Zhang Jianying was first stunned, then burst into laughter, accompanied by the girl's translation.

"So it was fantasizing about going home and beating up the Gardevoir doll to vent its anger?!" He laughed so hard he almost fell over.

Suddenly remembering something, it said to the Turtwig, "I thought your brain was invincible, but I didn't expect there to be a Pokémon even more valiant than you. Whose subordinate is this?"

Seeing the trainer's seemingly relaxed and playful antics, Kirlia covered her mouth and chuckled.

But it still pretended to be angry and turned its face away, though its slightly flushed face and the corners of its mouth that couldn't help but turn up betrayed its true feelings.

Weavile scratched its head sheepishly and made an apologetic gesture to Kirlia, looking both adorable and endearing.

"Actually..." Kirlia whispered through telepathy, a smile playing on her crimson eyes, "it's quite an interesting fellow too."

Watching the interaction between the three Pokémon, Zhang Jianying suddenly felt that the scene was particularly heartwarming.

He crouched down, took Manuela's paw, and said earnestly, "I misunderstood you earlier, little one, I apologize." He paused, then added, "You're welcome to spar anytime in the future. However..."

He deliberately put on a dark face, "You're not allowed to give my Kirlia that weird smile again!"

Weavile nodded vigorously, then quickly raised its paw and made a vow gesture, its earnest appearance making everyone laugh again.

Looking at Manuela's innocent little face, Zhang Jianying patted the turtle's shell: "Turtle, you should apologize to it too. It's all a misunderstanding. Manuela didn't mean any harm."

After apologizing to Weavile, the tortoise looked utterly bewildered. It stared at Weavile with an expression that said, "I don't understand your thoughts, but I'm completely astonished."

When the misunderstanding was cleared up, Zhang Jianying stood on the podium. In addition to presenting her with an exquisite championship trophy and a six-month customized energy cube membership card, the organizers also gave her an extra alliance savings card containing 1% of the total competition winnings.

"Now I can buy you a lot of good stuff."

Zhang Jianying said excitedly that the previous incident had become a fun memory.

Just as he accepted the trophy, Turtwig suddenly broke free of its Poké Ball, dashed to the edge of the podium, and let out a warning growl in a certain direction below the stage.

Following its gaze, everyone saw Weavile hiding behind its trainer, secretly peeking in Kirlia's direction.

"Ugh!"

The grass turtle's roar was clearly laced with anger, and the leaf-shaped markings on its shell lit up again. Its fierce eyes seemed to say, "Still looking? Still looking! Look again and I'll beat you up!"

The Weavile jumped three feet high in fright and quickly shrank behind the girl, pretending to be nonchalant as it whistled.

A burst of good-natured laughter came from the audience, and even the host couldn't help but tease, "It seems our champion's Pokémon have a great relationship! Look how protective they are of their sister."

Zhang Jianying, both amused and exasperated, dragged the grass turtle back and gently tapped its shell: "Aren't you being a bit too protective, turtle? It's already apologized."

Kirlian covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

A voice, carrying a gentle smile, came through my telepathy: "Turtle is protecting me in its own way."

Amidst applause and cheers, Zhang Jianying raised the trophy, with his two friends nestled beside him.

At this moment, the joy of victory and the warmth between comrades intertwined, creating a perfect scene.