Gible wants to be a trainer

Chapter 187 Give Me a Chance to Prove Myself

The following morning, the German team faced off.

The huge circular stadium was packed to capacity, the deafening roar of voices almost shaking the battlefield.

Today is Zhuqing College's third match in the College Cup.

After defeating the runner-up and third place in the previous competition, Zhuqing College, the dark horse, has become a strong favorite to win the championship this year.

Looking around, banners and glow sticks supporting Zhuqing College were fluttering everywhere in the stands.

That's the cruelty and reality of competition; the audience will never hate your arrogance.

What they hate is that you lose after you've had your fun.

As long as Zhuqing Academy continues to win and demonstrates absolute dominance, no matter how arrogant they appear, everyone will be happy to offer them the most enthusiastic applause.

Inside the field after preparations.

"Hehehe, look! The outside world is incredibly optimistic about us right now. The odds of us winning this match have been reduced to only 1 to 1.2!"

A-Liu slumped down next to Wu-Song without any regard for his image, scrolling through his tablet and laughing as he shared the betting odds information he had just come across.

"1 to 1.2 isn't low, is it? What are the odds for Orange Academy?"

Upon hearing this, Cynthia curiously came closer.

「咔！（胜负赔率是3.1。但如果押我们2比1获胜，赔率只有1.5，居然比押我们2比0

(The sweeping 1.7 is even lower.)

Lu Sha crossed her arms and pouted somewhat unhappily.

"Lu Sha, how do you know so much about this? Where did you guys find all this information?"

Cynthia became even more curious.

She knew that wherever there were competitive events, there would inevitably be underground betting, but she had only heard about it before and didn't really know the specific betting channels.

After all, betting on matches is strictly prohibited under the league's laws.

"There are plenty of these things in private, right? Devon Company itself runs its own sales on the side, and I got in through some special channels."

Ah Liu winked, looking smug.

"Click! (Why do you need a special channel? Just use the Carlos Alliance's official website! Anyone can vote openly and honestly.)" Lu Sha said casually.

"Huh? The official website for the Carlos region? Really?" Cynthia's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Click! (How could this be fake? Just search it on your phone and you'll know.)" Lu Sha chuckled mischievously.

"Wait a minute, something's not right." A-Liu noticed the blind spot. "Carlos doesn't have a league, so where did this official website come from?"

""

"That's what they say, but shouldn't every region have its own portal website..."

Cynthia, half-believing, took out her phone, searched for Carlos's official website, and clicked on it: "Wow... this page has such a beautiful UI design."

Unlike the rigid, bureaucratic style of the Sinnoh League's official website, the Carlos website has an extremely clean and simple interface.

The large areas of high-definition real-scene images are perfectly integrated with the minimalist fonts, and the color scheme exudes a high-end feel, making it a pleasure to look at.

"but..."

Cynthia's pale fingers slid across the screen, her tone growing increasingly hesitant: "Why are there so many Gible elements on this? Isn't Goodra Kalos's pseudo-legendary representative?"

She pointed to the granite-shaped navigation icons, the like button, and the ubiquitous shark fin borders on the page, lost in thought.

"Click! (There's Nian Meilong! Look at the banner at the very top of the official website, isn't that Nian Meilong and his family?)"

Lu Sha reached out a paw and tapped Cynthia's screen. A headline was scrolling across the large cover:

The first phase of the Carlos Nymphaea habitat project has been successfully completed.

The accompanying image is a heartwarming family photo of the glutenosaurs.

"But look at the very top, even the official logo of the Pokédex is a Gible!"

Cynthia pointed to the top of the screen and couldn't help but look at Lu Sha with a "Do you think I'm stupid?" look.

She simply didn't believe that the website had nothing to do with Lu Sha.

"Hehe! (This only proves that Gible is famously popular! What does it have to do with me? Don't worry about these details, hurry up and go check out the prediction page!)" Lu Sha said without batting an eye.

Nonsense, this official website was created by the young lady herself in her spare time, so it's only natural that it's filled with Gibles.

As Jia Deli's reading volume increased, the books she read became more and more diverse, and she casually flipped through a few books on UI design and front-end development.

Carlos's side was in dire need of rebuilding and lacked a portal website, and Lu Sha was not satisfied with the solutions they offered.

After discussing it, both sides decided that the young lady would simply make it by hand.

Putting everything else aside, Lu Sha dares to guarantee that the front-end page set made by Jiadeliya will absolutely crush those outdated products on the market.

The world's technology level is very high now, but the aesthetic sense on the internet is still at the level of Lu Sha's previous life in the early 2000s, which is incomparable to the young lady's futuristic modern design.

"I knew it was definitely related to you guys!"

Cynthia smiled and didn't dwell on the matter, instead turning her attention back to the so-called gambling: "But speaking of which, aren't you sure the League won't investigate you for putting the gambling entrance so openly on your official website homepage?"

"Click! (You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want! What betting? This is called a prize-winning prediction contest for sports events!)"

Lu Sha chuckled, laughing like a smug, unscrupulous capitalist.

Anyway, the market demand is there, and if they don't make this money, underground organizations will.

Since that's the case, let's keep the profits within the family and make them while we can.

"It's supposed to be a prize-winning quiz, but it's basically gambling. What's the point of betting with Poké Balls?"

Cynthia studied the rules carefully and found that it was not possible to place bets directly with League Coins. Instead, it required the use of an item called a Virtual Poké Ball.

"Click! (This is a Pokédex collection mini-game bundled with the official website. You can buy a virtual Poké Ball by recharging 500 League Coins. Not only can you participate in the prediction contest, but you can also catch virtual Pokémon from the Kalos region in the mini-game. There are prizes for completing the Pokédex!)" Lu Sha explained patiently.

"Wow, you guys are real business geniuses! Using game gacha items as betting chips, you've completely circumvented the league's rules!"

Ah Liu listened with amazement, exclaiming that she was an expert.

How come he didn't think of such a brilliant idea?

If he had thought of that, wouldn't he have made a fortune?

"Click! (That's roughly the idea; frankly, it's about exploiting a loophole. But the key point is that the alliance won't investigate us.)"

Lu Sha chuckled mischievously, his tone brimming with confidence.

"Why not investigate? Even if you bypass the rules, it still violates the law, doesn't it?" Cynthia asked like a curious child.

She herself doesn't have any moral fastidiousness about gambling. After all, in this world with guaranteed benefits, there's no such thing as a tragic ending where someone loses everything and jumps off a rooftop.

Moreover, there are even more outrageous ways to play, such as betting on Pokémon eggs, which the League turns a blind eye to.

"Click! (Because we have a powerful backer!)" Lu Sha straightened his chest.

"Indeed, with Chief Cathara's current strength, most people wouldn't dare to provoke her." A-Liu gave a thumbs up in deep agreement.

"Click! (What nonsense. We only take 20% of the website's profits; we're only responsible for a small part of the operation. The real big shots and protectors aren't us.)" Lu Sha waved his paw.

"Not you? Then who is it? The Elite Four member of Sinnoh and the others?" Cynthia pressed.

Based on her understanding of the King of Wheat Leaf, it is indeed possible that she would participate.

"Crack! (It's the Mustard Seed Bamboo King!)"

Lu Sha grinned widely, his smile carrying a profound meaning.

"Huh? Grandpa?"

Cynthia was completely stunned.

She never imagined that she would be caught up in the gossip herself.

"Click! (Initially, we planned to collaborate with King Wheat Leaf. But recently, King Mustard Seed Bamboo seems to be short of funds, lacking a large sum of money.)"

"Click! (Furthermore, he also advanced a large amount of dragon-type resources to Carlos. Once the young lady finishes the Elite Four challenge and facilitates the initial merger of the two regions, those resources will all be handed over to him.)"

As Lu Sha explained, he gave Cynthia a meaningful look.

A veteran superstar with considerable wealth and no large family to support should theoretically never lack money in his life.

But now he not only urgently needs a large amount of funds, but he is also going to use his personal connections to obtain top-tier dragon resources. There can only be one reason for that.

"I see..."

Cynthia fell silent instantly.

Her originally bright eyes drooped slightly, and her long eyelashes trembled gently.

She wasn't stupid; she figured it out almost instantly.

Clearly, the reason why Grandpa lowered himself and chose to collude with Lu Sha and the others was all for her sake.

It wasn't just about using Carlos's resources to pave the way for her future championship path, but also about securing a cooperation opportunity for her.

"Lu Sha!"

Cynthia suddenly raised her head, her eyes losing some of their usual gentleness and gaining a sharp edge.

"Cut? (Huh? What's wrong? Why are you so startled?)"

"I want to start in the doubles match during the finals!"

"Huh? (You want to fight Mikoli? Really?)"

It's obvious that in the finals, in order to win, Devon Academy will definitely let Mikoto start in the doubles match, and then let Daigo play in the singles match, in order to avoid Gadria and win the victory.

This is the only tactical plan that the German Academy can possibly use to turn the tide given its disadvantage in terms of overall strength.

"I want to try! Even if there's only a sliver of a chance, I want to prove myself. If I really lose..."

"Click! (Screw losing! Just do it!)"

Lu Sha interrupted her without any politeness, grinning with a mouthful of sharp teeth: "Crack! (Don't wait until the finals. If you want to fight, go for it today, use Regirock directly!)"

Shark would never do anything to spoil someone else's fun.

Since Xiaobaicai wants to prove herself, let's build her the most luxurious stage.

"Thank you, Lu Sha!"

Cynthia took a deep breath, clasped her hands together, and bowed deeply to Lu Sha with utmost solemnity.

Then, she turned around and walked towards A Liu and Wu Song, and began to seriously explain to her teammates her request to change the tactics on the spot.

She knew very well that if her willfulness caused things to go wrong, it could put her at a disadvantage in the entire game.

But after learning about her grandfather's sacrifices, she was now eager to prove herself.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Watching Cynthia's retreating figure as she proactively communicated with her teammates, Gadria, who had been silent all along, suddenly tilted her head slightly and nudged Lu Sha in her mind with a lazy voice.

Yeah, it's all because Daigo and his gang of shameless organizers changed the rules at the last minute.

Lu Sha snorted inwardly and shrugged indifferently.

Right after the second round, the organizers suddenly announced that the rules for the third round of the knockout stage had been slightly adjusted.

It was still a best-of-three match, but the originally scheduled 5v5 arena match was forcibly moved to the second match.

It's obvious to anyone with a brain that this is a gimmick created by the organizers to boost ratings because Zhuqing Academy is too strong and Cattleya is too popular.

If the original rules had been followed, Zhuqing Academy would likely have won the first two doubles and singles matches 2-0, killing any suspense, and Cattleya and Lu Sha wouldn't even have needed to go on stage.

From a commercial and entertainment perspective, Lu Sha can understand this approach.

As far as he knew, there were indeed many viewers online who had bought expensive tickets and were protesting wildly because they didn't see the young lady make a move in the first two rounds.

After all, she possesses overwhelming strength, is labeled as the number one player of the new generation, and has that aloof and stunningly beautiful face.

Even though they've only fought once, Gadria's popularity has already subtly surpassed Karune's.

Countless spectators traveled from all over the country just to witness the young lady's beauty in person.

In order to force them to participate, the organizers naturally had to make adjustments.

Moreover, after making the adjustments, the suspense can be left for the last match, since no one thinks that Gadriya will lose the ring match.

But while she understood, being forced to work made Lu Sha very unhappy.

Daigo informed them about the rule change, but he didn't offer them any benefits.

Since the Hoenn organizers wanted to create suspense, then they should kill the suspense.

Revealing Cynthia's card is enough to kill all suspense.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The third round of the knockout stage opened with a spectacular fireworks display that exploded in the dome, and the commentator's passionate shouts resounded throughout the stadium as he began to loudly introduce the two teams competing.

Meanwhile, the two teams, each led by Gadriya and Yeci, strode into the sunlit center of the field through the passageway.

Just before heading to their respective preparation areas, Ye Ci stopped and called out to Cattleya, who was not far away: "Miss Cattleya."

Ye Ci gave a slight bow, performing an elegant and composed gesture, and stared intently at the aloof figure: "It seems even the organizers hope we'll meet in the arena. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to witness your full power."

However, Cattleya did not slow down her pace for even half a second.

She lowered her eyelids slightly, her gaze not lingering on Ye Ci at all, and simply walked forward on her own.

For her, there was absolutely no expectation for the match in front of her.

In contrast, her mind was now filled with the itinerary for her and Lu Sha to go to the Larousse City development zone after the competition.

Only Lu Sha's teasing voice carried back to Ye Ci on the wind: "Click! (Don't get too excited. If we really run into each other later, don't lose too quickly and spoil the fun for me!)"

"Don't worry, I will."

Ye Ci maintained her smile, completely unconcerned about the other party's disdain.

She turned gracefully and led the team toward Padia's reserve bench.

Walking beside her, Xin Li, with her striking green high ponytail, wearing a fitted blazer, and tall and slender figure, approached with a smile, hands in her pockets: "Chief, since the arena match has been forcibly moved to the second round, do I still have to team up with Bo Pi later for the guaranteed doubles match?"

The list hasn't been submitted yet, so there's still time to change the personnel.

"What? Xinli, you don't believe I can win?"

Ye Ci glanced at her and teased her softly.

"No, that's not it." Xinli confidently blew a strand of hair from her forehead. "It's just that if I teamed up with Poppi, the doubles competition would be a complete foregone conclusion."

"To put it arrogantly, Poppi might be a little weaker, but as for me, apart from that Cattleya, none of the rest of the group on the other side are my match."

"What the heck! Sister Xinli is so mean! Poppy's Pokémon are strong too!"

Beside them, a little girl who looked no more than ten years old pouted in dissatisfaction.

Despite her youthful and adorable appearance, she is actually the third-ranked student at Orange Academy; her looks are just deceptive.

"Okay, stop fooling around."

Ye Ci affectionately ruffled Bo Pi's hair, then looked at the Zhu Qing Academy team opposite him and made his final decision: "You two will team up to win the first doubles match. As for the second arena match, leave it to me!"

Not long after, amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd, the team leaders of both sides stepped onto the platform and handed over the list of participants for the first doubles match to the referee.

The competition has officially begun!