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Chapter 110 The Unexpected "Number One Trainer of Taiwan"

Back when it was still the golden Magikarp, Little Gold was often bullied by other Pokémon in the sea because of its conspicuous scales.

The gull's pecking attacks could be avoided, but the siege of the agate jellyfish and the evolved stinging jellyfish was its most painful nightmare in its juvenile years. Those poisonous tentacles, binding, paralyzing, and stinging memories.

Even after it evolved into Gyarados and swept away its own seas with overwhelming power, the ingrained hatred and anger never completely subsided.

So, when the scents of the two agate jellyfish reached him, and when the faint energy fluctuations from their skill collision spread into the deep sea, Gyarados Gold's irritable nature was completely ignited.

Without thinking or weighing the pros and cons, its massive body, like a crimson spear of the sea god, cleaved through the water, carrying towering waves and immense pressure, charging straight towards the battleground!

The two trainers who were giving instructions suddenly felt a darkness before their eyes, and the salty sea breeze suddenly became violent. A ferocious and terrifying red behemoth, which they had never imagined, was now looming in front of them, its fierce eyes fixed on the two trembling jellyfish.

The next second, without giving anyone time to react, a thick, solid, high-pressure water cannon shot out with a roar!

"Bang--!!!"

Before the two agate jellyfish could even scream, they were blasted ashore by the raging current, collapsing onto the rocks and instantly losing their ability to fight.

The aftershocks of the water cannon blasted the surrounding seawater into waves several meters high, drenching the referees and spectators nearby.

Dead silence.

Then came terrified screams, frantic running, and the sound of someone trembling as they dialed the police.

"Attack! A wild Shiny Gyarados is attacking the trainer!"

The news spread like wildfire.

The town's newly formed "Pokémon Incident Rapid Response Team" and the nearby garrison troops were on high alert and quickly mobilized.

When fully armed police and soldiers arrived at the scene and saw the red Gyarados coiled in the nearshore waters, still fuming and exuding a terrifying aura, everyone felt their scalp tingle.

Just as the on-site commander was considering whether to request support from a powerful trainer, two figures tumbled and crawled out from behind the crowd of onlookers.

"Wait! Don't attack! That's our Pokémon!"

Hong You's face was deathly pale, and her voice was hoarse, almost cracking.

Hong Xiu rushed to the front, spread his arms, and stood between the policeman and Xiao Jin, despite his current short stature.

Tears welled in his eyes as he turned and shouted to Xiao Jin, "Xiao Jin! Calm down! Come back! They mean no harm!"

When Gyarados saw Hong Xiu, the ferocity in its eyes subsided slightly, but it still let out a threatening growl at the two unconscious jellyfish, its body twisting restlessly.

The scene was extremely chaotic.

Two trainers, still shaken and distressed by their Pokémon's injuries, and their families insisted on severe punishment for the "dangerous Pokémon and its trainer." The arriving officials were shocked to discover that such a powerful Pokémon and trainer were hidden in the town. The onlookers were abuzz with discussion.

When Hong's parents arrived after hearing the news, they nearly fainted.

All they knew was that their sons had caught Pokémon; they never imagined it would be such a powerful (and ferocious-looking) Gyarados!

Ultimately, it was the high-ranking officials of the Pokémon Affairs Office of the Formosa government who intervened after learning of the situation.

After learning about the cause and effect (mainly Gyarados's "past offenses" and the reasons for the provocation) and assessing Xiao Jin's strength, his attitude underwent a subtle change.

They mediated and eventually calmed the situation, but at the same time they "strongly recommended" and assisted Hong You in registering for the rookie competition's points selection.

Having such skilled and talked-about "wild" trainers on the island is practically a living advertisement for the development of local Pokémon.

Forced to participate in the competition was unexpected by everyone, yet it also seemed to make sense.

Facing most of the novice trainers on the island and their starter Pokémon, Little Gold, a veteran of countless battles (striving to survive by driving away other Pokémon at sea) and far stronger than its current stage, has an almost overwhelming advantage.

Ordinary water guns, impacts, and vine whips have no effect on its hard scales.

And a single "tornado" or "water cannon" from it can often end the game directly.

Even when faced with a tough opponent, they can still win without much trouble thanks to the simple and effective tactics that Hong Xiu has researched in advance and devised for Hong You and Xiao Jin.

Hong You quickly climbed to the top of the leaderboard in the Taiwan region with an almost overwhelming advantage.

Hong You's reputation as "Taiwan's No. 1 Trainer" spread like wildfire.

The video of his fight with Xiao Jin was widely circulated on the island's internet.

The once quiet fishing town suddenly attracted a large number of reporters and curious onlookers.

This was followed by offers of sponsorship from various large corporations on the island, hoping to sponsor this suddenly rising star player.

Hong You was at a loss, but Hong Xiu was unusually clear-headed.

He instructed his brother to decline all offers, only accepting those provided by the Taiwanese government under the guise of a "Trainer Training Fund."

Moderate funding without commercial conditions attached.

Privately, he cautiously sought advice from Lin Dao through the "Fishing Prince" account that Lin Dao had pinned to the top of his chat list.

Lin Dao's reply was quick and clear.

"If you trust me, I suggest that you don't get tied to any long-term business contracts for the time being."

"Focus on preparing for the rookie competition. Once you prove your worth on a bigger stage at Xinyuan, your choices and bargaining power will be on a completely different level. If the current funding isn't enough, you can talk to me again."

Although the two brothers did not fully understand the deeper meaning behind terms like "bargaining power," they unconditionally trusted Teacher Lin, who had changed the course of their lives.

So they withstood the pressure from all sides and turned down the easy money, focusing all their energy on training and competition.

Sitting on the shore, Hong Xiu reflected on the turmoil and growth of the past month, his resolve growing stronger, and he gripped the Poké Ball tightly.

"Xiao Jin, we're going to Xinyuan. To Teacher Lin's city, to that tower."

He spoke softly, as if speaking to his teammates in the ball, or perhaps to himself.

The Poké Ball vibrated slightly again, emanating a burning fighting spirit.

Hong Xiu stood up, dusted off his pants, took one last look at the sea that had nurtured Xiao Jin and held countless secrets and growth for the brothers, and then turned and walked toward the town’s eye-catching, high-tech Pokémon Center.

Hong You, her face flushed and panting, ran to the fast food restaurant owned by Dai Mingming's family.

It was a quiet time in the evening when Dai Mingming, wearing an apron, was organizing receipts behind the counter.

Dai Mingming was somewhat surprised to see Hong You burst in with a flushed face and a vacant look in her eyes.

"Ah You? Why are you running so fast? What happened?"

"M-Mingming!" Hong You took a few deep breaths before she could barely speak coherently.

"That—the Xinyuan City competition, my—our family has a companion slot, my parents and Xiu are going, and..."

There's one more thing—Xiu said she'd like to invite you to come along!

He finished speaking in one breath, not daring to look Dai Mingming in the eye, only staring at the lucky cat ornament on the counter.

Dai Mingming was stunned, and several of the documents she was organizing slipped from her hands.

Looking at Hong You's flushed face and nervous appearance, she suddenly understood something, and two red clouds also appeared on her face, but compared to Hong You's panic, she seemed much more composed.

"Invite me? To Xinyuan City to watch the game?" She blinked, her voice filled with surprise and a hint of uncertainty. "Is this...is this appropriate? The spots are so precious—"

"Perfect! Perfect!" Hong You nodded hurriedly, stammering.

"You've helped our family so much—Xiu said she absolutely has to thank you—Me too—anyway, let's go together! It's all on the house, and we can even buy things!"

Seeing Hong You's anxious yet clumsy appearance, Dai Mingming burst out laughing, her eyebrows curving like crescent moons.

She thought for a moment, then didn't agree immediately. Instead, she said, "I need to ask my parents. But—thank you and Ah Xiu for thinking of me. I'd really like to go to Xinyuan City too."

Hong You finally breathed a sigh of relief, scratching his head and grinning foolishly.

That evening, the Hong family of four, along with Dai Mingming, sat around in the not-so-spacious living room and began to carefully fill out the electronic form leading to their new relationship.

When the notification sounded that the form had been successfully submitted, Hong Xiu touched the Poké Ball in her pocket again.