Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

[Those who didn't watch the entire match might not know, but Xia Shen's performance was absolutely phenomenal, saving the day. Especially his use of the sharp stone attack—it was incredibly versatile, adaptable in both speed and deliberate force. I suspect he has some kind of side job.]

The comments were bizarre; I couldn't understand what he was saying at all.

[Xia Shen is so handsome! His consistently cold expression is really captivating!]

I suggest focusing on the trainer's skill level. Thank you.

Why does this Ursaring's attack speed and power vary? Can someone explain this?

Xia Shen's eyes narrowed slightly; [swiftness] and [fierceness] had finally been exposed to the world.

Although he was mentally prepared.

This thing can't be hidden. If it's used, it will inevitably be discovered. So Xia Shen had considered this problem a long time ago.

This long-lost... no, this ancient method of washing jade has never been passed down before, and it is one of Xia Shen's greatest assets.

Therefore, he had no intention of passing on this skill to others in the short term.

If so, it would definitely be one or two people who are closest to you and whom you trust the most.

As for outsiders' doubts and speculations, let them guess.

The most normal thought for an ordinary person would be that this is a family secret or a creation of a genius, and they would generally not be so tactless as to pry into other people's secrets.

If there are malicious individuals or even organizations, there's nothing that can be done about it. Fortunately, we still have some trump cards up our sleeves.

However, one of the trump cards has been asleep for almost ten days and still hasn't woken up, which is really worrying Xia Shen...

……

I snapped out of my reverie; there wasn't much else to see.

Xia Shen returned the phone to Li Chen and was about to continue watching the game when the phone in his pocket vibrated.

She took out her phone, and there it was—a text message from Yan Yan.

[Great play, congratulations! I probably won't be able to watch the rest of the matches, I'll be going on a trip with my father. Don't worry about me.]

……

Yan Family Manor.

Mr. Yan looked at his youngest daughter with a serious expression and asked earnestly, "Are you sure you want to come with me? This is no joke."

Yan Yan was momentarily dazed, and the image of Xia Shen using his sister's Doronbalut to fight his father to a standstill flashed through her mind...

Then I remembered that spirited young man I just saw on TV...

Finally, the memory remains on that not-so-cold morning, and the warm hand that touched me.

She looked at her father's serious expression and nodded earnestly.

This time, I don't want to be anyone's shadow, but to walk alongside you.

Chapter 104 The Big One is Coming!

The first day's eight matches continued until the evening.

Apart from the match between Zhijiang Middle School and Weicheng No.1 Middle School, the other matches were of moderate popularity, with little ups and downs in the process and the results were as expected.

According to the schedule, the group stage lasts for six days.

Zhijiang Middle School's next group stage match was scheduled for the third day, against the weakest team in the group, the fourth-tier team.

Although the opponent was weaker, the principal dared not be careless this time.

In his pre-match strategy, he decided to move Chu Si's Swampert to the arena to take charge.

With past mistakes already made, who knows if our opponents will pull some tricks again?

Therefore, Swampert, which is only four times weak to Grass and is well-balanced in all aspects, would undoubtedly be a good choice to defend its position.

So here's the question: who should be given the vacant singles vice general battle position?

……

"The opposing team doesn't have any Dragon or Fairy-type Pokémon, and they also have relatively few Water and Ice-type Pokémon. So, is it okay to have Garchomp as the vice-captain for the second singles battle?"

The principal looked around at the students of the school team sitting around, and finally looked at Xia Shen.

No one had any objections to the principal's choice. Whether in training matches or official competitions, Xia Shen had already proven his strength with his performance.

No one noticed that, without anyone noticing, Xia Shen's position in the school team had changed from a substitute to an important rotation player.

…………

After two days of buzz, the popularity of "[China's strongest high school sophomore]" on the internet is growing.

Incidentally, the popularity of the breakout rounds in the Jiangnan region has also increased.

This made the event's sponsors very happy. With their keen business sense, they contacted Xia Shen one after another by phone to discuss cooperation.

The conversation was essentially about the two parties' collaboration during the regional qualifying rounds and finals of the National High School Championship, and even their long-term endorsement partnerships.

Although the strength of the Zhijiang Middle School team is not great in the national context, it is even uncertain whether they can make it into the top eight in this year's National High School Championship.

But commercial value is never just about strength; age, appearance, and other factors can all be icing on the cake.

Is the title of "[Strongest Second-Year High School Student]" hot enough? Obviously it is.

Even setting aside the hype, investing in a rookie trainer with explosive potential is already quite worthwhile.

Just like investing in startups in my previous life, the earlier investors get involved, the lower their costs and the higher their potential returns.

So before the second group stage match, the principal and Xia Shen's phones were ringing off the hook.

After a thorough discussion between the principal and Xia Shen, the Zhijiang Middle School team immediately switched to a "do not disturb" mode.

This was Xia Shen's idea; firstly, he really didn't want to be distracted by other things during the competition.

Secondly... the conditions they offered weren't enough to entice Xia Shen; simply put—

With so little money, it's hard to get anything done for you!

Frankly speaking, those companies offered quite a lot. In fact, the two companies that offered the highest prices, Blue Flower Moo Moo Milk and Devon Company, quoted several million a year, which is already the treatment of an ordinary professional ninth-dan trainer.

But Xia Shen still rejected this contract, which seemed to exceed his actual value, for a simple reason: the big one hadn't arrived yet!

The circle bear and the peat block are ready, and I have a stable chance to play. I have even taken care of my father-in-law. It can be said that everything is ready.

A lunar cycle lasts for 28 days, and the next full moon night will be the night of the semi-finals of the Jiangnan Division's breakout round.

So Xia Shen was betting that the Zhijiang Middle School team could make it all the way to the semifinals.

Then, when Moon Bear makes its stunning debut, its fame and value will soar to an alarming level.

At that time, the title of "[the strongest second-year high school student in the country]" will really be a bit lacking compared to "[the discoverer of the new evolution form of Quan Quan Xiong]".

However, Xia Shen also understood that all of this was contingent on him being able to make his appearance in the semifinals.

Otherwise, the impact of the Moon Bear's debut will be greatly diminished.

So the most important thing right now is to play each game well, one step at a time.

------

The third day of the group stage, before the match between Zhijiang Middle School and Jinyun Middle School.

After the last match ended, a large number of people began to flock to the official live stream.

Without a doubt, they all came to see Xia Shen.

However, these people can hardly be called fans; most are just there for the gossip and entertainment. Those who could be considered fans are basically there because of their good looks...

Amidst the lively chat, the competition officially began.

In the first match, the opponent fielded a Roselia, which, according to pre-match intelligence, was not their main Pokémon.

The lieutenant colonel team members on the sidelines immediately realized that their opponents were trying to pull some dirty tricks.

Without much effort, Bosscodora quickly defeated the Poison Rose, securing the two points in the main battle.

Next up was the second singles match. Under the astonished gaze of the entire audience, Xia Shen stepped onto the stage.

The live chat exploded with comments.

……

"The coach of the Zhijiang Middle School team is too good at live streaming. He knows what we want to see and actually let Xia Shen play early!"

"Holy crap, doesn't that mean Xia Shen has become the first second-year high school student to appear in a singles match again?"

"Congratulations, Shenbao, on unlocking a new achievement! Go Shenbao! Mom loves you!"

……

Xia Shen stood on one side of the battlefield, looking at his unexpected opponent with slight surprise—

Jiang Xinran is the captain of Jinyun Middle School and also the team's strongest singles player.

As predicted, I thought she would appear in the ring match, but unexpectedly she appeared in the singles vice-captain battle.

The opponent's tactical intentions are quite clear: they are not aiming for victory, but only to save face.

After all, their opponent lost to Yancheng Middle School in the last game and has no chance of advancing, so it's better to set a more realistic goal.

Unfortunately, Xia Shen ran right into the line of fire.

However, despite facing the opponent's strongest singles player, Xia Shen had no pressure.

For him, the most important thing was for the school team to win; as for himself...

Losing a game doesn't matter; he doesn't really care about his current reputation anyway. Everything is for the sake of Moon Bear's dazzling debut.

Jiang Xinran breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Xia Shen. No matter how much the Circly Bear was praised, in her eyes, the Swampert was still superior.

Two red lights flashed, and both sides' Pokémon appeared. As Xia Shen expected, Jiang Xinran's main Pokémon was Blastoise.

The elf in front of Xia Shen... was not what Jiang Xinran expected.

It wasn't that oddly colored grizzly bear, but a gigantic Garchomp!

The screen was filled with question marks, since most of the onlookers only became aware of Xia Shen and Quan Quan Xiong through the video of that match.

As for what Xia Shen's true initial Pokémon is, they wouldn't bother to investigate that much.