While Fang Yuan was listening to the discussions, he handed over some Poké Balls to the medical staff to restore their Pokemon's physical strength.
At that moment, Fang Yuan happened to hear a familiar voice.
"Cen Mingzhi?"
Fang Yuan recognized the man. After a moment's thought, he recalled that the person was indeed an apprentice from the Frost City Wind Fist Dojo, Cen Mingzhi.
When the young man dressed in a fighting suit heard someone call his name, he turned around and instinctively exclaimed in surprise, "Fang Yuan? What are you doing here?"
Back when Fang Yuan was a freshman, he visited the Wind Fist Flow Dojo in Combat City with his newly evolved Monferno for training, and it had been Cen Mingzhi who had received him.
Cen Mingzhi was just an ordinary apprentice of the Wind Fist Flow Dojo and not even as strong as an elite trainer, but he was tall and strongly built, quite capable in a fight.
"Just traveling," Fang Yuan said with a grin. His visit to the Lake of Purification for training was known to Senior Feng Yin of the Frost City Wind Fist Dojo, but Cen Mingzhi was not privy to this information.
"Never mind me, what's happened? Has a foreign training team challenged the United Dojo already?" Fang Yuan asked curiously.
Among the Eight Major United Dojos, the Fighting United Dojo was established on Ice Plain Mountain in the northern Combat City, which was also the location for the previous World's Number One Fighting Competition.
As far as Fang Yuan knew, this Fighting United Dojo was quite strong, home to as many as five masters.
"Nothing much."
"It's just that the Egyptian expedition team challenged the United Dojo, and then they set up a challenge ring in the public space of Ice Plain City, inviting trainers from all dojos to challenge them."
Cen Mingzhi shrugged his shoulders.
"So a foreign training team has come so soon." Fang Yuan's interest was piqued. The selection for the world competition substitutes had not even started in Hua Nation, and yet there were already foreign teams going around challenging other nations. They were quick to move, but considering the population difference between the two nations, Fang Yuan figured it must be easier for countries with smaller populations to pick their contenders.
"How strong are they?" Fang Yuan asked as he pulled Cen Mingzhi into a seat, and the two began to chat in the Spirit Center.
"Well... I've heard that all five of them are professional trainers from Egypt, and each one is outstanding. When they challenged the United Dojo, our professional dojo defenders struggled to combat them. Oh, and their team leader even fought the Ice Origin Master to a draw!"
Cen Mingzhi was envious. All five members of the Egyptian team were trainers under thirty, and he yearned for such strength.
"Uh... is that all?" Fang Yuan, after hearing this, touched his nose, thinking it sounded quite weak... But perhaps this was just the substitute team from Egypt. Otherwise, if their main force was this weak compared to the four Kings and the Champion of Hua Nation, they would likely be annihilated instantly.
"Just... that?" Cen Mingzhi heard the skepticism in Fang Yuan's tone and opened his mouth slightly in surprise. That team had been making a splash at the public area in Ice Plain City for nearly two days, terribly strong.
But then he paused, remembering Fang Yuan's strength. He had watched the fighting tournament where Fang Yuan's Monferno had defeated a professional trainer's Blaze Chicken; Cen Mingzhi could clearly recall the scene where Monferno instantly knocked out a professional-level Huge Gold Monster with a punch at the national competition.
Indeed... Fang Yuan sitting before him certainly had the right to disregard those challengers. With a strength that was not the least bit inferior, and being younger, Fang Yuan had ample reason to be proud.
"By the way, Fang Yuan, do you want to go and fight them? There should be people at the public space." Cen Mingzhi's eyes suddenly lit up.
In the past two days, that group of Egyptian trainers had been quite formidable at the public combat space, and no one could handle them. But if Fang Yuan were to fight... there might be a chance for victory.
"Haven't they already challenged the United Dojo? Why haven't they left?" Fang Yuan reiterated with confusion.
"Although they've completed the challenge, and their record seems quite good, it appears they're not very satisfied with themselves and want to stay in Ice Plain City for a while to train, to challenge a few more times," Cen Mingzhi shook his head, "Hey, do you want to go and have a look at a battle?"
As a Combat City, Ice Plain City is home to a multitude of Trainers, especially since the establishment of the United Dojo, which has attracted a constant stream of Trainers coming for tourism. However, there are still too few Professional Trainers. In the face of the Egyptian Expedition Team setting up a challenge in a public arena, with no Professional Trainers from the Trainer Association or any major dojo stepping in, indeed no one could beat them.
Fang Yuan considered for a moment and said,
"Sure, do they have any special Pokemon?" Fang Yuan didn't really mind spending half a day and became curious about the opponent's Pokemon when the topic of battling came up; given that Egypt is in Africa, there should be many regional Pokemon that Asia doesn't have.
"Yes! I remember... Braviary... Mud Puppet Giant... Death God Coffin."
............
After reviving all of his Pokemon at the Spirit Center, Fang Yuan let out Eevee again, who perched on his shoulder, and woke Rotom from its sleep research state—it might be needed as a translator next.
Cen Mingzhi eagerly led the way for Fang Yuan, acting just like a lackey about to take advantage of someone by association, but considering Fang Yuan's frail appearance and Cen Mingzhi's bulky frame, the pair looked rather odd together.
"Seems there's a battle going on."
Upon arriving at the public battle arena, they noticed one particular area that was especially lively, with at least thirty spectators, a rarity indeed.
In the sky above the arena, a Pokemon resembling a vulture, with feathers styled into a ponytail and using a bone club as a hairpin, showed off its majestic strength by grabbing a Rydon, lifting it into the sky, and then, as if toying with its prey, slammed the Rydon hard into the ground.
"That's the Gengi Dojo successor... though not yet a Professional Trainer, some of the main Pokemon probably have Professional level strength," Cen Mingzhi mumbled as he looked toward the Rydon's Trainer, indicating that the Gengi Dojo successor had challenged the other side, and the one to meet this challenge was the only female among the five Egyptian Trainers, a Trainer with unusual attire and curly hair.
At that moment, she was directing her Pokemon Vullaby in combat against her opponent, but the disparity in strength was too great, and ultimately Rydon lost.
"Rotom..." The mobile Rotom floated beside Fang Yuan, curiously observing Vullaby, while Eevee, with a vague look in its eyes, seemed lost in thought, showing no interest in assessing Vullaby's strength.
A barely Professional level Rydon, a Vullaby far from Master Level—with these odds, unless Fang Yuan sent out Gear child, Ditto, or Rotom, no matter which Pokemon he chose, losing was out of the question.
"Is there anyone else... wishing to battle?" The Gengi Dojo successor's opponent, the Trainer of Vullaby, smiled slightly and invited the surrounding spectators in her unskilled Chinese, but clearly, all the watching Trainers were there just for the show, knowing they'd lose if they fought, and none responded.
Even the Gengi Dojo successor had lost; they'd be just handing themselves over if they fought.
In the spectator seats behind Vullaby's Trainer, there were two other Trainers dressed in the same attire, one with slightly fairer skin and the other darker, both watching the unfolding battle with interest. After a while, they noticed a figure heading toward the battle area.
This Trainer asked along the way, "Are you players from Egypt's World Championship second team?"
Looking at the young man approaching the arena in casual clothes, Ayasa said, "Yes, do you want to battle?"
"Hmm, yes, a battle, but I'm more interested in battling with your team leader. Are you the leader?" Fang Yuan said with a smile. The leader of this expedition team probably had some Pokemon that reached the strength of a Master, and facing an opponent of Master Level strength would be a good test for Milotic to validate the results of its training.
Upon hearing Fang Yuan's words, Ayasa was momentarily stunned, and her two teammates behind her looked at Fang Yuan with unfriendly gazes.
The national Trainers watching the match were also drawn by Fang Yuan's words. They knew that the leader of the Egyptian expedition team had fought evenly with an Ice Origin Master, possessing considerable strength, and they couldn't help but admire Fang Yuan's boldness for challenging the Egyptian team leader straight away. All the Trainers present hoped Fang Yuan had matching strength; otherwise, it would be embarrassing for them too if he talked tough only to be humiliated.
"The leader isn't here. If you want to fight the leader, you must win against me first. The rule is 2 on 2," Ayasa extended her hand as the Vullaby beside her took to the sky again, ready to battle.
"That's fine..." Fang Yuan turned to look at Eevee, who hadn't followed and was sitting among the spectators as if watching a play. Knowing that Eevee wasn't interested in taking part, then... perhaps Monferno would do.