Chương 53: There's Something Off About My Pokémon. [53]
Lu Cheng scratched his head awkwardly. He had planned to drop off the package and leave, but Ding Chong insisted on him staying, saying it was part of his family's hospitality. Not wanting to offend, Lu Cheng reluctantly agreed to sit for a bit.
The small room was filled with various items but was surprisingly tidy. In the center of the living room sat an old television, and above it hung a colorful children's drawing.
"My little sister drew that," Ding Chong explained with a sheepish smile. "She loves to do stuff like that."
As they chatted, three small heads peeked out like Digletts, curiously eyeing the rare visitor in their home.
"Ding Ren, Ding Li, and Ding Yi—that's their names," Ding Chong introduced, standing up to pat their heads. "Say hello to our guest!"
"Hello, big brother!" the three children chorused obediently.
"Oh, no, no, no," Lu Cheng quickly stood up, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I didn't even bring any gifts."
"Vulpix, why don't you play with them for a bit?" he suggested.
At the sight of the fluffy Vulpix, the children's eyes lit up. However, instead of rushing over like typical kids, they glanced at Ding Chong for permission first. Ding Chong gave them a nod, and with a cheer, the three surrounded Vulpix, leading it to another corner to play.
"You've got your hands full here," Lu Cheng remarked, feeling a bit of sympathy, before quickly adding, "I didn't mean it in a bad way…"
"It's fine," Ding Chong replied with a gentle smile. "Honestly, living with these little ones makes me feel pretty happy."
Lu Cheng nodded silently, taking a sip of the barley tea. Somehow, it tasted a bit more bitter than he expected.
"By the way, why do you want to participate in the U20 tournament?" Ding Chong suddenly asked.
"Me?" Lu Cheng was taken aback. Clearly, he had never given the question much thought. If it was just to avoid the system's punishment, then simply reaching the top 16 would suffice. Why, then, was he pushing himself so hard to fight for the championship?
Seeing Lu Cheng deep in thought, Ding Chong smiled softly and said, "For me, it's pretty simple. I'm just in it for the prize money."
"The higher you rank, the better the rewards. If I make it to the top 16, I might even be able to land a good job."
Ding Chong's words were incredibly practical, yet they seemed deeply sincere.
"But..." Lu Cheng tried to argue, "Your Zubat is so well-trained, if you could just—"
"Zubat?" Ding Chong chuckled. He took out a Pokéball, and with a flash of red light, the blue-and-purple bat landed gracefully on his shoulder, nuzzling his cheek affectionately.
"It's not that I trained it well; it's just that this Zubat naturally has high potential," Ding Chong explained. "If it had a different trainer, I'm sure it would achieve even greater things."
As he said this, a fleeting hint of sadness passed through his eyes, though he quickly returned to his usual optimistic demeanor. "But thanks to it, I've managed to make it to the top 64 by sheer luck!"
Lu Cheng wanted to say something, but he felt that any words of comfort would be too insignificant for Ding Chong. Instead, he decided to change the subject. "By the way, have you seen the matchups for the next round?"
"My luck isn't bad," Ding Chong smiled. "It's not one of our schoolmates, and not a top student from a prestigious school either. They're strong, but I'm feeling pretty confident."
Lu Cheng nodded in agreement.
"What about you?" Ding Chong asked, pouring another cup of tea for him.
"I'm up against the foreign student from our school."
"Good luck!" Ding Chong grinned. "I'm really looking forward to battling your Vulpix one day!"
On his way home, Lu Cheng kept pondering Ding Chong's question. Why was he participating in the U20 tournament? Or rather, why was he so determined to win the championship?
Suddenly, Lu Cheng clenched his fists. He wanted to become a stronger trainer. Thinking about his promise to his grandfather, to one day stand on the national championship stage, Lu Cheng's gaze grew firm with resolve.
At dusk, the boy walked home alone, his steps filled with determination.
---
The Top 64!
Lu Cheng's post asking for a link to his jacket sparked quite a bit of attention on the forum. However, there were also some who suspected that Lu Cheng had been paid off for advertising. "Get out, shills!" Fortunately, Lu Cheng wasn't worried at all. With a quick move, he used another account to post the actual link. Needless to say, the promotional effect of the U20 tournament was significant. By noon, more than a dozen of the Ninetales-themed jackets had been sold. Some people bought the jacket because they genuinely thought it looked great, while others simply bought it as fans of Lu Cheng.
"Go, Lu Cheng! Go, Vulpix!" In the tournament venue, several girls were cheering for Lu Cheng from the stands. Having only played one match, Lu Cheng was a bit embarrassed to find that he already had fans supporting him.
In truth, those girls wearing the Ninetales jackets were only cheering for him because of Vulpix's cuteness. They didn't have any other particular reasons. Just as Lu Cheng had fans, so did his opponent. When the blond-haired Kevin made his appearance, the arena erupted with deafening screams, as if the fans had spotted a celebrity.
"So handsome! Go, Kevin!"
"Ralts is so cute! Ahhh, the Vulpix on the other side is adorable too!"
"The other trainer is pretty cute, too. Ah, I like that type!"
"Calm down! Take a closer look. Isn't that Ralts' trainer totally different from what he looks like on TV?"
"Whoa! He looks even better in person! I'm gonna faint!"
In the crowd, a large, muscular man with twin pigtails and a thick beard let out an intoxicating squeal. The girl standing next to him, with a blackened face, instinctively shifted further away. Something odd had definitely slipped into the fan group!
Under the overwhelming presence of Kevin's fan club, the girls in the Ninetales jackets quietly shrank back. It felt like they were away fans at a home match. The sheer size of the fanbase forced them to concede.
Kevin, however, was used to this scene. With a model-like smile, he graciously waved to the crowd. Then, he turned to Lu Cheng and greeted him, "Hello, I remember you're a senior from First High, right?"
Kevin spoke fluent Mandarin, and although he had only been in C-Country for less than two years, he was already able to communicate smoothly.
Lu Cheng nodded and joked, "Your fans are pretty wild."
To his surprise, Kevin let out a bitter smile. "They're okay, I guess. I just hope that if I lose later, they'll still support me like this."
Lu Cheng was taken aback, not expecting the kid to be so humble.
"Senior, take it easy on me!" Kevin smiled and clasped his hands in a playful gesture.
"Let the match begin!" As the referee's flag dropped, Kevin's laid-back demeanor immediately shifted. He took the lead, commanding, "Ralts, use Confusion!"
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