Chapter 329: The Top Six!!!
The tournament had progressed from the Top 12 into the Top 6!
As the field of competitors was brutally thinned, the format shifted once again—moving from 3v3 to the ultimate test of a trainer's depth: the full 6v6 battle.
Finally, as the sun set on a day of grueling matches, the official roster for the Top Six of the Huaxia League Conference was finalized:
Zhurong Xun: The newest prodigy of the Zhurong Clan. Widely considered the favorite to win and the most likely candidate to one day inherit the Champion's throne from Zhurong Yun.
Elder Venom (Grandma Liu): The mysterious Poison-type specialist. Her identity remained a complete enigma; to this day, no one suspected she was actually a regional Elite Four member from a century ago.
Kenji: The "Strongest Rookie" from Metropolis Academy. With only one year of experience as a trainer, he had conquered the National College League and roared into the Top 6 as the youngest competitor in the bracket.
Hu Ren: A scion of the Hu Clan, the guardians of the Garchomp line. He had reached the Top 6 with an air of effortless, crushing dominance.
Li Xisheng: The winner of the previous Huaxia League Conference. Backed by a powerful League family, he was here for one reason: to defend his title and earn his right to challenge the Elite Four again.
Xu Anran: The only other female trainer besides Elder Venom to make the cut. A master of turning "luck" into "skill," she had clawed her way through several close calls to reach the final stage.
Following the announcement, the tournament went on a three-day hiatus to allow the finalists to recover. During the break, the Huaxia internet exploded with debates over who would make it into the Top Three.
Kenji spent his downtime scrolling through the forums.
The "Big Three" in the eyes of the public were Zhurong Xun, Elder Venom, and Li Xisheng. Xun was the "Destined Champion." Elder Venom had won every single match using only one Pokémon—a display of raw power that had terrified the audience. Li Xisheng was the returning king, having only narrowly lost to the Northeast Elite Four member three years ago.
Then there were the "Underdogs": Hu Ren, Kenji, and Xu Anran.
Hu Ren was respected for his Garchomp, but analysts felt he lacked the versatility of Li Xisheng. Xu Anran was dismissed by many as having "lucked her way in."
As for Kenji? While he had crushed Tanya Tang, the public still viewed his team as being a tier below the top seeds. Since Kenji had yet to reveal Beedrill or Darkrai on the main stage, the world incorrectly assumed that Arbok was his absolute Ace. They saw a gap that didn't actually exist.
...
Three days later, the "Round of Six" began.
The stadium was buzzing with reporters. In the lounge, a journalist approached Zhurong Xun, who was lounging on a sofa with his legs crossed.
"Mr. Zhurong, who do you consider your most dangerous opponent in this Top 6?"
Xun was silent for a beat, his expression one of bored arrogance. "To me, it doesn't matter who is standing across from me. They're all the same."
His words were blatant: he didn't view any of the other five as being on his level. Coming from anyone else, he would have been roasted alive by the fans. But coming from a Zhurong, people simply nodded in expectation.
...
After brief interviews with Elder Venom and Li Xisheng, the cameras turned to Kenji.
"Mr. Kenji, what is your primary goal for this Huaxia League Conference?"
Kenji leaned into the microphone, his tone perfectly flat. "I just want to graduate."
The reporter blinked, confused. Then it clicked—one of Metropolis Academy's graduation requirements was participating in at least one Huaxia League Conference. There was no requirement to actually win or even pass the qualifiers.
To fight your way into the National Top 6 just to check a box on your school credits... it was the ultimate "humble-brag."
"And how have you managed to raise such powerful Pokémon in just one year?"
Kenji shrugged. "Honestly, they're just really hard workers. I mostly just act as 'support'..."
...
Once the interviews concluded, the matchups for the Top 3 were flashed on the jumbotron:
Match 1: Kenji vs. Hu Ren
Match 2: Li Xisheng vs. Zhurong Xun
Match 3: Elder Venom vs. Xu Anran
Kenji was satisfied. As long as he didn't draw Grandma Liu or Xun in the first round, he was happy.
Grandma Liu, however, was clearly annoyed. "The finals are right there, and I still haven't been matched with that Zhurong brat," she muttered through her mask. "I'm starting to think this bracket is rigged."
...
"And now!! Let us welcome Kenji and Hu Ren for the first epic showdown of the day!!!"
As the announcer's voice boomed, the crowd let out a roar that could be heard miles away. Spotlights swiveled to the tunnels.
Kenji and Hu Ren emerged simultaneously from opposite sides, walking toward their boxes under the blinding glare of the arena lights.
"Go Kenji!!"
"Kenji!!! You're the best!!!"
In the front row, Li Heng and Namgung Xi were having a competition of their own, each trying to scream louder than the other.
Since her elimination, Namgung Xi had basically joined Kenji's "entourage." Li Heng was already a professional hype-man, but with Namgung Xi's high-energy support added to the mix, they were becoming a local attraction in the stands.
The two "cheerleaders" exchanged a competitive glance before turning back to the field, cupping their hands and redoubling their efforts. If Kenji was fighting for the championship, they were fighting for the title of "Number One Fan."
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