blogombal Chapter 18: My First Battle
Chapter 18: My First Battle
Upon hearing Lu Feng's suggestion, Luo Yan and Hou Hao exchanged a glance, both seeing a flicker of eager anticipation in each other's eyes.
Their purpose in coming here tonight was to test themselves in a real battle and have a good fight, so naturally they had no reason to refuse.
"Of course!" Hou Hao answered eagerly, his hand already on the Poké Ball at his waist.
"Thank you for your help, Brother Lu." Luo Yan nodded.
"Okay, let's go do a simple registration first." Lu Feng led the two of them to the service desk with practiced ease.
Although their trainer qualifications had already been officially registered and approved by Hou Zhi's gym and received official recognition from the league, they still needed to complete the club's member information entry process in order to freely match opponents, record battle results, and use internal facilities at the battle club. This was considered standard practice.
Behind the service desk was a sweet-smiling young lady in a club uniform.
Upon seeing Lu Feng, her smile became even warmer: "Mr. Lu, good evening. Did you bring a friend to experience this?"
"Yes, these two, Luo Yan and Hou Hao, are newly registered trainers. I brought them here to go through the procedures and also to let them see what it's like." Lu Feng handed over their basic information cards.
"Okay, please wait a moment." The young lady operated the system skillfully and quickly entered the information into the system. She then gave the two a brief explanation of the club's battle rules, safety precautions, and points system.
"...That's basically it. I hope you two have a great experience at the gaming club." She handed the temporary access cards to Luo Yan and Hou Hao, the process was simple and efficient.
After doing all that, the young lady kindly asked, "Mr. Lu, would you like me to book a match for you two now? The matchmaking pool is quite active tonight."
As the prized disciple and long-term acting gym leader of Hou Zhi, the gym leader of the Jiangcheng Water System Gym, Lu Feng is quite famous and recognizable in the local trainer circle, and the club staff naturally recognize him.
Lu Feng nodded, his gaze sweeping over Luo Yan and Hou Hao. "Make an appointment, and it would be best to arrange opponents immediately so they can warm up."
He added, "However, don't pair them up as opponents. The main purpose this time is to let them get used to different fighting styles and rhythms. It's less effective when they play against each other."
"Understood, understanding the diversity of newcomers' experiences is more important." The young lady smiled knowingly, her fingers quickly swiping across the touchscreen to search. "No problem, quite a few trainers want to try out different opponents tonight and find new inspiration. There are a few in the matchmaking pool right now, and their partner Pokémon are mostly at the beginner or early intermediate stage, a good skill level for the two of you to get used to your first battles."
She quickly confirmed the information. "Mr. Luo Yan, your opponent is a regular at 'Grassy Terrain' and will be on Terrain 7. Matching will begin in ten minutes. Mr. Hou Hao, your opponent is a solid trainer on Terrain 5, also in ten minutes."
She looked up, her smile unchanged. "You two can go to your respective preparation areas to rest for a bit, or you can go directly to the sidelines to watch and wait. Best of luck in your first match!"
Lu Feng patted the two men on the shoulders.
"Go ahead, don't be nervous. Remember to observe, judge, and then give decisive commands. I'll be watching from the stands." His eyes held encouragement, but also a hint of observation.
"Let's go, Brother Luo, let's see who gets their first win first time!" Hou Hao patted Luo Yan on the shoulder, then ran straight towards his battle arena.
Luo Yan thanked Lu Feng and the young lady, then turned and leisurely headed to the battlefield he had been matched with.
At the edge of the battlefield, Luo Yan met his opponent, a middle-aged man who looked to be in his thirties with a short beard and a calm demeanor. He was wearing simple sportswear and had several Poké Balls with obvious signs of wear hanging from his waist.
This does not match Luo Yan's imagined image of a college student or young trainer of the same age.
A thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately understood.
This arrangement was probably intentionally made by Lu Feng and that receptionist.
"Is it because they're worried about us, especially me, getting a shiny Pokémon and becoming arrogant and overconfident? So they deliberately arranged for us 'lucky ones' to experience the setbacks of real battles and temper our mentality?"
Luo Yan's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.
"A good idea, and you've put a lot of thought into it."
The middle-aged man opposite him paused for a moment when he saw Luo Yan's youthful face, then gave him a hearty, slightly teasing smile. "Young man, you look unfamiliar. First time at the club? Wow, at your age, you must be a beginner trainer. How about I give you a handicap, let you have a three-move start?"
His tone was casual, with the usual attitude of a veteran towards a newcomer.
"No need, Uncle," Luo Yan replied calmly, his gaze sweeping over the six Poké Balls at the other's waist. "I'm here to improve myself, so just give it your all."
No sooner had the words been spoken than a series of clear exclamations erupted from another area not far away, interspersed with shouts of "Color!" "It's flashing!" "That mosquito coil tadpole?!"
It's obvious without even thinking that Hou Hao must have released his pale blue mosquito coil tadpoles and successfully performed a miracle in front of everyone.
Upon hearing the voice, the middle-aged man opposite Luo Yan subconsciously turned his head to glance at it, a hint of surprise and curiosity flashing across his face.
"Uncle," Luo Yan spoke up at the right moment, his calm voice drawing the other man's attention back, "The battle is about to begin, so don't get distracted."
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man turned back, his gaze towards Luo Yan less casual and more serious. "Heh, interesting, you've taught me a lesson."
He stretched his shoulders, his gaze becoming focused. "Alright, let me see just how fast young people improve these days. Come on!"
The electronic referee AI on the side of the field emitted a clear but emotionless countdown sound.
[Both sides prepare – 3 – 2 – 1 – Go!]
"You're a newbie, so I'll go first. I'll show you my newly caught Pokémon!" The older man made the first move, the Poké Ball tracing an arc.
A beam of red light burst forth in the sky above the field, and energy condensed into shape.
Before the uncle appeared a sturdy, sharp-eyed rhinoceros with a sharp horn on its head. It stomped heavily on the ground, making a dull thud, exuding a steady and powerful aura.
One-horned rhinoceros...
Luo Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. Even a novice trainer would find it troublesome to deal with a Pokémon like Rhyhorn. This had nothing to do with level, but rather with the difference between Pokémon.
To reiterate, the power of the [Tackle] attack released by Onix and Caterpie of the same level is completely different.
but.
"This is quite a formidable opponent! Let's go, Iris!!"
A flash of white light, and Iris stepped out, landing lightly on the ground.
...