aircannonsinc Chapter 27: The Preliminary Rounds Begin
Chapter 27: The Preliminary Rounds Begin
Three days passed in a flash.
Amidst intensive preparations and anticipation, the opening day of the beginner selection competition finally arrived.
Luo Yan and Hou Hao had already asked for leave from school well in advance, which did not surprise the homeroom teacher. He readily approved their leave and even set aside a self-study period that day to watch the two's match with the whole class.
The Beginner Selection Tournament is a formal competition jointly organized by the League and local government associations. Its goal is to discover promising newcomers among all novice trainers of the appropriate age.
Even after a certain degree of selection, the number of participants still reached more than 500. Only by breaking through these 500-plus people could they have the opportunity to participate in the provincial beginner's competition and compete against the winners from other cities.
The competition venue was set up in Jiangcheng's largest comprehensive sports center, with several match venues in use at the same time. All the matches were broadcast simultaneously on a large screen, and there were also several live streaming rooms online.
Because it is the largest competition in the region, it is highly valued by the authorities.
The scene was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, the crackling of firecrackers, the waving of red flags, and a sea of people.
Early in the morning, Lu Feng drove Luo Yan and Hou Hao to the entrance of the sports center. After passing through the bustling crowd and verifying their identities, the three entered the inner area.
Lu Feng put the staff badge around his neck, then pointed to the preparation area and battle corridor ahead, and said to the two, "I can only take you this far. When the start is announced, follow the signs to find your battlegrounds."
"Don't be nervous. With your strength, you can achieve good results as long as you play normally. Remember, don't be intimidated. Stay calm, observe your opponents, and just play at the level you usually play in the club."
As he spoke, he patted the two men on the shoulder again. "I have to go to the stands now. After the opening ceremony, everyone except the athletes and referees will be cleared out. Good luck to you two."
After saying that, he turned and walked into the crowd, following the flow of people to the audience seats.
Luo Yan and Hou Hao exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of excitement in each other's eyes.
Luo Yan had never participated in a competition like this before in the Kingdom of Locke, except for the Magic Advancement Competition and the Starlight Competition. Although they were two completely different worlds, the feeling of his heart racing before the competition was the same.
Surrounding the two were young trainers of similar or slightly older age. Their expressions varied, but they were all eager to try, creating a competitive atmosphere.
If a city-level competition is this good, one can only imagine the spectacle of national and world-class competitions.
The opening ceremony of the competition was held on the main stage in the center.
A well-known host from Jiangcheng TV, dressed in formal attire, introduced the significance and rules of the competition in a loud voice. Subsequently, several leaders took turns to speak, and the content was the same old thing over and over again, so everyone was used to it.
Luo Yan looked up at the big screen in the waiting area and soon noticed a familiar figure in a prominent position on the leaders' table.
He couldn't help but nudge Hou Hao with his elbow and said, "Hey, look, your dad's here too."
Hou Zhi, the owner of the Jiangcheng Water System Dojo, sat in the leadership seat, listening attentively to the speeches.
"As a representative of the Jiangcheng League system and trainers, it's perfectly normal for him to attend such an event," Hou Hao shrugged. "My aunt said he left home around 3 a.m. this morning, but I didn't see him when I got up."
The lengthy opening ceremony was finally drawing to a close, and when the host announced the contestants' entrance, the selection competition officially began.
The broadcast echoed through the preparation area.
Luo Yan withdrew his gaze and checked his battle area on his phone: [Player: Luo Yan, Preliminary Round 1, Venue: Section C, Table 7, Please proceed immediately (the match will begin in five minutes).]
Hou Hao also received his contestant's message. The two looked at each other, raised their hands, and gave each other a high five.
"Go for it, Luo Ge!"
"The same to you."
Without exchanging many words, the two turned and walked together through the players' tunnel, heading towards their respective battlefields.
[It's starting! It's starting!]
Popcorn and fries are available for sale in the front row!
I wonder what kind of entertainment Jiangcheng will have this year. I remember last year there was this whole "chuunibyou" thing, haha.
[Don't be so harsh on him, that chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) student is pretty strong, he's at least in the top ten!]
I wonder if those two trainers with shiny Pokémon participated in the competition. If they did, it would be quite an eventful event.
Shiny Pokémon Trainers? What are Shiny Pokémon? Please explain.
Those two have been training like crazy at the gaming clubs in Jiangcheng lately, probably preparing for a match. I think they've probably participated too.
Because of Luo Yan and Hou Hao's previous performance in the battle club, their existence had already been exposed, and many people in the live stream were sending them their Pokémon.
However, Luo Yan was naturally unaware of these things, and even if he did, it wouldn't matter.
Five minutes passed quickly, and Luo Yan stood on the battle platform, seeing his opponent in the first round.
It was a boy about my age with dyed yellow hair.
After the referee confirmed the identities of both parties, he raised his hand to signal them.
"Now we begin the first round of the preliminary round, match in Zone C, Field 7. The two competitors are Trainer Luo Yan and Trainer Yuri. Each of you may use only one Pokémon. The battle ends when one of your Pokémon is unable to battle."
"Now, when I blow the whistle, both of you must release your Pokémon simultaneously. The one who releases first loses."
beep--!
With a whistle, Luo Yan and the blond guy opposite him simultaneously took out Poké Balls from their waists and threw them out.
With two flashes of silver light, the two Pokémon landed on the ground at the same time.
The blond guy released a Pikachu, small and very cute, while at the other end of the field, Luo Yan released...
Holy crap!!
Holy crap!!
The attention on the match was simultaneously ignited in the venue and the live stream.
Some spectators near this side even stood up from their chairs, leaning forward, their eyes filled with excitement and surprise as they looked at the snow-white figure that appeared in front of Luo Yan.
That's right, it's Ibrahimovic!
For the first round of the preliminary rounds, Luo Yan decided that it would be better to let Ibrahimovic come up and experience the game. Moreover, compared to Iris, having Ibrahimovic as a precedent would allow Ibrahimovic to adapt to the game better.
However, Luo Yan never expected that his opponent in the first match would send out the Electric-type Pokémon that Hou Hao was terrified of.
However, this is the preliminary round for beginners.
Eevee vs. Pikachu.
This is really an interesting battle.
...