-109- The Arrogant Rival (Please Subscribe!) (8/10)

"I'm coming..."

The voice struck the hearts of everyone present like a piercing arrow. Though not particularly loud, it was remarkably crisp.

Tong Si walked slowly toward the battle arena. Every gaze in the stadium shifted to him.

"Tong Si! It's Tong Si!"
"It's really Brother Tong! He actually came? He truly lives up to being my hero..."
"Master Tong, you must defeat this arrogant jerk and restore the dignity of Jiahua University!"
"Teacher Tong... I want to learn your techniques~"

The moment the battle department students saw Tong Si step onto the stage, it was as if they had witnessed a giant of light. Tong Si walked with an aura of confidence, a beam of light seemingly shining down upon him. In the eyes of the battle department students, he was nothing short of a savior.

"Tong Si..."

Lin Jintong, having just stepped down from the arena, felt her eyes well up with tears as she saw him. As the daughter of the renowned Master Lin Mo, she had always been proud. Even within the talent-saturated battle department of Jiahua University, she had secured the top ranking. Yet, just moments ago, she had been defeated by a student from Ninghai No. 3 University. It was a humiliation that shattered her long-held pride.

"Don't worry, leave it to me now..."

Tong Si frowned. Peng Jie’s earlier words had irked him. What did he mean, "not a single one in Jiahua University can fight"? You could say the battle department had no one who could fight, but you couldn't say that about the whole university. Because he, Tong Si, was in the breeding department!

Usually, breeding departments from different universities didn't engage in competitive Pokémon battles, which frustrated Tong Si. He possessed the skills but had nowhere to showcase them. Now, there was a chance to restore the battle department's dignity—and incidentally, play the hero.

"Who are you?" Peng Jie asked from the arena, his eyes filled with disdain.

"Me? Tong Si from the breeding department!"

Tong Si announced himself. After a two-second pause, Peng Jie burst into laughter. At first, seeing Tong Si arrive with such momentum and hearing the crowd chanting his name, he had expected a formidable opponent. To think it was just someone from the breeding department!

"A guy in the breeding department... Hahaha... I can't breathe, I'm dying of laughter!" Peng Jie clutched his stomach, laughing uncontrollably.

"Ahem... Student Peng Jie, please mind your manners," the referee interjected, unable to ignore the blatant disrespect.

Peng Jie stopped laughing and scanned the audience. "Is Jiahua University really so desperate? You’re sending a breeding student to face me? Are you trying to insult me?"

"This is a friendly match between the battle departments; am I allowed to participate?" Tong Si ignored Peng Jie and turned to ask Lin Jintong.

"Technically... you shouldn't, since this is a friendly match for the battle department," Lin Jintong replied, shaking her head before glancing at the teachers nearby as if seeking their opinion.

"It’s fine! If Jiahua University can't field anyone else, he can step up and face me. I don't care which department you send," Peng Jie shouted from the arena, not caring about the rules of the exchange. If Tong Si dared to step up, he was ready to fight.

"You said it yourself. I hope you don't regret it!" Tong Si said, walking toward the stage.

"Hahaha... Regret? That word doesn't exist in my dictionary," Peng Jie sneered.

As Tong Si stepped onto the arena, he noticed the electronic screen light up. This was a five-on-five gauntlet match. So far, Peng Jie was the only one from Ninghai No. 3 University to have competed, while four students from Jiahua's battle department, including Lin Jintong, had already been defeated. It was no wonder Peng Jie was so arrogant. Trash talk was a traditional part of these friendly matches among young, hot-blooded students, meant to sharpen their spirits for the upcoming top-hundred university championship.

"Are you sure you want to allow a breeding department student to be the fifth representative for Jiahua University?" the representative teacher from Ninghai No. 3 University walked over to ask the Jiahua faculty.

"Let him compete," Teacher Wu, the battle department representative, said with a sigh. With Lin Jintong defeated, who else was left?

He had watched the video of the ten-on-ten gauntlet match initiated by the breeding class against the grass-type class repeatedly, and he held Tong Si's skill in high regard. In fact, Teacher Wu was one of the many teachers who had tried to poach Tong Si for his own class—the top-tier class of the battle department, where Lin Jintong also studied. If Tong Si hadn't firmly refused to change his major, he would have fought tooth and nail against the Electric-type department's old man Ge to secure him.

"In that case, the fifth representative for Jiahua University is hereby changed to Tong Si of the breeding department."

With the referee's order, the name of the previous student was wiped from the screen. Simultaneously, the school updated its database with Tong Si’s profile. His electronic avatar appeared on the screen.

Peng Jie versus Tong Si. The battle was about to begin.

Word had spread across campus that Tong Si was challenging the visiting delegation. Students skipped their meals, rushing to the battle building to watch. The cafeteria staff were baffled; usually, students fought tooth and nail for food at this hour. Today, only a handful remained, some even running out with chicken legs still in their mouths.

In the arena, not only freshmen but also sophomores and juniors had arrived to watch. The seniors were away on internships.

"Your name is Tong Si, right? I'm Peng Jie. Remember this face—the one who’s about to beat you," Peng Jie taunted before the battle even started.

"Oh," Tong Si replied coldly, unfazed by the sarcasm.

However, he was wary of Peng Jie’s Pignite. It was well-raised, a Level 31 Pokémon with Gym-Leader-tier potential. To be able to move that fast while wearing four heavy training weights—it was not to be underestimated.

...(To be continued)