Pokemon: Hundredfold Power Surge

023: It's Up to You, Fomantis!

With only 128 contestants making it through the preliminary rounds, the competition was fierce. Thousands of high school students had entered, hoping to advance, but most had already been eliminated.

Qin Yun simply smiled at the reporter's surprised reaction.

Qin Xin, standing beside him, puffed out her chest with pride, her face full of excitement.

"Ahem," the female reporter quickly composed herself. "Since little big brother is a contestant, how do you rate your own strength in this tournament?"

The momentary awkwardness in her eyes vanished as she regained her professional demeanor.

"It's decent," Qin Yun replied casually.

"Then do you think you can reach the Top 16? This time, those who make it will receive Pokémon Center vouchers worth 200,000 yuan. The higher the ranking, the better the rewards."

Hearing the figure 200,000 yuan, Qin Xin's eyes lit up with excitement, practically turning into money signs. For her, that amount was astronomical.it could buy so many rare Pokéblocks, evolution stones, and other trainer essentials.

"Shouldn't be a big problem," Qin Yun answered, keeping his tone reserved.

Top 16?

His real goal was to become champion, but he saw no need to boast about it.

However, his calm response, intended as humility, was interpreted as immense confidence by those around him.

The reporter smiled knowingly but didn't press further. Instead, she shifted topics.

"Little big brother, are you from Jiang Cheng No. 2 Middle School?"

"No, I'm from Jiang Cheng No. 3 Middle School."

Her eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise. Qin Yun could tell that she hadn't expected this answer, but he didn't bother explaining further.

"Then you must know Wang Qiu, right?"

Qin Yun nodded.

"Do you think he'll win the championship?"

"That's hard to say," he replied evenly.

"Are you implying that someone stronger than Wang Qiu might exist?"

Qin Yun only smiled, neither confirming nor denying. After a few more routine questions, the interview ended, and the reporter left.

Qin Xin went toward the audience stands while Qin Yun entered through the contestant entrance.

---

The Sixth Arena Match Selection Begins

The sixth competition hall was significantly emptier than yesterday.

According to the schedule, eight arenas would be used today. From each arena, the top two trainers would advance to the Top 16.

Each arena started with 16 trainers. They would battle in knockout-style rounds until only four remained, at which point they would have a round-robin battle. The two highest-ranked trainers would proceed to the next stage.

To ensure fairness, the organizers set a rule: each trainer would rest for at least an hour between battles.

When Qin Yun entered, he immediately felt the weight of dozens of gazes on him.

By now, everyone knew his name.

His evaluation was on par with Wang Qiu's but unlike Wang Qiu, whose battles were already well-documented, Qin Yun's strength was still a mystery.

People had doubts.

Wang Qiu had showcased overwhelming power in previous rounds. Many respected his strength.

But Qin Yun?

No one had actually seen him battle.

Unfamiliarity bred skepticism.

Qin Yun noticed the undercurrent of hostility in some stares but didn't care. Smiling to himself, he casually walked to a corner, sat down, pulled out his phone, and began playing a game.

His relaxed attitude made some feel even more uneasy.

Finally, at 8 AM sharp, the massive Veilstone screen in the arena lit up.

Names rapidly shuffled before settling into match pairings.

Even those skeptical of Qin Yun secretly hoped to avoid fighting him in the first round. While they doubted his strength, the fact remained: his rating was sky-high.

If he was genuinely strong, fighting him early would put them at a huge disadvantage for the later rounds.

In less than ten seconds, the first match was set.

Qin Yun's name flashed on the screen.

Match 1: Qin Yun vs. Liu Qin (Jiang Cheng No. 6 Middle School).

When Liu Qin saw that his first opponent was Qin Yun, his face darkened instantly.

---

Inside the VIP Viewing Box

The tournament wasn't just being watched by students and trainers.

Inside the VIP viewing box, a row of school officials observed the eight battles through large monitors, each displaying one of the arenas.

Among them was the principal of Jiang Cheng No. 2 Middle School, who smirked upon seeing Qin Yun on-screen.

"Principal Ma, this Qin Yun is from your No. 3 Middle School?" he said with a chuckle. "Seems like he's more of an idol than a trainer."

He had done his homework.

Qin Yun's Kirlia was recorded as having mid-tier potential a decent Pokémon, but nothing extraordinary.

Kirlia's skillset was strong, and its battle intelligence was remarkable, but there were no records of actual matches.

Qin Yun himself was known as a tactical expert, someone who excelled in theoretical Pokémon knowledge and exploiting type matchups.

But in a tournament like this?

Against the raw power of trainers like Wang Qiu, intelligence alone wasn't enough.

The rewards for this tournament had been carefully curated by the No. 2 Middle School principal, ensuring his son's path to victory was as smooth as possible. He couldn't afford an upset.

Principal Ma, head of Jiang Cheng No. 3 Middle School, simply smiled.

"Qin Yun's quite handsome, don't you think?" he said shamelessly. "Reminds me of myself back in the day."

The other staff members burst into laughter.

The No. 2 Middle School principal coughed, clearly irritated by the old man's nonchalant attitude.

---

Qin Yun vs. Liu Qin – The First Battle Begins

On the battlefield, the referee stepped forward.

"The battle rules are as follows: This is a three-on-three match. The trainer whose Pokémon lose all battle strength first loses the match. Trainers, please summon your Pokémon!"

The referee's solemn voice echoed across the stadium.

Thousands of eyes locked onto Qin Yun and Liu Qin.

Today's Top 128 battles were open to spectators, and the stands were already half full.

Qin Yun scanned the massive audience but couldn't spot Qin Xin anywhere.

Feeling the anticipation in the air, he took a deep breath.

Adrenaline kicked in.

A shiver ran down his spine not out of nervousness, but excitement.

"This feeling…" Qin Yun whispered to himself, lips curving into a confident smirk.

He liked it.

Across from him, Liu Qin looked visibly tense.

For many of these trainers, this was their first time competing in front of a huge crowd. It wasn't just a test of skill it was a test of mental fortitude.

And that was the purpose of this competition.

The Six-School Joint Tournament wasn't just about finding the strongest.

It was designed to forge trainers into battle-hardened competitors ones who could stand strong under pressure and grow from real-world experience.

Because a true Pokémon Trainer doesn't just battle in theory they prove themselves in combat.