Chapter Fifty-Two: Victory Settled, The Evolutionary Light of New Leaf Meow! (Please Vote!!)

Witnessing this scene, Lin Lange was utterly astounded.

Could it be that even two Dragon Pulses with drastically boosted Special Attack failed to take it down?

Since when did Sprigatito's durability become so terrifying?

As the person who once understood it best, Lin Lange found this incomprehensible.

In truth, had it not been for the life-draining effect of the Bloodthirster, Sprigatito's condition might not have remained so stable.

Naturally, having been tempered by bonds and equipment, Sprigatito's "stats" were no longer what they used to be, and it certainly was not going to fall to those two Dragon Pulses.

"Leaf Storm!"

With a face frozen in chillness, Lin Lange issued a somewhat hoarse command.

Carried away by her emotions in that moment, she had only one thought.

Damage not high enough? Then I will raise my Special Attack even further!

The dense Grass-type energy divided into tens of thousands of high-speed rotating blade-like leaves, bursting outward violently with Servine as the axis.

Leaf Storm returns!

It was still an imposing and majestic offensive.

However, Xia Chi's gaze pierced through the layers of leaves, keenly noticing that Servine's tail was trembling violently.

It was reaching its limit!

Enduring Sprigatito's fierce claw strikes while failing to dodge either of the incoming Dragon Pulses, its current state was entirely predictable, especially since it was not yet evolved into a Serperior.

"Sprigatito, Protect!"

As long as it could weather this Leaf Storm, victory was within arm's reach!

Perhaps sensing that its energy was about to burn out completely, Servine poured virtually all of its remaining power into this final Leaf Storm.

Sprigatito was like a tiny boat drifting upon a stormy sea, enduring the baptism of the tempest.

The creaking cracks on the barrier grew increasingly dense, as if in the next second, Sprigatito would be swallowed by the countless leaf blades.

Yet, it ultimately held on until the moment the storm subsided.

The rain cleared, and the skies turned bright.

"Dragon Pulse!"

"Quick Attack!"

Two sharp commands rang out almost simultaneously.

Just as Servine attempted to muster the very last vestiges of energy within its body for one final dance, Sprigatito had already flashed to its side like lightning.

Bang—

Though not an overwhelmingly heavy collision, it became the final straw that broke Servine.

After swaying back and forth a few times, its slender, short legs could no longer support its battered body.

Thud—

This time was the sound of Servine hitting the ground, after which it remained completely motionless.

"Beep—beep—"

The whistles signifying a Pokémon's inability to continue battling and the conclusion of the match sounded one after another.

Following a split second of silence, cheers and shouts erupted from within the arena, seemingly threatening to blow the roof off.

This was the charm of Pokémon battles.

Even two Pokémon that could hardly be called formidable could unleash infinite passion and fervor through their all-out clash.

"The match is over! The winner of this year's Hubao Cup is contestant Xia Chi!"

The commentator's passionate voice stoked an even more fervent atmosphere.

Everyone was offering their applause to the newly crowned champion—even if today, or even before this match, they had no idea who Xia Chi was.

Yet, he and Sprigatito had introduced themselves brilliantly through their stellar performance.

"Meow-fey!"

Having just concluded the intense battle, Sprigatito did not linger to bask in the stage's applause.

With unsteady steps, it threw itself directly into Xia Chi's embrace.

Without the slightest hesitation, the latter kissed its charred, furry forehead and said with a smile, "Sprigatito, you did it."

Sprigatito looked up to correct him, "Meow-fey! (No, we did it!)"

Then, it buried its head back into Xia Chi's chest to absorb that warmth.

Defeating the opponent, claiming the championship, listening to the cheers of the spectators—

Compared to this embrace, that moment it had once dreamed of and pursued no longer seemed quite so important.

[Congratulations to the host for winning the Hubao Cup. Combat round 2-1 has concluded. Would you like to proceed with the settlement?]

"Settle it later."

The sudden intrusion of the system's voice was directly ignored by Xia Chi.

Right now, he only wanted to share the wonderful feeling of championship victory with Sprigatito.

——————

"Hum—"

A slight sound suddenly rang out.

Xia Chi looked down in surprise as points of light brilliantly illuminated Sprigatito's body.

As the humming grew clearer, the points of light shone brighter, eventually converging into a sphere of light that enveloped Sprigatito entirely.

Evolutionary light!

Though it was the first time Xia Chi had witnessed it with his own eyes, he recognized it immediately.

Sprigatito was evolving!

Rather than the standard protagonist-style mid-battle evolution for a counter-attack, it was happening after the match?

Is this the MVP settlement screen or what?

Xia Chi was left somewhat amused and bewildered.

Sprigatito's sudden change naturally caught the attention of the audience as well.

Gazing at the big screen where Sprigatito was swathed in the light of evolution, their voices instinctively quieted down.

Evolution was forever the most touching moment in the Pokémon world.

Even Lin Lange, who had stood frozen on the opposite side of the field for a long time, cast a complex, indescribable gaze toward Sprigatito.

The evolutionary light shone for nearly two minutes.

This was an uncommon duration in the Pokémon realm, as most Pokémon evolutions concluded within ten seconds.

Just as Xia Chi wondered if it was going to evolve into something extraordinary, the light faded.

A bipedal, cute light-green kitten appeared before his eyes.

A tuft of deep green fur extending downward from its chest looked exceptionally fluffy, with a pink circular flower bud embedded in the upper left of the fur, adding a touch of elegance to Floragato's overall mysterious aura.

Compared to a standard Floragato standing under a meter tall, this particular kitty was significantly larger.

Standing before the 1.8-meter-tall Xia Chi, it reached roughly up to his chest, meaning it stood around 1.5 meters tall.

This was nearly close to the height of a fully evolved Meowscarada.

One could imagine that if it evolved further into Meowscarada...

Lady Dimitrescu?

Even if not quite that exaggerated, it would probably be about as tall as Xia Chi himself.

This was undoubtedly a good thing.

With very few exceptions, the larger most Pokémon were, the more it represented surging vitality, health, and strength.

As for why Floragato was so large, perhaps it was related to the bond bestowed by the system, the Chosen Badge, or its equipment?

Xia Chi was not entirely sure.

"Meow-tee~"

Floragato's soft call pulled Xia Chi back from his thoughts.

"Congratulations on your evolution, Sprig—no, Floragato!"

He hadn't quite gotten used to the kitty's new name yet.

Floragato shook its head gently, "Meow-tee~"

It doesn't matter; whether Sprigatito or Floragato, I am still myself.

Xia Chi fell into a brief silence.

Didn't the Pokédex state that Floragato was a clever, show-offish, and mischievous kitty?

Who are you, then?

Still, it was normal; every Pokémon was an independent individual, and personality variances were common.

Weren't there Ghost-fearing Misdreavus in this world, too?

What was wrong with a gentle Floragato?

The battle stage was no place for idle chatting.

A considerable amount of time had passed since the battle ended and Sprigatito evolved.

Xia Chi felt it would look rather bizarre to linger on the battlefield bonding with Floragato.

Moreover, it had sustained no light injuries.

Recalling Floragato back into its Poké Ball, Xia Chi prepared to leave the stage with a sense of mounting anticipation.

He could finally begin his very first combat round settlement in peace!

(Asking for monthly tickets~)