066 Gym Battle Reward! Miserable Night (Third)
"Three!"
Qin Yun and Hong Shen began the countdown simultaneously.
"Two!"
"One!"
"Return, Kirlia (Pinsir)!"
Both trainers threw their Poké Balls at the same time, recalling their Pokémon.
"You did great, Kirlia."
Qin Yun gently stroked the Poké Ball, his eyes filled with concern.
For Qin Yun, winning wasn't the most important thing. His priority was his Pokémon's well-being—he would never allow them to sustain permanent injuries just for the sake of victory.
The unexpected mutual withdrawal stunned the audience, leaving them exchanging confused glances.
"If both of them withdrew… who wins?"
"Yeah, how do we even judge this?"
Even the referee looked uncertain.
"I lost," Hong Shen declared without hesitation. "In an official gym challenge, if a Rookie Trainer forces a draw against a Gym Leader, the challenger is awarded the victory."
"This rule was established to support Rookie Trainers and encourage them to grow stronger."
Hong Shen had learned this rule firsthand during his own Gym challenge years ago. He recalled a time when he had encountered a talented young trainer who ended in a draw against the Gym Leader. Back then, they had to consult the Pokémon League Headquarters for clarification, and that's when he learned of this rule.
"Qin Yun, congratulations. You've officially won your first Gym challenge. Your strength is truly impressive. Here—this is your Gym Badge."
He handed over the Badge, a circular emblem primarily red, with the insignia of Red City embossed on it.
Hong Shen's expression was one of admiration. He genuinely believed Qin Yun deserved it. His performance, strategy, and bond with his Pokémon had been exceptional—one of the best Hong Shen had seen in a long time.
Qin Yun stared at the Badge in his hands, momentarily stunned.
Did… did he really win?
To be honest, Qin Yun didn't feel like he had won. If the battle had continued, he would have undoubtedly lost. This outcome had been unexpected. If they had to battle again, and Hong Shen had the chance to prepare, his chances of victory would be even lower.
"…Thank you."
Although he had mixed feelings, Qin Yun accepted the Badge. A win was a win.
However, this wasn't enough for him.
Next time, he would return with a stronger team and challenge Hong Shen again. A full 6-on-6 battle against Hong Shen's first team—only then would he feel he had truly earned the Red City Badge.
This Badge, in reality, wasn't complete. Only one half of it was freshly minted—the other half looked simpler.
This symbolized a Rookie Badge—a special design mandated by the Pokémon League.
Trainers who defeated a Gym's secondary team received this half Badge. To obtain the complete version, they had to return and defeat the Gym Leader's primary team in a full battle.
Just then, a familiar system notification echoed in Qin Yun's mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have completed the Gym Challenge and won. You have earned 3,000 Points.]
Qin Yun's eyes widened slightly.
3,000 Points? That was a hefty reward.
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have obtained 3x System Store Refresh Cards.]
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have obtained 3x Small Lucky Auras.]
—System Store Refresh Card: Instantly refreshes the system shop inventory once.
—Small Lucky Aura: Grants a heightened luck effect for three minutes upon activation.
Qin Yun couldn't suppress his smile at the latter reward.
A shop refresh was always valuable.
And the Small Lucky Aura? It seemed tailor-made for his shop refresh strategy.
"If I activate the Lucky Aura at 11:59 PM, right before the shop refreshes at midnight… then use the refresh card after that… would that maximize my chances of getting something good?"
Qin Yun's brain worked quickly, piecing together the best way to utilize his new rewards.
"Yes. I'll set an alarm and test it out tonight."
He hoped to obtain something valuable.
Lately, his system shop had been disappointing, yielding nothing particularly useful. This refresh strategy might finally turn things around.
Meanwhile, the audience erupted into cheers.
To them, Qin Yun deserved this victory. His performance had been nothing short of incredible.
"I did it… I got the Red City Badge!"
Qin Yun held up the Badge proudly. The feeling of earning his first Gym Badge was exhilarating.
"Damn, that was hot. If I could marry Qin Yun, I'd die happy!"
A few girls in the audience practically swooned.
"Qin Yun, you're way too strong! Starting today, you're my idol!"
Xu Qian, completely overwhelmed, practically jumped for joy.
Qin Yun chuckled. "Thanks."
"Honestly, when I first heard you were challenging Hong Shen, I thought you were crazy. Like, totally out of your depth."
"But after watching that battle… I realized compared to you, I'm just a weakling."
Xu Qian sighed dramatically, shaking his head in self-deprecation.
Qin Yun just smiled.
"I was lucky. If Combusken hadn't evolved and reached the Elite level, I would've stood no chance."
Although Qin Yun was simply being honest, Xu Qian rolled his eyes.
Lucky? This guy was always downplaying his own strength.
"Qin Yun, I've made a decision."
"Hm? What decision?"
"I want to travel and take on Gym challenges too! Even if I lose every match, I'll still try. Because the real failure… is never trying in the first place!"
Xu Qian clenched his fists with determination, striking a dramatic pose—one that reminded Qin Yun of Rock Lee from Naruto.
That sent a chill down his spine.
"Y-Yeah… youth is about passion, alright."
Hong Shen stepped forward, pleased with his disciple's resolve.
"Well said, Xu Qian. Young trainers should travel and challenge themselves."
Then he turned to Qin Yun.
"Stay for dinner tonight. It's on me."
Qin Yun was about to refuse, but Hong Shen and Xu Qian's enthusiasm made it impossible.
"Alright," he relented. "The Pokémon Center is nearby, so my Pokémon can rest up while we eat."
However… that night, Qin Yun regretted his decision.
He swore he would never attend a dinner party like this again.
The problem?
Qin Yun's battle performance had drawn way too much attention.
And thanks to his ridiculously good looks, the dinner turned into something completely unexpected.
Every girl at the party wanted to talk to him, drink with him, or—worse—flirt with him.
One after another, they came up to toast him, tease him, or outright hit on him.
By the end of the night, Qin Yun had been hugged, squeezed, and even had his face pinched multiple times.
"…It was a night of suffering."
Meanwhile, from across the room, Hong Shen and Xu Qian watched with expressions of pure envy.
"If only we could switch places with him…"
The two sighed in unison, their faces filled with deep regret.
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