Trainers returning from the Kingdom of Roc

Chapter 14: Alliance Battles and Wilderness Battles

Lu Feng only told Hou Zhi, and Hou Hao's mother was unaware of the matter.

So when Luo Yan returned home with the Hou family father and son, she saw the same shocked expression on Hou's father's face again.

Unlike Hou Hao's father, who pretended to be calm, his mother's reaction was significantly more intense.

She was genuinely surprised and hugged Hou Hao, showering him with kisses.

She praised her son's abilities while subtly provoking her "unambitious" husband, creating a harmonious family atmosphere.

Seeing this scene, Luo Yan's laughter gradually faded.

If my parents hadn't gone missing, I probably would have been able to experience the same happiness in family as they did.

I'll tell my parents about my adventures in the Kingdom of Rock, and we'll probably have endless topics and stories to talk about.

After his initial excitement, Hou Hao quickly noticed the change in his good friend Luo Yan's expression. Knowing what was going on, he hurriedly pulled Luo Yan to the dining table.

"Today I must thank my best brother in life! Without him, I wouldn't be where I am today. Brother Luo, cheers to you!"

"You're welcome, you're welcome." Luo Yan's lips twitched, but she still raised her glass.

The meal was a pleasant one for both the host and guests, and it also brought Luo Yan and Hou Hao's parents closer together. Before, the two elders only knew that Luo Yan existed, but now they truly regarded him as one of their own.

At the same time, Hou Hao also told his parents about the "Baby Cup" and his idea of ​​studying abroad while still enrolled in the school after graduation.

Hearing Hou Hao's words, Hou Zhi did not respond directly, but began to seriously consider them for the first time.

After a moment's hesitation, he finally spoke. "I won't stop you from participating in the competition; I'll even encourage you to strive for good results. But as for study abroad programs..."

"Dad, don't worry at all. With Brother Luo and me together, we'll definitely be fine. We'll bring back a dozen or twenty badges and make you proud!"

"With Luo Yan with you, I'm naturally not worried." After their initial conversation, Hou Zhi could tell that Luo Yan possessed a maturity beyond her years. "But do you know, studying abroad isn't as simple as you imagine."

"Putting everything else aside, let's talk about your studies. You're living at home now, with us and the school teachers looking after you. If you still don't study under these circumstances, what will you do when you go abroad for study and no one is supervising you? Won't you go crazy with fun?"

"Dad, I..."

Hou Zhi raised his hand to interrupt Hou Hao, who was about to say something.

"Let me finish. Even if you don't want to follow in your sister's footsteps and become a researcher, but instead choose to challenge gyms or even participate in the League Tournament, studying abroad is not a good path either."

"Since you've prepared for your study abroad trip, you should at least understand the difference between Alliance battles and open-world battles, right?"

Alliance battles and open-world battles?

Luo Yan and Hou Hao exchanged a glance.

Hou Zhi then spoke up: "League battles, as the name suggests, are battles conducted by referees according to judging standards under league rules. Dojo challenges and league leagues all follow this approach, and most of what you see online is the same."

"But outdoor combat is different. Because there are no designated areas, outdoor combat is often diverse and unrestrained by rules, making it more brutal."

As Luo Yan listened to Hou Zhi's story, her brows furrowed slightly.

Why does this sound so familiar?

I'm not sure, let me listen again.

"You've probably heard that in some high-risk areas, a lot of trainers die every year. Besides accidents and being killed by wild Pokémon, many are killed by other trainers as well."

"Trainers kill people?" Hou Hao was somewhat incredulous.

"Why can't I kill you?" Hou Zhi retorted. "It's a remote, desolate place, and because of the ownership of some rare Pokémon, even if I kill you and bury you, no one will know."

"Of course, such people are still a minority, but we must be wary of them, especially some evil forces, most of whom hide in the wild. If you step into their territory, they will really kill you."

"If you fight those guys, they won't show you any mercy, and they won't follow the League's rules. Those guys will directly order their Pokémon to attack the trainer."

"Wow... you can do that..." Hou Hao opened his mouth, only to find his tongue tasted bitter.

However, Luo Yan didn't think so.

How many battles like this had he encountered in the Kingdom of Locke?

Evil forces?

Stop making your brother Enzo laugh.

At most, you can command your Pokémon to attack, or shoot them with guns, but the Dark Wizard just uses magic to slap them in the face.

Weaker ones are alright, but when you encounter a seasoned dark wizard, the magic they unleash with a mere wave of their hand is no less destructive than a cannonball, and some dark wizards are even more threatening than elves.

If he didn't have any magic power, that would be one thing, but now that he can use magic, Luo Yan isn't afraid of any so-called 'evil forces'.

If you can't beat them, you can't beat them. Do you think my teleportation magic is a joke?

"Alright, alright, stop scaring the child."

Just then, Hou Hao's mother spoke up and patted Hou Zhi on the shoulder.

"Those evil organizations haven't been active in the country for years, yet you're making it sound like they're everywhere."

"Oh, that's not what I meant." Hou Zhi waved his hand and said seriously, "What I meant was, it's not that I disagree with you going on study abroad programs. After all, there are quite a few people doing that now, but you need to have enough ability."

"So what constitutes having enough strength?" Hou Hao couldn't help but ask.

Upon hearing this, Hou Zhi pondered for a moment before speaking. "Alright, I won't make things difficult for you."

"If you can secure a spot in the Jiangcheng qualifiers and then reach the top eight in the provincial beginner trainer league, I'll agree to let you go on this study tour. What do you say?"

The Beginner Trainer League refers to the Baby Cup.

Upon hearing this, Hou Hao confidently slammed his hand on the table.

"No problem! Forget the quarterfinals, watch Luo and I bring you the championship and runner-up!"

"Right, Brother Luo?"

"Ah... I'll do my best." Luo Yan shrugged.

The Beginner Trainer League, also known as the Baby Cup, is no joke. To put it bluntly, this competition requires both a certain talent for battle and a lot of luck with your trainer.

The reason is simple: the Beginner Trainer League, as the name suggests, is for new trainers.

For those who have had their starter Pokémon for less than a year, most of their Pokémon are of low level and few in number. It's considered good if they can field two in battle; usually, each person only has one.

In this situation, attribute advantage becomes extremely important in combat.

After all, Pokémon are at a low level and don't have enough resistance and stamina to build up. For most people, it's a pipe dream to win by going against type disadvantage.

Therefore, luck is crucial.

Each player has only one unit, and even a top seed can easily be upset if they encounter a situation where they are countered.

Such examples occur frequently every year and become a source of amusement for netizens.

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