In a classroom at a high school in Jinghai City, Shen Yu looked at the name "Xia Huna" on his phone screen and hesitated for a moment. Just as he was about to answer, Xia Huna himself hung up. Shen Yu looked at the darkened screen with a wry smile, while Zhang Hong beside him advised, "It's fine, Boss Xia probably realized he miscalculated the time difference and called you during class, so he hung up."
On the other side, Xia Huna thought the same thing. Seeing that the call wasn't answered for over ten seconds, he assumed he had miscalculated the time difference and called at an inappropriate hour.
It couldn't be blamed on him; his time was always dictated by his current location. When he went to Fenxue, he immediately switched to Fenxue time, and upon returning to the island, he naturally changed his phone and watch to the island's time zone.
When Xia Huna couldn't get through, he left a message for Shen Yu and then began to research other teams' matches. Shen Yu smiled slightly after reading Xia Huna's message and put his phone away.
Zhang Hong, unable to contain his curiosity, asked, "What did Boss Xia send you?"
Shen Yu's lips curved upwards. "Bragging, of course. He texted to ask if I saw his match in class and if he looked very cool."
Zhang Hong also chuckled upon hearing this. This question was truly in character for Xia Huna, and it dispelled any misunderstandings. Regardless of how much chemistry Xia Huna and Mu Zhishui had, Mu Zhishui's "main wife" status was firmly established and unshakeable.
...
Meanwhile, on the island, after the first round of eliminations, let's fast-forward about ten days.
Xia Huna's matches went very smoothly. Perhaps it was because the group stage draw wasn't particularly favorable, but the draw for the elimination rounds in Minglong Country was incredibly lucky. They advanced to the top four without encountering any particularly difficult opponents. In the top four, the remaining three teams were all familiar acquaintances: Lixing, Milun, and Manying. Xia Huna's next opponent was Manying.
Xia Huna propped his chin in his hand, studying Manying's Pokémon battles. "How should I put this? Manying presents a very significant challenge."
Mu Zhishui and Wang Zhen, who were attending the top four meeting with him, nodded. "Yes, Manying has a Grass-type Z-Crystal. This is likely intended to counter your Water-type Z-move. Have you thought of any solutions?"
Xia Huna spread his hands. "Worst case scenario, I won't use Koko. I'll just use Shedinja to tank their Grass-type Z-move. The problem isn't that, but rather that the recent matches have been a bit strange."
Speaking of which, Meng Tianya nodded. "Indeed. Where did they get so many Z-Crystals? Starting from the first match of the top sixteen, almost every team has a Z-Crystal. Are these things that easy to obtain?"
Xia Huna had explained this question once before, but he didn't mind repeating it. "There's no choice. Those four Tapus might just give them away to whoever they like. Even if there's a test, it's based on personal preference. It's not surprising that many people have obtained Z-Crystals. However, Manying might have a second one."
Everyone understood the implication of Xia Huna's words. Manying could communicate with Xerneas and obtain Z-Crystals through that means. While difficult, it wasn't impossible. It was different for Xia Huna; although he could also obtain them, having someone like "Dingzi" around made it inconvenient.
Putting the Z-Crystals aside for the moment, the four individuals shifted the conversation. Mu Zhishui brought up another topic. "You all saw the quarter-final match a few days ago, right? The player from Tuqi clearly used..."
Then the other answer was what Xia Huna was currently considering: winning through intellect.
Inside the room, Xia Huna, sitting at the conference table, clasped his hands across his chest with a solemn expression. The three people beside him, unsure what was happening, stopped talking and watched him in silence. After what seemed like a long hesitation, Xia Huna slowly spoke, "Since a direct confrontation is unfavorable, I'll have to resort to some underhanded tactics. When it comes to such methods, no one on Lingyao Star can compete with the Minglong people!"
Meng Tianya's expression darkened. "While I have to admit that what you're saying is largely true, please rephrase it. We really can't use 'underhanded' as a positive term."
"Next time, definitely," Xia Huna replied. As he said this, he stood up. "I'll leave the 'orthodox' aspects to you all. I'll take responsibility for the 'unconventional' victories."
As Xia Huna's mind began to whir at high speed, the match between Minglong and Manying, even before it began, had already heated up.