Chapter 29: The Preliminary Round Begins

This year’s Rookie Cup in Shashi attracted even more participants than in previous years. The number of arenas had increased from four to six, each designated by a letter of the alphabet. Zhao Jie found himself at Arena C, Match 2. When he arrived with Agumon, several matches were already underway under the watchful eyes of the referees.

“Drillmon wins!”

“Gashimon wins!”

With the referees’ announcements, joy and disappointment mingled among the competitors. After all, everyone who entered the tournament hoped for a good result. But reality was harsh for some—dreams that had just begun were crushed in their infancy.

From what Zhao Jie observed, most of the defeated Digimon hadn’t received much training; some even struggled to execute their special moves properly. Of course, a few victors seemed equally untrained, and after watching several matches, Zhao Jie quickly lost interest.

“Contestant No. 443, please proceed to Ring 3. Contestant No. 443 to Ring 3.”

Already my turn? Zhao Jie was a bit surprised by how quickly his number was called.

He hurried to Ring 3 in Arena C, handed his information to the staff at the ring, and, after his registration was confirmed, stepped onto the square platform.

“The rules are one-on-one. Send out your Digimon and begin the match on my signal,” the referee said after verifying the contestants’ information one last time.

“Agumon, you’re up.”

Agumon soon appeared on one side of the field, while his opponent was a frog-like Digimon with a mottled blue-green hide.

“Begin!”

For both Zhao Jie and the boy with the Frogmon, it was their first time truly standing atop a competitive arena; a trace of nervousness lingered. But Zhao Jie was far better prepared than his opponent.

“Frogmon, Water Surge!”

The instant the match started, the boy—Contestant No. 777—eagerly commanded his Digimon to unleash its special move.

Frogmon’s cheeks visibly inflated—one second, two, three, four! Just as Frogmon was about to release its attack on the fifth second, Agumon had already closed the distance.

At first, Zhao Jie had worried about the frog’s strength, but seeing how long it took to charge its move, his concerns vanished. With a move this slow, how could it ever hit anyone? It was almost laughable.

Bang!

Agumon lunged forward, ramming its body into the frog.

In the blink of an eye, Frogmon was sent flying several meters, landing with a slap outside the ring.

“Agumon wins!”

With the referee’s declaration, Zhao Jie let out a long breath, his nerves settling. The awkward tension from before vanished.

“The second round is in the afternoon.”

After re-registering his information, a staff member kindly reminded Zhao Jie not to miss his match. Missing it would be such a pity.

“Thank you.”

After expressing his thanks, Zhao Jie left the arena with Agumon. It was time to reward his partner—perhaps with some of Shashi’s local delicacies.

“Hey, Jie! How’s the tournament going? Auntie said you entered the Rookie Cup in Shashi—don’t tell me you and Agumon are already out? Hahaha…”

Upon checking his phone, Liu Cheng’s “friendly” greeting came through.

“Can’t you say something encouraging? How could I be eliminated? I’m aiming for the championship,” Zhao Jie replied, eating with Agumon as he spoke.

“Good luck! If you make it to the round of sixteen, I’ll come to Shashi to cheer you on.”

“Better not. You’d probably just try to sell me your supplements.”

“Am I that kind of guy?”

“Heh…”

After the call, it was nearly afternoon. Not wanting to risk missing his match, Zhao Jie returned to the arena with Agumon.

Many Digimon Tamers had already been eliminated in the morning, but plenty remained—about a hundred in Arena C alone, probably over two hundred if you counted those who’d already left.

“They’ll cut more this afternoon. Looks like tomorrow will be another full day of preliminaries.”

The afternoon matches resumed.

After watching two bouts, Zhao Jie and Agumon were called up again. This time, their opponent was a Palmon.

Palmon’s Tamer was a sharp-looking woman in business attire. The Rookie Cup was not based on the Tamer’s age, but the Digimon’s, so Zhao Jie had already seen many non-students participating. Still, it was a surprise to face one himself.

“Little brother, I’ll go easy on you,” the woman said with a light laugh once both Digimon took the field.

“Thank you, Ma’am—but I won’t be holding back,” Zhao Jie replied.

Ma’am?! The woman’s smile froze at his words.

Just you wait, kid!

“Begin!”

At the referee’s signal, both Digimon sprang into action.

“Palmon, Photosynthesis!”

“Palmon, Poison Vines!”

Photosynthesis—an inherited move common among plant-type Digimon—allowed Palmon to slowly restore stamina under the sun.

Whish, whish, whish! Palmon drove its arms into the ground, and several thick vines shot up, lashing at Agumon.

This was Palmon’s way of using Poison Vines. A direct hit would inflict a paralyzing toxin, hampering movement.

Bang!

The vines lashed out again and again, but each strike missed.

“This Agumon is fast,” the referee thought, impressed. Palmon was no slouch, but it seemed powerless against Agumon. At this rate, even with photosynthesis to recover, Palmon would eventually lose.

“If you’ve got guts, stop running!”

Watching Agumon dart and dodge, the businesswoman gritted her teeth.

“Then I won’t run. Agumon, Baby Flame!”

Zhao Jie grinned. He’d spotted Palmon’s weakness: it hadn’t moved at all since the match began. All it could do was attack with its vines!