He watched with wide eyes as his idol rose into the sky.
So close. Just a little closer…
That fiery streak in the air had almost appeared before him.
Zachary Wu stood frozen like a statue, his body stiff as a stone.
Beside him, Luke Huo was just as excited. Though he didn't idolize the Champion with the same intensity as Zachary, in a quiet town like theirs, seeing a Champion appear in person was enough to make anyone's heart race.
But unlike Zachary, who looked completely dazed, Luke quickly nudged him back to reality.
"Don't just stand there! The Champion just walked out of the nursery. And he came out with Brother Lin. Maybe they actually know each other. If you don't hurry and ask now, when will you ever get the chance?"
"Oh, right, right!" Zachary snapped out of it, and the two of them rushed toward the nursery, catching Lin Feng just before he went inside.
"Brother Lin! Brother Lin!"
Lin Feng turned his head, surprised. "You two? Did you manage to clear the challenge already?"
That didn't seem possible.
"No, no!" Zachary shook his head. His eyes sparkled as he asked, "We just wanted to know… was that really the Champion, the one who just flew away on Moltres?"
Luke nodded eagerly beside him, both of them staring at Lin Feng as if the answer meant the world.
Lin Feng quickly understood. It wasn't about the nursery or the challenge anymore. Just seeing the Champion had left the two high schoolers completely starstruck.
He couldn't help but remember his own childhood. Back then, even though he was a transmigrator, he would sit glued to the TV during the League broadcasts, his heart pounding every time the Champions appeared.
But years had passed since then, and the awe had dulled with time. Especially after discovering that Champions, for all their glory, were still ordinary people with ordinary worries like being pressured by their families about marriage.
In the end, they were human too. Their lives just unfolded differently.
"Yes," Lin Feng said at last, smiling slightly. "That was Champion Gale. He's here to investigate the nightmare incidents in Haikou City, and he needed to ask me some questions."
"What?!" Zachary's face fell instantly. "So that means… once he finishes the investigation, he won't ever come back?"
Lin Feng shrugged. "Hard to say. Maybe he'll return, maybe not."
When Gale had left, Lin Feng had even asked Rotom to take a snapshot. A picture with the Champion could be useful for future promotion, after all.
It wasn't unusual. Gale was known for his approachable personality, even earning the nickname "the model worker." Wherever he traveled, his presence left a mark. Sometimes he would casually buy a cup of milk tea in a small shop, and the owners would proudly frame a photo of him holding their drink, declaring to customers, "This is the place where the Champion drank milk tea!"
"Aw… what a shame," Zachary groaned. He looked so crushed that even Luke couldn't cheer him up.
Their excitement dimmed, and neither of them felt like continuing the challenge anymore. The sun was already blazing overhead, so the two drifted lazily toward the edge of town.
Before leaving, though, they stopped to ask Lin Feng one more thing. "Brother Lin, how much does it cost to try the Sky Challenge?"
That question made Lin Feng pause in thought. After considering it carefully, he laid out a pricing system. "The first level costs one thousand credits, the second level two thousand, the third level four thousand… and so on, doubling each tier."
It wasn't cheap, but each attempt granted up to two hours of training in the sky arena.
In other words, a trainer could start in the morning, train for two hours, then return in the afternoon and continue until evening, repeating as often as needed until they succeeded.
But there were rules. A single Pokémon could not attempt the same level more than once, and after each challenge, that Pokémon needed three full days of rest before being allowed to attempt again.
Lin Feng had created these restrictions for good reason. Without them, some trainers might come every day, pushing their Pokémon beyond their limits.
Overtraining could sour a Pokémon's enthusiasm, even leading them to resent training entirely. Worse, constant energy exhaustion could harm their bodies in the long run.
The reward system still needed refinement, but Lin Feng decided he would work that out once someone actually cleared a level.
"Alright," he called out as the two boys waved goodbye. "If you liked the experience, help spread the word. I'll be adding more challenges later."
They nodded enthusiastically before leaving.
Lin Feng exhaled slowly, watching their backs disappear. "Hah…"
Without Dragonite and Mew by his side, he still felt a pang of emptiness. But before that sadness could linger, something else caught his attention.
Down the stone path, a familiar figure was approaching, step by step.
"Hey, Brother Feng… Lin…"
…
Meanwhile, in the Kanto region.
The speed of Mewtwo and Dragonite was undeniable. In just one short hour, they had crossed from the East League into Kanto.
At that very moment, Ash and his friends had just reached the outskirts of New Island.
They were sitting down for lunch when a shadow passed swiftly overhead. A flash of orange streaked across the sky, descending so smoothly that not even a breeze stirred.
"Dragonite?"
The three of them Ash, Misty, and Brock stared in shock.
The Dragonite that stood before them carried a satchel over its shoulder. Its expression was kind, almost gentle, though there was a hint of reluctance in its eyes.
It scanned the trio carefully, confirmed their identities, and then reached into its bag. From within, it pulled out an envelope and handed it to Ash.
"Huh? A letter?"
Ash accepted it with wide eyes.
The moment his fingers touched the envelope, a strange energy shimmered across its surface, blossoming into a projection of light.
From the glow emerged the image of a humanoid, pale-pink Pokémon. Its every movement carried an aura of superiority, its gaze cold and dismissive.
The three trainers froze, speechless. Even Brock, who had seen more Pokémon than most, couldn't recognize what this mysterious creature was.
And then it spoke, its voice calm yet filled with authority.
"Greetings, human trainers. I have observed you in Kanto for some time."
"Observed me?" Ash blinked in confusion.
"Yes. You are the trainers I have chosen. You possess the potential to become the strongest Pokémon trainers. For that reason, I will be holding a battle on the seas nearby. A test to determine the strongest of all. If you wish to participate, simply check the 'Agree' box on the invitation."
"The strongest Pokémon trainer?" Ash's mind clung to those words alone. His eyes lit up like stars. "Misty, Brock, did you hear that? He said we have the potential to be the strongest trainers!"
Misty picked up the envelope, her face flushing with excitement at the compliment. "Then we should…"
But before she could even finish, Ash had already scribbled a checkmark in the "Agree" box, grinning from ear to ear.
…
Out on the waves near Kanto, Mew sat alone, drifting above the sea breeze.
In its left paw, it held a crimson feather from Moltres. In its right paw, a jet-black stone that pulsed with strange energy.
Its large blue eyes were distant, unfocused.
Had it been too impulsive? Too stubborn?
It had "run away" without hesitation. But now… how was it supposed to go back?
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