Although Ash's Pokémon were extremely powerful, his numbers were a bit lacking, with only three Water-type Pokémon in his lineup. Fortunately, their quality more than made up for it, and Ash himself did not mind the imbalance.
"Is this Yellow Rock Island? It really lives up to its name. Even the roads are paved with yellow stone," Sabrina said as she observed the ground and the rocky mountain tops, all formed from distinct yellow rock.
"Help!"
"Corsola! Corsola!"
Suddenly, a house drifted across the surface of the sea. A little girl stood on it, crying for help, while beside her, a Corsola cried out anxiously. Nearby, a whirlpool churned violently, pulling the house toward it.
"Ash!" Sabrina immediately called out.
"I know."
A fiery red aura burst from Ash's body. In less than a second, the energy fully enveloped him. With precise control over his Aura, Ash extended his power outward, grasping the floating house.
The house rose from the sea as if lifted by invisible hands, then gently landed on the beach. By then, a crowd had already gathered.
"That kid is incredible!"
"He lifted an entire house!"
"Lugia!!!"
At that moment, a man and an older girl rushed forward, embracing the rescued child, who was still trembling from fear.
"I didn't expect something like this to happen the moment we arrived," Sabrina said, letting out a small sigh of relief after seeing the girl safe.
"Thank you so much!" The middle-aged man hurried over to Ash and Sabrina, gratitude clear on his face.
"Thank you for saving my sister," the older girl added. She had light brown hair tied into twin ponytails and wore a light yellow dress, while the younger girl had a single brown ponytail and a light blue dress.
"Corsola! Corsola!" The Corsola ran to Ash's side, rubbing against him affectionately in thanks.
Smiling, Ash gently patted the coral Pokémon's head.
"No problem. Just be more careful next time."
To him, it had been a simple act, but the growing crowd made him uncomfortable. After accepting their thanks, Ash and Sabrina quickly left.
Ash still needed to participate in the preliminary rounds of the Whirl Cup. Only those who passed could move on to the next island.
There were many participants in the preliminaries, including some trainers who had only just begun their journeys. Unsurprisingly, most were eliminated early.
Ash, however, dominated with overwhelming strength and easily secured first place, advancing without difficulty.
After the preliminaries, Ash and the other qualified contestants boarded the organizers' ship and headed toward the main venue of the Whirl Cup. Sabrina accompanied him as well.
By evening, they arrived at the competition site in the Whirl Islands. The scale of the stadium rivaled that of the Indigo Plateau, with the key difference being that this was entirely a Water-type battlefield.
The arena could accommodate nearly two million spectators, and with the surrounding viewing areas included, the number was even higher. The Whirl Cup was, in essence, equivalent to a regional league tournament.
However, since it was only held once every three years, many trainers were unfamiliar with it despite its reputation.
After receiving their match data, all participants were escorted to the official hotel.
Fire Island was unlike the other three islands. It resembled a modern city, complete with hotels, a Pokémon Center, and department stores, making it the most developed of the four islands.
"Hm… things just got interesting."
Back in their room, Ash let out a faint chuckle.
Sabrina glanced at him, slightly puzzled, but did not press further. Instead, she picked up her clothes and headed to the bathroom, planning to take a relaxing bath.
The reason for Ash's reaction was simple. While receiving the match data earlier, he had sensed several powerful trainers.
Two of them, in particular, stood out.
They were none other than Lorelei of the Kanto Elite Four and Chie Aoyama of the Johto Elite Four.
There were two other trainers present whom Ash had never seen before, yet their strength was no weaker than Lorelei's. This immediately caught his interest.
Still, one should not underestimate Lorelei just because she was only at the Elite Four level. Compared to most Champion candidates, she was far stronger.
That alone spoke volumes about the level of this competition.
The next day, the entire stadium of the Whirl Cup was packed with spectators from all regions. Unlike ordinary audiences, these were people who truly understood the significance of the tournament. They knew that the Whirl Cup was no less important than a regional league.
"Now, we will begin the opening ceremony of the Whirl Cup! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the contestants who advanced through the preliminaries. This tournament features many outstanding trainers, so stay tuned!"
At the highest platform of the venue, the announcer spoke with great enthusiasm, and the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers as the competition officially began.
"Since ancient times, the Whirl Islands have possessed their own unique civilization and culture. They revere Water-type Pokémon and have lived alongside them for generations. This culture has been passed down to the present day and is now upheld by the Priest of the Sea, Miss Maya."
As the announcer finished speaking, a woman with long purple hair stepped onto the VIP platform. She wore a flowing white ceremonial dress and held an ancient wand in her hand.
"That wand isn't ordinary."
Among the contestants, Ash narrowed his eyes slightly as he focused on the wand in Maya's hand. He could clearly sense the immense power contained within it.
(End of Chapter)
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