The Indigo Plateau.
That very afternoon, Yozora arrived at the plateau, just in time to witness the sacred torch relay—the passing of the Holy Flame.
At the League Hall, he handed over his Pokédex and Badge Case for inspection. With everything verified, he officially obtained the qualification to participate in this year's Indigo Conference.
The night passed quietly.
The next morning, at exactly ten o'clock, the opening ceremony of the Indigo Conference began. At the host's enthusiastic invitation, and under the roaring applause of the audience, all participants entered the arena from four different entrances.
There were more than a thousand of them.
"Welcome, everyone! These are all trainers who have collected eight Badges. Let us look forward to the fierce battles they will bring us!"
With the atmosphere fired up, the host began announcing the tournament format and rules.
The Indigo Conference was a grand event, its schedule stretching for a month, sometimes even a month and a half.
The first stage was the preliminaries.
The preliminaries were divided into four divisions: A, B, C, and D.
Although divided, all matches took place in the same venue—the Indigo Conference Super Arena—only separated by time slots.
Division A's matches were held daily from 10:00 to 11:30 AM, with ten matches per day, eliminating ten contestants.
Division B competed from 1:00 to 2:30 PM.Division C from 3:00 to 4:30 PM.Division D from 7:00 to 8:30 PM.
Yozora had been placed in Division D. This meant he had no daytime battles—his matches would always be at night.
Each division held over three hundred competitors. Yet only eight would advance to the main tournament—the rest would be eliminated.
Four divisions. Eight finalists each. In the end, only thirty-two trainers would advance to the main event!
The preliminaries used random battlefields: Water Field, Ice Field, Grass Field, or Rock Field.
For the main event, however, battles would be held in the grand central stadium.
League Hall.
"Water Field! My first match is on the Water Field!" Ash exclaimed in excitement after asking the receptionist.
For him, this was his first-ever League Conference. How could he not be thrilled?
Though this world blended elements of anime, manga, and games, Ash was already sixteen. But at heart, he was still a rookie.
And for a rookie entering his first grand tournament, nerves and excitement were only natural.
"Water Field, huh? Ash, if you ask nicely, I might consider lending you one of my Pokémon~" Misty teased, winking at him.
Before every match, trainers had to register their roster.
Once registered, their team could not be changed.
For example, if Ash had a 3-on-3 match, he had to pre-register which three Pokémon he would use.
Even if he carried a hundred Pokémon, he could only send out those three.
Otherwise, it would be considered a violation—and an instant loss.
In other words, once the lineup was locked, it was unchangeable. The only freedom left was in deciding the order of battle.
But before registration, borrowing a friend's Pokémon… that was allowed.
Not a violation at all.
If one had the confidence to command another's Pokémon, it was entirely possible.
"Tch, I don't need that! Do you think I don't have my own Pokémon?" Ash scoffed at Misty's 'friendly' offer.
"You idiot! Don't you know Water-types have the advantage on Water Fields? You only have a single Squirtle—what good will that do? Do you want to lose your very first match?" Misty scolded him, frustrated.
Ash wagged a finger with a grin. "Who said I only have Squirtle? Did you forget? I also have a Kingler! With Pikachu too, that's three Pokémon right there!"
Misty froze, only just remembering that Ash did, in fact, have a Kingler.
Ash… you're ridiculous.
We've traveled together this long, and you've never once used that Kingler…
"You've never even battled with Kingler! When it comes to teamwork, it's nowhere near my Starmie!" Misty pressed on.
"Geez, you're so annoying! Kingler is still my Pokémon, and I trust it'll be fine!"
Ash pouted, then smirked. "Honestly, I think you're just trying to sneak your Pokémon into the spotlight, huh? Forget it! I earned eight Badges and worked hard for this chance—I'm not giving it away!"
He lifted his chin smugly. "Besides, you only have the one Cascade Badge from your own Gym! You don't even qualify for the League—dream on about competing!"
"You… you big idiot! I'm not even a professional trainer, why would I need Badges?" Misty shook with anger.
At that moment, Yozora arrived at the League Hall. Spotting them from afar, he walked over with a smile. "It's been a while, everyone. I see your spirits are still as lively as ever."
"Yozora!" The three lit up with joy at his arrival.
Especially Ash, whose eyes burned with fighting spirit, itching to challenge him immediately.
Brock and Misty, however, were struck by Yozora's demeanor.
He stood calm and collected, eyes deep yet relaxed, lips curved with quiet confidence—an air vastly different from the excited and jittery rookies around them.
If he were a veteran trainer, it would've been nothing surprising.
But they knew—Yozora, like Ash, was a newcomer. This was his first Conference as well.
Yet his presence, his expression, his very gaze… all shone with the polish of an experienced veteran.
No hint of nervousness. Only composure and assurance.
He looked nothing like a rookie.
"He's mastered his mindset… Yozora has trained himself to be unshaken, neither arrogant nor timid, unaffected by the stage," Brock thought, shocked.
For a first-timer, he was nothing short of a prodigy.
"Yozora, I'm in Division A. Which one are you in?" Ash asked, torn between anticipation and dread.
He longed to battle Yozora, to prove himself.
And yet, part of him feared meeting him too early.
"I'm in Division D." Yozora smiled, handing his Pokédex to the receptionist to confirm his match details.
He didn't notice Ash exhaling a tiny sigh of relief.
(End of Chapter)