"Honestly, how pathetic…" Misty chuckled under her breath as she caught sight of Ash's nervous face.
Still, she couldn't deny it—Yozora's strength was very real. His level was far beyond the scope of an ordinary rookie trainer.
So, it was only natural for Ash to feel nervous when facing him.
"A Water Field? My first match is on a Water Field too?" Yozora blinked, then smiled.
Since it was the Water Field…
Of course, he had to send out Magikarp.
Magikarp was a pure aquatic Pokémon, yet opportunities to actually use it had been far too rare up until now.
With such a perfect chance in front of him, how could he possibly let it slip away?
It had to go on stage.
As for the rest of his team, Yozora chose Beedrill and Golduck as backup.
In truth, Golduck alone would've been more than enough. It had already reached Lord-tier at peak level, an incredibly powerful strength.
It was unlikely that any opponent in the opening round could surpass that.
But Yozora had always been cautious. With Beedrill as a safety net, he could truly rest easy.
After all, he had been traveling for a whole year, struggling and growing alongside his Pokémon. Not just him—his partners, too, longed to show the fruits of their journey and earn glory.
If they were to lose due to a moment's negligence, Yozora would be failing not only himself but also his loyal companions.
"Yozora, that's so like you—settling on your lineup in an instant." Brock praised with a smile.
Yozora handed over the Poké Balls for Beedrill, Golduck, and Magikarp to the receptionist for registration. Moments later, the process was complete.
He calmly retrieved the Poké Balls.
"This is nothing special. I simply have complete faith in my Pokémon," Yozora said with a faint smile.
He had always favored quality over quantity. In one year of travel, he had only captured fourteen Pokémon in total.
But each and every one of them was meticulously trained.
The Indigo Plateau Conference was long and grueling. Yozora intended to give every Pokémon on his team the chance to step onto the battlefield and show themselves.
Even his newly caught Miltank—he wanted it to gain experience, to contribute.
As for Dratini… that one was still far too weak. Its level hadn't yet reached combat standards. It would need at least another year.
Of course, Yozora often carried Dratini with him. In a sense, that counted as letting it appear too.
The opening ceremony concluded, and on the second day the Indigo Plateau Conference officially began.
With four stadiums—A, B, C, and D—each venue was packed to capacity.
Tens of thousands of spectators filled the seats, while countless more tuned in via live broadcasts from news networks, watching from their homes if they couldn't get tickets.
The tournament stretched long, especially the opening round, which alone would take half a month.
Just this first round would eliminate half the contestants—over six hundred trainers!
Afterward, the rounds would move much faster.
Ash's first match was scheduled for the eighth day, while Yozora's turn came on the twelfth.
Finally—
On the twelfth day, at 7:30 in the evening…
The stadium was ablaze with light.
As the fifth battle of the day concluded, the sixth matchup was announced.
"Now, on the Water Field, our sixth battle begins! Competing are Yozora from Pallet Town, and Miss Hime from Viridian City!" The announcer's voice boomed, followed by a thunderous cheer.
No one here was ordinary. Every trainer who reached the Indigo Plateau deserved respect and encouragement from the audience.
"Yozora—he's finally taking the stage."
In corners across the stands, countless eyes turned toward him: Red, Gary, Ash and his friends, Ryūnan, Ritchie, A.J., and more…
Even far away, Professor Oak and the Tyron family were watching Yozora closely.
"Dratini! Contestant Yozora actually has a Dratini on his shoulder!" The announcer's sharp eyes caught sight of the tiny serpent and he cried out in surprise.
Meanwhile, Hime stood beside an Eevee.
Eevee was certainly rare, but compared to a Dratini? It couldn't even come close.
"Whaaa!" The audience roared, the stadium instantly boiling over.
Because of Dratini, Yozora naturally drew a flood of attention.
"Tch… show-off. Just because you have a Dratini, you have to flaunt it? Doesn't he know how to hide his cards?" Hime sneered under her breath.
At sixteen, she too was a rookie trainer—young, fiery, and eager to stand out.
Yet before the match had even started, her momentum had been completely crushed by Yozora's presence.
"The battle rules are as follows: Each side may use three Pokémon, with one substitution permitted. Now then, I declare—the match begins!"
At the referee's signal, both trainers threw out their first Poké Balls.
"Go, Magikarp!"
"Go, Seaking!"
On the Water Field, Yozora's Magikarp splashed into the pool while Hime's Seaking emerged opposite it.
Seaking, the evolved form of Goldeen, was a large fish Pokémon, typically around 1.3 meters long.
Normally, Seaking was far larger than Magikarp.
But the sight before them was the exact opposite.
Hime's Seaking was a respectable size at 1.3 meters…
But Yozora's Magikarp was over 3 meters long! A massive figure floating atop the water like a living torpedo—like a leviathan of the pool!
"Wh… what?!" Hime froze, sweat beading on her forehead as she stared at the giant.
The difference in sheer size carried with it a difference in aura.
Large Pokémon breathed like thunder, their presence oppressive.
Though not a true giant Pokémon, Yozora's Magikarp radiated immense momentum, each movement resonating with raw power.
The audience could hardly feel it from afar…
But Hime and her Seaking, trapped in the same arena, felt it pressing down on them like a storm. Their hearts pounded wildly.
"Wow! What a colossal Magikarp—and it's golden too, a Shiny Magikarp! Incredible! I believe most of us here have never seen such a powerful, majestic Magikarp in our lives!" the announcer cried.
The crowd erupted once more.
Trainers and spectators alike stared in shock.
"Is that… a Shiny Totem Magikarp?!"
"No way! Shiny Pokémon and Totem Pokémon are both insanely rare—and to have both combined in one? That's unthinkable!"
"Well, think again—because you're seeing it right now!"
The stadium went wild. Cameras flashed as countless spectators scrambled to capture photos of the golden leviathan that was Yozora's Magikarp.
(End of Chapter)