After Hitmonchan and Arcanine were defeated, Lightning, though wary of Yozora's mighty Aegislash, had no choice but to send out his last Pokémon.
It turned out to be a Raichu.
Everyone knew that Raichu was the evolved form of Pikachu, a pure Electric-type Pokémon.
Yet on this icy battlefield, its sudden appearance seemed a little out of place.
Still, this Raichu stood tall and calm, eyes sharp, its aura fierce.
Its level was extremely high—Lord-tier at the initial stage—without question, Lightning's strongest Pokémon.
"Raichu! As expected of Lightning! At this final moment, he's chosen his most skilled Electric-type!" the announcer shouted.
The crowd erupted—Lightning's supporters screaming in excitement.
To them, whenever Lightning used an Electric-type, he was unstoppable.
But…
Lightning himself was far less optimistic. His brows were furrowed deeply. The instant the referee signaled the start of the battle, he bellowed without hesitation:
"Go, Raichu! Strike first—use Thunderbolt!"
"Rai–chu!!"
Raichu cried out as lightning surged across its body, condensing into a massive thunderbolt that lashed out like a raging serpent toward Aegislash.
"Dodge it."
Yozora's voice was calm. Aegislash rotated gracefully and slipped past the attack as if it were nothing.
"This speed… it's hopeless…"
Watching Aegislash's inhuman speed and fluid movements, Lightning clenched his teeth. He quickly changed tactics, calling for Iron Tail.
"Use King's Shield," Yozora ordered again.
BOOM!
Raichu's glowing tail crashed violently into Aegislash's shimmering shield, unleashing a shockwave across the frozen ground.
But Aegislash did not so much as flinch. Instead, it was Raichu that screamed in pain, thrown backward by the recoil.
"Ohhh! Aegislash's defense is terrifying—it's like slamming into a wall of steel! Raichu's Iron Tail didn't even leave a scratch!" the announcer cried in awe.
The audience roared.
Cheers and applause thundered across the stadium, though Lightning's fans sat frozen in disbelief.
For Lightning, however, the reality was even worse than they imagined.
Not only had Aegislash effortlessly blocked Raichu's attack…
Because of King's Shield's secondary effect, Raichu's defenses were harshly weakened. Its armor had been pierced—its body now vulnerable.
For the next stretch of battle, every blow Raichu took would deal double the damage.
Yozora, of course, would never miss such an opportunity.
"Sacred Sword."
Aegislash slashed forward with blinding brilliance. The arc of light struck Raichu head-on, sending it crashing to the ground, unable to rise again.
"Raichu is unable to battle! Aegislash wins!"
The referee blew his whistle and raised the red flag toward Yozora's side.
"It's over! Congratulations to Trainer Yozora, advancing successfully to the fourth round of the preliminaries!" the announcer's voice boomed as the crowd erupted in deafening cheers.
With three preliminary rounds already behind them, the number of remaining competitors was growing smaller and smaller.
The schedule tightened accordingly.
Just two days later, Yozora's fourth match began—this time on the Rock Field.
The preliminaries consisted of five rounds total. Any trainer who fought through all five would qualify for the main tournament.
The battlefields rotated randomly among Water, Grass, Ice, and Rock.
Since Yozora had already fought on Water, Grass, and Ice, it was no surprise that his fourth round brought him to Rock.
The match began quickly. Yozora and his opponent stepped onto the rugged field. His challenger this time was a short-haired youth named Hikaru.
Hikaru looked a little older than Yozora—about eighteen years old. Lightning, his previous opponent, had been twenty-two.
"Trainer Yozora versus Trainer Hikaru! Welcome to both contestants!"
"Yozora, from Pallet Town, is a powerful rookie who has already made waves!"
"Hikaru, from Goldenrod City, is an experienced trainer—let's see what kind of sparks will fly in this match!" the announcer hyped up the crowd.
The referee gave the signal.
Both trainers threw their Poké Balls—two Gravelers burst onto the rocky field.
"Oh, what a coincidence! Both Yozora and Hikaru have chosen Graveler as their first Pokémon!"
"But wait—look at Yozora's Graveler—it's golden! That's a Shiny Pokémon!"
The announcer's voice trembled with excitement as the golden Graveler shone under the lights, standing in stark contrast to Hikaru's earthen-colored one.
"Whoa! A Shiny Graveler!"
The stadium went wild.
Shiny Pokémon were so rare that each appearance caused a storm of excitement.
And yet, in this Indigo Conference alone, Yozora had already revealed not one, but two Shinies—first the Golden Magikarp, now a Shiny Graveler!
"Damn it, that's unbelievable! Shiny Pokémon are rarer than anything you could imagine. Most trainers are lucky to ever see one, let alone catch it! And that kid has two!"
"Yeah—he's like some chosen one!"
"Yozora, you can do it!"
The stands shook with cheers, envy, and admiration.
Some adored him, some envied him bitterly.
But one thing was certain: Yozora's reputation skyrocketed yet again.
A trainer who owned two Shiny Pokémon—such a person could never be forgotten.
Not to mention his strength was formidable in its own right.
Meanwhile, the Team Rocket trio—Jessie, James, and Meowth—were at the venue, working part-time selling food and drinks.
They froze when they saw Yozora's Shiny Graveler.
"Shiny Graveler…"
Jessie's eyes widened, gleaming with yen signs.
"James, that brat is a walking treasure trove…" Jessie muttered, smacking James's shoulder.
James nodded solemnly. He had been born into wealth, raised as a pampered heir of a rich family.
But even he had never managed to obtain a Shiny Pokémon. It wasn't a matter of money—he could certainly afford one. The problem was simple: Shinies were far too scarce.
In this world, countless elite collectors and tycoons longed for Shiny Pokémon to flaunt in their collections.
There were endless buyers, but almost no sellers.
Even in the darkest black markets, the moment a Shiny Pokémon appeared, it would be sold instantly—billionaires throwing money without hesitation just to make it theirs.
Even the most "worthless" of species, like Caterpie or Weedle—once Shiny—would fetch prices in the tens of millions of Poké Dollars.
(End of Chapter)