Some Trainers are lucky enough to stumble upon a Shiny Pokémon. Almost immediately, wealthy collectors come knocking at their door.
These wealthy patrons are willing to pay enormous sums to acquire such rarities.
Stories like this often make the papers, and people talk about them with great enthusiasm over tea and dinner.
Recently, ever since Yozora entered the Indigo League Conference, he too had been approached by wealthy buyers who wanted to purchase his Golden Magikarp.
But Yozora rejected every single offer.
At this point, he already had several hundred million in assets. He wasn't hurting for money.
More importantly—he had never once considered selling his Pokémon. That was a matter of principle.
"Yozora's Graveler might be a Shiny, but in terms of size, it looks much smaller than the opponent's Graveler. Isn't that… worrying?" From the stands, Ash leaned forward, watching nervously.
Hearing this, Brock laughed. "Don't worry, Ash. With a Graveler, what matters most is being round. It's not about size—it's about weight and density."
Brock himself had once doubted Yozora's Graveler, thinking it looked undersized, maybe even malnourished.
But lately…
He had noticed his own Graveler growing stronger as it compressed and polished its body, becoming smaller yet rounder.
That was when he realized—Pokémon like Graveler followed a simple truth: mass is king.
Sometimes, the smaller their size, the higher their density—and the stronger they became.
By shedding excess moisture and impurities, their bodies grew more compact. They looked smaller, but in reality, they became tougher than ever.
But out on the battlefield, Yozora's opponent, Hikaru, didn't share Brock's knowledge.
"Hmph! So it's Shiny—so what? That Graveler's puny size screams malnutrition!"
With a cold laugh, Hikaru gave his command:"Go, Graveler! Show them your power—Defense Curl into Rollout!"
Defense Curl into Rollout.
It was a staple combo for every Graveler. Once their body compacted with Defense Curl, Rollout's power doubled!
Hikaru's Graveler was at the Senior Level peak, and it had mastered the technique with frightening skill.
In an instant, its body compressed, excess stones crumbling away as it honed its spherical shape.
To a true expert, the difference was clear:
The strongest Gravelers had already polished their outer shells smooth, moving on to grind away impurities inside their bodies.
Only weaker, lazier Gravelers still needed to polish their exteriors.
In the wild, even many Golems were still stuck at that stage.
By contrast, Yozora's Shiny Graveler was terrifying in its diligence.
Despite being only just over a year old, it had already polished its body to a flawless smoothness. Even its internal structure was refined, its volume far smaller than others of its kind.
Of course, some freshly evolved Gravelers were also small—but those were jagged and rough to the touch, their power far inferior to even ordinary Graveler.
The natural progression of a Graveler was simple:
First, small and rough. They ate rocks to grow.
Then, they polished their bodies, growing large and smooth.
Finally, they refined themselves internally, shrinking in size while increasing in mass and density.
Yozora's Graveler had already reached this third stage.
To put this in perspective—even many Golems had not advanced this far, still busy polishing only their shells.
"Graveler, Rollout as well!" Yozora shouted back.
Hikaru's Graveler was relying on a temporary boost from Defense Curl.
But Yozora's Graveler had trained night and day, its body honed to the absolute limit of its current level.
Hikaru's Graveler was a whetstone sharpened at the last minute.
Yozora's Graveler was the blade forged through endless toil.
The difference was worlds apart.
BOOOOM!
The two Gravelers—one large, one small—smashed into each other with earth-shaking force.
The rocky battlefield quaked violently.
A moment later, Hikaru's Graveler went flying backward, smashing through several boulders before collapsing in a heap.
Gasps echoed through the crowd.
Hikaru's Graveler was completely knocked out. Worse still—a long crack now ran across its rocky body where Yozora's Graveler had struck.
"Graveler is unable to battle!"
The referee blew his whistle and raised the red flag toward Yozora's side. Victory—Graveler's.
"What—no way! My Graveler…!" Hikaru cried, rushing over in alarm to check its injuries.
Ultimately, a Nurse Joy and two medical staff carried the fainted Graveler away, and Hikaru finally exhaled in relief.
It was worth noting—
In tournaments as fierce as the Indigo League Conference, Pokémon deaths were not unheard of. Battles were brutal by nature.
If a Trainer sought victory and honor, they also bore the risk of grievous loss.
At the height of combat, few had the luxury of holding back.
Throughout the history of the League, outright fatalities were rare—but permanent injuries? A lost eye, a shattered limb, or lasting disability? Those occurred almost every year.
For a Trainer, losing a trusted ace to death or crippling injury could be a fatal blow to their career, their overall strength plummeting in an instant.
That was why knowing when to withdraw was crucial.
A Trainer had to recognize their Pokémon's state. Sometimes a partner continued to fight purely on willpower.
That spirit was admirable…
But it came with enormous risks.
Fortunately—
For a Graveler, a cracked shell was hardly a major problem.
They were stone by nature. Cracks could be healed.
With proper treatment and time to rest, Hikaru's Graveler would recover.
"Ahem! A slight interruption, but thanks to Nurse Joy's treatment, I'm sure Hikaru's Graveler will be back in fighting shape before long!"
"Now then—let's resume! Hikaru has already lost one Pokémon, leaving only two remaining!"
With the announcer's booming voice, the arena's tension rose again.
Especially for Hikaru.
His eyes flickered with a trace of fear as he looked at Yozora and his golden Graveler.
To be defeated in a single strike…
That was absurd.
Just how strong was that shining Graveler?!
Biting down his unease, Hikaru quickly threw his next Poké Ball.
"Go, Vaporeon!"
Strictly speaking, the Eevee evolutions were all considered rare Pokémon.
Yet here at the Indigo League, they were seen everywhere—almost common, as if they were no rarer than stray dogs in the street.
But that was only because every Trainer here was exceptional. Each was a Senior Level Trainer at minimum.
Rare did not always mean strong.
But more often than not, strong Pokémon were rare.
Compared to the common Trainers and small-time competitors, the elite gathered here wielded Pokémon that were not only rarer, but undeniably stronger.
The difference was clear as day.
(End of Chapter)