"Yozora!!"
"Red!!"
"Yukie!!!"
"Ryūnan!!"
The stadium erupted into chaos as countless fans shouted the names of their idols.
Of course, there were a few contestants whose popularity was… less than stellar. Like Ash, for instance.
In the entire audience, only Brock and Misty were cheering for him. Still, in front of the TV, Professor Oak, Ash's mother, and countless townsfolk from Pallet were all rooting for him as well.
Pallet Town was countryside. Indigo Plateau, on the other hand, was a bustling center of the region—the distance between them was enormous.
Since these were just the preliminaries, Professor Oak and Ash's mom naturally hadn't come all the way just to watch.
But once the main tournament began, they would definitely be there in person.
And by then, the stadium would already be overflowing, completely unable to take in another soul.
The television audience, however, would multiply several times over.
One didn't even need to win the championship—as long as one could break into the top eight, their name would echo across Kanto!
"Yozora!"
Suddenly, a tall, burly young man approached, a Sandslash at his side. It was none other than A.J.
A year had passed, and A.J. was now eighteen years old, his body even more robust than before.
The Sandslash beside him also radiated an intimidating presence.
Presence and aura were two different things—presence was external, something anyone could sense, while aura was hidden deep within, perceptible only to those with special means.
At the moment, Sandslash wasn't projecting much presence since there was no battle. But through Aura, Yozora could feel the creature's energy—refined and condensed to a frightening degree.
Compared to their last meeting, this Sandslash's strength had skyrocketed.
"A.J., long time no see."
Yozora greeted him with a smile, though his gaze never left Sandslash.
[Sandslash (Ground): Lord-tier (High), Elite Four potential.]
"Elite Four potential?!" Yozora's heart trembled.
If he remembered correctly, this Sandslash had only Senior-tier potential before—Elite at best should've been its limit…
"A.J., this Sandslash…" Yozora asked in confusion.
"Oh, that."
A.J. casually rubbed the back of his head, grinning. "I gave it an Earth Gem. After it absorbed the gem, its potential and aptitude improved drastically, and it broke through its limits."
So it really was an Earth Gem…
Yozora wasn't too surprised.
For Ground-type Pokémon like Sandslash, an Earth Gem was a heavenly treasure, washing and tempering the body. Once absorbed, it was guaranteed to raise potential and improve aptitude.
The lower the potential of the Pokémon, the greater the effect of such cleansing.
But…
Earth Gems were outrageously expensive. Each one started at thirty million.
For a civilian like A.J., just how miraculous must his encounter have been to obtain one?
"Yozora, do you remember the binding devices I used to make? Devon Corporation reached out to me. They bought my patent and even gave me a share of the sales revenue…"
A.J. scratched his head awkwardly. "So yeah, I made a little money off it."
"A little money, huh…"
Yozora's mouth twitched. Buying an Earth Gem like it was nothing—that was far more than "a little money."
But one thing was certain: A.J. had taken off.
As both a trainer and a breeder, his talent was outstanding. He was diligent, too. Compared to a main character, he only lacked that little bit of luck.
Now that his finances had soared, he could more than make up for that shortfall.
"Yozora."
Another familiar voice called out. It was Ritchie, walking over with his Pikachu Sparky at his side.
Ash also stood nearby, and the two Pikachu locked eyes, sparking wordless communication.
And so, thanks to Yozora, Ash and Ritchie ended up meeting a little earlier than they would have otherwise.
After the preliminaries, all competitors were given a week of rest.
Ash, however, longed to meet Mr. Tyron.
At his request, Yozora brought the group to Tyron Gym for training.
A week passed in a flash.
Ash grew somewhat stronger, though sadly his Charizard still refused to obey him.
That alone doomed his chances of making it far in the Indigo Conference.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Indigo League Stadium! I am your host, A-Dong, and I'll be your commentator once again today!"
"In the main tournament, every match will be held here at Indigo Stadium! The main tournament will continue using a single-elimination system—one defeat and you're out!"
"The first round is 32 to 16, with 3 vs 3 battles!"
"From the round of 16 onwards, it will be full 6 vs 6 battles!"
"And now, let's determine the matchups for the first round! Please turn your attention to the big screen!"
As his voice fell, the giant screen whirred to life, spinning through names like a roulette wheel.
Thirty-two names, paired off one by one.
Ash vs. Ritchie.
Of course. By the hand of fate, these two would face off in the very first round.
Yozora's opponent, on the other hand, was a young trainer from Hoenn named Hayate.
Ash and Ritchie's match was scheduled for the first night.
Yozora's battle would come on the second day.
That evening, Ash's match began.
And just like in the anime, he lost—his Charizard refusing to fight cost him everything.
"Ash was too reckless… If he hadn't used Charizard for his last Pokémon, he might've had a chance." Misty sighed from the sidelines.
Yozora shook his head. "Without the ability to command Charizard, even if Ash somehow won, he couldn't go much further. He wanted to gamble, to try and tame Charizard in a real match. Unfortunately, he failed."
The next day, it was Yozora's turn.
At the host's call, both he and Hayate stepped into the arena.
Every competitor who had made it this far was extraordinary.
While many hailed from Kanto and neighboring Johto, there were also strong trainers from other regions.
Hayate was one of them.
He was a young man in his twenties, skin darkened from the sun, body sturdy and full of vigor.
"Trainer Yozora is a rookie from Kanto, while Trainer Hayate comes to us from Hoenn! Just what kind of Hoenn Pokémon will he showcase today? Let's wait and see!"
The host's passionate commentary whipped the audience into a frenzy.
And then, the match began.
At the referee's signal, both trainers threw their first Poké Balls.
"Oh! It's Kangaskhan and Trapinch! But wait—Hayate's Trapinch looks way too big!"
The host's voice rang with shock as the audience gasped.
Before them stood a Trapinch more than three times larger than normal, built like a young calf.
"This must be a Hoenn specialty—a Totem Trapinch!"
(End of Chapter)