Chapter 45: Ace! Beedrill!
Hearing Kenji's decision, Marcus's expression remained neutral. He simply nodded.
"Then be careful. And try to avoid wandering outside the city walls too much."
With that final piece of advice, Marcus turned and left.
Kenji let out a long breath, his mind racing. The weight of the situation, the potential danger from Team R, the implications of the genetically modified egg... it left him feeling unsettled and distracted for the rest of the day's training.
The second day of the tournament arrived. Having gone through the process once, Kenji sat calmly in the waiting area. As soon as he sat down, he felt several pairs of eyes turn towards him. He ignored them, sitting quietly on the bench.
The spectator stands were packed once again. The familiar announcer made his entrance on the back of his Pidgeot, delivering another rousing opening speech before officially kicking off the second round.
The first ten names appeared on the electronic screen. To Kenji's surprise, Leo was in the very first batch.
Even though half the competitors had been eliminated in the first round, there were still over two hundred participants remaining. All five battlefields were in use once again. The overall skill level was noticeably higher than the previous day.
Unfortunately, Leo's luck seemed to have run out. He was pitted against a Golem.
Golem was the final evolution of Geodude. Geodude evolved into Graveler at level 25, and Graveler evolved into Golem via trading. This meant his opponent's Pokémon was at least level 25.
Leo's Pidove was only level 11.
With such a massive level difference, Pidove couldn't even scratch Golem, even if it just stood there and took the hits. The battle was, predictably, a swift and brutal loss for Leo. It highlighted the harsh reality for trainers from ordinary backgrounds; Leo still only had his single Pidove.
Most of the competitors in this tournament came from trainer families, often inheriting powerful, high-level Pokémon from their parents. While Kenji couldn't see their exact levels through the screen, he knew that while strong, none of these inherited Pokémon would likely be above level 40. Level 40 was the threshold between the Trainer Class and the Elite Class. Pokémon at that level required a degree of skill and experience that these newly licensed teenagers simply wouldn't possess.
Match after match concluded. Finally, in the fourth round, Kenji's name appeared on the screen. His opponent was listed as "Silas."
Kenji stood up silently. As he was about to leave the waiting area, a voice spoke up beside him.
"I'm looking forward to battling your Gyarados."
Kenji paused and turned. It was a boy he didn't recognize – tall and lean, with slightly dark skin and a distinctive mole near the corner of his mouth.
"You're Silas?" Kenji asked, putting the pieces together.
The boy smiled and nodded. "That's me."
Kenji raised an eyebrow, surprised by the coincidence. His opponent was in the same waiting area.
"I'm looking forward to battling you too," Kenji replied politely. "But it won't be Gyarados."
Silas glanced at the two Poké Balls on Kenji's belt, then raised an eyebrow. "Your Beedrill is certainly impressive, but defeating me with it won't be easy."
Kenji's surprise deepened. Silas noticed his expression and explained, "We actually met before, during the Gym Leader assessment at the Edgecliff Gym..."
Realization dawned on Kenji. Silas must have been one of the other students who had passed the initial examiner and earned an A-Rank. He immediately regarded his opponent with newfound respect. Anyone capable of achieving an A-Rank was definitely skilled. This wouldn't be an easy fight.
They walked together toward the arena entrance. Silas, proving to be quite talkative, continued trying to convince Kenji to use Gyarados, clearly eager to test his skills against the powerhouse Pokémon.
Kenji's expression remained calm, but his tone grew firm. "If I choose to use Beedrill, it's because I have absolute confidence in it. And... truth be told, it is my ace."
As he finished speaking, the final match on the center stage concluded. Kenji walked forward onto the field without another word, his face set in determination.
Silas paused, catching the hint of annoyance in Kenji's voice.
Kenji took his position on the field and slowly unclipped Beedrill's Poké Ball, his focus absolute. He could sense Silas's underlying dismissal of Beedrill during their conversation, and it bothered him. To Kenji, each of his Pokémon was precious, a partner he had poured his heart into raising. He couldn't stand seeing his Beedrill underestimated.
"Beedrill," Kenji murmured to the ball, "show them what you can do."
While Kenji was lost in thought, Silas took his position on the opposite side of the field.
Perhaps because of Gyarados's dramatic debut the day before, many spectators recognized Kenji immediately. The announcer even directed the main cameras to focus on Arena 3, where Kenji was battling, dedicating three-quarters of the large overhead screen to his match.
"Competitor Kenji on Field 3 made a huge impression yesterday with his devastatingly powerful Gyarados, securing a swift victory! Today, let's see what new surprises he and his Pokémon have in store for us!" the announcer boomed, his voice full of energy, hyping up the already electric atmosphere in the stadium.
With both competitors in place, the referee decisively swung down the green flag, signaling the start of the match.
Simultaneously, Kenji and Silas threw their Poké Balls.
"Go! My Ace!"
"Go! Raichu!"
"Rai!—"
Two beams of red light shot onto the field. Beedrill appeared, hovering silently, its lances held loosely at its sides, its ruby eyes locked onto Silas and the Pokémon that materialized before it, radiating an intense battle aura. Even within its Poké Ball, Beedrill could sense the outside world, and it had heard everything.