Cynthia arrived shortly after the opening ceremony, becoming the first of the three regional Champions to take her seat.
Steven and Leon only appeared once the preliminary rounds were already underway. The reason was obvious. They were busy.
With all three Champions present, the VIP stands now held an intimidating lineup: the Kanto Elite Four, League Chairman, and three figures who stood at the pinnacle of the Pokémon world.
They watched the battles below with calm expressions.
To them, these matches looked almost childish.
Yet none of them were bored.
It had been a long time since they had watched battles at this level. The strength was low, the tactics simple, but there was something nostalgic about it. A reminder of where they themselves had once started.
They waited nearly half a day before Ash's first match finally appeared on the schedule.
In truth, they had come for only one reason.
Ash.
Not merely because of his fame, but because he had already entered their field of vision.
All three had watched Ash's live match against Koga.
Ash's talent was undeniable.
His growth rate was abnormal.
They had wanted to see Kanto's prodigy in person. A rising star. A future rival.
Before today, however, they all shared the same assessment.
Ash was still far behind them.
At least, that was what they believed before the battle began.
In his fights against Koga and Lorelei, Ash's Pokémon had displayed an additional force. A strange amplification the Elite Four referred to as Aura.
Aura granted terrifying boosts, but it was clearly not innate power. Nothing that strong came without a cost. The most obvious price was stamina.
There were likely other limitations as well.
Without Aura, Ash's Pokémon should not have been able to withstand a Champion's attack. One clean hit should have ended the fight.
Yet today, Pikachu changed that perception.
For the first time, they felt pressure.
Which meant something important.
Even in a formal battle, without external enhancement, they might not be able to one-shot Ash's Pikachu.
This was Pikachu's own power.
That thought was unsettling.
"This Pikachu's actual rank has reached Mid-High level," Steven murmured. "That's more than a full tier increase."
The speed of growth defied common sense.
For any Pokémon, jumping from one tier to another tier in three months was a fantasy.
Yet Ash's Pikachu had done exactly that.
A Pikachu.
A species ninety-nine percent of Trainers never managed to raise beyond mediocrity.
Ash's Pikachu truly was exceptional.
"Lance," Leon asked with interest, "at this level, do you think Ash can push Pikachu another full tier?"
If Pikachu could reach Champion-level, Leon would finally have a reason to take this seriously.
Lance shook his head slightly. "Hard to say. I haven't seen him use that power in a long time. Aura can push a Pokémon from Mid to High, but High to Elite and Champion… that starts to violate the rules."
Such power should not exist.
But Ash himself already broke too many rules to count.
Lance had heard the full story from Lorelei.
Ash had fought Mewtwo directly.
And won.
Ash's own combat strength was terrifying. That was why he could empower his Pokémon so dramatically.
Though Ash had never explained the nature of his power, the Champions suspected he was sharing it with his Pokémon under strict limits.
Otherwise, if someone at God level poured their full strength into a Pokémon, it would be invincible.
There had to be boundaries.
How tight those limits were remained unknown.
They would only find out when Ash faced a true equal.
But the Indigo Plateau Conference was unlikely to provide one.
Down on the field, Pikachu had already erased Kingdra.
Jamie recalled his Pokémon in silence as the host's voice rang out, sharp and animated.
"Who could have predicted this? Jamie's fully evolved Kingdra was instantly defeated by Ash's Pikachu using Quick Attack! That's Ash's Pikachu for you!"
"Jamie is now down to his final Pokémon. Can he stage a miracle comeback?"
Jamie: 'A comeback? Are you serious?'
Did you see that Pikachu's power?
This isn't a numbers problem. It's quality.
Even ten Elite-rank Pokémon wouldn't change anything. If Quick Attack can erase Kingdra, it can erase anything I send out.
The gap is absolute.
Only now, standing across from Pikachu, did Jamie truly understand despair.
Still, he was a seasoned Trainer. A man with eight badges.
He would not forfeit.
He would fall standing.
"My last Pokémon… I'm counting on you. Go, Golbat!"
Light flashed as the wide-mouthed flier took to the sky.
To be fair, Jamie's battle instincts were sharp. On a Water Field, he had chosen one Pokémon that countered Water-types, one that could fight comfortably in water, and one that could ignore the terrain entirely by flying.
His lineup was sound.
His opponent was not.
Ash calmly returned Pikachu.
"Come back."
In the preliminary rounds, Ash intended to let as many of his Pokémon appear as possible. Whether opponents tried to analyze or counter them afterward did not concern him.
Leaving aside the fact that no one here could match his Pokémon in strength, the power they had displayed so far was nowhere near their true limits.
If anyone tried to counter him based on mere surface-level intelligence, they would only die more miserably.
"Last Pokémon, go, Aerodactyl!"
With a thunderous roar, Ash's Poké Ball burst open in midair. A massive gray pterosaur spread its wings against the distant sky.
The ancient ruler of the skies, Aerodactyl!
The oppressive aura surrounding Golbat shrank the instant it laid eyes on Aerodactyl. Meeting the fossil Pokémon's ferocious gaze, it instinctively pulled its wings in tighter.
Aerodactyl wasn't a true Dragon-type, but it was the undisputed tyrant of the skies.
In prehistoric times, the skies had been its domain. As for the so-called Sky Dragon, Rayquaza, it ruled an even higher realm, one Aerodactyl had never cared to reach.
Against Flying-type Pokémon, Aerodactyl naturally exerted a crushing pressure. It had nothing to do with abilities or type advantages, it was an aura carved into its very genes.
Even Flying Pokémon of equal or higher level would find themselves suppressed by that innate dominance.
At this moment, Golbat probably couldn't even muster seventy percent of its full strength.
"My goodness! Ash's third Pokémon is the extinct fossil Pokémon, Aerodactyl! Until now, only Champion Lance has ever owned one!"
"That's because Aerodactyl is far rarer than other fossil revivals, and even if you find one, there's no guarantee you can extract a complete genetic sequence. Before today, only a single Aerodactyl existed in the world. Ash's makes the second!"
Aerodactyl's appearance left the commentators stunned. Among all known specimens, only Lance's, and now Ash's, had ever been confirmed.
You couldn't say Aerodactyl was stronger than Legendary Pokémon, but it was certainly rarer.
Who could have imagined that a Trainer who'd been traveling for barely half a year would reveal an Aerodactyl?
Talent, strength, and luck all converged in one boy. Under the stadium lights, Ash seemed to glow as countless Trainers watched with envy.
The roaring cheers made Aerodactyl beam with pride. Even an ancient beast enjoyed admiration. Since being captured by Ash, this was its very first public battle.
No wonder Pokémon enjoyed being commanded by humans, being drowned in cheers felt incredible!
And this was without even attacking. With its power, even a casual move would earn thunderous applause.
"Golbat, Air Slash!"
Shaking off his shock, Jamie gave the order. No matter how slim the odds, fight first, think later!
Golbat beat its wings furiously, sending dozens of crescent-shaped blades of compressed air raining down.
"Aerodactyl, block with Rock Slide!" Ash reacted instantly, issuing the command the moment the attack began.
But Aerodactyl was still basking in the cheers, and took the Air Slash head-on.
An Elite-level attack barely harmed a Champion-level Aerodactyl, but the sting was undeniable. It shook its wings like a soaked beast, irritation flashing across its face.
As the last of the air blades dissipated, Aerodactyl slowly spread its wings again, its expression dark with rage.
With an enraged roar: 'I was enjoying the applause, how dare you sneak attack me?!'
Ash covered his face with one hand. That had been embarrassing. With such a massive gap in strength, Aerodactyl should've dodged that attack even blindfolded, yet it had grown careless.
Fortunately, the opponent was weak, and Flying-type moves dealt reduced damage to Aerodactyl. Otherwise, that mistake could have cost them the match.
"Aerodactyl, never underestimate your opponent. Fight seriously, or I won't let you come out again!"
Aerodactyl hastily nodded, letting out eager cries and flashing an ingratiating grin.
Getting benched again was unthinkable. After finally stretching its wings, losing the chance to fight was unacceptable!
Turning back, Aerodactyl fixed Golbat with a murderous glare.
With a furious roar:
"You're the one who humiliated me!"
Six enormous boulders materialized in midair around Aerodactyl, each nearly two meters in diameter. A single hit would spell certain doom for Golbat.
Jamie and Golbat both broke out in a cold sweat at the sight.
This wasn't Rock Slide, it was a meteor shower!
A direct hit meant instant defeat. But how were they supposed to dodge something that massive?
Before they could even form a plan, Aerodactyl willed the six meteor-like stones forward, hurling them straight at Golbat!
Every escape route was sealed. There wasn't a single gap left.
An Elite-level Golbat simply didn't have the speed to evade.