Meanwhile, in the Capital, tens of thousands of workers labored with the assistance of large numbers of Conkeldurr, Tinkaton, Machamp, and other Pokémon.
At last, the venue reputed to be the largest in the world was completed.
Omega Stadium could accommodate a full two hundred thousand spectators.
On the day its construction was completed, the news immediately became the leading headline across major websites and television programs.
Because of this coverage, people finally noticed something standing in the plaza outside Omega Stadium's main entrance.
It was a massive statue twenty meters tall.
Everyone recognized the figure depicted by the statue at a glance.
It was none other than the new Creator God who had previously appeared and defeated Arceus!
Indeed, the Alliance officials had conceived this idea while Omega Stadium was still under construction.
They had erected the statue solely to express their respect for Shiko.
It was also intended to thank him for everything he had done to help humanity and demonstrate their sincere gratitude toward him.
After Omega Stadium was completed, publicity for the Alliance tournament intensified dramatically.
As the days passed, public interest showed no signs of diminishing.
Instead, the excitement continued to grow.
Half a month later, the Alliance officials finished compiling the information on every competitor.
They finalized the tournament schedule and completed performance tests for all twelve battle arenas.
Indeed.
Omega Stadium did not contain the ten battle arenas originally planned.
During the later stages of construction, the blueprints had been modified once again.
The number of battle arenas had been increased to twelve.
Once every preparation had been completed, the Alliance publicly released the schedule for the remaining matches.
Ticket sales began at the same time.
What the organizers had not expected was that every ticket would sell out in only half a day.
It was not merely the tickets for the later finals that were completely sold out.
Even the tickets for the earliest knockout matches were purchased without a single seat remaining.
In the blink of an eye, every available ticket was gone.
Those who had planned to purchase their tickets that afternoon or evening could only stare blankly when they logged on to the Alliance's official website and saw that every seat had already been taken.
There was nothing they could do.
Since they had failed to obtain tickets, they could only watch the tournament at home through television or an online broadcast.
The speed at which the tickets sold revealed just how popular the tournament had become.
The attention attracted by this tournament was truly unprecedented.
The Omega Cup would undoubtedly mark the beginning of a new era in the history of Alliance tournaments.
It would be recorded in the history of humanity itself.
Time passed quickly.
Before anyone realized it, the day of the tournament had arrived.
The one thousand competitors from around the world had already gathered in the Capital.
The tournament's opening ceremony was scheduled for eight o'clock that morning.
During the ceremony, Himeko served as the final torchbearer and ignited the cauldron above the stadium.
As the blazing flames began to burn fiercely, everyone present offered thunderous applause without reservation.
"Welcome, everyone, to this Alliance tournament!"
Himeko spoke into the microphone.
The moment she began speaking, the stadium fell silent.
Everyone looked toward her and waited for her to continue her address.
"May this new tournament flourish in this new era and bring Trainers together through growth, competition, and unity!"
Himeko paused after speaking.
The entire stadium once again erupted with thunderous applause.
She then continued.
"There is one more important reason we are holding this tournament."
"This tournament is also intended to express our gratitude and utmost respect toward that great being."
"Therefore!"
"We have named this tournament the Omega Cup!"
"We have named the largest stadium in the world Omega Stadium!"
"And at the stadium's main entrance, we have erected a statue in his honor!"
As Himeko finished speaking, the enormous screens above her displayed an image of the Omegamon statue standing outside the stadium entrance.
Only then did the spectators inside the stadium, along with the countless people watching from televisions and computers, finally understand.
So the name of the new Creator God was Omegamon!
As they gazed at the statue and silently repeated that name, an indescribable sense of reverence began flowing through their hearts.
"All right!"
"I hereby announce that the first Omega Cup has officially begun!"
As soon as Himeko's declaration rang out, everyone in the stadium burst into cheers.
Streamers flew through the air.
Hot-air balloons rose high into the sky.
The entire stadium became a sea of celebration.
Soon, the first twelve knockout matches of the opening round began.
Twenty-four competitors entered the twelve battle arenas, faced their respective opponents, and prepared for battle.
As they entered the arenas, the enormous screens began rapidly displaying information about all twenty-four competitors.
The information included their ages and names.
It also included their hometowns, their records during the regional qualifiers, and the Pokémon they had previously used.
The knockout stage used a three-on-three battle format.
This format maintained the efficiency of the tournament while making the matches far more exciting than one-on-one battles.
It also reduced the influence of luck and placed greater emphasis on the Trainers' tactics and their coordination with their Pokémon.
Soon, every competitor had taken their position and completed their preparations.
All twelve matches began simultaneously.
For a time, agile Pokémon could be seen battling across many different types of terrain.
Countless moves collided with one another.
The thunderous sounds of explosions, the roars of Pokémon, the shouts of Trainers, and the spectators' enthusiastic cheers blended together.
In an instant, the atmosphere throughout the stadium reached its peak.
Himeko and the senior Alliance officials were gathered inside the stadium's VIP viewing area.
They quietly watched the matches taking place below.
Although this was only the first day, they were extremely satisfied with the atmosphere inside the stadium.
The heavy burden weighing on their hearts finally disappeared.
Judging by everything they had witnessed, the tournament was already a tremendous success.
(End of Chapter)
[200 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]