The grand tournament being held in Trovita City on Mandarin Island was the Orange League's answer to the Indigo Conference and the Silver Conference.
Its official name was:
The First Orange League Mandarin Cup Grand Festival!
To qualify, trainers had to earn at least two Orange League Gym Badges.
As a result, only sixty-four trainers had successfully qualified this year.
Coincidentally, the opening ceremony was only two days away.
With Lorelei's return to her hometown, the event instantly gained enormous prestige.
Naturally, Lorelei was more than willing to support her birthplace.
And she brought Aiden along with her.
Still—
Compared to the major Pokémon League tournaments across the world, the Orange Archipelago suffered from one major disadvantage.
Geography.
The islands were scattered across the sea.
Travel between them was inconvenient.
Most visiting trainers came only because they loved Water-type Pokémon.
As a result—
The Orange League had never achieved the same popularity as Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, or Sinnoh.
...
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"Welcome to the First Orange League Mandarin Cup!"
The announcer's voice echoed throughout the massive stadium.
"All sixty-four competitors have officially arrived!"
"What kind of spectacular battles will they bring us?"
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Then the announcer raised his voice again.
"Today, we have the honor of welcoming two extraordinary guests!"
"Kanto League Vice Champion—Lorelei!"
"And Hoenn League Champion—Aiden Flint!"
"They will present a special exhibition battle to ignite the fighting spirit of all participating trainers!"
The crowd exploded.
Cheers shook the stadium.
No one had expected that the very first Mandarin Cup would invite two champions of this caliber.
And not just as guests—
But for a live exhibition match.
The ticket prices instantly felt worth ten times more.
"Please welcome Champion Aiden Flint and Vice Champion Lorelei!"
As the announcer finished speaking—
Aiden and Lorelei emerged from opposite battle tunnels.
Amid countless cheers and camera flashes, they stepped onto their respective battle platforms.
Lorelei smiled.
"To be honest, I've wanted a real battle with you for a long time, Aiden."
Aiden laughed.
"Then today, your wish comes true."
Both trainers threw Poké Balls simultaneously.
White light burst forth.
Cloyster.
Sceptile.
Both Pokémon appeared at the same time.
Lorelei raised an eyebrow.
"Using your ace starter?"
"Interesting."
Aiden smiled.
"Your Cloyster isn't exactly a random choice either."
"If we're both using our starters..."
"Then let's have a proper battle."
Ding! Cloyster's Status
Pokémon: Cloyster
Level: 86
Ability: Skill Link
Type: Water / Ice
Potential: Gold
Moves:
Icicle Crash, Ice Shard, Shell Smash, Protect, Whirlpool, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Razor Shell, Blizzard...
Looking at the powerful Cloyster before him, Aiden immediately issued the first command.
"Sceptile!"
"Bullet Seed!"
Sceptile grabbed the leaf in its mouth.
The next second—
Countless green projectiles erupted forward.
Lorelei remained calm.
"Cloyster."
"Withdraw into your shell."
Clang!
The giant shell snapped shut.
Its defensive power immediately surged.
Although Bullet Seed was super effective—
Most of the attacks struck the thick shell and failed to deal significant damage.
"Now!"
"Ice Beam!"
The shell opened.
A freezing blue beam shot directly toward Sceptile.
"Sceptile!"
"Jump!"
With a powerful leap, Sceptile launched high into the air.
Using the momentum—
Its massive tail glowed.
Tail Slam.
BOOM!
The strike landed.
Even Cloyster's heavy shell couldn't completely resist the impact.
The Pokémon was launched backward.
"Now!"
"Leaf Blade!"
Green energy erupted from Sceptile's arms.
Two enormous leaf blades slashed downward.
Clang!
For the first time—
Cloyster's expression changed.
The sharpness of the attack had penetrated its defenses.
"Cloyster!"
"Ice Shard!"
Tiny ice projectiles immediately fired outward.
They struck Sceptile repeatedly.
The Grass-type Pokémon was forced back.
Both Pokémon separated.
The crowd roared.
The battle had only begun—
Yet the intensity already exceeded most tournament finals.
"Sceptile!"
"Energy Ball!"
"Cloyster!"
"Blizzard!"
The commands were issued simultaneously.
A moment later—
A terrifying snowstorm engulfed the battlefield.
Visibility vanished.
The entire arena disappeared beneath a curtain of ice and snow.
Within the storm—
Sceptile lost sight of its target.
The Energy Ball it had gathered gradually dissipated.
Meanwhile—
The Blizzard continuously damaged the Grass-type Pokémon.
Ice naturally countered Grass.
The situation was becoming dangerous.
"Sceptile!"
"Frenzy Plant!"
"Attack the entire field!"
Since this was only an exhibition match, Aiden chose not to use his psychic powers to locate Cloyster.
Instead—
Sceptile roared.
Massive vines burst from the ground.
Countless giant roots lashed across the battlefield.
The entire arena trembled.
Soon—
One of the vines struck Cloyster directly.
The Pokémon was thrown into the air.
"Now!"
"Solar Beam!"
"Cloyster!"
"Stabilize yourself!"
"Ice Beam!"
The two attacks launched simultaneously.
A brilliant golden beam.
A freezing blue ray.
The attacks collided.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion swallowed the battlefield.
Smoke.
Snow.
Light.
Everything vanished into a single massive blast.
The audience held its breath.
Who had won?
When the smoke finally cleared—
The answer surprised everyone.
Neither Pokémon was visible.
Instead—
Aiden and Lorelei were already standing together at the center of the battlefield.
Their Pokémon stood beside them.
Both trainers raised a hand and waved toward the audience.
The exhibition match—
Had officially ended.
No winner.
No loser.
Only a spectacular showcase.
The stadium erupted.
The applause became even louder than before.
"What an incredible battle!"
"Honestly... Aiden and Lorelei look really good together."
"No!"
"I refuse to accept it!"
"How can Lady Lorelei have a boyfriend?!"
"Stop crying."
"Look at them."
"That's what people mean by a perfect match."
"You're not even in the same universe."
"Aiden Flint is so handsome!"
The cheers continued for a long time.
And for the sixty-four trainers participating in the Mandarin Cup—
Watching two world-class champions battle at close range had become an unforgettable memory.
Yet none of them knew—
The true highlight of Aiden's journey through the Orange Archipelago was still waiting ahead.
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