Seeing Gary persistently insisting on the battle, Cynthia and Professor Oak's expressions gradually turned sympathetic.
Strangely enough, even Professor Oak made no effort to warn his beloved grandson. Instead, after a glance at Elias, he merely smiled quietly, deciding it was better to stay silent.
Perhaps experiencing a crushing defeat wouldn't be so bad for Gary.
Professor Oak was well aware that while his grandson was talented, everything had come too easily to him, making him overly confident and complacent.
This was understandable—after all, among his peers, Gary truly stood out.
Yet, without setbacks, he would inevitably face harsher consequences someday.
Rather than regret later, it was preferable to let Elias teach him an early lesson.
Gary needed to understand clearly that Pokémon strength wasn't something determined solely by appearances or theory.
"So, it's settled then?" Gary's eyes sparkled eagerly as he spoke. "After the opening ceremony tomorrow, let's battle at the training field near the stadium."
"All right, I have no objections." Elias nodded calmly.
Then he reached out and gently pinched Gardevoir's soft cheek, asking softly, "Gardevoir, is that okay with you?"
"Garde~" she responded sweetly, nodding obediently. She had no issues with it, though she couldn't quite fathom the twisted mentality of the human challenging Elias so confidently.
"Gary, congrats!"
Perhaps the only person still genuinely celebrating for Gary at this moment was Ash, who remained completely oblivious to the true situation.
If Gary hadn't already reserved the battle, Ash would've even considered challenging Elias himself.
After dinner, Elias, Cynthia, and their Pokémon prepared to return to the hotel to rest.
"Oh right, Miss Cynthia," Gary suddenly remembered something and politely called out.
Cynthia raised a questioning brow in response.
Gathering his thoughts, Gary continued carefully, "I heard there's going to be an exhibition match at tomorrow's opening ceremony between Champion Lance and a mysterious trainer. Could it possibly be you?"
Gary maintained genuine respect for powerful trainers. However, as his voice fell silent, Cynthia's lips curled upward subtly.
"If that's what you want to think, I suppose."
Leaving Gary puzzled by her cryptic reply, Cynthia turned and left alongside Elias.
Standing there, Gary's face was filled with confusion.
Could he have guessed wrong?
Uncertain, he turned towards his grandfather, only to find Professor Oak equally perplexed. To Gary's questioning gaze, Oak merely gave a helpless shrug.
...
Early the next morning.
Elias rose unusually early—not from discomfort, but rather the opposite.
Ever since Gardevoir had magically produced one of Team Rocket's specially-made mattresses a few days earlier, his sleep quality had dramatically improved.
Thanks to the Masked Corp's robust logistics, Gardevoir meticulously organized even minor details for their travels.
But today, they had plans to meet Lance early at the stadium for preparations, hence his early rising.
"Morning, Cynthia."
Exiting his room, Elias greeted Cynthia, who'd also just woken up, with a wave of his hand.
"Good morning…" she murmured sleepily, rubbing her eyes. Just awakened, she showed none of her usual sharp, capable demeanor.
After breakfast in the cafeteria arranged by the League, Elias and his companions arrived backstage for the opening ceremony.
"Lance."
As they entered, Lance's distinctive red hair caught their attention immediately. He appeared to have been there for some time already, busily instructing the staff.
"Elias!" Seeing Elias arrive, Lance quickly set aside what he was doing, warmly approaching him.
"Coming this early… Is there something you need?"
Elias looked around curiously. Normally, he just had to show up later and battle. Had Lance called him early just to help with stage preparations?
A slight awkwardness flickered across Lance's face.
"Nothing big… It's just…which Pokémon do you plan to use in our match?"
Since the opening exhibition focused on spectacle, each trainer was required to use only one Pokémon. Even so, Lance felt uneasy.
If Elias chose Gardevoir or Zoroark, he might as well just surrender now.
Even the thought of Elias's other Pokémon made him restless, tossing and turning in bed the night before.
Considering his upcoming promotion to Champion status hinged partly on this event, being cautious seemed reasonable.
The moment Lance spoke, Elias understood his concern.
After pondering for a moment, he pulled a Pokéball from his belt, casually asking:
"How about Mewtwo?"
"She's still just a baby, freshly hatched with no battle experience."
Lance: "…"
Over the past couple of days, Elias had already introduced Mewtwo to him. Lance held a sympathetic view of this Pokémon, born under harsh laboratory conditions. Thankfully, she'd found Elias—a trainer who pampered his Pokémon as lovingly as one would their own family—truly a fortunate turn of fate.
However…
He was painfully aware of Mewtwo's capabilities.
Even with a full team of six Dragonites, he still wouldn't stand a chance against her.
"No, no, no—absolutely not her!" Lance hastily waved his hands, adamantly refusing Elias's mischievous suggestion.
Seeing Lance's anxious reaction, Elias chuckled lightly, deciding not to tease him further. He released the Pokémon he'd genuinely prepared.
Pop—!
With a flash of white light, Lucario's proud and dignified figure appeared before Lance.
"With Dragonite's strength, fighting Lucario shouldn't be too stressful," Elias reassured him, gesturing toward Lucario.
Relieved upon seeing Lucario, Lance finally felt a surge of anticipation for their battle.
Elias's other Pokémon had utterly drained his desire to fight, but Lucario was evenly matched with Dragonite.
In such circumstances, victory would depend on each trainer's strategic command.
"Elias, you don't need to hold back later," Lance said firmly after thinking it through. "Go all-out."
Throwing the fight would be obvious to everyone. Moreover, even if he lost, as long as their battle was thrilling enough, his reputation would still grow.
Besides…
He eagerly anticipated testing his tactical skills against Elias.
Hearing Lance's words, Elias nodded quietly.
Soon enough, the opening ceremony was about to begin.