Chapter 204:
Hayashi Kaede slept very late that night.
Perhaps it was because Jirachi's waking hours were limited, so he let Jirachi and Alolan Vulpix watch anime until very late. At the same time, he discreetly wiped away the small "pearls" welling up in Serperior's eyes.
But he wasn't the only one who stayed up late.
At that moment, in the Nagisuna City Pokémon League Center, staff were busy processing the Junior Cup battle videos.
As the provincial capital of Shoshu Province, the League Center in Nagisuna City was naturally the largest in the province. And now, the building was brightly lit.
Thirty-six courts, over a hundred referees—each watching different battles. Their task: to select the top 128 from thousands of participants.
Amidst exclamations of surprise, around 10 p.m., all referees finally completed their work, and their gazes collectively fell on the image of a young man.
"A Goodra… moreover it is a Elite Four-level Goodra."
"Gym Leader level Blaziken, and less than five months old too…"
"What does everyone think?"
One of the three head referees looked at the others. The two exchanged glances, then turned to the rest of the group.
Logically speaking, in the Junior Cup, the strongest Pokémon should only be at peak Gym Leader level. Gym Leader-level Pokémon were already rare. But this Junior Cup not only had a Gym Leader-level Pokémon, it even had an Elite Four-level Pokémon.
This truly broadened the horizons of these experienced referees.
The referees discussed back and forth, but eventually reached the same conclusion—they didn't know what to do.
So, they passed the problem further up the chain.
It moved up, step by step, until it reached the ears of an Elite Four member stationed in Shoushu Province.
---
Nagisuna City, though not as developed as a Metropolis, was still a standard Tier-1 city within the League.
And in such a city, proper bars were indispensable.
Nightscape Bar.
This was a quiet bar whose main attraction was Oricorio dances.
At that moment, the bar's atmosphere was fiery. A group of Fire/Flying-type Oricorio danced in the center of the stage, stepping with flamboyant footwork, scattering fierce flames.
Accompanied by bursts of intense DJ music, the seated audience cheered wildly.
However, after the dance ended, the bar closed promptly at 11:30 p.m. A young man, about 25 or 26 years old, with fire-red hair and black sunglasses, walked out. He held a piece of fruit skewered on a toothpick.
His face carried a rebellious, untamed look, and he walked with a swagger. It was unclear if he was drunk or if this was simply his natural demeanor.
A moment later, he picked up his phone, looking puzzled.
"League message… Strange, why send a message at this hour?"
"'Nagisuna City's Junior Cup has a Trainer with a Gym leader-level Speed Boost Blaziken at five months old, and a ten-month-old Elite Four-level Goodra'…?"
His expression shifted from confusion to disbelief, his mouth falling slightly open.
"A five-month-old Gym Leader-level Speed Boost Blaziken? Holy crap—that's even stronger than my Blaziken? No way, I've got to see this…"
His stumbling gait halted immediately. Muttering loudly, he left.
But soon, his identity was recognized.
A child spotted the red-haired young man, blinked in surprise, then walked up curiously.
"Mister, are you the Fire-type Elite Four…"
---
October 24th.
Hayashi Kaede woke up early as usual, greeting his Pokémon and preparing Energy Cubes.
Then, he brought a group of Pokémon to the town's exit—where he had agreed to meet Takagi Megumi last night.
"Good morning, Jirachi~"
"Jirachi?"
Jirachi, flying beside Hayashi Kaede, tilted its head in confusion.
"Huh?" Takagi Megumi blinked, then recalled Hayashi Kaede's reminder: Jirachi's last memory was from a thousand years ago. Naturally, it wouldn't know the meaning of "good morning."
Climbing onto Dragonite's back, she carefully explained the phrase to Jirachi.
Afterward, she smiled brightly at Hayashi Kaede. "Hayashi Kaede, my parents are also going to Nagisuna City! They said they're going to watch my match!"
Hearing this, Hayashi Kaede smiled. "Then you'll have to perform well."
Her parents were ordinary working-class people, but once their daughter decided to become a professional Trainer, they gave her full support.
"Mhm!" The girl pursed her lips. The crisp chill of late autumn made her cheeks glow red as she nodded firmly.
As a child, what she wanted most was her parents' recognition on the path she had chosen.
Hayashi Kaede didn't say more. He leapt onto Salamence's back.
Unlike yesterday, today's group to Nagisuna City lacked Mewtwo but included Serperior.
Mewtwo wasn't comfortable in large crowds. Instead, it had asked Hayashi Kaede for a few Luxury Balls, presumably for research, and left early that morning.
Serperior, however, had quietly expressed its desire to come along the night before.
Once Jirachi floated into the air, Dragonite and Salamence flapped their wings and soared skyward.
Having already been to Nagisuna City once, the second trip was familiar.
In less than half an hour, the two stood at the arena entrance.
It was now 7 a.m.
The main tournament qualifiers had been announced last night at 10 p.m., delivered directly to Trainers via League text message. Given Hayashi Kaede and Takagi Megumi's performances yesterday, advancing past preliminaries was no surprise.
On the other hand, the match order was only revealed that morning.
The rules were simple: numbers 1 to 128 were divided into 64 matchups. Contestants 1 and 2 faced each other, with the winner advanced while the loser will be eliminated. Then contestant 3 and 4 will compete, and so on.
The numbers were randomized. Hayashi Kaede drew number 66, while Takagi Megumi drew 24.
The two entered the arena, checked in, and went to the contestants' area near the fields.
Unlike yesterday, today all the participants already recognized Hayashi Kaede.
The moment he and Takagi Megumi arrived, the contestants around them erupted into intense discussion.