"Contestant Yukie has lost all her Pokémon! Therefore, the winner of this battle is—Yozora!"
"Congratulations to Yozora for advancing into the Top Four!" The host announced with excitement.
Rumble—! The entire stadium erupted into a frenzy.
"Handsome!"
"Mega Charizard is way too cool! So domineering!"
"The Infernal Black Dragon is invincible!"
Countless fans leapt to their feet, cheering wildly.
At that very moment, Yozora's popularity surged to its peak.
He hadn't just defeated Yukie—what was truly terrifying was that he had only used five Pokémon, still holding back power in reserve!
"I finally understand… In this Indigo Plateau Conference, the strongest isn't the veterans. It's Yozora and Red—those two monsters…" Outside the arena, Ryūnan shivered inwardly.
He couldn't figure it out. They were all rookies.
He himself was a genius scion of the Blackthorn Clan, nurtured by his family's resources, yet even with such advantages, the gap between him and those two was massive.
"Yukie's strength far surpasses mine. Yet she couldn't even force out Yozora's sixth Pokémon… And Red… his power is even deeper and more unfathomable…" At this moment, Ryūnan could hardly contain his anticipation for the inevitable clash between Yozora and Red.
He wanted to witness it—the true strength of these two.
Red and Yozora were the first to secure their places in the semifinals.
Before long, with the passage of time, the other two semifinalists emerged as well.
Then came the semifinal matchups. Perhaps it was destiny—Yozora and Red were set to face each other earlier than expected.
Confronted with this bracket, both Yozora and Red froze for a moment. They had thought they would only meet in the finals… yet fate had drawn them together sooner.
"Yozora, tomorrow, fight me with everything you've got. I want to see your true strength." Red broke the awkward silence with a smile.
"Yeah… I want to see your full power too." Yozora nodded. The two bumped fists, then each began to prepare for the coming day.
That evening—
Yozora arrived at the League Hall to officially register his team. This time, he would hold nothing back. He even included Buzzwole in his lineup.
His six chosen Pokémon: Beedrill, Buzzwole, Charizard, Golduck, Aegislash, and Gengar.
Once registered, the roster could no longer be altered. The only choice left was the order of appearance.
"Alright, everyone! The long-awaited duel between the super rookies is about to begin!"
"In this semifinal match, Yozora will battle Red! The winner will advance to the grand final! And let me remind you all—these two young trainers hail from the same hometown, Pallet Town! What a magical little place it must be!"
The next day arrived in a flash.
Even before the match began, the stands were already packed to capacity.
Scanning the crowd, Yozora spotted many familiar faces—Professor Oak, Ash and his friends, Master Tyron and his disciple Ahao, and even that chubby boy Jun holding his Dratini.
Soon, the host's grand introduction boomed across the stadium.
As the words ended, dozens of cameras immediately focused on Professor Oak, causing his face to flush with pride.
"It's finally happening." In the audience, Ryūnan rubbed his hands together, excitement lighting up his features.
With his current strength, he couldn't possibly probe the true limits of either Yozora or Red.
Now that they would collide head-on, it was destined to be a battle of ferocious intensity.
Ryūnan's heart pounded with excitement. He would finally witness their full power—and know for certain the gap between himself and those two.
"It's starting… Yozora, Red…" Not far from Ryūnan, Ash clenched his fists with anticipation. Beside him, Pikachu's cheeks sparked faintly—it too was eager to see this fight.
The match began.
At the referee's signal, Yozora and Red simultaneously sent out their first Pokémon.
Yozora's lead: Gengar.Red's lead: Pikachu.
[Gengar] (Ghost/Poison): Lord-tier peak, Champion potential.
[Partner Pikachu] (Electric): Lord-tier peak, Elite Four potential.
Their levels were perfectly matched.
Red's Pikachu's eyes gleamed with fiery determination, its body poised to strike the moment the battle began.
In contrast, Yozora's Gengar wore a lazy expression, its trademark sinister grin stretching wide as it leered at Pikachu.
"Battle—begin!" the referee declared.
"Strike first, Partner! Thunderbolt!"
Red commanded sharply. Sparks burst from Pikachu's cheeks—two massive bolts arced outward, flanking left and right, converging toward Gengar in a deadly pincer attack.
"Gengar, jump and dodge!" Yozora reacted instantly, his voice crisp and sure.
Obeying, Gengar leapt high into the air, evading the Thunderbolt. Red and Pikachu's opening strike missed its mark.
The stadium erupted in cheers.
"What an unusual attack method! Pikachu, you should learn that!" In the stands, Ash's eyes lit up. The Pikachu in his arms nodded firmly, impressed by its counterpart's power.
"Now—Iron Tail!" Red pressed on, clenching his fist.
"Sh-sh-shoo!"
To everyone's astonishment, Pikachu suddenly split into a dozen shimmering clones with Double Team, each one charging forward.
"Pika! Pika! Pika—!"
In unison, the clones leapt, their tails gleaming steel-white as they all struck down toward Gengar.
This was true synchronicity.
Sometimes, a Pokémon and Trainer's bond ran so deep that words weren't necessary. With just a thought, the Pokémon already knew the command.
All the Pikachu copies struck with Iron Tail—but everyone knew only one was real.
Yet for Yozora and Gengar, it didn't matter.
Before the attack landed, Gengar melted into the ground like a phantom, vanishing completely.
Boom!
The copies slammed down, each vanishing like mist upon impact. Only the final Pikachu was real—its Iron Tail cracked the ground, sending dust billowing.
But Gengar was nowhere to be seen.
"Jiejie—!"
A chilling laugh echoed. Gengar suddenly emerged behind Pikachu, its long tongue lashing out in a relentless lick.
Pikachu staggered, dazed and dizzy, its balance faltering.
"Nice work, Gengar! Now—Shadow Ball!"
At Yozora's command, Gengar formed a swirling sphere of darkness and hurled it point-blank.
Boom!
The Shadow Ball exploded against Pikachu, blasting it through the air.
Moments later, Pikachu lay sprawled on the ground, eyes spinning, unable to continue the fight.
(End of Chapter)