The next morning, Professor Oak and Delia arrived together and reached the Indigo League Conference competitors' village without trouble.
To celebrate Ash reaching the Indigo League Conference top sixteen, Delia said she would personally cook a feast for everyone. Caster was invited too.
Just as everyone wondered how Delia would cook for the group in the competitors' village, Delia simply took over the hotel kitchen and chased the hotel chefs outside.
But to be fair, Delia's cooking really was excellent, and the food tasted wonderful.
Watching Delia glowing with motherly love, Caster could not help thinking of Lorelei.
Lorelei was a young woman in her twenties, but she looked so mature, like a fully ripened peach. When she was not battling, she seemed to glow too.
"Normally, once a regional conference reaches the semifinals, the Elite Four come to watch. For the finals, the Champion will likely show up too."
Thinking of that, hope lit Caster's eyes. "If I can make the semifinals, Lorelei should come, right?"
Talk of Lorelei reminded Caster of the regional exchange to come, and of the Mudkip in Professor Oak's yard, so he asked at once, "Professor Oak, how is Mudkip doing?"
"Oh, you mean that little guy."
Professor Oak rubbed his chin and recalled, "Everything else is fine. It just looks toward the gate now and then. It probably misses you."
"That little guy."
Caster sighed, touched but also helpless.
To earn Mudkip, he could not stay with it now. He could only let it bear loneliness and longing for a while.
It could not be helped.
All Caster could do now was fight his way onto the podium, become Kanto's young Trainer representative this year, and finally earn Mudkip.
Otherwise, they would miss each other, and that would hurt Mudkip even more.
Thinking of that, Caster clenched his fists.
"I am full."
After eating, Caster got ready to slip away first.
He wanted to go back and watch the other top sixteen Trainers' battle videos and gather information on them, to know himself and his opponents so he could win every battle.
Gary had much the same idea. Only Ash seemed under no pressure at all and went out for a stroll instead.
Just outside the restaurant, a white van drove past them with a big speaker on its roof.
"Attention. Attention."
"To all competing Trainers, the tournament committee has a very important announcement. Please bring all the Pokemon on hand and gather at the drawing venue at once."
The van rolled slowly along, playing the recording on loop, but it never said what this was about, leaving everyone confused.
Still, out of trust in the committee, many competing Trainers obediently brought their Poke Balls and headed for the drawing venue.
"What happened?"
Misty held Togepi in her arms, doubt on her face.
Only Caster's eyes flashed. He thought, "I remember that during the Indigo League Conference, the Team Rocket trio pulled a trick and lured away the competitors' Pokemon. In the end, thanks to Ash and Ritchie, everyone got their Pokemon back."
With that, Caster was almost sure who was in the van. It had to be the Team Rocket trio.
"Since it is a committee request, let us cooperate. Caster, Gary, let us go together."
Ash was simple minded and sensed nothing wrong at all.
Only Gary instinctively felt something was off. He looked at Caster, but Caster only smiled. "Then let us go take a look."
Soon the three reached the drawing venue.
Jessie and James had disguised themselves, but Jessie's long red hair and James's short blue hair stood out too much. Caster recognized them at a glance.
Only Ash still noticed nothing, completely oblivious.
Watching this, Caster could not help grumbling inwardly, "Ash, pay attention for once."
In the end everyone got their Poke Balls back, but the process had been messy, and Caster found that annoying.
So Caster stepped straight forward and kicked James flying just as James was about to collect everyone's Poke Balls.
"???"
Ash and Gary stared blankly at the scene.
"Hey, brat. What are you doing?"
James landed flat on his face and raged, "You dare hit a committee member? I am telling you, your right to compete is gone."
With his arms crossed, Caster calmly pointed at James's face and said with a grin, "Hey, your fake mustache fell off."
"Huh???"
The mustache was the core of James's disguise, and being exposed left him flustered.
Gary had already felt something was wrong and demanded sternly, "Who exactly are you?"
Those words seemed to flip the Team Rocket duo's switch.
Caster could tell they wanted to hold back, because they had not yet tricked anyone out of their Pokemon.
But they simply could not stop themselves.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
After a string of awkward poses, Jessie and James tore off their suits, revealing the uniforms underneath, and told everyone their true identities.
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right!"
Just then, Meowth climbed out of the van.
Among the Team Rocket trio, Meowth was the soul of the group.
"Finished with your speech? Then I'll send you packing."
Caster glanced at the Team Rocket trio, his face blank. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt."
"Pika, chu."
On Caster's shoulder, Pikachu leapt up. Terrifying current burst from its body into a huge thunderbolt that shot out, swallowing the Team Rocket trio and the van behind them.
After years of chasing Pikachu, Team Rocket had built up plenty of electric resistance.
But the van had not. Under Pikachu's shock it quickly exploded, blasting the Team Rocket trio into the sky.
"Ohhh, what a hateful feeling."
Their wails came from the distant sky.
Honestly, it sounded kind of familiar.
Watching Caster see through Team Rocket's plot at a glance and drive them off with a wave of his hand, Ash's eyes filled with stars. He said in admiration, "Caster, you are amazing."
Ash was not the only one. The other competitors thanked Caster too.
If Caster had not seen through Team Rocket's trick, they might have fallen for it.
It was no exaggeration to say Caster had saved their Pokemon.
Quite a few Trainers came up to talk to Caster and thank him in person.
That included Ritchie. He looked at Caster sincerely. "Caster, thank you so much. If not for your sharp eyes, Team Rocket would have tricked us out of our Pokemon."
As he spoke, he turned to the Pikachu on Caster's shoulder and pinched its cheeks a few times.
"Pika."
Ritchie clearly had a gift with Pokemon.
Caster's Pikachu did not resist at all. It even looked like it was enjoying it.
That reminded Caster of first meeting Ash, when he stole Pikachu's affection right in front of Ash.
But now, Ritchie was pulling the same move.
That annoyed Caster. This kid was asking for trouble.
The Team Rocket incident ended, and the committee staff arrived late to clean up. They led the top sixteen Trainers to the hall to draw the matchup list.
Perhaps to show there was no fixing and every pairing was random, the Indigo League Conference picked opponents by fishing.
Every fish in the pond had a number. Trainers who caught neighboring numbers became opponents, and the catches set the bracket to the finals.
"This method favors a fisherman like me."
Caster smiled and joined the line to fish.
When his turn came, he gave a light cast, and a fish bit right away.
"Caster, your number is A-1."
The staff member announced his number loudly, while the screen showed the opponent waiting in the fifth round, a boy in a yellow and blue cap.
It was Ritchie.