Silver Town — Outside the Silver Conference Venue
A boy wearing a blue sleeveless jacket and a red-and-white cap walked slowly toward the entrance.
On his shoulder perched a small, adorable yellow mouse.
Beside him were a dark-skinned young man and a girl dressed in a striking, fiery outfit.
The girl's long orange hair shone under the sunlight, and she wore a yellow sleeveless crop top that revealed her slender, wasp-like waist.
Her shorts were cut daringly high—almost to her thighs—
showing off a pair of flawless, snow-white, beautifully shaped legs.
At the moment, she held a Pokémon shaped like an eggshell in one arm,
while her other fair hand kept fanning the air beside her flushed face as she panted softly.
"Hey, Ash, the opening ceremony isn't until tomorrow, right? Why are you in such a rush to come now? It's scorching hot out here!"
"You don't get it, Misty! This is what it feels like before a match—pure excitement! Look, there are plenty of other trainers here checking out the venue ahead of time too!"
Misty glanced around and found that Ash was indeed right—
even though the Silver Conference wouldn't officially start until tomorrow, quite a few trainers were already here for a look around.
"Well, that's fair enough. After all, Ash worked hard to earn his eight Gym Badges and make it into the preliminaries,"
said Brock, the dark-skinned young man, explaining on Ash's behalf.
Misty kept fanning herself weakly.
"Alright, alright, let's take a quick look and then head back to the Pokémon Center for some air conditioning. I'm melting here!"
"Pika pika!"
"Togepi~!"
Pikachu nodded in agreement. This heat was unbearable—
only Ash could stay so cheerful in this weather.
"Come on, Pikachu, not you too! You're going to be battling tomorrow! We need to study the terrain and plan our strategy!"
"Pika? Pika pi~?"
Pikachu tilted his head, a puzzled look on his face, nearly laughing himself off Ash's shoulder.
You? Making strategies? Please. You just charge in headfirst!
"Pii—ka—CHUUU!!"
Seeing Pikachu openly mocking him, Ash roared in outrage.
Pikachu stuck out his tongue, pulled a funny face, and bolted toward the arena.
Ash sprinted after him.
Misty sighed helplessly and took off after the boy and his mouse.
Brock adjusted his backpack, sighing sentimentally.
"Ah, youth… a girl always chasing after the boy she likes. If only I knew where the girl destined for me was!"
Suddenly, a deep hum shook the sky.
"Bzzzz—"
A deafening boom echoed overhead.
The Silver Conference, Silver Town—no, the entire world seemed to tremble at that very moment!
Ash and Pikachu skidded to a halt mid-run.
"Wh–what's going on?"
Ash looked up at the blue sky, dazed.
Then—two enormous curtains of light unfolded across the heavens!
Each was vast beyond imagination, their centers transparent,
but one was rimmed in white light, the other in black.
And they didn't just appear over Silver Town—
they manifested anywhere there were people!
Even the Legendary Pokémon saw these mysterious curtains appear before them..
Deep beneath the ocean, Lugia spotted the light and instinctively tried to attack—
but to its shock, the power it used to command the seas and the winds was gone!
No—not gone. Sealed.
Locked within its own body, completely inaccessible.
What is happening…?
High above, in the ozone layer, Rayquaza felt the same.
Anything that entered its domain—living or dead—would usually be blasted without mercy.
But when it tried to strike at the light curtain, it found itself unable to summon its power.
Deep in the earth's magma chambers, Groudon stirred awake in a volcano's core—while in the ocean's abyss, Kyogre awakened in fury—
only to discover they too were bound, unable to act.
Similar scenes unfolded across the world.
Then, glowing text appeared upon the light curtain,
and a mechanical voice echoed in every mind.
"Pokémon World Comparison Livestream has descended upon this realm."
"The screens will broadcast the legendary journey of a young boy across two worlds."
"The white world represents this universe. The black world represents another."
"Comparison livestream loading complete. Selecting trainers eligible to send messages."
"Note: Only elite trainers or those chosen by the world's destiny may speak."
As the final words faded, dazzling beams of light shot from the sky.
Ash and his friends could only stare as one of those streaks of light came hurtling straight toward them!
They instinctively shut their eyes—but instead of pain,
a warm sensation spread through their bodies.
A message appeared in their minds.
They had been chosen—
recognized as qualified to speak in the livestream.
All they had to do was think of words in their minds, then "send."
Meanwhile, a small projection appeared before every person in the world—
a miniature screen displaying the scrolling live chat.
[Ash: What's this thing? A live chat?]
[Gary: Yo, Ash, you here too?]
[Professor Oak: Ash? Gary? You two were also selected to send messages?]
[Ash: That's right, Professor Oak! Gary, I knew you'd be picked too! As my rival, it only makes sense!]
[Gary: You sure you're not putting yourself a bit too high on that pedestal?]
[Leon: Uh… sorry to interrupt, but while you two are chatting like old friends—does anyone actually know what's going on?]
[Gary: No idea.]
[Ash: Nope.]
Leon: "???"
Leon's inner thought: You two don't know a thing, yet you're chatting away like pros? Seriously?