After talking with Gibson, a senior Trainer, about his own experiences and the lessons he had learned along the way, Ash and the others all benefited greatly.
Although Gibson couldn't offer them many particularly valuable suggestions regarding Pokémon training and cultivation, his experiences—and especially the regret and emotion he felt when recalling the dreams of his youth—made Ash and the others cherish their own talents and precious teenage years even more.
After all, these were things they normally took for granted without realizing their value. Yet they were priceless treasures that countless people desperately longed for but could never obtain, no matter how hard they tried throughout their entire lives.
Those things were far more precious and important than they had imagined, and therefore worthy of being treasured.
Now that they understood this, Ash and the others would naturally cherish them even more.
"By the way, Ash, there's something I almost forgot to tell you."
"Tomorrow, Elite Four member Wikstrom will be giving a speech at the Lumiose City Stadium. Near the end of the speech, he'll also have exhibition battles with some Trainers."
"But there are only three slots. Since I'm the Gym Leader of the Lumiose Gym, I've already taken one of those three slots."
"The remaining two slots will be selected from the Trainers attending tomorrow's event. However, those Trainers have to submit their information and register before noon today, after which Wikstrom himself will select the two challengers."
"Ash, you're exceptionally strong, and you're a household-name celebrity Trainer in the Kanto Region. And because Kanto and Kalos previously held the joint 'Kanto–Kalos Cross-Regional Cultural Exchange' Pokémon Summer Camp, you've also become somewhat famous here in Kalos."
"So as long as you submit your information and register, I'm sure you'll definitely be selected."
Clemont offered the suggestion enthusiastically.
"Oh, you mean that? Actually, when I took Pikachu and the others to the park for their morning training today, I happened to meet another Trainer who was also training his Pokémon there. He already told me about it."
"On my way back to the hotel after finishing my morning training, I submitted my registration through the event page. As for whether I'll actually be selected, though, I can't say that I'm completely confident."
Ash smiled as he explained.
After all, so many Trainers had registered, and there was no guarantee that Wikstrom even knew who he was.
However, Ash was actually underestimating his own fame.
…..
At this moment, on the highway from Santalune City to Lumiose City, inside a luxurious black business sedan, a man dressed in a black suit who looked like an assistant handed a tablet computer to the much more muscular man sitting beside him.
"Elite Four member Wikstrom, this is the complete list of Trainers who registered for the final exhibition battles at the Lumiose City stop of your tour. Based on the Pokémon information submitted by the applicants, I've already eliminated everyone whose strength is below the Elite level."
"There are still more than a dozen Trainers remaining. Please take a look and decide which three you'd like to battle."
The assistant spoke respectfully.
"Hmm."
The muscular, brown-haired man known as Wikstrom nodded. He took the tablet and began carefully reviewing the applications.
"Lumiose City is a major metropolis in the Kalos Region, with a population of more than ten million. Naturally, there are far more Pokémon Trainers here than in most other cities."
"However, the tour schedule is limited, and there's also the Knight's Spirit Grand Trial in the afternoon. Therefore, just as we've done in the other cities, we'll only open three battle slots after the morning lecture."
Wikstrom spoke while browsing through the applications on the tablet.
"Lumiose City has a Gym. According to your usual practice at the other stops on the tour, one of the three battles will be against the local Gym Leader. That leaves only two slots for you to select from the other applicants."
The assistant added this explanation.
As Wikstrom's assistant, he understood his employer's personality and battling style very well.
"That's right."
Wikstrom nodded.
"Of the three battles, one will be against Clemont, the talented Electric-type Trainer and Gym Leader of the Lumiose Gym."
"As for the remaining two…"
He continued scrolling through the applications.
"This Trainer named XX has an Elite-level Chesnaught that has reached the peak of the Elite class. Among all the applicants, his strength is quite outstanding. Give him one of the slots."
"Then the final slot can go to this—"
"Hmm?! Wait."
Wikstrom suddenly stopped.
"Ash from Pallet Town?"
"If I remember correctly, Pallet Town is the hometown of Professor Oak, the grandmaster-level figure of the academic world."
"And as for Ash… I happen to remember a genius Trainer named Ash. At first, I thought this was simply someone with the same name."
"But it turns out it's actually him."
"The Pokémon submitted for the application is a Pidgeot at the peak of the Gym level."
"Peak Gym-level Pidgeot… Ash… Pallet Town, Kanto…"
As he looked at the list of Trainers displayed on the tablet, a brilliant smile suddenly spread across Wikstrom's face.
As one of the Kalos League's Elite Four, he naturally paid a certain amount of attention to talented young Trainers emerging from other regions.
After all, the various regional Pokémon Leagues weren't merely partners cooperating with one another. There was also healthy competition between them, and naturally, that competition included the rivalry over talented Trainers.
If it were merely an ordinary city-level prodigy, Wikstrom probably wouldn't pay much attention.
But Ash was different.
He had been hailed as the "Light of Kanto" and the "Future Champion of the Indigo League"—a genius Trainer whose name was known throughout the entire Kanto Region.
And recently, the Kalos and Kanto Leagues had been vigorously expanding their economic and cultural cooperation.
As a super-genius from Kanto, Ash wasn't merely known to Wikstrom.
Practically everyone within the Kalos League system knew his name.
"An exhibition battle, huh?"
"A Pidgeot at the peak of the Gym level?"
"As expected of the Kanto League's number-one seeded talent."
"And he's only six years old."
"By the time he officially begins his journey at ten, won't he already have reached my level?"
"Good grief… Talented youngsters these days really are unreasonable."
Looking at the registration information Ash had submitted on the tablet, Wikstrom couldn't help sighing in amazement.
"I remember that the Sycamore Research Institute and Professor Oak's Laboratory once jointly held a Pokémon Summer Camp."
"During that camp, Ash met a girl from our Kalos Region, specifically from Vaniville Town. The two eventually became a couple."
"I imagine Ash probably came to Kalos this time to visit his little girlfriend."
The assistant in the black suit couldn't help adding.
"Hmm…_"
Wikstrom nodded.
A knowing, almost auntie-like smile appeared on his face.
It seemed that this legendary young Trainer from Kanto had another reason for coming all the way to Kalos besides simply participating in the exhibition battle.
And now that Ash had appeared on his list, Wikstrom was suddenly looking forward to tomorrow's encounter even more.