"Shen Dai—he is the supreme authority of the Battle Frontier in the Kanto region!
They call him the Pharaoh, the ultimate Frontier Brain! His strength is fully on par with the Elite Four, even with regional Champions!"
A trainer who claimed insider knowledge deliberately lowered his voice, yet the uncontrollable fervor within it still leaked out.
The surrounding crowd immediately erupted into a wave of shocked gasps.
"Woooah—!"
They might not fully understand what the Battle Frontier or a Frontier Brain truly meant, but the phrase 'equal to a Champion' struck their minds like thunder.
Absolute power.
So such a terrifying figure truly existed in this world!
Under the spotlight, they looked again at the screen—
at the youthful, still-boyish face of the少年 named Ash—
Then they turned to Shen Dai, standing there cloaked in countless legends and honors.
Damn it… was there really any need for a second opinion on the outcome of this battle?
This was a massacre waiting to happen. The ending was already written.
And yet—
That faint, irrational hope, focused entirely on the electric mouse beside Ash—Pikachu—still lingered in the hearts of a very small few.
Perhaps… just perhaps… there was a sliver of a chance.
Then they heard the "insider" continue, revealing a truth that completely shattered their understanding.
"I once had the honor of battling Mr. Shen Dai. The result? Don't ask. It was… miserable."
"You might not believe this, but Shen Dai isn't just a Trainer. His obsession and talent for exploring ancient ruins borders on madness."
"And in one long-buried relic site, he actually managed to capture—"
The man sucked in a sharp breath, his voice trembling.
"—an incomparably powerful Legendary Pokémon."
In an instant, the entire crowd collectively inhaled.
The air itself seemed to freeze.
Captured… a… Legendary Pokémon?!
Shen Dai—
At this moment, he was nothing short of a god walking among humans.
When this horrifying background was fully revealed, every Trainer's gaze toward Shen Dai became filled with fanatical admiration and instinctive reverence.
To subjugate a Legendary Pokémon…
Faced with such an opponent, did a rookie like Ash even have a one-in-ten-thousand chance of victory?
Their hearts turned ice-cold.
They shook their heads silently.
This wasn't a lack of faith in the passionate少年.
It was simply that the gap between them was too vast—like heaven and earth.
Just then—
That cold, emotionless synthetic voice echoed across the world once more.
[Limited-Time Betting Event Activated!]
[Challenge the Battle Pyramid!]
[First Match: Regice vs. Pikachu!]
[Countdown: 10 minutes. Failure to place a bet will be treated as forfeiture.]
At the same time, a line of bold text was pinned to the top of every chat interface, ensuring no one could miss it.
Whether they were ordinary civilians or Champions standing at the pinnacle of the world—
Everyone's emotions were instantly ignited by this sudden gambling system.
Wait—what?
A limited-time bet?
A prediction event?
This light screen even offered something this… thrilling?!
Pikachu versus Regice?
What even was Regice?!
Many low-ranking Trainers hadn't even processed the name yet—
But someone else had already turned deathly pale.
Steven Stone — Hoenn Champion
Steven's expression twisted in shock.
[Steven Channel]:
"Regice?! You mean the Iceberg Giant that slumbered since the Ice Age—that Regice?!
That's a true Legendary Pokémon! One of the Titan Pokémon!"
[Steven Channel]:
"Legend says Regice was sealed within glaciers for thousands of years!
Its body is forged from Ice Age permafrost—fire cannot melt it!
It can freely manipulate cold approaching minus 200 degrees!"
As a hardcore archaeological fanatic who once abandoned his Champion title just to study Rock-type Pokémon, Steven possessed profound knowledge of Regirock.
And through deep research, he also uncovered the other members of the Titan Pokémon series:
—The Rock Titan, Regirock
—The Iron Titan, Registeel
—And now—
The Ice Sovereign—Regice!
He clearly remembered that Shen Dai had already brought Regirock and Registeel under his command.
And now—
Even the most elusive of them all… Regice… had joined his arsenal?!
Even someone as battle-hardened as Steven couldn't help but offer silent praise.
Such a feat was beyond ordinary humanity.
The title "Kanto's Strongest Frontier Brain" was no exaggeration—it was forged through ironclad strength.
As the rest of the world absorbed Steven's explanation, their expressions shifted from disbelief…
To pure, visceral terror.
A Legendary Pokémon.
One of the Titan Giants.
Just hearing the name was enough to imagine a being capable of reshaping entire ecosystems.
Meanwhile, the Champion chat channel was unusually lively.
[Ash Channel]:
"Gambling addict? No no no—this is called confident investment."
[Ash Channel]:
"Gambling addict? No—this is unwavering trust in my partner's strength!"
[Cynthia Channel]:
"Regice… If the opponent is Shen Dai, even I wouldn't be confident of retreating unscathed.
I really hope I'll have the chance to battle him properly someday."
[Shen Dai Channel]:
"Haha, you flatter me too much, Champion Cynthia.
At present, I only possess Regirock and Registeel. I have yet to locate Regice."
"But if fate allows it—
I would greatly look forward to an all-out battle with you."
[Lance Channel]:
"Hey! Don't forget me! Shen Dai!
I'm looking forward to clashing head-on with you too!"
The Champions chatted casually—
But the ordinary Trainers were trapped in agonizing deliberation.
Who should they bet on?
From logic.
From type matchups.
From displayed power.
The answer was obvious.
Regice — guaranteed victory.
Because it was a Legendary Pokémon.
A genuine god-tier existence.
And its opponent?
A completely ordinary Pikachu.
A Pokémon found everywhere in the wild. At best, above average—its only distinction being slightly better control over electricity than most.
Electric-type versus Ice-type—
No advantage whatsoever.
Everyone wondered if Ash's brain had been fried by electricity.
Why insist on Pikachu against Regice?
Swap in a Fire- or Fighting-type Pokémon, and maybe—just maybe—they could cling to a shred of hope!
"Sure, Pikachu's lightning wiped out a swarm of Spearow before—but Regice and Spearow aren't even on the same plane of existence!"
"Yeah! Asking me to believe Pikachu can defeat Regice?
I'd rather believe the world ends tomorrow with Legendary Pokémon ruling humanity!"
"But… the light screen titled this ranking like this… could there be even a tiny chance Pikachu pulls off a miracle?"
"Impossible! At best, Pikachu loses gloriously!
The title says 'comparable to' or 'rivaling' Legendaries—it never said defeating them!"
"Sounds right! I'm betting on Shen Dai! Lock it in!"
Such analysis echoed across gathering halls, bars, and secret organization bases alike.
They weren't wrong.
The ranking highlighted Pokémon capable of rivaling Legendary beings.
Even if Pikachu lost valiantly, forcing Regice to reveal a hidden trump card, it would still fit the theme.
But to believe—
That a common Pikachu could perform true god-slaying?
Heh.
Heh heh.
Go wash up and sleep.
Dreams are free.
Yet, in perfect unspoken agreement, no one placed their bets immediately.
After all, they had ten whole minutes.
Plenty of time to study this betting system.
The rules were absurdly simple.
Every individual capable of seeing the light screen automatically received 200 Initial Betting Points.
Points could be wagered freely.
Winning points were the sole currency for redeeming rare items.
And when they opened the Item Exchange Interface—
Whether they were penniless Trainers, mighty Champions, or shadowy crime lords—
Not a single person was spared.
Their hearts pounded.
Their breathing quickened.
Their pupils shrank.
What… were they seeing?!
Heart-pounding.
Mind-breaking.
An irresistible, insane temptation.
~~--------------------------
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