Intense Battle

Yingnan took Xinhai to the department store. As soon as they entered, they saw a huge banner hanging overhead that read:

August 25th, the Fourteenth Devon Pokémon Challenge invites you to participate.

On the first floor of the department store's Central Area, five long lines stretched out from the registration counter. Xinhai held Torchic in his arms, while Ralts sat on his shoulder, curiously studying the competition posters plastered around them—the posters showed the backs of Trainers fighting alongside their Pokémon, with glittering golden trophies and rare items displayed above them.

Seeing the enormous number of people in line, Xinhai recalled Torchic and Ralts into their Poké Balls and queued up with Yingnan to register.

As they waited, Yingnan explained the challenge rules and prizes to Xinhai. After listening, Xinhai gained a general understanding of the event.

This challenge had been organized by the Devon Corporation to celebrate the opening of the Trainer School, and only Novices who had become Trainers that year could participate.

The battles were one-on-one. Each participant could use one Pokémon, and the match ended when either side's Pokémon lost its ability to battle.

The challenge used an elimination format. Winners automatically advanced to the next round, continuing until they defeated every opponent, took first place, and became champion.

Since the event had been held by the Devon Corporation to celebrate the Trainer School's opening, the prizes for the top finishers were exceptionally generous—enough to tempt many Gym level Trainers.

Champion: one Top-grade Evolution Stone of any one of three Types, 1 million League Coins, a Devon Corporation membership card, and a set of Premier Balls. (These Premier Balls were not the ones given away in games for buying Poké Balls. They were a special version of Great Balls developed by the Devon Corporation, with a higher capture rate and the ability to help Pokémon recover their strength quickly inside the ball. They were even more valuable than Luxury Balls.)

Runner-up: one high-quality Mystic Water, 500,000 League Coins, a Devon Corporation membership card, and a set of Premier Balls.

Third place: one Soothe Bell, 300,000 League Coins, a Devon Corporation membership card, and a set of Premier Balls.

Fourth through eighth place: 50,000 League Coins, a Devon Corporation membership card, and one Premier Ball.

When Xinhai heard that the prizes included Top-grade Evolution Stones, he could not help marveling at how deep the Devon Corporation's pockets were. Even an Advanced Evolution Stone was worth several million League Coins; a Top-grade Evolution Stone was likely worth over ten million.

As Xinhai listened to the generous rewards for the top eight, his eyes gradually grew fiery.

The registration line crept forward, and after more than ten minutes of waiting, it was finally their turn.

Yingnan said to the staff member, "Hello, the two of us would like to register." As he spoke, they each took out the registration fee—two hundred League Coins per person.

The staff member handed information cards to Yingnan and Xinhai. After they filled them out, the staff member gave them their entry passes and said, "You may only use your Starter Pokémon in battle. Be at the venue by ten tomorrow morning. If the battles begin and you still have not arrived, it will be considered a forfeit."

Every Trainer's Starter Pokémon information was recorded on their Trainer identification. For direct-line Trainers, Starter Pokémon were issued by regional Professors' laboratories, Pokémon Centers, or Pokémon police stations. Since they issued Starter Pokémon, they naturally recorded the information in the Trainer's identity records.

Even if you were a civilian Trainer who caught your own Pokémon, you still had to register at the Trainer Affairs Office to obtain proof that you were a Pokémon Trainer. During registration, they would naturally record that Trainer's Starter Pokémon in their identity information.

Starter Pokémon had to be bound to their Trainers. Aside from preventing people from exploiting loopholes in competitions like this, it was also meant to prevent people from casually abandoning Pokémon and to ensure a certain degree of fairness.

After all, everyone had only just started training. If a wealthy family simply prepared a Pokémon that had been raised for years, and a fully evolved Pseudo-Legendary suddenly appeared during the match, what were the others supposed to do?

"Alright, thank you!" Yingnan and Xinhai answered one after the other.

After leaving the registration counter, Yingnan patted Xinhai on the shoulder. "So, want to look around?"

Torchic and Ralts still had plenty of food left, so there was no need to restock. It would be fine to do that when we were leaving Rustboro City.

After thinking it over, Xinhai said, "Forget it. Let's head back and rest. We've been traveling all day, and the competition is tomorrow."

Yingnan replied, "Alright, then we'll head back. Let's meet at the department store entrance tomorrow at noon."

Xinhai nodded. "Okay."

The next day, after spending the night at the Pokémon Center, Xinhai got up early and rode his bicycle to the department store with Torchic and Ralts.

The moment he arrived, Xinhai saw Yingnan waving and calling out to him.

"Xinhai, over here! Here!"

"I'm coming." Xinhai stored his bicycle in his Spatial Backpack and walked toward Yingnan.

Yingnan said excitedly, "Come on, let's go inside. It's really lively in there right now." With that, he headed into the building.

The moment they entered the department store, Xinhai was stunned by the bustling scene before him. Countless people had gathered around four battle arenas, while the railings on the second floor and above were packed with spectators.

The mall's giant screens played thrilling Pokémon battle footage, and blood-pumping music echoed throughout the department store. Spectators and contestants alike were infected by the passionate atmosphere the moment they entered.

Yingnan looked at Xinhai and smiled. "Spectacular, right?"

"It's incredible!" Xinhai swallowed as he looked at the sea of people before him.

Above them, eight Swellow circled through the air with cameras attached, and the host began speaking.

"Under this blazing summer sun, I'm sure everyone's enthusiasm has already been ignited, so I won't waste any more words. Next, two teachers from Rustboro City's Trainer School will give us an exhibition match. Let us welcome the official competition with an intense battle!"

The host looked toward one side of the battlefield. "First to enter is the Inferno Trainer, known as the Blazing Flame! Please welcome him!!"

An Inferno Trainer dressed in a fiery red battle uniform, along with a powerfully built Blaziken, leaped directly into the center of the arena. He even raised one hand to wave at the cheering audience.

"Facing him is the Takigawa Trainer, known as the Surging Waves! Please welcome him!!"

As soon as the host finished speaking, a stream of water wrapped around a man and a Pokémon and rushed into the center of the arena. The water slowly dispersed, revealing the Takigawa Trainer in a watery blue battle uniform and a muscular Swampert.

The two Trainers and their Pokémon faced each other, their clashing Auras making the surrounding air tremble faintly.

The audience erupted into even louder cheers. The Inferno Trainer smiled and shouted at Takigawa, "We're old rivals. Today, I'll make sure you see what Blaziken and I can do!"

Takigawa snorted and ran a hand over Swampert's thick arm. "Our last few battles ended without a winner. Today is a fine time to settle it."

Xinhai and Yingnan, who had already released their Pokémon, felt their blood boil as they watched the Presence radiating from the two Pokémon in the arena.

Xinhai watched solemnly and said, "Is this the strength of Gym level Pokémon? Ordinary Pokémon would probably struggle even to stay standing in front of them!"

Yingnan said excitedly, "That's right. They're already restraining their Presence. If they unleashed it fully, it would definitely be even more terrifying."

At that moment, the host smiled. "Trainers, shake hands and prepare for the match."

On the battlefield, the two violently colliding Presences vanished in an instant. The two Trainers led their Pokémon forward and shook hands in the center of the arena.

Then the two Trainers returned to opposite sides of the arena with their Pokémon, while the audience began cheering them on.

"Go, Inferno Trainer!" "Blaziken, take it down!"

"Defeat him, Takigawa Trainer!" "Swampert, go!"

The staff at the edge of the arena activated the energy barrier protecting the audience. The battlefield was swiftly enclosed by a special Light Screen, and not a trace of the Pokémon's Presence leaked out again.

"Blaziken, seize the initiative—Flamethrower!" The Inferno Trainer made the first move.

Blaziken raised its neck and opened its mouth, blasting an orange-red pillar of flame straight at Swampert's face.

Takigawa remained unruffled. "Use Mud Shot."

Swampert swung its thick arm, hurling sticky mud that collided explosively with the flames in midair.

After using Flamethrower, Blaziken charged forward with its entire body wreathed in fire. Violent flames wrapped around its bandaged arm as it threw a punch at Swampert.

The flames of Flame Charge surged along the arm Blaziken used for Fire Punch, making the fire even more violent as the force of its fist bore down on Swampert's face.

Boom!!

Swampert, standing in place, surrounded its entire body with flowing water and charged at Blaziken. The water spiraled around its Hammer Arm as it smashed toward Blaziken. The two attacks collided in an instant, fire and water scattering apart as steam erupted.

Blaziken and Swampert clashed head-on, launching into a fierce offensive and defensive battle. Different moves complemented one another, transforming the ordinary into something miraculous.

The collision and exchange of moves, the bone-rattling close combat, stirred the emotions of the audience below.

The battle continued for more than ten minutes before the spectacular match ultimately ended in a draw.