"Saffron TV Station! Saffron TV Station!"
"To everyone who's been waiting, welcome to the Indigo Plateau! We're here at Indigo League Stadium!"
The TV host's voice rang with excitement. "After nearly a week of waiting, the match everyone's been watching for is finally here: a Master Ball Class battle in the Pokémon World Championships!"
The applause rolled on like thunder.
"On one side stands an icon of Kanto and Johto! The peerless Dragon Envoy, Lance!"
Lance entered to a grand symphony, his black-and-red cloak billowing in the wind. His dashing entrance drew screams from countless fans.
"And from distant Orre comes a legendary Trainer who's stunned the world time and again this past year—a man who commands the power of legends! Baimu!"
Baimu appeared at an unhurried pace. His signature Magma Suit and cool, handsome looks drew cheers loud enough to rival Lance's.
The two raised their hands to greet the crowd, then took their places and faced each other across nearly seventy meters of battlefield.
There was one real disappointment.
Before the match, Baimu and Lance had spoken only during the elevator ride down from their rooms.
And with Kanto League staff present, they had done little more than exchange greetings.
What a shame!
Lance was part of Baimu's childhood, too.
He had played Pokémon Red, Blue, and Green, FireRed and LeafGreen, Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver over and over—games centered on Kanto and Johto.
And he had battled Lance, Kanto's Elite Four member and Johto's Champion, time after time.
If Lance's team matched the games, Baimu could fairly call him the Champion he knew best.
Unfortunately, things were rarely that simple.
"Mega Dragonite, huh? I can't wait!"
Baimu gripped his Poké Ball. It was a Mega Evolution he had never seen, one that