"Big brother!" As soon as the two left the arena, Liu Yuan and Paul called out in unison. Realizing that the other had said the same thing, they immediately glared at each other, as though sparks were flying between them.
"Liu Yuan, what are you doing?" Sensing the tension between the two boys, Liu Qing pulled his brother to his side and asked. Reggie likewise drew Paul over to him.
"Big brother, I came to congratulate you," Liu Yuan said with a smile.
"Oh, I see. Then what were you doing with Paul just now?" Liu Qing asked.
"Hmph, big brother, I wasn't the one causing trouble. That guy kept giving me a cold look just because you beat his brother..." Liu Yuan explained.
"All right, that's enough. Where's Mom? Why did you come here alone?"
"Dad's coming to watch your final tomorrow, so she went to meet him." After explaining, Liu Yuan added impatiently, "Let's hurry over too."
"All right." Liu Qing nodded, then turned to Reggie. "Reggie, I'm going to meet my dad. I'll see you later."
"Okay." Reggie nodded.
Liu Qing and Liu Yuan then hurried toward the airport.
"Big brother..." Paul called, looking at Reggie.
"I know how you feel, but losing isn't all bad. At least I gained plenty of battle experience, which will help me when I challenge the Kanto Region's Battle Frontier next." With that, Reggie left with Paul.
Shortly after Liu Qing and Liu Yuan met up with Mili and Lorelei at the airport, a private plane came into view and landed. Bofeng Yu stepped off the plane, then headed to the Indigo Hotel with the others.
"Liu Qing, you've done very well. I've kept my promise too and made time to come watch your final," Bofeng Yu said once they reached the hotel.
"Thanks, Dad!" Liu Qing knew how difficult it was for Bofeng Yu to spare even half a day, and his voice brimmed with excitement.
"Lorelei, give Liu Qing a brief introduction to his opponent tomorrow," Bofeng Yu said to Lorelei.
"Sure!" Lorelei nodded. "Liu Qing, your opponent in the final is Lance of the Dragon Clan. He's also the younger brother of Lance, one of Kanto's Elite Four, and holds the title of Number Two Dragon Tamer. Including this tournament, he's competed in three Johto Leagues and two Kanto Leagues. He reached the semifinals once and the final once in Johto, then won the Johto championship two tournaments ago. He was also the runner-up in the last Kanto League. Obviously, he's aiming for the championship this time too. Be careful tomorrow, little cousin!"
"So he's Elite Four Lance's younger brother. Since he's called the Number Two Dragon Tamer, he must specialize in Dragon-type Pokémon. It looks like he hasn't shown his full strength in this tournament yet." Liu Yuan paused in surprise. When he watched the anime in his previous life, he had greatly admired Lance the Dragon Tamer. He had never expected to encounter his younger brother in his very first Pokémon League in this world, and a flame of fighting spirit rose in his heart.
"That's right. Lance hasn't used only Dragon-type Pokémon in this tournament, so he's been holding back. As far as I know, his starter Pokémon is a gray-black shiny Charizard. Unless he's hiding something else, it should be his strongest Pokémon," Lorelei continued.
"A shiny Charizard? I wonder what special ability it has," Liu Qing said. "Cousin, do you have recordings of Lance's previous Pokémon League matches?"
"Hehe, I knew you'd want to watch them. Of course I prepared them." Lorelei pointed at the computer on the desk. "They're all in there!"
"Thanks, Cousin!" Liu Qing said delightedly. He then sat down at the computer and began watching footage of Lance's past matches.
Meanwhile, in another room, the subject of their conversation was also talking with Lance.
"Drake, how confident are you of beating Namikaze Liu Qing tomorrow?" Lance asked his younger brother, who looked very much like him.
"Based on my analysis, Namikaze Liu Qing most likely only has six Pokémon from this year's travels. Five of them—Scizor, Exeggutor, Arcanine, Gyarados, and Gengar—have already appeared, so I know their general capabilities and moves. Only his last Pokémon is still unknown. But Namikaze Liu Qing doesn't know which Pokémon I'll use or what abilities they have, so I'd put my chances at about eighty percent." After a moment's thought, Drake asked, "Big brother, is Namikaze Liu Qing really a Rookie Trainer who only just started traveling?"
"What, you find it hard to believe?" Lance smiled. "Do you remember that major crackdown on the Poaching Gang in Hoenn back then? Didn't it all start because of Namikaze Liu Qing? Who would have thought that after spending six years bedridden, he'd wake up and make such a splash, getting this far in his very first Pokémon League Conference? To be honest, I can hardly believe it either!"
"So that was him!" Drake was only a year older than Liu Qing and had just become a rookie Pokémon Trainer when that incident happened, so he still remembered it clearly. Suddenly, something seemed to occur to him, and he asked, "Big brother, have you figured out what special ability Namikaze Liu Qing's shiny Gyarados has?"
"Namikaze Liu Qing is still keeping it hidden. I haven't figured it out either!" Lance shook his head, then cautioned him, "But that Gyarados isn't just a shiny Pokémon. It also has one more fin than an ordinary Gyarados, so you must be careful if you face it tomorrow."
"Understood!" Drake nodded.
The next day was the last day of the Indigo League, and its final match finally began at nine in the morning.
Since this was the final, every seat in the stadium was occupied, with tens of thousands more standing in the aisles to watch. Outside, countless people watched the televised broadcast... Well over a hundred thousand people had gathered around the stadium, creating an extraordinarily lively atmosphere. Many held up large photographs of Liu Qing or Drake striking various poses during their matches over the past several days, or standing with their Pokémon, cheering and shouting their support.
"Since the opening of the Kanto League's Indigo League Conference, countless Pokémon Trainers have demonstrated the astonishing results of their training and delivered spectacular battles on this field. Today, we have finally reached the grand final!" The Announcer's animated voice rang throughout the stadium. "Our two finalists are Drake from Blackthorn City in the Johto Region, standing on the right, and Liu Qing from Saffron City in the Kanto Region, standing on the left. Drake has competed in five Pokémon Leagues, reaching the semifinals and the final in Johto before winning its championship, as well as finishing runner-up in the previous Kanto League. His goal in entering this tournament goes without saying. Liu Qing is a Rookie Trainer and this Kanto League's dark horse. With extraordinary skill, he has defeated opponent after opponent to reach the grand final. Who will claim this year's Kanto League championship—the long-established Drake or the newcomer Liu Qing? What Pokémon will they use, and what powerful moves will they show us? Keep your eyes peeled as we await the start of the match!"
As the Announcer finished, the entire stadium fell silent. The referee walked to the edge of the battlefield and asked, "Are both contestants ready?"
Liu Qing and Drake had long been poised for action on opposite sides of the field. At the referee's question, their eyes met, sparks flying between them. Both craved the championship and would give everything they had to claim it. Together, they nodded to the referee.
"The Indigo League grand final between Drake and Liu Qing will now begin. Begin the battle!" Seeing that both were ready, the referee swung his flag down.
"Liu Qing, making it this far as a Rookie Trainer is enough to call you a genius. But now you're facing me, so your defeat in this battle is already certain," Drake said disdainfully. He brushed aside the red hair over his forehead, kissed the Poké Ball in his hand, and threw it. "Go, Kangaskhan!"
As the white light faded, a tremendous roar rang out. A hulking creature at least three meters tall stood before Drake. Its sharp claws, powerful limbs, thick tail, and rocklike hide all proclaimed its strength, while its piercing eyes burned with fighting spirit.
"Drake's first Pokémon has appeared—an enormous Kangaskhan! What Pokémon will Liu Qing use to attack it?" Even the Announcer sounded awestruck, while many of Drake's supporters in the stands erupted into thunderous cheers.
It's an incredibly rare male Kangaskhan! Liu Qing immediately noticed that this Kangaskhan had no pouch and was startled. He hadn't expected his opponent to have caught even a Pokémon like this. It seemed Drake wanted to put him under pressure right from the start. A cold smile appeared on Liu Qing's face as he retorted, "You certainly embody the Dragon Clan's arrogance. I just hope you have the strength to back it up." He tossed a Poké Ball into the air. "Gyarados, I choose you!"
Amid a scattering of golden stars, Gyarados's immense purplish-red body unfurled across the field. Before the ten-meter Gyarados, the three-meter-tall male Kangaskhan suddenly looked tiny. Combined with Gyarados's powerful Intimidate ability, the sight brought a trace of fear to Kangaskhan's face, and he shifted his left foot slightly backward. Seeing this, Liu Qing gave an almost imperceptible smile.
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