"President, I wasn't even worthy of a serious glance from him." Koga's voice came through the Communicator.
At League headquarters, President Charles Goodshow sat in his chair and viciously yanked out a large tuft of his beard. Beside him, Champion Lance and Master Lorelei exchanged looks. The meeting room was so quiet they could have heard a pin drop.
"Even Koga's mainstay Venomoth was taken out in one hit?" Lance stared at the screen, holding his breath. "What Pokémon did he use? That Charizard again?"
"You guessed wrong, President." Koga shook his head. "It was that Pikachu. Again, it didn't use a single move. Just the voltage leaking from its body blasted my Venomoth into charcoal."
Charles Goodshow stood up. "Send out the order!" he roared. "All Gym Leaders in Kanto, listen up! If Lin Hao comes to challenge you, no provoking him! No testing him! Just hand over the badge without a fuss!"
"President, doesn't that go against the rules?" Lorelei frowned.
"Rules? Rules are there to keep ordinary people in line!" Charles Goodshow pressed his fingers to his brow. "If you piss him off and he tears down every Gym in Kanto, are you going to pay for the repairs?!" Lorelei shut her mouth.
Meanwhile, on the streets of Fuchsia City, Lin Hao kept weighing the bank card in his hand.
"Two hundred thousand now," Lin Hao calculated. "Still three hundred thousand short of the five hundred thousand I owe that old man for his cabbages."
"Is money all you ever think about?" May urged him on from beside him. "Team Rocket has its sights on us! You're carrying the hard drive for the Mewtwo Project. They could send an army to kill us at any moment!"
"So?" Lin Hao yawned.
"So we need to hurry up and hide!" May paced in circles.
"How am I supposed to make money hiding?" Lin Hao brushed her concern aside. "I still need to earn enough to go home and sleep. Ordinary people can't sleep soundly with debt hanging over them." He stopped and turned to May. "Besides Fuchsia City and Vermilion City, which Gyms in Kanto offer bigger cash prizes?" he asked seriously.
May froze. "You... what are you planning?"
"Taking on the Gyms." Lin Hao spread his hands. "Beat all six remaining Gyms, pocket six hundred thousand, and I can use the leftover money to visit Cinnabar Island and soak in a fancy hot spring."
May opened her mouth, but nothing came out. The most vicious gang in the entire region is hunting you down, and instead of thinking about how to survive, you're thinking about touring the whole map to make money? "You're insane! Even if you're a monster, Gym Leaders are no pushovers! You can't possibly have the stamina to fight six in a row!" May protested loudly.
"That's why we need transportation." Lin Hao reached out and flagged down a top-of-the-line League taxi.
Over the next three days, the major Gyms of Kanto suffered a crushing blow.
On the afternoon of the first day, at the Grass-type Gym in Celadon City, Gym Leader Erika stood gracefully on the battlefield and sent out Vileplume. "Challenger Lin Hao, I look forward to a good-"
"Charizard, spit some phlegm." Lin Hao kept his hands in his pockets.
Boom! Savage blue-white flames instantly filled the entire Gym. Vileplume never even got the chance to unfurl its petals before it was burned into a bare tree trunk. Erika stood rooted to the spot, blankly handing over the Rainbow Badge and one hundred thousand.
On the morning of the second day, at the Psychic-type Gym in Saffron City.
Gym Leader Sabrina hovered in midair with a vacant stare, her eyes glowing a terrifying red. "I won't hold back. Go, Alakazam!"
"Greninja, make it quick." Lin Hao yawned.
Whoosh! A blurred afterimage flashed past. Alakazam, famed for its extraordinary intelligence and ability to foresee the future, couldn't even get Teleport off before Greninja smashed a vicious Night Slash into the back of its head, dropping it on the spot. Sabrina fell out of the air and handed over the Marsh Badge.
On the third day, at the Fire-type Gym on Cinnabar Island.
"My Magmar is invincible!" Blaine burst out laughing.
"Pikachu, splash some water on it," Lin Hao said. Pikachu casually picked up an enormous bucket and hurled a bucketful of cold water straight at Magmar.
Because the gap in their levels and stats was simply too vast-the system had secretly modified Pikachu's physical attack-that utterly ordinary bucket of water knocked Magmar unconscious on impact. Even Blaine's wig fell to the floor.
For three full days, Lin Hao steamrolled every remaining Gym in Kanto. Not a single battle lasted more than ten seconds.
May followed behind Lin Hao, going from initial astonishment to eventual calm. Now, whenever she looked at a Gym Leader, all she saw was a mob waiting to be slaughtered.
On the morning of the fourth day, at the League tournament registration desk on the Indigo Plateau, a sea of people crowded outside the imposing League building. Lin Hao ambled up to the desk and casually tossed a plastic bag onto it.
Clatter. Eight gleaming Gym Badges spilled out and rolled across the desk.
The registration clerk's eyes went wide. "You... you've collected all eight Kanto badges?" After inspecting them carefully, the clerk said, "Everything checks out, Mr. Lin Hao. Congratulations on qualifying for the Indigo League Conference!"
Lin Hao nodded and asked casually, "There's prize money for competing, right?"
The clerk blinked, then straightened up. "Of course! The Indigo Conference champion will receive five million League Coins from the League! Along with the supreme honor of entering the Hall of Fame!"
At the words "five million," Lin Hao's dead-fish eyes lit up. "Five million? You actually pay cash?"
"Y-yes, we do!" The clerk shrank back a little.
"Good. Sign me up." Lin Hao signed his name with a few quick strokes.
Standing beside him, May awkwardly held a League-issued "Accompanying Reporter" badge and hung it around her neck. President Charles Goodshow had personally approved this identity. To follow Lin Hao openly on public funds, May had reluctantly accepted the disguise.
"Lin Hao," May said under her breath, "are you really entering the League tournament? The region's best rookies will be there, and even some veteran powerhouses!"
"Five million," Lin Hao said, staring at her. "With that money, I can build a lavish villa in Pallet Town, buy a top-of-the-line Simmons mattress, and laze around for the rest of my life."
May turned away. This absurdly powerful guy's ultimate dream was actually just to buy a nice bed and laze around.
"Competitors can stay at the League's Five-Star Competitors' Village Hotel free of charge." The clerk presented a room key with both hands.
Lin Hao took the key and quickly turned to May. "Did you hear that? A free five-star hotel!" He swept his arm out. "Come on, let's hit the international buffet!"
That evening, in a top-tier luxury suite in the competitors' village on the Indigo Plateau, May studied documents in the next room while Lin Hao lay on the bed and closed his eyes. His consciousness sank into the enclosed System Space.
Within the space, terrifying auras intertwined. Groudon, Kyogre, Ho-Oh, Mewtwo, Zapdos, and the other Legendary Pokémon had gathered for a meeting. When they saw Lin Hao's consciousness descend, all the Legendary Pokémon fell silent.
"Master!" Mewtwo lowered its head and spoke softly.
"Same as always. Meeting time." Lin Hao shook his head and stared at the terrifying beings. "The League tournament starts tomorrow. I have something important to announce."
"Roar!" Groudon waved its claws. "Master! Leave the first match to me! I'll use Precipice Blade to flip the entire Indigo Plateau over for your entertainment!"
Before you continue