"Sorry for making you wait."
The girl apologized as she proactively opened the door for Red, signaling for him to come inside.
The girl had a beautiful appearance, with long brown hair, a white half-circle hat with red stripes, a light blue off-shoulder top, and a red skirt. This person was none other than Leaf!
Red was momentarily stunned when he saw that it was Leaf welcoming him. He never expected that the contestant sharing a room with him would actually be Leaf, someone from the same hometown as him.
"It's been a long time, Red. I didn't think it would be such a coincidence that the contestant sharing a room with me would be you. I'm really so happy."
Compared to Red's surprise, Leaf felt far more joy. After all, she was a girl, and suddenly having to share a room with a stranger contestant would naturally feel awkward. She had been worried that the other party might have dirty thoughts.
Fortunately, the contestant sharing a room with her was the familiar Red, which greatly eased Leaf's worries. She was no longer as nervous as she had been at the beginning.
"I'm also happy to see you again, Leaf."
Red smiled slightly and replied.
Compared to a stranger of the opposite sex, the familiar Leaf allowed Red to relax much more. At the very least, there wouldn't be troublesome misunderstandings.
After Red finished organizing his luggage, Leaf brought him to the contestants' restaurant, saving him the extra time of searching for it himself.
...
Late at night.
Red suddenly woke from his sleep. Still slightly drowsy, he touched his forehead in surprise, never expecting that even he would suffer from insomnia because of tomorrow's matches.
"As expected, even with absolute confidence, I still can't help but feel nervous and excited about tomorrow's battles..."
After speaking, Red got up and put on the red hat beside his pillow, wore the red jacket on the bed, casually slipped on the black training gloves nearby, then quietly left the room so he wouldn't wake Leaf.
After Red left the room, Leaf, who had originally been sleeping with her eyes closed, slightly opened her right eye and worriedly watched him leave.
(That doesn't seem like him at all...)
A short while later, Red arrived alone at the upper section of the main stadium. He silently stared at the battlefield before him, falling into brief contemplation.
(Tomorrow is the opening ceremony of the Indigo Plateau Conference...)
"I never thought our little Red would also lose sleep because of tomorrow's matches~"
An elderly man arrived behind Red and greeted him.
"Hello, President Charles Goodshow."
Red turned around and discovered it was one of the Pokémon League's important figures, so he politely replied.
Charles Goodshow was a high-ranking figure within the Pokémon League and also the president of the League Competition Committee responsible for managing the Sacred Flame.
"But that's only natural. After all, this is your first time participating in a League Conference. It's unavoidable to be so nervous that you can't sleep." Charles Goodshow joked, telling Red to relax.
"Perhaps. Rather than pure nervousness, maybe I'm too excited about battling powerful opponents next that I can't fall asleep."
At that moment, Red's eyes shone with excitement, and his fists unconsciously clenched. The nervousness he had felt earlier had already completely disappeared, leaving only excitement for the battles to come.
"I really can't handle you kids."
Charles Goodshow laughed as he rubbed his nose.
Tonight, it wasn't just Red suffering from insomnia. Ash and Gary were unable to sleep as well. The three boys from Pallet Town each stood in a different area around the main stadium, silently staring at the massive battlefield in deep thought.
(So this is the battlefield where we'll fight...)
"From here on, I can only battle my own way until the end!" Ash muttered.
(Red, I will defeat you and become the champion of the Indigo Plateau Conference!)
"Grandpa, I'll bring honor to you and everyone in Pallet Town!" Gary swore as he clenched his fists.
Although the sounds were faint, Red still noticed that Ash and Gary were also unable to sleep. However, the atmosphere wasn't suitable for conversation, so Red wasn't foolish enough to suddenly shout at them.
After thinking for a moment, Red ultimately chose to turn around and leave. After saying goodbye to Charles Goodshow, he returned to his residence to continue sleeping.
...
The next day.
The opening ceremony of this year's Indigo Plateau Conference officially began!
"Alright, the opening ceremony of the Kanto League has finally begun! Outstanding Pokémon Trainers and their Pokémon will battle using their ultimate techniques and strength in the Pokémon League! The champion of this tournament will gain not only the honor of a Pokémon Trainer, but will also overcome a crucial trial on the path to becoming a Pokémon Master!"
The announcer's passionate speech echoed throughout the Indigo Stadium, and the crowds in the surrounding stands all raised their hands and cheered enthusiastically for the contestants about to appear, eagerly anticipating the exciting battles of this year's Indigo Plateau Conference.
"Alright, the contestants are entering one after another!" the announcer shouted.
Contestants participating in this year's Indigo Plateau Conference appeared from both sides of the main stadium's player tunnels. The contestant at the very front acted as the leader, proudly carrying the team flag.
"Every one of them is an expert who has obtained at least eight Gym Badges!" the announcer introduced.
"Ah~ I found Ash!"
Misty exclaimed happily from the audience stands.
"Where? Where?!" Brock asked excitedly.
"Over there, over there!"
Misty pointed toward Ash in the stadium. However, the extremely nervous Ash looked stiff all over, even while walking, making him look rather comical. Pikachu on his shoulder looked at Ash worriedly.
Compared to the nervous Ash, Gary behind him appeared completely confident without the slightest sign of tension, and his steps were perfectly normal.
Red and Leaf also wore confident expressions, forming a sharp contrast with the nervous Ash.
There were indeed quite a few familiar faces in this Indigo Plateau Conference. A.J., Giselle, Saizo, and Yulon Nan all appeared among the contestants one after another.
However, Yulon Nan still wore an arrogant expression, because in his eyes, only Red was worthy of becoming his opponent.
The reason Yulon Nan participated in this Indigo Plateau Conference was simply to defeat Red fair and square.
"Please look, the Sacred Flame runner is coming! The Sacred Flame of the tournament, which has been passed through the hands of hundreds of people before this, is now advancing toward the Sacred Flame platform!"
The announcer explained as a young woman ran toward the Sacred Flame platform while holding the torch.
Just as the Sacred Flame runner arrived before the platform and prepared to ignite the flame, a man and woman suddenly appeared dressed like messengers.
"What an astonishing performance. It seems a woman is responsible for lighting the flame."
Although puzzled by the sudden appearance of the two people, the announcer chose to adapt to the situation in order to maintain order at the venue and continued commentating.
"Wait, you can't hand the Sacred Flame to them!"
As their longtime enemy, Ash instantly realized something was wrong and hurried toward the Sacred Flame platform, trying to stop the runner.
But it was already too late. Because of Ash's sudden shout, the runner froze for a moment, and the torch was directly snatched away by Jessie before her.
"Too late!"
After obtaining the torch, Jessie and James immediately removed their disguises, revealing their identities as Team Rocket members.
"Those three idiots sure are bold, actually daring to come to the League's official main stadium to steal the Sacred Flame. I really don't know what they're thinking."
Seeing this scene, Red couldn't help but complain.
----------------
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (308 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)