The next day.
The Ever Grande Conference arrived as scheduled!
The Opening Ceremony.
The massive battle arena was transformed into a boiling sea of excitement, with waves of cheering loud enough to almost overturn the heavens.
Tens of thousands of spectators packed the stands, waving flags and wearing face paint as they cheered for their supported contestants or hometown heroes.
In the center of the arena, hundreds of small battlefields were partitioned off, spreading out like dense squares on a chessboard.
Of course, the audience couldn't see clearly from there, so large screens were set up above these battlefields!
The screens switched back and forth, showing the status of the various battles.
Two thousand Trainers from all over the world had gathered here.
They were the Superiors who had stood out among countless challengers, each carrying the dream of becoming the Champion.
However, reality was far more cruel than dreams.
The host's high-pitched, passionate voice echoed through every corner via the amplification equipment:
"Ladies and gentlemen! Trainers! Welcome to the Opening Ceremony of the Ever Grande Conference! Now, the Preliminary Elimination Rounds officially begin! The format is 1v1, and the loser is out! Let us witness who can survive this first hurdle!"
Ariel blended into the massive crowd. He didn't go to the contestants' rest area, but instead found an inconspicuous corner, leaning against the cold wall and quietly observing everything.
Some Trainers were giving their Pokémon a final pep talk, while others were pale, their palms sweating, as they took deep breaths repeatedly.
To him, all this noise and ceremony were just background noise.
His gaze passed through the bobbing heads and landed on those massive broadcast screens.
The camera shots were switching rapidly.
A boy wearing glasses nervously sent out his Linoone, only for it to be hit directly by his opponent's Breloom's Mach Punch. Its eyes rolled back, and it lost the ability to battle.
The camera stayed on his dejected face for less than half a second before cutting away.
In the next scene, a girl's Delcatty was chased all over the field by a ferocious Mightyena, finally ending the match with a Crunch.
The girl burst into tears on the spot.
Most Trainers didn't even get the chance to have their full names shown on the big screen.
They were the lowest foundation of this grand event, the background panels used to highlight the star contestants.
"Look! It's Gym Leader Brawly!"
Someone shouted, and all the screens instantly unified and Lock-On to one of the fields.
The Gym Leader of Dewford Town, Gym Leader Brawly, was shirtless, revealing bronzed, sturdy muscles.
His opponent was a burly man who looked experienced.
"Go, Machamp!"
Gym Leader Brawly's command was crisp and direct.
The burly man on the opposite side sent out a Hariyama, which even seemed to outweigh Machamp.
"Hariyama, use Pound!"
"Avoid it, get close, and use Karate Chop." Gym Leader Brawly's tone was completely flat.
Machamp was like a nimble leopard, sidestepping the Hariyama's heavy palm. Its muscular arms glowed with white light, and it struck the back of Hariyama's neck as fast as lightning.
One hit.
Just one hit.
The massive Hariyama crashed to its knees and lost consciousness.
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the entire venue.
Gym Leader Brawly recalled Machamp and made a Surf gesture toward the camera with a bright smile.
Far away in Lavaridge Town, at a hot spring inn, several tourists soaking in the water pointed at the TV on the wall.
"Wow, Gym Leader Brawly is still so strong! He finished it in one move!"
"Fighting-type battles are just like that—clean and efficient!"
The screen switched again.
This time it was the Gym Leader of their Lavaridge Town, Flannery.
She had her long fiery-red hair tied up, looking heroic and spirited.
Her opponent was an arrogant-looking young man who sent out a Quagsire.
"Hmph, Gym Leader Flannery, unfortunately for you, my Quagsire is Water and Ground-type. Your Fire-type attacks are useless against me!"
The young man seemed full of confidence.
Flannery just smiled. "Torkoal, Sunny Day!"
Hot air currents erupted from the vents on Torkoal's back, and a dazzling ball of light rose into the sky, causing the temperature in the field to soar.
"Then, Solar Beam."
"What?!"
The young man's face changed drastically.
He never would have thought that a Fire-type Gym Leader would actually let her Pokémon learn a grass-type move!
Under the effect of Sunny Day, Solar Beam required no charging time.
A thick green pillar of light instantly shot from Torkoal's mouth, accurately striking the Quagsire.
It was super effective!
Quagsire didn't even have a chance to react before it collapsed.
Seeing this, the tourists soaking in the hot spring went wild!
"Well done! Gym Leader Flannery!"
In front of a television, a young boy doing his homework watched in stunned silence and couldn't help but say to his father:
"Dad, can Fire-type Pokémon use grass-type moves too? Didn't the teacher say type advantage was very important?"
His father rubbed his head and smiled:
"That's the charm of battling, son. True powerhouses are never confined by rules; they create them."
Next, Wallace from Sootopolis City took the stage.
He didn't even personally command it; his Milotic was like an elegant dancer, pirouetting on the field, weaving a magnificent cage of water currents and frost. The opponent's Pokémon lost the ability to battle while entranced.
The whole process was less of a battle and more of an artistic performance.
Wallace gave an elegant bow to the camera, drawing screams from countless female spectators.
"A bit flashy."
Ariel curled his lip.
Although he said that, he was analyzing it in his mind.
Every movement of Wallace's Milotic was precise to the extreme. What seemed like a flashy combination of moves actually hid lethal intent, and its control over energy had reached the pinnacle.
Flannery's Torkoal seemed clumsy, but the fire it breathed was terrifyingly condensed, and her tactical reserves were far beyond ordinary imagination.
Gym Leader Brawly's Machamp perfectly combined explosive power, speed, and technique.
They were all young Gym Leaders from Hoenn, and the Pokémon they used were all at Gym Leader Level strength. Without exception, they were all here for the Championship!
And when the camera turned to that man, the atmosphere of the entire venue reached its peak.
The successor of the Devon Corporation, Steven!
He was also one of the strongest contenders for the Ever Grande Conference Championship!
His opponent was a young man with a face full of despair. When he saw the battle list, he almost fainted on the spot.
Steven didn't waste any words and simply tossed a Poké Ball.
Amidst the light, a silver behemoth crashed to the ground, its metallic body reflecting a cold luster under the sunlight.
A Shiny Metagross!
"Roar—"
Metagross didn't make a sound, but a powerful spiritual pressure instantly enveloped the entire venue.
The opponent's pitiful Mightyena's legs went weak, and it collapsed directly onto the ground, shivering, having lost even the will to fight.
"...Mightyena is unable to battle, so the winner is contestant Steven!"
The referee was stunned for a long while before stuttering out the result.
From beginning to end, Metagross hadn't moved an inch.
This was absolute crushing strength.
"Too strong..."
"That Metagross... just by standing there, my Pokémon was almost scared out of its Poké Ball!"
In the audience and the contestants' area, discussions and gasps of breath could be heard one after another.
Steven just gave a slight nod to the camera with a calm expression, then turned and left the field.
The organizers' intention was obvious.
They used the performances of these star contestants to push the conference's atmosphere to a climax while simultaneously exerting invisible pressure on all the ordinary Trainers.
At the same time, they deliberately hid geniuses from other regions, such as Cynthia from Sinnoh, as well as geniuses from the Kanto and Johto regions, letting them blend into the crowd to save the suspense and highlights for later.
This was a meticulously planned grand performance.
Ariel Detect all of this, but he didn't care.
The stage was set, and the actors were in place.
Whether stars or passersby, everything would eventually be settled on the battlefield.
Just then, a new announcement came over the arena's broadcast.
"Would contestant Ariel please proceed to the designated field for battle immediately."
Ariel looked up and glanced at the area distribution map.
Area D30, at the other end of the venue.
He patted the dust off his clothes.
The crowd was still wild over the exciting duels on the screens. No one noticed this figure in the corner quietly moving against the flow of people, walking toward the battlefield that belonged to him.
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