"The battle has reached its conclusion! Both Articuno and Beautifly are unable to battle! The victor, and the ultimate champion of the Universe Grandeur Celebration, is Argenti!"
As Owlbert's voice echoed through the stadium, a massive burst of fireworks illuminated the ceiling, sending showers of golden confetti drifting across the entire arena.
The stadium erupted into a deafening standing ovation.
Down on the battlefield, the two competitors stood motionless for several long seconds. Both had poured every ounce of their focus into that final clash; with the roar of the crowd washing over them, it took a moment for the reality of victory and defeat to settle in.
"My humble thanks for your divine grace..."
Argenti sank to one knee, looking toward the open expanse above. In his eyes, that radiant figure draped in white silk and crimson roses was offering him a gentle, approving smile before fading into the stars.
Across the field, March 7th let out a long, easy breath. There was no bitter disappointment in her eyes. Having reconnected with her original passion before the semifinals, she had stepped onto the stage purely out of her love for her companions.
She had thrown her entire heart into the duel, leaving no room for regret. To test herself against an opponent of Argenti's caliber and learn from the exchange was the greatest reward she could have asked for.
Sitting at the judging panel, Julian watched the two with a quiet, knowing smile.
Prominent figures across the cosmos always carried a distinct touch of destiny. Whenever he organized a grand event, the familiar faces from his past life's memories inevitably rose to the top, breaking through their own boundaries at the most dramatic moments.
Argenti, in particular, was the absolute standard-bearer for the ideal of Beauty. With such unshakable devotion burning in his soul, it would have been stranger if he hadn't taken the crown.
Before Julian's thoughts could wander further, the awards ceremony was announced. As the tournament's creator, Julian was called down to center stage, joined by Robin, whose star power had driven the celebration's promotional campaign.
Under the dazzling stage lights, Robin presented the shimmering champion's trophy to Argenti, while Julian handed over the commemorative prize check.
"Let us once again applaud Argenti for overcoming every rival across the qualifiers and finals to claim the championship cup!" Owlbert cheered into the mic. "And now, please welcome Mr. Julian, the creator of Pokémon, to deliver the closing remarks!"
Stepping up to the podium, Julian adjusted the microphone and looked out over the sea of spectators.
"My heartfelt thanks go out to every Trainer and fan across the cosmos who has supported Pokémon. I suspect many of you are wondering about the technique Mr. Argenti displayed during the final moments—a strike that miraculously fused two distinct elemental types."
A hush fell over the audience.
"To be completely candid, our core engine contained no pre-programmed code for dual-type move fusion."
The stadium began to murmur in confusion.
"Knowing Mr. Argenti's noble character, any notion of foul play is out of the question," Julian continued smoothly. "So, I reached out directly to our technical director while the match concluded to understand what had transpired."
"The answer I received left even me stunned."
Julian paused, letting the silence build.
The live chat was already overflowing with wild theories, but Julian had intentionally minimized on-screen commercial banners to the corners of the broadcast to protect the viewing experience, refusing to interrupt key moments with mid-roll sponsor spots.
"When our technical director laid the foundation for the game, he followed my vision of mirroring the biological and spiritual depth of real living beings," Julian explained. "He built an autonomous behavioral protocol: if a companion's neural learning model reaches a critical threshold, the creature can transcend the baseline rules of its code."
"That means unleashing a strike that surpasses the scale of a legendary beast, or, as demonstrated today, blending two elemental affinities into a single form."
"And the probability of a companion triggering that threshold, according to our technical lead, is so vanishingly small that it rivals the likelihood of catching the direct glance of an Aeon."
A collective gasp swept through the stadium, the air growing thick with awe.
Down in the private viewing boxes, Stelle turned to Welt and Dan Heng with wide, innocent eyes.
"Wait... is catching the glance of an Aeon really that rare?"
Welt and Dan Heng exchanged a quiet, exhausted look. For ordinary mortals across the galaxy, it was a once-in-a-millennium miracle; discussing statistical rarity with someone who had already caught the eye of two separate Aeons in a few short months was an exercise in futility.
"I know many of you are wondering how to reach that threshold," Julian continued with a warm smile. "There is no rigid formula. It is forged through genuine love for your partners, shared days of training, mutual trust through hardship, and absolute sincerity of heart."
"I look forward to seeing more Trainers reach that summit alongside their companions."
"With that, I officially declare the first Universe Grandeur Celebration a complete success! And to celebrate, the fourth generation—Pokémon Diamond and Pearl—will launch in exactly one week!"
The arena erupted into absolute pandemonium.
A few months had passed since the release of the third generation, but fans had willingly embraced the wait, preferring high polish over rushed sequels. Most players had assumed the Sinnoh region wouldn't arrive until next year; hearing that it was only seven days away sent the entire community into a frenzy.
The following morning, an official update was published across the network.
Alongside the fourth-generation release date, a week-long closed beta was announced, with access passes distributed through a community lottery.
Additionally, a special limited-time event was revealed: the Ocean Treasure Hunt.
In three days, a dedicated event server would open to all registered players. Trainers would set sail across an expansive oceanic map to scour sunken ruins, with the individual who retrieved the most valuable relics earning the title of Treasure King.
To elevate the gameplay, Julian had adapted the exploration loop into an extraction-style mode, introducing open PvP skirmishes where players could intercept rivals, claim their gathered spoils, and extract back to safe harbors.
Even if a player was defeated and stripped of their haul, they wouldn't be eliminated from the event, allowing them to re-arm and venture out into the waters once more.
The competitive extraction loop was designed to stress-test high-capacity server infrastructure for upcoming multiplayer expansions, while tapping into the universal thrill of high-stakes treasure hunting.
As Julian sat in his office reviewing the backend traffic reports, his terminal buzzed with an urgent incoming signal.
Glancing at the caller ID, he saw the crisp, familiar handle of Madam Herta.
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