The battlefield was silent except for the sound of rippling water. Brendan now had only one Pokémon remaining—his Sceptile.
Though Sceptile had emerged unscathed from its earlier clash with Slaking, it had spent a tremendous amount of energy darting across the field and dodging heavy blows. The constant movement had taken its toll. Its breathing was slightly heavier now, shoulders rising and falling in rhythm with each inhale.
But everyone in the stadium knew the truth: even with a favorable battle condition, Sceptile could not truly match Gary's Latios.
"I wonder if Brendan can pull off a miracle with his last Pokémon," the host remarked, his voice carrying a faint note of hope for drama.
A voice from the stands shouted, "What's he gonna do, turn Sceptile into some kind of Susanoo or something?!" Laughter rippled through the crowd.
"This Brendan guy really isn't that great," another spectator muttered. "I thought he'd at least be able to take down one of Gary's Pokémon, but… nope."
"Gary's just too well-rounded," an older fan commented knowingly. "When he first entered the Indigo Plateau Conference, he practically steamrolled all his opponents' teams."
The match was still ongoing, but the air in the stadium had already settled into certainty. Brendan had no realistic chance of turning the tide.
"Latios, Thunderbolt!" Gary commanded sharply.
"Latios!" The Eon Pokémon's sleek blue body shimmered with golden arcs of electricity. The gathered currents surged forward, condensing into a massive bolt that streaked through the air like a living lightning serpent, headed straight for Sceptile.
The battlefield was soaked from earlier attacks, the water spreading across the ground into shallow puddles. For Sceptile, there was no solid ground left to maneuver—no escape route that didn't lead into danger.
"Jump into the air!" Brendan ordered quickly.
With an explosive push from its powerful legs, Sceptile leapt skyward, narrowly avoiding the Thunderbolt. The electric strike crashed into the water below, splintering into countless branching sparks that raced along the surface, but none reached their airborne target.
"Luster Purge!" Gary wasted no time.
Sceptile was still midair—unable to dodge, unable to push off anything for speed. In that moment, it was a perfect target.
"Latios!!" The dragon's cry rang out as it unleashed a brilliant sphere of golden-pink light. The Luster Purge shot upward, trailing shimmering streaks as it closed in on its mark.
"Let's go down fighting—Leaf Storm!" Brendan roared.
"Scehhh-ptile!!" With a fierce twist of its tail, Sceptile summoned a raging whirlwind of emerald leaves, whipping them into a storm that surged toward Latios's attack.
The two moves collided midair with a deafening boom. Luster Purge tore through the Leaf Storm, scattering countless leaves like green sparks in the wind—but the storm didn't fully disperse. Instead, it seemed to wrap around the light, intertwining in a swirling mass before exploding in a double detonation.
Two distinct bursts shook the sky above the battlefield—one gold, one green—forming clouds of haze that drifted apart slowly.
From that haze, a figure plummeted toward the icy surface below. Sceptile crashed onto the slick field with a sharp thud, lying still.
The referee hesitated, eyes still scanning the sky. As the haze cleared, Latios emerged, untouched and hovering effortlessly in the air. Only then did the referee raise his flag.
"Sceptile is unable to battle—Latios wins!"
The crowd erupted into applause, though some of it was more for the spectacle than the outcome.
"All of Brendan's Pokémon have been defeated. The winner is… Gary!"
And just like that, the first round was over.
Gary had claimed victory with a flawless score—none of his Pokémon had been knocked out.
He recalled Latios with a simple nod, the red beam pulling the Legendary Pokémon back into its Poké Ball, then turned and walked calmly down the players' tunnel.
From the stands, Max frowned. "Wait—didn't Gary say he'd only use Pokémon he caught in the Hoenn region? Why's he got a Latios?"
Brock, ever the source of practical information, replied, "Technically, Latios was caught in Hoenn."
"Seriously?" Max and May both stared at him.
"That Latios lives near Alto Mare—technically part of the Hoenn region's extended territory. It's far from the mainland, but it still counts," Brock explained.
The conversation drifted off as the stadium began to clear for the next matches.
By 5:00 PM, the field of competitors at the Ever Grande Conference had been cut in half—only sixteen Trainers remained. All of them gathered at the Pokémon Center in the Players' Village, waiting for the big screen to display the match-ups for Round Two.
When Gary entered, conversation dimmed just slightly. His commanding win earlier—and the fact that he had a Legendary Pokémon—had made him the most talked-about contender of the day.
Ash arrived with Pikachu perched on his shoulder, followed closely by Tyson and Morrison. After a few casual greetings, they turned their attention to the large monitor at the front of the room.
At exactly 5:30, the bracket appeared. Gary scanned the list immediately, finding his name opposite a young woman named Yui. He glanced across the room and spotted her—a focused, sharp-eyed Trainer about seven or eight meters away.
Their gazes met, an unspoken challenge passing between them. The air between the two almost seemed to hum, though the only real sound in the room came from Morrison awkwardly locking eyes with Ash, knowing they'd be opponents in the coming rounds.
Gary broke off the silent stare first, leaving without a word to grab dinner at the Players' Village restaurant.
Later that evening, back in his room, he opened his PokéNav to check Yui's profile:
Pokémon Used in Tournament: Wigglytuff, Sharpedo, Ninjask, Mawile, Raichu, Medicham, Tropius, Houndoom.
Gary raised an eyebrow. "Eight Pokémon. That's quite the roster." He scanned the battle records—she'd rotated her lineup since the start of the Conference.
"She's no rookie," he murmured. "At least two or three years of solid battling. Probably a couple of her Pokémon are quasi-Elite level."
He smirked. "Still not a problem. If Tyson can make the finals here, that means this tournament's overall power level isn't that high. I can take this easy."
The second round of the Hoenn League Ever Grande Conference was set to begin. All matches for the day would take place in the morning session.
The first battle was between Ash and Morrison. The chosen field was the Ice Arena.
Morrison, still struggling with the idea of battling his friend, fumbled his strategy in the first half and lost two Pokémon quickly. He pulled himself together later, but by halftime, Ash was already in the lead.
The second half was more competitive, yet Morrison's recovery wasn't enough. Ash ultimately claimed the win. The most update n0vels are published on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩
Tyson's match followed. Though close, he managed to secure victory without relying on his Metagross, instead showcasing his Absol's sharp, calculated strikes.
"And now, for our third match of the day—please welcome Gary and Yui!" the host announced with enthusiasm.
The two Trainers emerged from opposite ends of the tunnel, walking onto the battlefield with measured steps.
"The competitors are in position," the host continued. "Let's determine the first-half battlefield type!"
On the massive screen, a roulette of terrain icons spun rapidly. After a few seconds, the pointer clicked to a stop on a droplet-shaped symbol.
"It's decided! The battlefield will be… the Water Field!"
The arena rumbled faintly as mechanical platforms shifted and the floor panels retracted, revealing a massive pool below. Two sturdy floating platforms rose into place, one on each side, each large enough for a Pokémon to stand comfortably.