The Million Pokédollar Voucher Tournament had been advertised for an entire week, drawing in many trainers from Violet City and surrounding towns. Trainers like Sato, who just happened upon the event, were actually quite rare.
Had he stayed at the Pokémon Center overnight, he would have noticed that it was already packed with trainers, a testament to the power of money's allure.
Of course, Sato's real goal was to train his Pokémon, but A million Pokédollars as a prize incentive didn't sound bad at all.
Holding his entry badge, number 311, Sato stood silently among the other trainers, waiting for his turn as the staff called numbers.
In front of him, three temporary battle arenas had been set up, each hosting intense matches.
Due to the large number of participants, the preliminary rounds followed a simple yet brutal format:
Ten trainers were randomly selected per match. Each trainer sent out one Pokémon. The last Pokémon standing would advance to the next round.
As a result, the battles became chaotic free-for-alls, where raw power often determined the outcome.
For Sato, the lack of strategy and finesse made the battles less interesting.
However... Looking at the cheering crowd, Sato realized that most spectators were ordinary citizens.To them, Pokémon were both familiar and distant: something they saw in daily life, yet rarely experienced in battle.
For these spectators, just watching Pokémon fight up close was thrilling enough. Battle tactics? That wasn't what they cared about.
For them, watching Pokémon trade blows recklessly was far more entertaining than any carefully executed strategy.
Perhaps influenced by the crowd's roaring excitement, even the trainers on stage began abandoning defensive maneuvers in favor of head-on clashes.
This gave a huge advantage to bulky, high-defense Pokémon.
The first round ended quickly. The three victorious trainers all relied on large, tanky Pokémon: Rhydon, Nidoking and Machamp
The second round followed the same pattern, with another thirty trainers entering the arena. This time, everyone had learned from the first round.
Once again, almost every participant sent out large Pokémon. The arenas became packed with colossal giants colliding violently.
The thunderous impact of their attacks sent shockwaves through the crowd, making them cheer even louder. Every trainer seemed to be fueled by adrenaline, fighting with wild abandon.
Among them, only two trainers attempted to avoid reckless clashes and instead relied on strategy.
However, their Pokémon weren't strong enough; in the end, they failed to make a significant impact.
Suddenly, the third arena erupted in an explosive commotion, drawing everyone's attention.
Sato narrowed his eyes and looked toward the source of the excitement.
On the battlefield, only one trainer remained standing: a high-class rich kid, standing arrogantly next to a fierce-looking Feraligatr.
Sato observed the ferocious water-type Pokémon closely.
Even though this was just a promotional tournament organized by a shopping mall, there were still strong trainers in the mix.
Feraligatr's performance stood out, dominating the battle with overwhelming strength.
The third round began, with thirty more trainers stepping up.
By now, more than half of them had already learned the winning formula.Once again, they sent out large Pokémon.
Sato casually rolled Haunter's Poké Ball in his hand. Would using stealth tactics get him booed by the audience? Just as he was debating the idea, another trainer made the first move.
A petite, delicate-looking female trainer sent out a small, nimble Bellossom.
While giant Pokémon clashed fiercely, her Bellossom danced between them effortlessly, never taking a single hit.
By the time the battle narrowed down to two Pokémon, a trainer with a Tauros suddenly realized: Bellossom was terrifyingly strong.
Sato took mental note of both Bellossom and its seemingly fragile trainer.
Bellossom's victory changed the entire tone of the battles that followed. Now, brute force alone was no longer enough.
Stealth, deception, and strategic ambushes started replacing direct combat. Even the spectators, who had previously enjoyed reckless brawls, were now captivated by the evolving strategies.
The tournament was becoming far more interesting than Sato had initially expected.
"Round 4, Arena 1. Participants No. 78, No. 9, No. 311..."
Hearing his number, Sato stepped out of the crowd without hesitation and walked toward the farthest battle stage, Arena 3.
Since there were so many participants, the organizers needed to finish the preliminary rounds on the first day. As soon as Sato stepped onto the battlefield, the match immediately began.
Haunter let out a low, sinister chuckle, barely audible to anyone except Sato.
The arena referee quickly approached to confirm whether Sato had sent out his Pokémon.
Sato pointed to an empty spot in the air, just as Haunter let out another ghostly snicker.
The experienced referee immediately understood what was happening: it was a Ghost-type Pokémon using its natural invisibility.
Without further questioning, the referee stepped back.
This entire exchange happened in seconds. Sato had deliberately positioned himself near the referee so that Haunter's presence would go unnoticed by the other trainers.
After all, everyone's attention was already focused on the largest Pokémon on the battlefield: a Golem.
As soon as the battle began, Golem immediately became the primary target.
Without overwhelming strength, size could be a disadvantage. Sure enough, under a barrage of Water Guns, Razor Leafs, and Ice Beams, Golem was the first to fall.
Throughout all this, Sato did nothing, he simply watched the chaos unfold like a spectator. He was so relaxed that he almost felt like sitting down and having a cup of tea.
Only when four Pokémon remained standing did the other trainers and spectators finally turn their attention to him.
"Hey, kid! Where's your Pokémon?"
A muscular, shirtless man with a booming voice called out. His Machoke was still standing strong, fighting strategically to stay in the match. With extra time on his hands, he decided to question Sato.
Sato pointed to a spot above the battlefield, and at that moment, a deep purple shadow suddenly materialized in midair.
A massive Shadow Ball formed beneath Haunter, its energy twisting and crackling ominously.
The arena shook violently from the Shadow Ball's explosion. Even those standing nearby could feel the tremor beneath their feet. When the dust settled, Haunter floated there, grinning maliciously.
Beneath him, the four remaining Pokémon had all collapsed, unable to move.
For a moment, the entire crowd fell dead silent.
The spectators watching Arena 3 were completely stunned. Sato casually recalled Haunter, unfazed by the eerie silence.
The muscular man clicked his tongue in frustration, withdrawing his defeated Machoke.
"A real man fights head-on! That sneak attack was cheap!"
Down below, some spectators booed, expressing their disapproval.
However, when they remembered the sheer power of that Shadow Ball, many felt uneasy. Cheap or not, it was undeniable. one attack had wiped out four Pokémon at once.
That kind of strength was terrifying.
Sato walked toward the waiting area for the advancing trainers, now the center of everyone's attention. Even with his strong mental fortitude, he couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious.
But then he reminded himself... he won with strength. And there was nothing to feel guilty about.
As the day's battles came to an end, only six trainers remained from Arena 3's final match.
After a full day of competition, the tournament had narrowed down to 32 contestants, perfectly structured for the next phase: a five-round 2v2 elimination tournament
Tomorrow, the real competition would begin.