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Since Ash had arrived late, his room was assigned on the very top floor of the Trainers' Village. The view was excellent, but climbing up and down was going to be a hassle.
After dropping off their bags and regrouping in the lobby with Kai, the group headed together toward the outdoor stadium where the preliminary selection matches were being held.
The "preliminaries" gathered all two hundred registered competitors into smaller brackets, reducing the number down to just forty-eight.
It wasn't open to the public, more like an internal qualifier before the real Silver Conference began. Each trainer would get three battles against different opponents.
Performance mattered most, even if a loss wouldn't necessarily eliminate someone if they fought well enough.
Kai explained the rules carefully, and Ash nodded with sudden understanding. "So basically, as long as I battle hard and impress the judges, even two losses won't knock me out, right?"
"Exactly," Kai said with a smile. "But remember since it's only one Pokémon per match, anything can happen. If you want to advance, you'll need to give it everything you've got."
Because it was mandatory for every competitor, the preliminaries were scheduled the day before the official opening ceremony.
Even Kai, who had arrived in Silver Town days earlier, still had to compete alongside everyone else.
When they reached the stadium, they saw over a dozen fenced-off battle courts lined side by side. Trainers from all over Johto and beyond were arriving in droves, more than two hundred in total.
At the registration desk, Kai drew his match slips. He had been placed into Group A, with battles set for the second, fourth, and tenth rounds. All even numbers. Hopefully, that was a good omen.
"Alright," Kai said, turning to Ash, "let's each do our best."
The two rivals split off toward their assigned fields. Erika naturally stuck with Kai, while Brock accompanied Ash.
Misty hesitated, glanced back and forth between them, then muttered a quiet "sorry" toward Ash before quickly following Kai as well.
By the time Kai reached Group A's field, the first battle was already underway. Two young men were going head-to-head, one commanding a Nidoking and the other a Hitmontop.
The clash was evenly matched, both trainers shouting encouragement until finally Hitmontop landed a decisive Triple Kick, dropping Nidoking hard.
The judge raised a flag, signaling the next competitors.
"Kai, please step onto the field."
"Good luck, Kai!" Misty cheered, pumping her fist.
Kai gave her a small smile and walked onto the battlefield, sizing up his opponent.
Across from him stood a boy no older than ten, wearing a blue cap and a black jacket.
At his side stood a Pikachu. For a moment, Kai blinked. He looked uncannily like Ash, right down to the faithful Pikachu at his heels.
As both trainers took their positions, the referee raised his flags.
"Next match: Kai versus Koji!"
"Travis?" Kai frowned. The name sparked a memory. He studied the boy more closely, then suddenly asked, "Wait… you're from the Orange Islands, aren't you?"
Travis's eyes widened. "Huh? Yeah, but… how do you know that?"
"So it really is you," Kai said with realization. He smiled. "A while back, when I traveled through the Orange Islands, I met your mother on Kumquat Island. She asked me if I had ever seen you in Johto, to tell you she misses you and hopes you'll come home soon."
Misty nodded in agreement. "Ash and I met your mom too, Travis. Her name's Luana, right? She was worried about you."
The boy froze, eyes welling slightly. For a moment, he was no longer in Silver Town but back on the warm shores of his island home.
"Mom…" He quickly wiped his face and gave Kai a grateful nod. "Thank you for telling me. I've been away too long. After the Silver Conference, I'll go back."
Kai felt a small sense of satisfaction. He hadn't expected that old promise to actually connect like this, especially during his very first preliminary match.
Fate certainly had a sense of humor.
But Travis straightened, his expression turning firm. As thankful as he was, he wasn't about to hold back. He had left home to prove himself, and that meant giving everything he had in this battle.
The referee gave the signal. Both trainers pulled out their Poké Balls.
"Go!"
Twin flashes of light struck the field. Travis's Pokémon materialized first as a massive Kingler, easily half again the size of an average one, its giant claw snapping with force.
Kai countered by sending out his trusted Dragonite, the orange dragon towering confidently as it landed on the field.
"Careful," Travis warned earnestly, though his tone carried no hesitation. "This Kingler was the first Pokémon I ever caught besides Pikachu, and I brought it all the way from the Orange Islands. It's strong!"
Kai chuckled. "I believe you. But don't underestimate my partner either. Dragonite's not one to go easy."
The battle was about to begin.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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