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The three Pokémon registered for Ash's final match were Krabby, Gyarados, and Pikachu.
Since the battle would take place in a water arena, water-type Pokémon were given priority. However, not all water-type Pokémon on his team were suitable for this particular match.
The last slot went to Pikachu, which could serve as a countermeasure against potential threats. Ash knew his opponent would likely bring water-types as well, but they would almost certainly include Pokémon that had an advantage against water-type moves.
"Are you sure about this, Ash? You haven't used Krabby even once since you caught it!" Misty said, her voice filled with concern as she looked over Ash's registration list.
Krabby hadn't been used in a single battle. Even after all this time, it still appeared as underdeveloped as when it was first caught, looking almost exactly the same as that day.
It didn't seem to have grown at all. Beyond the obvious lack of battle experience and coordination between trainer and Pokémon, the main issue was that Ash hadn't trained it properly himself.
"No problem. It's been training during my time at Mount Hideaway, and it should be ready now," Ash replied with a confident smile.
"When did that happen?" Misty asked, clearly confused by Ash's response.
"You'll see during the match!" Ash didn't elaborate further, leaving it at that.
Misty exchanged glances with Brock and Yellow, but none of them pressed the issue. Ash always had his reasons when it came to battle strategies, so there was no need for them to worry.
After the morning matches concluded, it didn't take long before Green and Ritchie returned to the Pokémon Center one after another.
They each handed their Pokémon over to Nurse Joy for treatment and recovery. Ash and the others came forward to congratulate them both on advancing to the next round. In turn, Green and Ritchie wished Ash luck for his afternoon match.
During the lunch break, after finishing their meal, Ash and his friends walked out of the restaurant. That's when they happened to spot a familiar figure approaching them.
"Hm?" The person walked straight toward them, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
"You're my opponent in the first round!" A young man with long, seaweed-green hair stopped directly in front of Ash.
The group looked up and recognized him as Ash's first opponent in the tournament bracket.
"Can I help you?" Ash responded calmly.
"Nothing much, just wanted to say hello. My name is Mandi. I saw you catch that Moltres at the venue the other day. That was really something!"
The young man introduced himself, deliberately bringing up Moltres in the conversation.
"Thanks," Ash replied evenly.
They were opponents in the tournament, and Mandi wasn't like Green or Ritchie—friends who genuinely wished him well. Ash doubted the guy had good intentions.
"But for a new trainer like you, even if you managed to catch Moltres, I wonder... will it actually obey your commands?"
Just as Ash expected, Mandi's tone shifted. One moment he was offering praise, and the next he was taking a jab at him.
"What's that supposed to mean? Didn't you see that Moltres was caught willingly by Ash?"
Everyone could tell Mandi was trying to get under Ash's skin. Misty's temper flared immediately. If Moltres didn't obey Ash's orders, how could it have been caught willingly in the first place?
"Oh... sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that Moltres is so incredibly powerful—I'm sure it could win battles even without listening to its trainer! Man... I'm really unlucky. I didn't expect to face you in the very first round."
Mandi noticed Misty's anger but paid it no mind. Instead, he put on an expression of regret and concern.
Clearly, he was worried that Ash might use Moltres against him. These words were deliberate—a calculated attempt to mess with Ash's head. On one level, he wanted to provoke Ash. On another, he was trying to figure out whether Ash actually planned to use Moltres in their match.
It was also a mind game. Mandi was banking on Ash's age and inexperience. Ash had only recently started his journey, which meant he was at an age where competitive pride runs high.
Mandi spoke this way deliberately because he was trying to imply that Ash would only be using a legendary Pokémon to bully opponents unfairly.
He figured a rookie trainer like Ash would be provoked by this tactic. To prove his own skill and avoid appearing to rely solely on Moltres, Ash might choose not to use it. That was exactly what Mandi wanted—it was all part of his plan.
"You—" Hearing this manipulation, even Brock started to get irritated, not just Misty. Ash noticed this and placed a reassuring hand on Misty's shoulder.
"Hearing you talk like that actually makes me want to send out Moltres, just to show you whether it listens to me or not."
"If there's nothing else, we'll be going now." Ash brushed past him. If Mandi wanted to play mind games, Ash could do the same.
Mandi wanted to know whether Ash would use Moltres, but Ash wasn't about to give him that satisfaction. After leaving those ambiguous words hanging in the air, Ash walked away with Misty and the others.
To be honest, if Mandi had gotten him this worked up before registration closed, Ash might have actually considered using Moltres in the match.
However, once the roster is registered, it cannot be changed except under special circumstances—such as a Pokémon being injured or falling ill before the match.
Of course, the registered roster isn't made public. Even though registration was complete, Mandi had no way of knowing which Pokémon Ash had actually registered. He would remain in the dark, constantly worried about the possibility of facing Moltres.
In fairness, it wasn't entirely Mandi's fault for being paranoid. Anyone in his position would worry about the same thing. Any trainer matched against Ash would naturally be concerned about whether Ash might send out Moltres.
"That guy is so annoying!" Misty fumed as they walked down the street, still unable to calm down.
"Seriously!"
Yellow felt the same way. Moltres was Ash's Pokémon fair and square, so why shouldn't he be allowed to use it? The tournament rules didn't prohibit the use of legendary Pokémon!
"There's no need to let it bother you. The reason people act like that is because they're afraid of me. The more an opponent behaves this way, the less you need to worry about them. The ones you should really pay attention to are the people who don't care at all."
Seeing that both girls were still upset, Ash spoke up to reassure them.
"What do you mean?" Both Misty and Yellow looked puzzled.
"What Ash means is that those trainers who aren't concerned about him having caught Moltres—those are the ones who truly deserve attention. Trainers like Green, Ritchie, and Gary."
"As for that Mandi guy just now, he was already scared before the battle even started. He's already lost his nerve," Brock explained on Ash's behalf.
It wasn't that Green and the others were necessarily capable of defeating Moltres. Rather, even knowing that Ash had Moltres, they were still eager and excited to battle against him.
As for opponents who were already afraid before the fight even began—they had no real chance of winning.
"Oh, I get it now!" After hearing Brock's explanation, both girls finally understood what Ash had been trying to say.