After the masked men left the hall, Kay stood in silence, his thoughts already drifting toward the upcoming store visit.
Although he didn't yet know what the store would offer, he had a clear goal in mind: he should buy Power Stones for his Pokémons.
His instincts, sharpened by the battles and trials he had already faced, told him that both Eevee and Growlithe were nearing evolution.
A long time had passed after their first evolution; they had faced in this period a very big number of Pokémons.
Even though Growlithe had evolved after Kay came to this tournament, due to the many battles that they had faced in this tournament, Kay was sure that it could evolve one more time before the end of the tournament.
So, Kay was obliged to buy Power Stones for his two Pokémons in case they evolved before he could return to his city.
If he wanted to make sure their evolutions were as effective and strong as possible, he would need to get the best Power Stones the store had to offer.
And if, by chance, he had some TentaDollars left afterward, he would consider buying other useful items to help him in the later stages. But his priority was crystal clear.
Just as Kay finished shaping his plan in his mind, the large metal door at the far end of the hall slowly opened with a heavy mechanical sound.
One by one, several Cubone-masked men walked in, taking up positions around the hall. Their presence was calm yet firm, like silent guardians watching over a sacred ritual.
Moments later, three more individuals stepped into the hall. These figures, too, wore the traditional Cubone masks, but their outfits were different.
White coats flowed from their shoulders, signaling their roles as doctors. Kay immediately recognized their purpose; their appearance and calm movements reminded him of the man who had treated Eevee after the first game.
Accompanying each of them was a Chansey, each dressed in a small white blouse, looking almost comically formal.
Yet Kay knew there was nothing funny about their role. These Pokémons were here to heal the Players' Pokémons.
As the doctors and their Chansey made their way across the hall, Kay focused his eyes and called upon his system to check the status of the Chansey.
Kay checked the status of the Chansey group.
---
Chansey
Potential: Dark Yellow
Stage: Intermediate Bronze
Moveset: Heal Pulse, Healing Wish, Heal Bell, Substitute, Helping Hand, Calm Mind, Gravity.
---
This one was the strongest among the group.
The moves that the group of Chansey knew were designed not for combat but for care and healing.
The tournament organizers took into consideration all the cases.
Shortly afterward, the Marowak-masked man appeared once again, stepping through the same large door the others had used.
He stood in the center of the hall, his voice carrying clearly as he addressed the players. "You are now authorized to call out your Pokémons to be healed, but do not call them out until a doctor comes to you and tells you it is time."
His gaze swept across the players, making sure his words sank in. It was a matter of order and caution.
If all the players took out their Pokémons, maybe they wouldn't be able to control the situation; that's why they prohibited the players from calling out their Pokémons without permission.
As he finished speaking, the original Cubone-masked guards called out their own Cubones.
The Pokémons appeared with flashes of light, then stood alert beside their trainers, watching carefully.
Their presence added another layer of supervision, ensuring the process would go smoothly without disturbance.
The doctors and their Chansey began making their rounds, stopping at one player at a time, checking on them, and preparing for the healing process.
After waiting for a while, it was finally Kay's turn. One of the doctors walked up to him with a calm expression and said, "You can call out your Pokémon now."
Without hesitation, Kay reached into his pocket and pulled out Eevee's Pokéball. With a smooth motion, he released it, and a bright light appeared before forming into the small, brown-furred figure of Eevee.
Kay wasn't worried about showing Eevee to the others. After all, during the teleportation after the third game, the Pokémon of every player had already been revealed. So, there was no longer a need to hide that his partner was an Eevee.
However, Kay made a decision at that moment that he would not call out Growlithe. He didn't want to reveal that he had two Pokémons to the others.
He had a strong suspicion that the organizers were intentionally trying to expose every trainer's Pokémon, maybe for the next games of the tournament.
Kay wasn't sure if hiding Growlithe would be allowed or if they had some way of forcing him to reveal it later. But he had a good reason to keep it hidden for now.
What gave him more confidence was knowing that Player 27, who had seen him with both Pokémons before, would most likely not reveal it to anyone else.
Kay figured that Player 27 would prefer to keep that information secret. If Kay advanced through the tournament while others were unaware that he had two Pokémons, it would increase the chances of him reaching the later stages.
Player 27 probably thought it would be easier to face Kay himself at the end, knowing his team well and already defeating him, rather than risk someone else defeating Kay and becoming an unknown threat.
Revealing that Kay had two Pokémons might make other players take precautions against him, which wouldn't benefit Player 27.
While these thoughts were spinning in Kay's mind, the Chansey standing next to the doctor stepped forward.
It moved with a soft and calming presence and raised one of its stubby arms toward Eevee.
A wave of gentle pink light pulsed from its hand; it was Heal Pulse, and Kay could immediately see some of the visible bruises on Eevee's body fading.
The healing wasn't just physical. As the Chansey continued, it began gathering more Psychic-type energy into its hands, glowing softly.
Then, with a serene hum, it released the energy toward Eevee. The sound it made was warm and comforting, like a lullaby sung in a quiet forest.
Kay felt it too. Even though the energy was aimed at Eevee, the warmth brushed against him as well.
A wave of calm washed over his body, light and refreshing. The exhaustion he had been carrying in his muscles since the last round of training seemed to melt away.
He blinked in surprise. For a moment, he felt as if he had just woken up from a long, peaceful nap.
After a few more seconds, the Chansey stopped. It turned toward the doctor and began speaking in its Pokémon language, "Chansey, Chansey..."
The doctor listened carefully, nodding at every word like he could understand it completely.
Once the Chansey finished, the doctor turned toward Kay with a slight smile. "Your Eevee is in its best shape now, fortunately, there weren't any hidden bruises or serious injuries."
Kay nodded in appreciation and replied, "Ok, thank you!"
Just as Kay thought the doctor would move on to the next player, the man paused beside him for a moment.
In a lower voice, he said something that completely surprised Kay: "The leader told you that leaving Growlithe hidden without exposing it to other players is a gift from him."
He didn't give Kay the chance to respond or ask questions. Instead, the doctor simply walked away to continue his duties, leaving Kay standing there, frozen.
Kay's eyes widened slightly. A gift? That meant the organizers, or at least the leader, had made a choice to help him keep Growlithe a secret.
Kay didn't know why; maybe one of the audience preferred that, or maybe the leader thought that it would be funnier that way.
As the doctor disappeared into the crowd, Kay felt a strange mix of emotions; surprise, confusion, and, most of all, determination that he would benefit from that advantage to the maximum.
See you in the next chapter...
We have finally reached 100 chapters, counting the advanced chapters. It was a long trip.
Drop some Power Stones to keep my motivation high.