One day later, the four arrived at Mt. Silver in the Kanto region. This time, the Elite Four Challenge would be held at the competition venue situated on the mountain. Although Lance was the primary challenger, it did not mean there were no other participants. The competition system for the Elite Four Challenge required that anyone wishing to challenge the Elite Four must first participate in several ranking rounds; only after a winner was determined could they formally issue their challenge.
Lance was simply one of the participants with a higher perceived success rate. After arriving at Mt. Silver, they were immediately received by staff and accommodated in several residences within the Mt. Silver League building, where they would wait for the competition to officially begin.
Challengers could choose to challenge the Elite Four either secretly or openly, provided both parties agreed. To demonstrate the current strength of the alliance, the Kanto region had chosen to make the event public. New-generation Trainers from various regions were invited, along with heirs of major families and high-ranking officials from various regional alliances.
Virtually everyone of status who had the time was making their way to Mt. Silver. Aoki and Phoebe represented the Hoenn Alliance, Steven represented the Stone family, and Wallace represented the Coordinator Association. Besides them, many other individuals from the Hoenn region had also rushed over. This event could be considered another grand occasion following the Sinnoh Tournament, as it held significant representative meaning: the younger generation of the alliance was beginning to formally take over the league's core combat power.
Among the current Kanto Elite Four, several members were somewhat advanced in age. Some wished to retire and enjoy their later years, which was how this Elite Four Challenge came into being. Aoki and the other three gathered in his room, holding several lists detailing the participants and brief introductions to their backgrounds. "Brother Lance is ranked first. It seems his chances of success are very high this time," Phoebe remarked, looking at the avatar and information displayed on the first page. Aoki also examined the document in his hand. This information had been distributed by the Kanto League staff to every invited spectator.
The first page indeed contained Lance's information: Lance of the Blackthorn Clan, a direct descendant, chief investigator for the league, skilled in using Dragon-type Pokemon. Listed below were the missions he had performed and completed... Noting his specialization in Dragon-types, Aoki emphasized this point mentally. This was a key detail; those who didn't know might mistakenly think he specialized in Flying-types, but that was incorrect—Dragon was the correct answer. Lance had long been the league's favored candidate. This Elite Four Challenge sounded fair, as if everyone had a chance, but in reality, it was largely Lance's personal showcase, with the others essentially there to fill out the roster.
Aside from Lance, there were a few other names Aoki recognized. Koga, the Gym Leader of Fuchsia City, a Trainer of Poison-type Pokemon. Seeing this name, Aoki was momentarily stunned. Was Koga also competing for an Elite Four position? Unfortunately, his expertise lay in assassination; this kind of head-on combat format was not where Koga excelled, at least not presently. He was more than capable as a Gym Leader, but there was still a gap to reach the level of an Elite Four member.
"Flint?" When Aoki saw this name, an image of Flint with his close-cropped hair, confident smile, and dedication to his family's cultivation came to mind. He had met Flint during his intermediate Breeder assessment. At that time, Flint had invited Aoki to visit Pewter City. He hadn't expected Flint to also participate in the Elite Four Challenge.
Then there were a few individuals who had participated in the Sinnoh Tournament alongside Aoki and the others. They were more likely just joining for the experience, to familiarize themselves with the atmosphere of an Elite Four Challenge in advance. It was similar to how, if Hoenn were to hold an Elite Four Challenge now, Aoki estimated the four of them would also participate. Whether they could ultimately succeed was secondary; it was always beneficial to try and broaden their horizons. Consequently, their rankings were relatively low. But Aoki was particularly looking forward to one match-up: Lance versus Lorelei. He wondered what kind of sparks the two would generate. It would be interesting to see Lance, the number one seed, fall to Lorelei. Would that then allow Koga to join the Elite Four? It wasn't impossible...
Finally, there were the four current Kanto Elite Four members. The first to be challenged was Agatha, the Ghost-type Elite, who was the first among the Kanto Elite Four at that time. It was said she had a close relationship with Professor Oak. Next was Bruno, the Fighting-type Elite, who could use his own body to fight against Pokemon, having developed his physique to its extreme. The third one surprised Aoki a little, though he also found it reasonable: Uncle Matsuda! Aoki hadn't expected that Matsuda still held an Elite Four position in Kanto. However, given Matsuda's strength, he even had a chance at becoming Champion, so it wasn't too surprising he was an Elite Four member. It was just a pure surprise; hadn't Matsuda resigned after serving for a while? Why was he still listed now? Aoki believed many people were familiar with the name Matsuda, and no one would doubt his strength.
The final Elite member was also the central figure of this challenge: Master Miyamizu, the current abbot of the Bell Tower in Ecruteak City, Johto. He was already very old, much older than Uncle Matsuda. He was preparing to step down from his Elite Four position, which was why this challenge was taking place. It was said he intended to return to the Bell Tower to live out his final days, hoping to contribute his last strength to the alliance's next generation. He had served as an Elite Four member diligently for thirty or forty years and was a respected elder within the Kanto League.
Just as Aoki and the other three were reviewing the information, Aoki suddenly seemed to sense something. He smiled and said, "Speak of the devil." After he finished speaking, his psychic power surged and the door opened directly. A figure appeared at the door, hand raised to knock, only to find the door opening before he could. The visitor was momentarily stunned. After looking at Aoki, who had just reined in his psychic power, he immediately understood. He strode in with a smile, his cape fluttering behind him. Here comes another one that's even more flamboyant, suddenly crossed the minds of Aoki, Steven, and Phoebe. However, when Wallace looked at Lance, he felt a sudden sense of crisis. Oh no! Here comes someone even more pretentious than me!
"What? I thought it was the devil, but it turned out to be Brother Lance," Phoebe was the first to react and muttered. Hearing Phoebe's words, Lance was stunned again, "The devil? Who is that? What a strange name." Aoki's mouth curled into a smile, "He was a very powerful Trainer in ancient times. He held a position comparable to the Pokemon League President and dominated the Pokemon world of his time." I see— Phoebe showed an expression of sudden understanding. So he was a formidable Trainer! Steven and the others, familiar with history, knew Aoki was talking nonsense, but they couldn't be bothered to say more. Lance was not shy and sat down next to the four of them.