The last match of the second round of the Ever Grande Conference Finals Tournament concluded that morning.
The battles had been fierce, but now only eight Trainers remained, each hoping to push one step closer to the coveted championship.
Because the matches wrapped up earlier than expected, the tournament officials announced that the third-round matchups would be revealed at 2:00 PM the following day.
After his own victory, Gary Oak headed straight for the Pokémon Center in the Players' Village. He handed his Pokémon over to Nurse Joy for treatment, watching carefully as each Poké Ball was placed into the healing machine.
Once that was done, he took a seat in the lounge and caught the rest of the day's matches via the live broadcast. By noon, Gary decided it was time for lunch.
The aroma of freshly prepared Hoenn cuisine filled the Players' Village restaurant. As Gary stepped inside, his eyes quickly spotted a familiar group — Ash Ketchum, Brock, Max, and Morrison. Without hesitation, he made his way over and took a seat beside them.
"Ash, you may have beaten me this time, but next time, I'm not going to lose to you!" Morrison said with a determined grin, his mouth half-full of food.
In his battle against Ash earlier, Morrison's slow start in the first half had cost him dearly. Had he been at his best from the beginning, the outcome might have been very different.
Ash smirked. "No problem, Morrison. Just make sure next time you give it everything you've got from the start."
"No problem," Morrison said again, nodding, before shoveling more food into his mouth.
Brock exchanged a relieved glance with Max. Seeing that both boys were taking the match result in stride eased his earlier concern — he'd worried a loss might sour their friendship.
Max, always eager to discuss tournament predictions, leaned forward excitedly. "There are only eight players left now. In the third round, there's a good chance you, Ash, Gary, and Tyson could end up facing each other."
Max wasn't just a casual fan; he studied League matches from all over the world, not just Hoenn.
And with three of his favorite Trainers — Ash, Gary, and Tyson — in the quarterfinals, the odds of them meeting seemed high.
His words made Ash and Tyson instinctively turn their eyes toward Gary. Gary's performance so far had been nothing short of dominant.
From the preliminaries to the current stage, he hadn't lost a single Pokémon in battle. Every match ended with a clean win.
Ash was doing well too — although he was used to the pressure of Leagues by now — and Tyson, while confident, privately admitted to himself that if he faced Gary, his chances were slim.
Gary noticed both of them staring and frowned internally. Why are they looking at me like that? It's not like I'm planning the brackets. For all we know, the next round could be between the two of you. Ash, you'd better show me your full strength when we do battle. If I'm going to beat you here at the Ever Grande Conference, I want it to be at your best. And if I win, I'll finally get that Mega Stone I've been eyeing… So don't go getting eliminated by Tyson.
"I have a feeling we won't end up facing each other next," Gary said aloud.
Ash tilted his head. "Why's that?"
"It's just a hunch," Gary replied with a smirk. "We'll see when the list comes out."
"Okay," Ash said, narrowing his eyes playfully. "But if I do meet you, I'll beat you."
"If you use your older, well-trained Pokémon, you might," Gary teased.
Ash shook his head. "No way. Except for Pikachu, I'm only using Pokémon I've caught here in Hoenn."
Pikachu, perched happily on Ash's shoulder, perked up. "Pika-pi!"
Gary raised an eyebrow. "And what about Latias?"
Ash had used only Hoenn-caught Pokémon so far, but Gary knew he had a Latias on his team — one that had yet to appear in battle.
"Latias doesn't like battling," Ash said sincerely. "I'm not going to force her into a fight."
Gary considered this, nodding slowly. Thinking about Latias's gentle nature, he realized Ash was right — she seemed far more interested in peaceful days than heated battles.
"In that case," Gary replied, "I won't use Latios when I face you."
"Deal!" Ash said quickly, feeling a wave of relief. He'd been quietly strategizing how to deal with Latios, and now he could focus on the rest of Gary's lineup.
Max gawked at them. "Wait… you're just deciding not to use your strongest Pokémon? Isn't the League supposed to be about winning?"
Brock chuckled. "The League is also about testing a Trainer's growth. For Gary and Ash, it's not just about the trophy. They're here to strengthen their current teams."
The truth was, Ash had always placed more value on training new Pokémon than winning at all costs.
If he wanted to guarantee victory, he could bring his most experienced partners from past regions. But his ultimate goal lay beyond the League — the World Championship.
After lunch, the group lingered in the restaurant until nearly two o'clock, enjoying a rare moment of calm in the high-energy tournament atmosphere. Then they headed back to the Pokémon Center to see the quarterfinals battle list.
The Pokémon Center was buzzing with Trainers, fans, and reporters. The other five advancing competitors were already there, scattered about the lobby. Most gave Ash's group little more than a glance — by now, everyone knew these four were friends.
At exactly 2:00 PM, the massive screen flickered to life.
Quarterfinal Matches:
Ash Ketchum vs. Tyson
Gary Oak vs. Sasuke
Gary smirked. "See? I told you I wouldn't be facing you yet," he said to Ash with a wink.
Ash's eyes flicked over to Tyson. "Looks like it's you and me next," he said, his tone somewhere between challenge and excitement.
Gary, however, was caught slightly off guard by his opponent's name. Sasuke? The name was identical to one he'd heard before in an entirely different context, though this Sasuke wasn't an Uchiha from some fantasy — he was a real-world Pokémon Trainer. And not just any Trainer — a Ninja from the Johto Region.
Ninja Trainers were rare. Only three formal Ninja schools still existed: one in Kanto, one in Johto, and one in Kalos. Their students were known for stealth, cunning tactics, and unusual battle strategies.
Ash let out a sigh. "Last round I faced Morrison, and now it's Tyson. Are you sure the next round isn't going to be you, Gary? Seems like I'm battling all my friends in order."
Gary grinned as he turned away. "Do your best tomorrow, Ash. I'll be watching."
Both Ash and Tyson exchanged nods of mutual respect. Neither wanted to leave the battlefield with regrets.
Back in his room, Gary powered up his laptop and began researching Sasuke's past matches in the Ever Grande Conference.
Trainer Name: Sasuke (Male)
Known Pokémon: Crobat, Tentacruel, Scizor, Arbok, Gulpin, Masquerain, Marowak, Zangoose.
Gary whistled under his breath. "That's quite a lineup."
For most Ninja Trainers, the emphasis was on quality over quantity — they usually carried only a few Pokémon to remain mobile and stealthy. But Sasuke had raised at least eight, and there was no telling if he had more.
One name in particular caught Gary's attention: Gulpin.
He leaned back in his chair, recalling a previous League where a Gulpin had caught him completely off guard. The little green blob had used Destiny Bond — a move that could drag its opponent down with it. Normally, Gulpin had to reach a very high level and evolve to learn such a move, but sometimes, with enough skill and training, they could master it early.