Boom!!
Boom!!
From deep within the Ever Grande Conference Stadium, a thundering roar of cannons echoed, followed by a dazzling shower of multicolored streamers bursting high above the crowd.
The energy in the air was electric — the third round of the Ever Grande Conference final tournament was moments from beginning.
A voice boomed from the announcer's stand:
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our first challengers in the third round… Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and Tyson from Mauville City!"
From opposite ends of the player tunnel, two familiar figures emerged.
Ash stepped forward with his trademark confident smile, Pikachu trotting beside him on the railing before hopping down.
Tyson walked with calm assurance, his distinct cap pulled low and his Meowth-shaped belt buckle gleaming in the stadium lights.
Both trainers moved to their respective command positions as the crowd erupted in cheers.
There were four matches scheduled for this round — all of them to be played in the morning.
The rules were clear: the winners of these matches would advance to the semifinals, the losers would see their tournament run end.
In the players' lounge, Gary Oak sat with arms folded, eyes fixed on the live broadcast. He wasn't here to cheer Ash out of friendship — his concern was far more practical.
His own ongoing "system mission" required Ash to win the Conference for a very specific reward: a Mega Stone. If Ash lost here, the chain of tasks would be broken.
Gary muttered under his breath.
"Come on, Ash… don't mess this up."
The referee raised his flags.
"Begin!"
The grassy battlefield shimmered under the morning light as the first Poké Balls burst open.
Ash's choice: Glalie.
Tyson's choice: Sceptile.
"Glalie, Ice Beam!" Ash called sharply.
"Sceptile, Solar Beam!" Tyson countered.
Both Pokémon roared — "Glaa-lie!" — "Scep-tile!" — before unleashing their attacks. The ice beam and solar beam collided mid-field, forming a blinding sphere of opposing energy. The stadium fell into stunned silence… and then—
BOOM!
The resulting explosion sent a shockwave through the grass, engulfing both Pokémon in a cloud of dust and smoke. As it cleared, both lay fainted, unable to continue. The score was even at 1–1.
Tyson sent out Shiftry next — the swift, fan-handed Grass/Dark-type swayed menacingly.
Ash responded with Torkoal.
"Torkoal, let's turn up the heat!"
The Fire-type took the field with a loud bellow — "Tor-koal!" — smoke billowing from its shell.
Thanks to the type advantage, Torkoal overwhelmed Shiftry with a powerful Flamethrower, earning Ash the lead. Gary leaned closer to the TV, cautiously optimistic.
But Tyson quickly struck back. He sent out Hariyama, whose sheer strength proved decisive. Despite Torkoal's best efforts, Hariyama's Close Combat felled it.
Hariyama then went on to overpower Ash's Corphish — "Cor-phish!" — knocking it out with another relentless flurry of blows.
By the end of the first half, Tyson had taken down three of Ash's Pokémon, while Ash had defeated only one of Tyson's. The match was still up for grabs.
Gary frowned, muttering,
"What's Ash doing out there? This isn't his usual style…"
Halftime
During the short break, Ash stood quietly with Pikachu on his shoulder, his brow furrowed.
Tyson, calm and collected, offered a respectful nod before returning to his side of the stadium.
The terrain shifted, the grass giving way to jagged boulders and dusty ridges.
Tyson led with his still-standing Hariyama, while Ash sent out his swiftest flyer — Swellow.
Gary's eyes lit up.
"If anyone can turn this around, it's that Swellow…"
Indeed, this Swellow — "Swe-llow!" — was one of Ash's most battle-tested Pokémon, fearless and relentless.
It dived and weaved through Hariyama's attacks, eventually taking the Fighting-type down with a perfectly timed Aerial Ace.
Without pause, Swellow then outmaneuvered Tyson's Donphan, clinching another victory for Ash.
The score tilted in Ash's favor — but Tyson was far from done.
Tyson's penultimate choice was his ace: Metagross. The massive Steel/Psychic-type landed heavily on the field, eyes glowing with calculating menace.
"Swellow, Quick Attack!" Ash urged.
Swellow darted in — but Metagross barely flinched, using Psychic to halt the bird mid-flight before slamming it into the ground. One devastating Hyper Beam later, Swellow was out.
Ash's next Pokémon: Grovyle — "Gro-vyle!" — still unevolved despite reaching a respectable level. Gary groaned.
"Level 45 and still not a Sceptile? Ash, you and your Everstone curse…"
Grovyle used the rocks on the field for cover, firing Bullet Seeds at Metagross's head — specifically at a small scarred gap, a known weakness from a previous battle.
The strategy landed a few solid hits, but against Metagross's steel hide, it was barely a scratch. A Meteor Mash finished the job.
Down to his final Pokémon, Ash sent Pikachu into the fray — "Pika!" — cheeks sparking.
Despite Pikachu's smaller frame and lighter build, the mouse showed remarkable endurance.
Using Iron Tail to strike Metagross's weak point, Pikachu chained it with a Thunderbolt, finally bringing the steel giant down.
The stadium roared. Both trainers now had only one Pokémon left.
Tyson's final Pokémon leapt onto the field: his signature Meowth — not Team Rocket's Meowth, but a battle-hardened, well-trained fighter.
Gary's voice was tense.
"Ash… you didn't give Pikachu the Light Ball, did you?"
The two Pokémon clashed instantly. Pikachu unleashed Thunderbolt — "Pika-chuuuuu!" — but Tyson's Meowth countered with its own Thunderbolt, diverting the attack's energy.
Sparks crackled across the rock-strewn field as both Pokémon closed the distance.
They slammed into each other repeatedly in close combat, claws and tails striking, neither willing to give an inch.
But gradually, Meowth's relentless strikes wore Pikachu down. One final Double-Edge attack sent the Electric-type tumbling.
The referee's flag shot up.
"Pikachu is unable to battle! The winner is Tyson!"
The stadium erupted. Ash had been eliminated — his journey ended in the quarterfinals.
Gary sat back, stunned.
"You've got to be kidding me… I was supposed to face him."
His system interface chimed in:
[Ding! Mission failed: Original task cannot be completed. Compensation issued — Ever Grande Conference Champion reward: Ability Expansion Stone ×1.]
A follow-up alert flashed:
[Ding! Mission changed: New objective — Obtain Ever Grande Conference Champion. Rewards: Intermediate Rare Candy ×10, Advanced Rare Candy ×10, Bronze Crown ×1, Silver Crown ×1, Gold Crown ×1, Ability Enhancement Stone ×3, Ability Expansion Stone ×1. Bonus: Use only Hoenn Pokémon for double rewards.]
Gary's jaw dropped.
"Wait… you can do that?"
Gary asked aloud,
"System, can any Pokémon have two abilities active at once?"
[Response: If a Pokémon has only one standard ability, the stone will have no effect. If it has a second ability, it can be activated. If it has both a second ability and a hidden ability, all can be activated simultaneously.]
Gary sucked in a sharp breath.
"Three abilities… that's insane."
He mentally reviewed his current roster. Of his Pokémon, Breloom, Gardevoir, and Aggron fit the triple-ability criteria.
Breloom's standard and secondary abilities were Effect Spore and Poison Heal, with its hidden ability being Technician — incredibly useful for boosting weaker multi-hit moves.
The only downside: Breloom's base stats were on the lower side. Was it worth using such a rare stone on it?