Outside the bustling stadium, the evening sunlight filtered through drifting clouds, painting the ground with patches of gold and shadow. A young girl stood at the entrance, panting lightly, a relieved smile brightening her face.
She wore a white long-sleeved shirt under a sporty jacket, paired with soft gray sweatpants and sneakers that still carried dust from the road. Her long hair swayed in the breeze as she pressed a hand to her chest and exhaled.
"Finally made it," she said cheerfully. "You're amazing, Jirachi!"
Hovering behind her was a small, star-headed Pokémon, its pure white body glowing faintly like moonlight. Three golden tags dangled from the corners of the star atop its head, each inscribed with faint symbols that shimmered as it moved. With a playful giggle, the little creature floated forward and nestled itself comfortably in the girl's arms.
"Jirachi is amazing," it said proudly, its voice gentle and melodic.
The girl Sophie laughed, eyes sparkling. "You really are."
Just as Lin Feng had guessed, Sophie had been delayed on her way to Changsha City. She had been tracking a mischievous Grovyle in the city's nature reserve and lost more time than she expected. What was supposed to be a one-day trip turned into a two-day detour.
But somehow, she was already here standing right outside the battle arena.
All thanks to the mysterious Pokémon she'd met the night before.
Jirachi looked around curiously, its large eyes glimmering as it took in the sight of the human world after so many centuries. This was its first day awake after a thousand years of slumber, and it was clearly delighted by everything it saw.
"The world's changed so much," it murmured, wings fluttering gently.
"It really has," Sophie said softly, following its gaze. "You picked an exciting time to wake up."
She couldn't help but recall the events of last night it still felt surreal, like a dream she hadn't quite woken from.
She had been camping alone near the riverside when she saw a streak of blue light race across the night sky. At first, she thought it was just a meteor, but then the ground began to glow. A nearby stone suddenly split open, and light poured from within, blinding and beautiful.
When it cleared, the "stone" was gone, and a tiny Pokémon floated in its place, blinking curiously at her.
"A Pokémon… that came out of a rock?" she'd whispered in disbelief. She had never seen anything like it, not even in Lin Feng's Pokédex entries. Her instincts screamed that it was something rare, maybe even mythical.
Her first reaction, naturally, was to try and catch it. She called out her Wartortle, ready for battle.
That… did not go as planned.
The moment Wartortle appeared, it found itself suspended several feet in the air, kicking helplessly while glowing ribbons of psychic energy swirled around it.
Sophie froze. The power difference was overwhelming. It wasn't even close.
The aura radiating from this Pokémon reminded her of Lin Feng's Gardevoir the same serene, almost divine energy that made the air around it hum.
Just when she thought she was about to get blasted into next week, the creature floated closer, tilting its head.
It spoke.
"Hey! Do you know any fun places to go? Or maybe something tasty to eat?"
Sophie had just stared. Her brain completely stopped working for a full five seconds.
A Pokémon. Talking. To her.
Panicking, she rummaged through her pack and handed over some of Wartortle's energy cubes, hoping it would be enough to "appease the gods."
Jirachi took one bite and its eyes lit up instantly. "Wow! These are delicious!"
Then it looked back at her expectantly, blinking with wide, shining eyes. Sophie could practically hear Wartortle sigh in disbelief behind her.
As she fumbled for more cubes, a thought struck her what would Lin Feng do in this situation?
She took a deep breath and smiled at the little Pokémon. "If you come with me, I'll show you even better food. And I know a place where you can have all the fun you want."
Jirachi's expression brightened like a rising sun. "Deal!"
That was how it began. Somewhere between the laughter, the flying, and the endless questions about "why humans build so many tall boxes," Sophie learned the truth.
Jirachi could grant wishes.
And the reason she made it from the wilderness to Changsha City in mere hours… was because Jirachi had made that wish come true.
Now, standing at the stadium gates, Sophie's heart pounded with excitement. She could already hear the roar of the crowd inside, the echoes of battles and cheers.
She gripped her Poké Ball tightly and smiled. "The second round of the tournament… here I come!"
"Let's go, go, go!" Jirachi chirped, spinning happily in the air.
Inside the arena, the air buzzed with anticipation.
Lin Feng stood calmly across from his opponent a boy in shorts, grinning from ear to ear and clutching his Poké Ball like it was a trophy. Both had already been verified by the referee and scanned by Rotom's system to confirm their Pokémon were under one year old.
The referee raised his flag. "Battle begin!"
The boy wasted no time. "Tepig! This is our first official battle let's show them what we've got! Use Tackle!"
The small fire-type snorted, pawed the ground, and charged forward with surprising speed. Its tiny hooves kicked up bits of grass as it barreled toward Lin Feng's Pokémon a young Alolan Vulpix.
Vulpix blinked in confusion.
"Vulpix?"
Was this really a battle? It felt more like playtime with Eevee and the others back home. Even her friend Ajiu hit harder than this.
She turned back to Lin Feng with a questioning look.
Lin Feng chuckled softly. "Alright, use Snow Warning."
He wanted Vulpix to be careful. After all, it was her first battle. Even though fire types usually had the advantage, he didn't want her to overdo it.
Vulpix nodded, took a deep breath, and released a surge of icy energy.
Within seconds, the temperature in the arena plummeted. Frost began to spread across the grass as white clouds formed above the battlefield. Then, as if winter itself had been summoned, snow began to fall thick, swirling, and fast.
The audience gasped.
"What the did the temperature just drop?"
"Whoa! That's Snow Warning, right? But how's it this strong?"
"I can't even see the field! Is that… a Tepig buried in there?"
"Hold on! Look at the trainer! That's Lin Feng, right? He's just standing there holding an egg, and his Pokémon's already controlling the weather?"
"Wait, the snow isn't falling outside the battle zone… only inside the arena? That means this Vulpix's control over weather is unreal!"
Even the referee was frozen in place both literally and figuratively.
The speed and precision of the snowfall were absurd. For a Pokémon under a year old, this level of control was nearly impossible. Even elite-ranked Pokémon couldn't usually do this.
Meanwhile, the boy in shorts was staring at the field, panic spreading across his face.
"Wait where's my Tepig?!"
The entire crowd burst into laughter as the snowdrifts continued to build. Only a small red snout poked out from the white mound at center stage, snorting weakly.
The boy groaned, hands clutching his hair. "Nooo! Tepig!"
Lin Feng sighed, raising a hand. "Alright, Vulpix, ease up. Let's clear the snow a bit."
Vulpix chirped softly and spun in a small circle. The falling snow gradually slowed, and the air warmed enough for the ice to melt into glittering mist.
As the fog lifted, Tepig stumbled out of the snowbank, covered head to hoof in frost. It sneezed loudly, letting out a tiny puff of flame that melted the snow around its nose.
The crowd cheered wildly.
"Now that's a powerful start!"
"Poor Tepig, though. I think it needs a nap and maybe a blanket."
Lin Feng smiled faintly as he crouched to pat Vulpix's head. "Good job. You did great for your first match."
Vulpix closed her eyes, purring softly under his touch. The cold sparkle of her fur reflected the lights of the arena, like starlight caught in snow.
Somewhere in the crowd, Sophie had just entered the stands, clutching Jirachi in her arms. She spotted Lin Feng on the battlefield and grinned.
"Looks like I got here just in time."
Jirachi tilted its head. "Is that your friend?"
"Yeah," Sophie said warmly. "And by the look of it… he hasn't lost his touch."