"Alright, that's enough," Natsui said with a smile. "You all look travel-worn. You should hurry and register, then go back to your room and clean up."
Hearing this, Ash remembered that this was the last day for registration. He didn't delay any longer and hurried into the Pokémon Center with Pikachu.
Natsui, Erika, Misty, and Brock stood there catching up. They had only been talking for a short while when Ash came running back out.
"All done!" Ash gave them a thumbs-up, a bright smile on his face.
"Let's go," Natsui said with a nod. "I'll take you to your room first, and then, as usual, I'll treat you all to a big meal."
"Yay!" Ash and Misty cheered in unison.
However, just as they were about to leave, they ran into a familiar face.
"Ash, Natsui, fancy meeting you here. It's been a long time."
The group turned to the voice and saw that it was Gary.
Natsui remembered meeting Gary shortly after arriving in Johto. He had known since then that Gary was also going to challenge the Silver Conference, but he hadn't heard any news of him since. He never thought they would meet again here today.
But...
He didn't know what kind of journey this guy had been on, but he seemed much more mature than before. Not only was his sports car gone, but even his ever-present cheerleaders had disappeared. He was all alone, carrying a small backpack.
Seeing his rival and opponent from Pallet Town, Ash was as excited as if he had been injected with chicken blood.
"Gary!" Ash pointed at him and said in surprise, "So you're participating in the Silver Conference too!"
"Sigh..." Gary let out a helpless sigh. "You really are a careless guy. Have you forgotten? We had a battle at my grandpa's lab after the Indigo Conference. I told you that day that I was coming to challenge the Silver Conference."
"Huh?" Ash scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "Did you say that? Ah, sorry, I forgot..."
"Honestly..."
Gary ignored Ash and turned his gaze to Natsui.
"This time, I'm going to get my revenge for last time. I will defeat you!"
It seemed Gary was still holding a grudge about being eliminated by him in the Indigo Conference.
But Natsui was, of course, unafraid. He smiled lightly. "I'll accept your challenge anytime. But you'll have to actually make it to me first. Don't get eliminated halfway through."
"Don't worry," Gary said, shaking his head. "I've bet everything on this conference. The championship will be mine!"
"No, the championship is mine!" Ash, not to be outdone, declared. "I'm going to battle both of you, and then I'm going to defeat you!"
"Is that so?" Gary smiled. "I'll return that sentiment to you. I'm going to defeat both of you and win the final victory!"
The competition hadn't even started, but the rivalry between Ash and Gary was already heating up. Although defeating each other was their main goal, it was clear that they both considered Natsui their strongest opponent.
After a brief exchange, Gary left with a confident smile.
At that moment, Natsui looked around and noticed that Silver Town had become extremely lively compared to when he and Erika had first arrived.
Not only were the trainers competing in the conference gathered here, but countless spectators had also arrived early. Because of the crowds, some areas were already congested.
Among them, Natsui also saw some familiar faces. Not that he knew them personally, but he had seen a few of them in passing at different Pokémon Centers, and he even recognized a few competitors from the Whirl Cup.
He even saw Kenta and Marina, but they were far away and hadn't seen him, so Natsui didn't go over to say hello.
The group left the front of the Pokémon Center and walked down the street of food stalls and shops towards the Athlete's Village.
Even this street was now bustling with activity. There were far more vendors and goods for sale than before.
Here, Ash and Misty looked left and right, interested in everything from the food to the Pokémon masks, pillows, and other small trinkets. Their childlike curiosity was on full display.
Compared to the two of them, Brock was much calmer. He kept his eyes narrowed, looking only at the pretty girls.
As they were halfway down the street, they suddenly saw a large group of children gathered around an old man, excitedly asking for something.
When they got closer, they saw that the old man was none other than Mr. Goodshow, the president of the Pokémon League, whom they had met before.
Mr. Goodshow was holding a bunch of balloons and handing them out to the five- and six-year-old children around him. But because he wasn't very tall, he was almost completely hidden by the crowd of children.
After the children left, Ash was the first to approach him.
"President Goodshow!"
Seeing Ash and Natsui behind him, Mr. Goodshow's eyes lit up. "Oh, it's you two!"
Now it was Ash's turn to be surprised. "You still remember us?"
"Of course," Mr. Goodshow said, pointing first at Ash, then at Natsui. "I remember every impressive competitor. Ash, Top 16 in the Indigo Conference, often wins with unexpected tactics and by overcoming type disadvantages. And you, you're the Indigo Conference champion, aren't you?"
At this, Mr. Goodshow couldn't help but laugh heartily.
He truly was the president of the Pokémon League. Natsui was one thing; winning the Indigo Conference would naturally leave a deep impression. But to still remember Ash after so long was a testament to his impressive memory.
"Mr. President, what are you doing here?" Natsui asked.
Mr. Goodshow smiled. "As you can see, as the person in charge of the conference, I'm doing my best to give a small gift to the young fans who so enthusiastically support it."
"A gift? You mean these balloons?"
"Of course," Mr. Goodshow said with a nod. "They may be cheap, but they represent a token of my appreciation. Didn't you see? The children who took the balloons all had bright smiles on their faces."
He was right. The children were already full of excitement for the conference, and now with balloons in hand, they were chasing each other and having even more fun.
"My, my, the last time I saw you two was at the Indigo Conference," Mr. Goodshow said, stroking his beard. "To think you're now participating in the Silver Conference. I hope you'll perform brilliantly in every match and thrill the audience!"
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