Because he had arrived so late, Ash's room was on the top floor of the Athlete's Village. Although the view was better, it was a bit inconvenient for getting around.
After they put their luggage away, they took the elevator back down to the first-floor lobby to meet up with Natsui. Then, the group went to the open-air stadium to participate in the qualifying round.
The qualifying round was a preliminary event where all 200-plus registered competitors were gathered for a pre-selection. The goal was to eliminate contestants until only 48 remained. It was an untelevised group stage before the main tournament. Each participant had three opportunities to battle different opponents. Based on their performance, even if they lost once, they still had a chance to advance.
After Natsui explained these rules to Ash, Ash nodded in understanding. "So, as long as you perform well and the judges approve, you can advance even if you lose two matches, right?"
"That's right," Natsui said with a smile. "Since each trainer can only use one Pokémon per match, it's easy for upsets to happen. So, if you want to advance smoothly, you have to give it your all."
Because this was a mandatory stage for every participant, and considering that competitors arrived on different days, the Pokémon League had scheduled the qualifying round for the day before the opening ceremony.
Natsui, Ash, and every other trainer had to participate. So even though Natsui had arrived many days early, he had to compete today along with everyone else.
When they arrived at the venue, they saw a dozen battlefields surrounded by chain-link fences, all lined up next to each other. The other two hundred or so competitors were also arriving one after another.
At the service center, Natsui drew lots and received his match number.
He looked down and saw he was assigned to Group A, with his matches being the second, fourth, and tenth.
All even numbers. I wonder if that's a good sign.
"Well then, let's both do our best."
He and Ash parted ways and headed to their respective fields. Erika naturally went with Natsui, and Brock followed Ash. Only Misty looked back and forth, silently apologized to Ash, and then followed her heart, hurrying in the direction Natsui had gone.
The three of them casually made their way to the Group A field and found that the two competitors before Natsui had already started their battle. They were two young men of similar age. One had sent out a Nidoking, and the other a Hitmontop.
The two Pokémon seemed evenly matched, trading blows back and forth. For a while, it was hard to tell who had the upper hand. Both trainers were giving it their all, shouting encouragement to their Pokémon, neither wanting to lose the first match.
After watching for a bit, the Hitmontop finally used a Triple Kick that struck the Nidoking in the chest, knocking it to the ground.
Before the Nidoking's trainer could recall his Pokémon, the referee gestured for Natsui and his opponent to enter the field.
"Good luck, Natsui!" Misty said, clenching her small fists to encourage him.
Natsui smiled at her and walked onto the battlefield, his eyes on his opponent.
It was a boy of about ten, wearing a blue baseball cap and black clothes, with a Pikachu by his side. If he hadn't just parted ways with Ash, Natsui might have thought it was Ash who had walked out to face him.
The face and expression were too similar to Ash's, and he even had a Pikachu. He looked even more like Ash than Ritchie did.
Seeing that both trainers had reached their respective positions, the referee raised his flag and said, "Next up is the second match of Group A, Natsui versus Koji."
Koji?
That name sounds familiar.
Wait a second...
A memory flashed in his mind, and he couldn't help but ask, "Koji, are you from the Orange Islands?"
"Huh?" Koji looked at Natsui in surprise. "Yes, I am. How did you know?"
"I see, so it's you," Natsui said, suddenly understanding. Then he smiled. "What a coincidence. A while ago, when I was challenging the gyms on the Orange Islands, I met your mother on the islands. She asked me that if I ever found you in Johto, I should tell you that she misses you very much and hopes you'll come home soon."
Misty, who was nearby, heard this and nodded. "Miss Luana asked Ash and me too. I never thought we'd meet you at the Silver Conference!"
"Mom..." Hearing their words, Koji's thoughts drifted far away to the island where he grew up. It was as if he could see his mother's face, and his eyes grew a little misty. He nodded gratefully at Natsui. "Thank you for telling me. I really have been away for too long. After I finish challenging the Silver Conference, I'll go back."
Natsui hadn't really expected to fulfill this request. Johto was so big, how could you find a stranger? Now that the promise was fulfilled, he felt a sense of satisfaction.
He just never imagined that his very first opponent in the qualifying round would be Koji. Fate really worked in strange ways.
After composing himself, Koji looked at the handsome man before him again. Although he was grateful for the news about his mother, he wouldn't hold back in the upcoming battle.
He had left home precisely to leave his comfort zone and achieve good results through his own efforts.
With that thought, his gaze became firm, and he took out his Poké Ball.
"That's a good look in your eyes..."
Meeting Koji's gaze, Natsui also took out a Poké Ball from his pouch.
At the referee's signal, both threw their Poké Balls. With flashes of blue light, two Pokémon appeared on the battlefield.
Koji's Pokémon was a Kingler, a very common sight by the sea.
However, his Kingler was a bit different from the usual ones. It was huge, about a meter and a half tall, and looked very strong, a full size larger than a normal Kingler.
Natsui, on the other hand, had sent out his Dragonite.
"Please be careful," Koji said, perhaps feeling a little guilty for having to immediately battle the person who had brought him such kind news. He couldn't help but give a warning. "This was the first Pokémon I caught after Pikachu, and I brought it with me from the Orange Islands. It's very strong!"
"Is that so?" Natsui said with a nod, guessing Koji's feelings. He smiled. "Then you should be careful too. My Dragonite's strength is not to be underestimated either."
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Note from Lizbeth
This message is for one person who, after watching just one episode, thinks they know the worth of everything I do. But it's one thing to dislike something — and another to lie, make things up, or spread hate. That's never okay, under any circumstances.
We can all have different opinions, but anyone with common sense knows that lying is never acceptable.
I take the time to edit, check, correct, and make sure everything is fine before uploading. I don't do it carelessly. While some people waste time criticizing or making up things, I'm working hard to deliver something with quality.
I know I can make mistakes sometimes, but I always try to do my best and improve every day. Everything I post has time, effort, and dedication behind it.
I understand that not everyone will like what I do, and that's fine. But going to the reviews to lie or make things up just because you don't like something isn't giving an opinion — it's acting in bad faith.
There's also another person who keeps complaining because I delete their reviews. Of course I delete them if all they do is insult or spread hate. If you spend all day watching what I do, then my work can't be that bad.
I accept respectful criticism, but if you come just to spread hate or lies, your message goes straight to the trash.
I put a lot of effort into everything I do, and I won't let someone who knows nothing come and say my work has no value.
If you don't like it, don't watch it. My work has value, and I'll keep doing it — with or without your approval.
This message is for two people who've been doing the same thing for weeks. I'm not mentioning names because I don't like to.
To everyone else who leaves kind comments, constructive criticism, or points out mistakes — thank you so much. Thanks to you, I can see the errors I make and correct them. Sending a kiss, your friend Lizbeth.