One month later.
Time slipped by like grains of sand through your fingers.
Ever since he'd caught Mewtwo, Silas had sent all his Pokémon up the mountain for special training, while he and Suzie stayed home to keep Professor Oak company—sometimes giving Gary pointers with his Pokémon. Things stayed like this right up until the day before the Indigo League kicked off.
Indigo Plateau.
As soon as Silas and Suzie got off the plane, they were met by a sea of people. Suzie couldn't help but sigh, "Wow, there's so many people!"
"Of course." Silas lazily handed his Pokédex to security, waiting to clear the checkpoint, "After all, the Kanto League is the biggest tournament in the region. Every merchant wants a piece of the action, all sorts of random social climbers want a ticket, and then you've got the weirdest collection of qualified Trainers—all added up, it'd be bizarre if it wasn't this crowded."
"All sorts of ways to get qualified?" Suzie looked confused.
"Yep." Silas nodded, taking his Pokédex back as they walked forward together. "The usual way is like me—collect eight badges. But if you graduate from Pokémon Tech like Giselle did, that diploma counts as a pass. There are also things like the Pokémon Appraisal Exam. I mean, do you really think 256 Trainers manage to earn eight badges every single year?"
"I get it now." Suzie nodded, finally understanding.
While they chatted, they arrived at the Pokémon Center. Silas found Nurse Joy and handed over his Pokédex and badge case. "Nurse Joy, I'm here to register for the tournament."
"Of course!" Nurse Joy took the Pokédex and badges, quickly typing at the computer. After processing, she returned the Pokédex with a warm smile. "Silas, you're all registered! Tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. please come here to draw lots for your first opponent and field; matches start at 9. Sorry for any inconvenience!"
"Thanks."
Silas put away his Pokédex and left with Suzie.
Although the League did provide accommodations in the Trainers' Village, those rooms were tiny, single occupancy, and super noisy—definitely not good for resting. So Silas skipped the Trainers' Village entirely and got Lorelei of the Elite Four to book him a hotel instead.
When they arrived at the hotel, it was with full honors courtesy of Lorelei. And there she was, basking in the sunlight with a cup of coffee, practically oozing relaxation—not the least bit like a busy Elite Four.
"Hey there." Just as Silas and Suzie gawked, Lorelei put down her book and smiled, "Finally! If you hadn't shown up today, Silas, I'd have thought you were waiver."
"Big Sis Lorelei!" After the surprise wore off, Suzie beamed and asked, "How are you here? Aren't you super busy?"
"Oh, I'm busy, alright!" Lorelei nodded, then shot a meaningful look at Silas. "But thanks to you, the whole Elite Four is on break during the Kanto League. So, for now, I'm not busy at all."
Me?
Silas was even more confused. He frowned. "How's that got anything to do with me?"
"Champion." Lorelei said the word with a straight face. "Silas, there's something I've got to tell you."
"Let's hear it." Silas narrowed his eyes slightly.
Lorelei took a beat to gather her thoughts, then spoke quickly, "You know there are some people in the League who don't like you. Of course, you've got plenty of supporters too, and you're crazy strong, so no one dares to mess with you head-on. Instead, they're pulling strings behind the scenes."
"Like?" Silas's expression didn't change at all.
Seeing how calm he stayed, Lorelei let out a quiet sigh of relief before continuing, "The Champion Battle! They're using the excuse that Kanto is League HQ, so only top Trainers can be Champion here. That means, for this Champion Battle, it's not the usual one-on-one—this time, all four Elite Four are teaming up against you, in a massive free-for-all! And you'll be controlling six Pokémon at once… versus their twenty-four!"
One vs four?
Controlling six Pokémon against twenty-four at the same time?
Hearing this, Suzie's face went pale. She blurted, "That's totally unfair!"
"Definitely unfair." Lorelei nodded, voice bitter. "All four Elite Four, and two of them are actual Champion-tier on top of that. Agatha is even known as the strongest Champion-level Trainer. Still, if you can win, you'll get way more power than a normal Champion—you'd command the police system as well, not just the Elite Four."
"That's still not fair!" Suzie shouted, getting wound up. "How's one person supposed to control six Pokémon and take on four top Trainers at once? That's just bullying!"
"Exactly." Lorelei nodded in agreement, helpless. "We fought for you, but it seems this was their last word. No matter how hard we push, they won't budge."
"Jeez…"
"Anything else?" Silas asked calmly, while Suzie was still fretting.
"That's it." Lorelei shook her head.
"Okay." Silas casually grabbed a chair and lounged back. "Well, I've got news for them, then—please pass the word along. I quit the Champion match. Kanto's only one region out of six; who says I have to be Champion here? I'm thinking Sinnoh looks pretty good. Since our family's had beef with them for ages, it'd be pretty fun to keep them under my thumb for a few decades."
"No, don't!" Lorelei's face changed instantly. If Silas really did become Sinnoh's Champion, Indigo League would be a laughingstock for years. And if Kanto's people found out Silas was driven out by League politics, their reputation would be ruined. She hurried, "Let us try to fix this, okay? Just focus on the tournament for now, alright?"
"Nope." Silas shook his head, looking at Lorelei dead serious. "Four-on-one? Sounds easy. But I told you before—don't play games with me. I'm not interested in chasing after power. If I've already made it clear and they're still pulling these stunts, then they can't blame me for walking."
...
The next morning.
8 a.m.
Yesterday's drama didn't seem to bother Silas at all, and Suzie naturally backed him up. With Lorelei off scrambling to meet with the League, they arrived at the Pokémon Center for the morning's draw.
"Thank you for waiting." After a quick tap of the keyboard, Nurse Joy smiled professionally. "Your match is at ten a.m., on the grass field, and your opponent is Souta from Celadon City."
"Thanks." Silas nodded, then asked, "Could I get a quiet practice room?"
"Absolutely!" Nurse Joy handed over a key and cheerfully reminded him, "Per tournament rules, practice rooms cost 100,000 yen per hour. If you go over—even by a minute—you'll be charged for two. And if you break any equipment, you'll be billed at double. Please plan accordingly!"
What a rip-off!
That was Silas's only thought. But he accepted it—he had no real grounds to argue. It was a League rule, after all, not Nurse Joy's. You can't fight city hall, so, as the saying goes, it was a willing seller and a willing buyer.
Practice Room.
Calling it a practice room was generous—it was basically an empty box. Suzie winced at the price. "Silas, why blow so much money?"
Silas didn't answer—his actions did the talking. He tossed out six Master Balls, and in a flash, Mewtwo, Dragonite, Tyranitar, Charizard, Gengar, and Pikachu all appeared before him. Then Silas asked gently, "Today's the first round—anyone want to volunteer for battle?"
"Are there any top Trainers?" Mewtwo piped up first, and the other five Pokémon looked at Silas, eyes glittering with interest.
After spending so much time together, Mewtwo's attitude was way less icy than before.
"Nope." Silas shook his head and pointed at Pikachu. "For this round, the strongest you'll find will be about Pikachu's tier."
'Pikachu…'
Pikachu immediately cried out in protest, clearly resenting being labeled "just Pikachu-level." But it got even more depressed as the others spoke—Dragonite went first, "Forget it. If Pikachu's the ceiling here, I'd rather just nap in my Master Ball."
"Same." Silas nodded, turning to Gengar.
"I'll pass too." Gengar yawned, "This kind of beatdown isn't worthy of a super expert like me. I'd rather catch some Z's."
Gengar's answer made both Silas and Suzie sweat-drop. Silas glanced at Charizard, but then he gave up—the lizard was already sprawled on the floor, pretending to sleep, clearly refusing to participate.
"Tyranitar?" Silas asked wearily, "What about you?"
"Can I sit out?" Tyranitar gave him a pitiful look and pointed at Pikachu. "If the strongest here is just Elite Four-tier, it'll be too easy. One slip and someone could get seriously hurt."
"…." Four Pokémon all declined. Silas looked to Mewtwo: "What about you?"
"Refused." Mewtwo was even more blunt than the others.
That just left Pikachu—except after searching, Silas found it sulking in a corner, doodling in the dust. Apparently, those stray insults had hit it hard!
"Hey, Pikachu." Silas knelt beside it, comforting, "Don't sweat it. You're not weak. Train hard, and you'll catch up to them in no time."
'Pika~' Pikachu just looked even more downcast.
Watching this, Silas was stumped. His other five were completely uninterested, so Pikachu was his only hope. If Pikachu tanked the match, he was doomed. He forced a smile, "How about this, I'll get you lots of yummy food for lunch, alright?"
Food?!
Pikachu's eyes lit up—suddenly energized.
Seeing this, Silas grinned. "Then you've got to do your best in the match."
'Pika?' Pikachu tilted its head, then shook it wildly, jabbing a paw at the other lazing Pokémon, as if to say, "If they're not playing, neither am I!"
Staring at his six, Silas was about to blow his top.
Other Trainers had their Pokémon fighting over battle slots—heck, on his way in, he'd seen Trainer teams brawling just for a chance to enter!
But look at his team!
All six Pokémon just lazing around—completely refusing to join in. What the heck?!
Suzie noticed Silas's angry face and hurried to calm him, "Don't be mad. It makes sense—they're just way too strong now."
"I'm not mad." Silas snorted, "Why be mad? If they want to skip the League, fine—I'll just cut off their food and load on the training."
Starve them?!
The six instantly sprang upright.
Anything else was whatever—but this was their ultimate weakness! Even Mewtwo had become addicted to the food with elemental crystals during this time. If Silas starved them, that was death itself!
"I'll fight!" Dragonite cried out, breaking all dignity. "If nobody else wants to, Trainer, I won't let you down!"
"Bull!" Gengar shouted, outraged. "That's my line! I'll crush a dozen—or a few hundred—opponents if that's what it takes, just to keep us looking good!"
Gengar abruptly shut up—no, it wasn't his choice. In the next instant, a blue glow fell over him, as well as Tyranitar, Dragonite, Pikachu, and Charizard—like a mass paralysis spell. Then… the source, Mewtwo, stepped forward to Silas. "I'll fight."
Two hours later.
Silas walked into the Trainers' tunnel.
At first, all six had zero interest in the League, but once he mentioned starvation, suddenly they were all raring to go, itching for the first slot!
Silas ignored the thunderous cheers of the crowd as he stepped onto the stage. Glancing at his opponent Souta, Silas just shook his head—this guy was clearly a rookie, nervous as hell just from being in front of a big audience.
That could go either way: sometimes nervous rookies performed beyond themselves, sometimes nerves just ruined everything. In Silas's eyes, though, that type of unstable state usually meant a quick meltdown—far less effective than just being average.
With both Trainers in place, the commentator introduced the match for the audience.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the battle is set to begin! In the red corner, from Celadon City, we have Souta—who earned his place here the classic way, by claiming eight badges. Clearly, a Trainer of impressive skill! Let's hope he gives us a thrilling battle!"
"In the blue corner, from Pallet Town, it's Silas—a phenomenal contender who likewise entered with eight badges. According to my notes, he's never needed more than one Pokémon per Gym—and has been hailed by the Gym Leaders as 'Kanto's Hope,' and even the 'Future Champion'!"
At these words, a wave of chatter and excitement swept the stands.
"A future Champion—from Kanto?!"
"Whoa! He must really be something. Let's see if he lives up to the hype!"
"I hope so! Kanto hasn't had a proper homegrown Champion in ages. If he pulls it off, the whole region can hold its head high!"
The commentator's intro made Silas frown slightly. He silently apologized to Souta, who was already wound tighter than a spring. He knew this was all politics—the League had clearly set this up to steer public support toward his becoming Champion.
As the crowd discussed, the referee explained the rules: "Match is three-on-three! Trainers may freely substitute Pokémon until one side has lost all three. Is that clear?"
"Understood!" Silas and Souta replied in unison.
"Then… BEGIN!"
The moment the ref called "Start," Souta hurled a Poké Ball. "Go! Onix!"
Silas was only a beat behind, tossing out a Master Ball: "Pikachu!"
'Onix~'
'Pikachu~'
Onix and Pikachu appeared on the grass field. Onix eyed the little rodent with nothing but scorn.
"He's out! Kanto's hopeful, Silas, sends out—Pikachu? Against Onix?! Is this a rookie mistake, or does he have something planned?"
"On the flip side, Souta opens with Onix, and from the looks of it, this Onix has been trained well—the average Onix is only 8.8 meters, but this one is over ten! With Onix's immunity to Electricity, he's at a clear advantage. Victory should be a breeze!"
The commentator sounded disappointed by Silas's first pick—so did the audience.
"Why Pikachu? Where's your heavy hitter? Switch already!"
"Yeah, switch—let us see one of your powerful Pokémon! Pikachu's not impressive!"
"Come on! If you don't, he'll just sweep you—are you planning a comeback or what?"
"Pikachu?" Souta was just as thrown, then bragged, "Maybe you're tough, but my Onix isn't a pushover either. I'm taking the first win right here! Onix, Tackle!"
'Onix~'
Onix replied with a roar, slithering across the grass and tearing a dirt groove across the field in its wake.
As Onix charged, Silas commanded calmly, "Launch it. Thunder Tail!"
'Pikachu!'
Already waiting for the cue, Pikachu sprang into action.
It'd seen that look of contempt in Onix's eyes and was itching for payback. Now that Silas gave the order, Pikachu wasn't holding back.
Electricity crackled all around Pikachu, collecting in its tail and making it shine like living thunder. Wherever it darted, electric streaks burned in the grass.
The commentator gasped, "Thunder Tail? What kind of move is that? Does Silas really believe Pikachu can take on a…a…a…a—"
He trailed off, dumbstruck by what happened next.
Pikachu closed half the field in less than five seconds—bound for Onix. With a quick leap and spin, Pikachu's lightning-charged tail crashed squarely into Onix's head.
And Onix—just—flew.
That's right! Pikachu—a meter tall at best—launched a ten-meter Onix clean out of the field, nearly smashing the arena wall. The crowd fell utterly silent in shock.
Silent.
As silent as the grave.
Hundreds—maybe thousands—stared, speechless at Pikachu and the KO'd Onix.
"B-battle's over!" The ref stammered, raising his flag. "Red corner, release your next Pokémon!"
The referee's voice snapped Souta out of it. Clenching his jaw, he recalled Onix, then sent out a second ball. "Go! Pidgeot!"
'Pidgeot!'
Pidgeot's shrill cry split the air as it soared overhead.
The commentator jumped in, "Alright! Souta's second Pokémon is Pidgeot—razor-sharp eyesight, can spot pray a kilometer away, and flies at Mach 2! Can it—"
"Thunderbolt!" Silas cut him off, not even waiting for the question.
Now he kind of understood his team's lack of enthusiasm—this was just too easy. His opponent didn't even have the poise of a Gym Leader. Silas just wanted to wrap things up and get out of this noisy place.
'Pikachu!'
At the command, a blazing arc of electricity shot into the sky—Pikachu's Thunderbolt turned into a writhing serpent of energy, lashing right at Pidgeot!
Seeing that surge, Souta gritted his teeth and yelled, "Pidgeot, take the hit—then Aerial Ace!"
'Pidgeot!'
Pidgeot answered, banking sharply—right into the bolt.
'Pidgeot~!'
'Boom!'
Pidgeot let out a long, agonized screech as Thunderbolt smashed into it. When the sparks faded, the once-shiny bird was charred black, plummeting to the turf and leaving a crater behind.
"No way…" Souta stared, stunned, then faced Silas, "How did Pikachu's Thunderbolt land? Pidgeot dodged!"
"Prediction." Silas replied softly, "Anticipating the escape route, predicting movement, and attacking accordingly. This move was honed through a lot of solo fighting and hard training."
"…Thanks." Souta quietly recalled Pidgeot, drawing his last ball. "Maybe you are really that strong. I should forfeit rather than get my Pokémon hurt, but since I've come this far, I don't want any regrets! Go, Venusaur!"
'Venusaur~'
Venusaur lumbered out, looking sturdy as a centuries-old oak, waiting for Souta's orders.
"Vine Whip!" With nothing to lose, Souta ordered the attack.
With a deep roar, Venusaur lashed out two whip-like vines—thick and steel-hard, slashing right at Pikachu!
"Chidori!" Silas called.
'Pikachu~'
'Chirpchirpchirp!~'
A crackling charge gathered in Pikachu's right paw, lightning sizzling with the piercing cry of birds—so many, it was like a flock of a hundred calling at once!
After two months of training—especially since Mewtwo joined—the progress was fast! Pikachu had always grumbled about tough training, but took a ton of pride in being on Silas's main squad. Now with Mewtwo on the team, Pikachu was the weakest—and couldn't stand it. In the last month, Pikachu pulled out all the stops, grinding with the help of the other five until it finally pushed its power up to Elite Four-tier!
That sheer effort even impressed Mewtwo, who had no trace of disdain. If there'd been more time, Pikachu's Chidori would be a true "One Thousand Birds"—lightning sharps that split steel!
Screeching, Pikachu leaped atop one of Venusaur's whipping vines—then sprinted up it like a tightrope!
"Dodge!" Souta cried, face deathly pale. He had no doubt—the same Pikachu who had KO'd Pidgeot with just a Thunderbolt could end Venusaur with Chidori.
But he just couldn't quit—not in the first round of Kanto's League! So he pressed on, tense to the breaking point.
Was it too late?
Even as Souta gave the command, Venusaur tried to retract the Vines—but Pikachu was just too fast!
Before Venusaur had a chance to pull back, Pikachu was already at its head—plunging a Chidori-charged paw onto Venusaur's skull.
'Venusaur!'
The force of Chidori tore through Venusaur's forehead, the sparking lightning zapping her straight into unconsciousness. Venusaur's scream was pure agony—but as soon as Chidori pierced its skin, Pikachu released the charge, so all Venusaur felt were the aftershocks racing through its synapses.
As Venusaur collapsed, Silas called back Pikachu and walked off the field.
It took a minute after Silas was gone for the crowd to snap out of their daze, and the commentator yelled, "INSTANT KO! Silas has just KO'd all three of Souta's Pokémon with a single Pikachu—this is INSANE! Absolutely deserving of the title Kanto's Hope!"
The crowd roared their approval…
"So strong! That's the power we've waited for—soon Kanto will welcome a homegrown Champion!"
"Yeah! Kanto will finally have our day!"
"I'm gonna be Silas's #1 fan—heck, I'd even have his babies!"
As the stands buzzed, the commentator shouted ecstatically, "Breaking news—the League's fastest finish record has just been shattered! All three of Silas's matches ended in THIRTEEN SECONDS! Thirteen seconds!"
"The previous record? Eighteen seconds—set by none other than the current Johto Champion and Kanto Elite Four, Lance!!!"
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