"Ladies and gentlemen! The final champion of this year's elimination tournament has been decided. It is Gu Yuan and his Charizard!"
At that moment, the soundproof dome lifted, and the cheers of the crowd poured into Gu Yuan and Charizard's ears.
Seeing the fans' ecstatic faces and hearing their shouts, Gu Yuan and Charizard both felt their blood boil with excitement.
But Gu Yuan forced himself to stay calm with sheer willpower.
He knew very well that he was still far from being called strong. It was not yet the time to feel proud.
Charizard, however, had fought long and hard. In Gu Yuan's eyes, it fully deserved the applause and cheers.
While Gu Yuan remained composed and Charizard roared in triumph, hatred filled Reima Mizutani's eyes, thick enough to feel almost tangible.
It should be me standing there, basking in their cheers. Why? Why did Gu Yuan steal my glory?
After recalling Electabuzz, Reima buried that hatred deep inside.
Just like Gu Yuan had feared earlier, Reima didn't dare act recklessly in front of so many witnesses.
But in his heart, Reima refused to believe that, as the heir of the Mizutani family, he could not crush a commoner.
As he walked into the trainers' tunnel, he turned to glance at Gu Yuan one last time, silently passing a death sentence in his mind.
He did not notice that Gu Yuan's gaze had shifted toward him as well.
Gu Yuan wasn't blind. He had seen the malice in Reima's eyes, and he knew this matter was far from over.
Even though Reima alone didn't have much power, his family name could still bring trouble.
That was the annoying part. Otherwise, Gu Yuan would already have thought of a way to deal with him, even in Saffron City.
He looked away for now. There were more important things to focus on, like collecting his reward.
During the remaining award ceremony, Reima excused himself, claiming his Pokémon was too injured to attend.
Then came the moment Gu Yuan had been waiting for: the prizes.
***
In a luxurious lounge, a man named Michael entered with several staff members carrying silver trays.
"Hello. I'm Michael. May I call you Gu Yuan?"
"Of course."
"Good. Gu Yuan, these are the prizes you requested. Please take a look and see if you're satisfied."
He lifted the red cloth from the first tray.
"This is a Master Ball developed by our company. Because it's so difficult to produce, even we can only make a few each year."
"With this Poké Ball, you can try capturing any Pokémon you truly desire."
Even though Michael's tone was calm, Gu Yuan could still hear the pride behind his words.
Then Michael lifted the cloth from the second tray.
"These are the TMs for Swords Dance and Protect. You should already know their effects, so I won't say more."
Gu Yuan's eyes lit up. These were the rewards he valued most.
For the remaining Poké Balls, since he could only pick two besides the Master Ball, he deliberately chose the most expensive ones, planning to sell them later.
They weren't very useful to him, especially now that he had a Master Ball.
As for held items, Gu Yuan chose a Senior Rank Charcoal for Charizard and a Senior Rank spoon once used by an Alakazam for Kadabra.
Both would strengthen their Fire-type and Psychic-type moves and subtly influence their power, helping them grow even stronger.
Finally, Gu Yuan selected two bottles of Advanced-quality Medicine to ensure quick recovery in critical moments.
When Michael saw Gu Yuan accept everything with satisfaction, he dismissed the staff with a wave.
"Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Michael, manager of Silph Co. I'd like to know, Gu Yuan, would you consider accepting our company's investment?"
"Oh, and regarding Reima Mizutani, we already know about that incident."
"The purpose of Silph Co.'s tournament is to help League Trainers grow stronger."
"So you can rest assured. Whether or not you accept our offer, we'll handle this matter for you and guarantee your safety. You have my word as a Silph Co. representative."
He placed a prepared contract beside Gu Yuan. "Please look it over. There's no need to answer right away."
Michael sat down, giving Gu Yuan plenty of time to think.
Even without reading it yet, Gu Yuan already had a good impression of Silph Co.
Whether this was their usual approach or just a way to win him over, their behavior left nothing to criticize.
You don't even need to ask, we'll handle it for you.
And Gu Yuan believed they had the power to do so.
The Mizutani family might be strong, but compared to Silph Co., they were nothing. Especially since Reima's father could easily have another heir.
Unfortunately, because of Shadow's orders, Gu Yuan couldn't accept the deal.
He also guessed that the only reason Silph Co. was treating him this well was because Charizard had displayed Expert level mastery of Flamethrower.
Even among Elite-level Pokémon, few could reach Expert mastery in a powerful move like that.
The better Charizard performed, the more attention Gu Yuan received.
For that reason, Michael's contract must be extremely generous.
Seeing the offered support and realizing he would only need to help when Silph Co. requested, Gu Yuan's good impression grew even stronger.
But in the end, he decided to follow Shadow's words.
He had no choice. Silph Co. was powerful, but Shadow felt even more formidable.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I must decline. Please understand."
"As for Reima Mizutani, if his family really sends someone after me, we'll see who has the last laugh."
"Goodbye. I still need to prepare supplies for my journey, so I won't take up more of your time."
"Very well. Take care."
Watching Gu Yuan leave, Michael's interest only deepened.
He had spent many years navigating the business world and could easily tell whether someone was confident or merely arrogant.
Seeing the calm conviction in Gu Yuan's eyes only made him more determined to recruit him.
"Pass the word. Keep an eye on Gu Yuan. If his life is ever in danger, save him once."
He opened his communicator, dialed a number, and after giving a short order, Michael leaned back with a faint smile, eager to see what surprises Gu Yuan would bring next.