Speaking of which, after making it to the top 32, not only has the Champion of the Sinnoh Region disappeared, but it seems the Champion of the Galar Region is also absent. Previously, whenever Ash had a match, they would come to watch.
But according to Conway's observations over these two days, aside from the Elite Four of Kanto and President Charles Goodshow, it seems that only Champion Steven from the Hoenn Region is left in the special spectator seats.
Where did those two Champions go?
Conway silently buried the question in his heart. These matters were no longer his concern. This journey in the Quartz Conference had come to an end for him. If not for wanting to see Ash's upcoming performance, he would probably have packed his bags and left tonight.
"Do your best in the next match. You did beat me, so if you lose, I won't let you off easily." Conway withdrew his hand and adjusted his glasses, 'warning' Ash.
"Don't worry, I will keep winning." Ash nodded, a confident smile on his face as he replied.
...
The opening match concluded. This opening match also stirred up the biggest waves today. Compared to it, the subsequent matches seemed rather bland.
The only match that caused some waves wasn't Paul's match, but Gary's.
Because Gary also used MEGA Evolution in the match, and it was the same MEGA Blastoise as Ash's!
This led the surrounding Trainers to start questioning life. What's going on? Was Ash the only one who underwent some sort of transformation? Why does even that guy called Gary have MEGA Evolution!
Is it possible that MEGA Evolution has already become commonplace in Kanto?
Of course, that's not possible. If MEGA Evolution had become commonplace, then it wouldn't just be Ash and Gary showing it off now.
Some insiders vaguely guessed the reason. Ash and Gary grew up together as childhood rivals. In a situation where Ash possessed a new power that could be shared, as his childhood friend, Gary naturally enjoyed this privilege first.
However, apart from being childhood friends, they also had a competitive rivalry. Even in this situation, Ash still willing to share the information about MEGA Evolution with Gary could only be due to Ash's magnanimity and the 'true love' between the two of them.
The MEGA Blastoise Gary showcased had a slight gap compared to Ash's, but the difference wasn't particularly large. Only some seasoned Trainers could spot the subtle differences that were difficult to detect.
Comparatively, Ash's Blastoise was only slightly better than Gary's; the gap was easy to bridge.
But... let's not forget, Ash's Blastoise isn't his ace Pokemon, not even sure of its ranking among his team, whereas Gary's Blastoise is his absolute ace.
In a six-on-six battle, Gary relied on his MEGA Blastoise to defeat three opponents in a row, successfully advancing to the quarterfinals.
The difference between an ace and a non-ace is so small, and Ash's is even slightly stronger; it's hard to imagine what the gap would be if Ash's ace faced Gary's Blastoise.
Fortunately, there is good news: the quarterfinals match-ups have been drawn, and Ash and Gary did not draw each other, nor did they draw Paul. A seven-out-of-two chance of not drawing them turns out to be extremely lucky for Gary.
As long as they don't draw those two, it's a good draw!
Ash's opponent is someone named Jimmy, whose overall strength is about Professional Senior to Peak level, and his Pokemon lineup is mostly known. Ash doesn't feel much pressure facing him.
Paul's opponent is about the same level, with Gary having the most pressure.
But as the saying goes, as long as they don't face Ash and Paul, it's a good draw.
Apart from Ash, Paul, and Conway, the other contestants are at best at the Professional Peak level. As long as Gary uses his MEGA Blastoise well, it's still possible to win.
But if they face those three, it would be like hell, because they aren't facing single Gym-level Pokemon, more like facing an entire Gym-level lineup!
Like Conway, who was defeated by Ash, only had two Professional Peak-level Pokemon, the rest were Gym-level. If Gary had faced him, it might have been possible to take down three of his Pokemon, and that's already the limit, even with MEGA Evolution.
After the draw, a crowd of reporters, and countless spectators swarmed in, eager to understand MEGA Evolution from Ash, but Ash was already prepared and had Gardevoir use teleport to take the group away.
Even if MEGA Evolution information is to be revealed, it has to wait until the Quartz Conference ends. What's the rush now?
After avoiding the enthusiastic crowd and reporters, Ash and Gary went with Professor Oak and Delia to attend the celebratory banquet. It was their first time participating and reaching the quarterfinals, and this edition of the Quartz Conference was enhanced, regardless of the outcome afterward, they had already made history.
Even back when Professor Oak first started, he wasn't this formidable.
Compared to Ash, Gary seems a bit overshadowed but has already surpassed his grandfather, Professor Oak. Therefore, holding this banquet was only right and proper, and Professor Oak was extremely delighted.
Gary surpassing his mentor and Ash possibly creating history for the entire league filled Professor Oak with immense pride. Pallet Town produced two top-tier talents at once!
This celebration banquet wasn't organized by Delia; instead, they went out to eat at a restaurant. The cuisine at the Quartz Plateau's restaurants was still good, though the price was a bit high, especially since they booked a private room, making it pricier.
But for Professor Oak and the others, problems that can be solved with money aren't problems at all. Spending a bit of money for some peace and quiet was well worth it.
After eating and drinking their fill, Ash pulled Professor Oak aside who was planning to head over to Gary's residence. As for the reason...
"What?! Little Lugia!!!"
"Shush!!!" Ash repeatedly gestured for silence, constantly peeking outside. Fortunately, no one was passing by.
Actually, this was just Ash's subconscious action. Every move in the vicinity was under Mewtwo's observation; if there were anyone, it would be instantly detected.
Just now, Ash had shared the details about Little Lugia with Professor Oak, and Professor Oak looked shocked, obviously unaware of the situation.
This matter wasn't really a secret among the higher-ups in Kanto, but Professor Oak had been disconnected from the Kanto higher-ups for many years. He's been quietly staying in the haven of Pallet Town, and the people from the league wouldn't disturb him.
"You're planning to head to the Orange Archipelago after the Quartz Conference, right?"
"Yeah, I want to help Little Lugia find its family." Ash nodded. The reason he told Professor Oak about this was simply to keep him informed, just like Delia, Ash had long regarded Professor Oak as family. Before heading anywhere, he would inform Professor Oak and discuss to see if he had any other opinions.
"That's doable. After the Quartz Conference, your next goal should be the Johto League's Silver Conference, right? The Silver Conference is about seven to eight months away, which is enough time for a trip to the Orange Archipelago and back to collect badges. After you've been traveling, I'm worried you might stretch yourself too thin. It would be good to relax a bit."
Professor Oak thought for a moment and concluded that a trip to the Orange Archipelago would be beneficial. The Orange Archipelago is famed for its vacation islands. Since Ash had started his journey, he rarely had time to relax. The Quartz Conference was rather pressing in terms of time, necessitating Ash to seize every moment to improve himself.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have managed to get within a step of possessing an Elite-level Pokemon in just six months.
Upon hearing the mention of Lugia from Professor Oak, Ash was initially stunned but then sniffed and nodded firmly, "Yes, I'm going to enjoy myself well!"
"Oh, by the way, since you plan on going to the Orange Archipelago, could you do something for me as well?"
Ash:...
I haven't been moved for even three seconds, and now you're turning around so quickly?! Return my emotions to me, you scoundrel!