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Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Early in the morning, fireworks and salutes echoed through the sky above the League facility. Everyone was celebrating the arrival of this special day.
All the Trainers woke up early. After Ash returned to the Pokemon Center, Brock and the others had already gotten up. Ash took a shower and changed into fresh clothes, and the four of them ate breakfast together.
After breakfast, they left the Pokemon Center. The large group headed toward the main venue of the competition.
Upon entering the venue and confirming their identities, Ash handed Jigglypuff to Brock and the others before leaving with the staff. Meanwhile, Brock and his group went to the spectator stands to find good seats.
The fireworks stopped, which meant the opening ceremony was about to begin.
"The opening ceremony of the Pokemon League Kanto League Indigo Plateau Conference will now begin!" the announcer's voice rang out. The exciting moment had finally arrived.
"Pokemon Trainers and their Pokemon from all over the world spent several months collecting Badges to qualify for the Indigo Plateau Conference!"
"This conference isn't just about winning. It's also their first real test on the path to becoming Pokemon Masters. Now, let's welcome all the contestants to the stage!"
As the announcer spoke, Trainers began appearing in lines along the aisles on both sides of the venue. They were led by staff members and marched in organized rows.
"They're coming! They're coming!" Misty exclaimed excitedly from the audience.
"Ash! Ash! Oh, over there! Look, Pikachu is there too!"
Yellow quickly searched for Ash. Because Pikachu was with him, she spotted him easily.
"Where?" Misty asked urgently.
"Over there!" Yellow pointed in Ash's direction. Misty's eyes followed and quickly found him.
She felt relieved when she saw Ash's calm expression. After seeing that Ash hadn't slept all night, she'd been worried he would be nervous!
"And Green is here too!" Brock spoke up at that moment. Green was on the same side of the formation as Ash.
"Gary is over there!" While looking for familiar faces, they spotted Gary on the opposite side. Yuto Sundae, whom they'd met the previous night, was also on Gary's side.
"Everyone looks so serious! Just watching from here makes me nervous."
Yellow hugged her Pikachu tightly and couldn't help but speak. Even though she'd never participated in this kind of competition, she was still affected by the atmosphere.
"I know what you mean!" Misty wasn't doing much better herself.
Pallet Town
"There he is! There he is! Ash is there!"
At that moment, in Ash's house in Pallet Town, Delia spoke excitedly. It wasn't just Delia—many neighbors and relatives had gathered at the house.
Even though Ash couldn't see them, they held up a banner to cheer him on.
At Professor Oak's Laboratory, Professor Oak had set aside all his work for the day and sat in front of the television.
Viridian City
"Kid, don't let me down!" In the Viridian Gym, Giovanni held a coffee cup in his hand as he watched the opening ceremony playing on the large screen before him. A trace of nostalgia flashed in his eyes.
Cinnabar Island
"It's finally starting!" Two elderly men and a young girl sat in front of the television in the Cinnabar Gym.
"Do you think this kid can win?" the old man beside him asked. He'd come to visit his old friend and arrived just in time for the Indigo Plateau Conference opening.
"Who knows? But that's not what matters."
"Why isn't it important, Uncle Blaine?" the girl beside them asked, confused.
"Because this is just the beginning!"
Blaine responded calmly. Although he had confidence in Ash, winning or losing didn't matter much—because this was just the beginning of Ash's journey in life.
Johto Region—Blackthorn City
In a luxurious villa, a red-haired man dressed in casual home clothes sat in front of the television, watching the Indigo Plateau Conference opening ceremony.
"Is this the boy you were talking about?" A seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl with long blue hair walked in. Despite her clear, youthful appearance, she carried an aura that rivaled any man's presence.
"That's right!" the red-haired man replied with a smile after hearing her question.
Ash's relatives and many people who had trained with him were silently watching the live broadcast on television.
Saffron City
In the Saffron Gym, the family also gathered in front of the television, watching the upcoming conference.
Kanto League
"Now all the Trainers have arrived. Every one of them is an elite Trainer who has collected at least eight Badges. They will compete fiercely here. Now, please welcome the torchbearer!"
As everyone assembled, it resembled a grand parade. Soon, at the announcer's signal, a young woman appeared holding a torch. She ran slowly along the path between the rows of Trainers on either side, heading toward the stairs of the stadium.
She climbed the staircase toward the highest platform on the north side of the stadium, approaching the cauldron placed at the summit.
The torchbearer held her torch high as she ran to the altar. Then she slowly stepped forward and positioned the torch before the altar.
Soon, the flame from the torch transferred into the Sacred Fire Platform. The flame, which had been only fist-sized on the torch, entered the Sacred Fire Platform and suddenly surged upward.
The massive cauldron was instantly engulfed in flames. The torchbearer slowly backed away with her now-flameless torch and prepared to wave.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
The ground suddenly shook. The torchbearer was startled. Then she saw a pair of mechanical arms grab both sides of the cauldron, lifting the entire structure upward.
"What's happening?"
"What? What's going on? The torch is being raised!" While the torchbearer stood surprised, the announcer's voice also rang out in confusion.
"How is this possible?" Chairman Goodshow was equally surprised when he saw the scene. He had checked everything in advance, and there had been no problems.
At that moment, behind the mechanical arms, a massive figure climbed up from the wall outside the venue. It grabbed the torch and raised it above its head.
"What is that?!"
All the competitors and spectators looked on in shock as a huge mechanical creature crawled up the outer wall. It resembled a locust, picking up the torch and positioning it on its back.
"Hahaha! We're taking this Sacred Fire too!" Soon, a loud voice boomed from speakers inside the mechanical locust.