Afterward, the host continued with a long speech all the same old words, yet spoken with passion.
It had to be said, his professionalism was remarkable.
Even in such a grand setting, there wasn't the slightest hint of nervousness.
His tone shifted from fiery to solemn, making the crowd's enthusiasm grow even stronger.
Once he finished introducing the final guests — the Elite Four — the host took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Next, let's welcome the Chairman of the Pokémon League Executive Committee — the most respected Mr. Charles Goodshow!"
"Waaah—!"
Applause thundered through the entire stadium.
Even the Elite Four's appearance hadn't earned such a reaction.
Short, even diminutive in stature, Chairman Goodshow wore a stern expression, his thick white hair, brows, and beard gleaming under the lights.
Step by step, he ascended the stage with a steady gait.
"Can't help it~"
Standing before the microphone, he looked around the entire stadium and opened with the catchphrase everyone knew by heart instantly easing the atmosphere.
"Every time I see this fiery, passionate sight before a League Conference, I can't help but feel deeply moved."
Under the gaze of nearly a hundred thousand spectators and countless more watching the live broadcast Chairman Goodshow began his annual pre-tournament remarks.
The old man was a true workhorse; he made sure not to miss a single opening ceremony across all regions.
Thanks to his good health and the decent spacing between each regional tournament he managed it all without burning out, despite juggling heavy administrative duties for the League.
The message of his speeches was always the same, yet people never grew tired of hearing him.
Perhaps that was part of his charm his sincerity was evident to all, and no one ever found him long-winded, because they knew every word came from genuine care for the League and its members.
The citizens weren't fools.
"The eternal flame shall never go out — it represents the generations of League Trainers who will carry on this legacy, and it also embodies the indomitable spirit of the people of Kanto.
The flame of bonds between Trainers and Pokémon will forever shine within this burning light."
Inside the entrance tunnel, Silas heard these words and knew his cue had arrived.
"Let's not make a fool of ourselves out there,"he said with a grin to his Blaziken beside him.
Blaziken bared its sharp teeth and raised a clawed thumb in encouragement.
Taking a deep breath, Silas held the torch in his left hand and stepped forward together with Blaziken, toward the brilliant light at the end of the tunnel.
The roar of the crowd grew clearer — so loud that his ears rang as if deafened.
"Just people, just people…"
He kept a calm smile, silently repeating the words to himself in an effort to stay composed.
In this regard, he had at least practiced a little.
Honestly, this was his first time being stared at by so many people at once, there was no way he wasn't nervous.
All he could do was empty his mind, stick to the plan, and rely on self-hypnosis as the best way to cope.
He could clearly hear his heart pounding violently in his chest and feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through his body.
The last time he'd felt like this… was back when he was nearly killed by a flock of Fearow.
"Come to think of it, how did that ridiculous trio from Team Rocket even sneak their way into the torch-lighting area?"
Silas's mind wandered briefly.
He truly couldn't understand how those three troublemakers managed such a feat under such heavy attention, it was absurd.
Still, his steps never faltered.
When the youthful and handsome Silas entered the crowd's view, the cheers that had momentarily died down suddenly exploded again.
He really wanted to tell them to save their voices — his heart was racing out of his chest.
"This guy's pretty composed,"some of the Trainers below thought.
They too were paying attention to the torch runner.
Of course, they knew Silas was a registered competitor in this year's Indigo Plateau Conference, soon to become one of their potential opponents.
Quite a few of them scoffed, muttering under their breath.
"Pretty boy. A so-called 'genius Trainer,' but without true power, that title's meaningless."
They'd never admit it, but their sneers came from jealousy.
And so, without realizing it, Silas had already gained a number of unseen rivals who harbored hostility toward him.
Only those familiar with him could tell his movements were slightly stiff proof that he was still just a young man.
Even so, aside from his remarkable talent, Silas behaved like any other Trainer his age.
His performance, in fact, was far better than many had expected.
Not only the Chairman's secretary but plenty of others had secretly worried that his inexperience or nerves might make him falter onstage.
If he'd made a mistake during the ceremony, it would've been a major embarrassment for the League.
Under the gaze of the entire audience, Silas and Blaziken steadily approached and handed the Torch of the Eternal Flame to Chairman Goodshow.
It was only a short walk, yet Silas felt utterly exhausted, his back drenched with sweat.
And yet, paradoxically, his entire being felt renewed, it was a strange and indescribable sensation.
Chairman Goodshow accepted the torch with a hearty laugh, gently patting Silas's arm.
Together, they stood side by side as the cameras captured this moment in time.
After what felt like an eternity — half a minute at most the photo session ended.
Silas barely managed to maintain his composure as he turned and retreated into the tunnel, his back disappearing hastily into the darkness.
But by now, few people still paid attention to him.
As the Moltres Flame burned brightly atop the stage, it cast a magnificent glow behind Chairman Goodshow, making his figure appear even grander.
The crowd erupted into pure madness.
Speeches, oaths, and the Elite Four's exhibition match followed one after another — a full series of formal ceremonies.
By the time dusk approached, close to six o'clock, the crowd — still buzzing with excitement and growling stomachs finally began to leave the stadium in an orderly fashion under the guidance of Officer Jennys and volunteers.
As for Silas, he had already slipped away early through a special passage reserved for the torchbearer, returning to his dorm ahead of everyone else.
A small but well-earned perk for completing his duties.
After showering, he lay shirtless on the soft bed, feeling completely at ease.
Then suddenly, as if remembering something important, he sat up sharply and moved to the desk where his computer sat.
His fingers flew across the keyboard as he opened a string of tools and websites.
Inside his inbox sat several large files that had been sent to him — intelligence reports, each dozens of megabytes in size.
Double-clicking them one by one, Silas skimmed through quickly, nodding in satisfaction before transferring the final payments to his usual contacts.
As an experienced bounty hunter, Silas was quite skilled at gathering intel himself.
But between the duties of being the torch runner and the sheer number of registered participants, it was impossible for him to investigate them all personally.
So, he outsourced the job — hiring a few information brokers he knew well to compile the data for him.
Every year around this time, those people made a fortune selling intel like this.
After all, it wasn't just the participating trainers who were interested in such intel. Since it affected the results of the matches, even the audience was eager to know. That way, when they watched the matches, they could brag to people nearby about the competitors they were familiar with.
The feeling of watching others look confused while the commentary explained things, yet knowing exactly what was going on yourself — that was quite satisfying.
"Hey, hey, it's me, Silas. Send me one of those reports, will you?"
Just relying on what the informants provided wasn't enough. Silas grinned as he called several of his friends, getting all kinds of reports from them as well.
The Sasaki family, the Enda family, the Silph family, Pewter Gym, the Oak Research Lab and so on.
Compared to the gossip and scattered intel compiled by ordinary informants, the estimates made by these large families and organizations were far more accurate, including proper analysis. Of course, for outsiders to obtain this kind of information was generally unrealistic.
But Silas had enough connections for that. He could easily get his hands on these reports.
Still, the informants' underground sources shouldn't be underestimated. Those could be just as crucial — sometimes one could deduce something useful from them. Even if the big families had long arms, a "local snake" could still outmatch a "dragon from afar." The few informants Silas contacted were all well-known figures in their own cities.
Sure, they weren't experts at analysis, but their information networks were much broader — if a bit messy.
Silas, with his photographic memory and sharp analytical mind, didn't find that a problem. It just meant he'd have to work a little harder sorting it out over the next month. He was confident he'd make it through the preliminaries.
There was no intel from the Joy or Officer Jenny families, though — those two families didn't participate in these things. If they did, it'd be a dimensional reduction attack. After all, every Trainer's data was crystal-clear in their databases.
Unless someone had never once interacted with either of those families in their entire life.
But that was impossible. As long as you were human, you couldn't escape the Jennys and the Joys.
Fortunately, both families' moral integrity and temperament were such that everyone could rest easy. Otherwise, information itself would be a devastating strategic weapon.
(The following report is for reference only. Betting involves risk — invest with caution.)
Silas Alaric, male, 17 years old, from Viridian City, Kanto.
Estimated ranking: 52nd. Undoubtedly a super-genius among young Trainers.
Comparable figures: Lance and Steven.
Having debuted just over a year ago, his Pokémon's top strength level already approaches quasi-Elite. Due to his age and team composition choices, there's a considerable power gap within his lineup, which could put him at a disadvantage.
Aside from his remarkable talent as a Trainer, he's equally gifted as a Breeder and has made significant contributions in research. The two newest Eeveelutions and the revival of Fossil Pokémon were both discovered by him.
Calm and composed by nature, he prefers to seize the initiative in battle, using an extremely fast tempo to throw opponents off rhythm and strike by surprise. When his Pokémon's strength is equal to or greater than the opponent's, this approach becomes extremely difficult to counter.
However, this style also has drawbacks — against opponents stronger than his own team, such tactics make him more prone to exposing openings. He's classified as a "hot-blooded" Trainer type, sometimes attacking without clear strategic intention.
Battle record: Limited. The only known official title is Champion of the S.S. Anne Tournament. Lack of large-scale match experience may become one of the main reasons for possible failure in this League.
Still, it's worth noting that he's an exceptionally skilled and outstanding bounty hunter, boasting a mission completion rate far above his peers. His rich combat experience in the wild may compensate for his lack of formal competition.
Badges obtained: Pewter, Cerulean… Eight in total — all of high value.
Registered and likely main Pokémon:
Pidgeot (quasi-Elite)
Blaziken (suspected quasi-Elite)
Gigalith (Boldore evolution, peak Advanced)
Rhydon (peak Advanced)
Serperior (just evolved, around Level 38)
Togetic (Advance, early 30s)
Leafeon (Advance, exact level unknown, estimated early 30s)
Flaaffy (Normal)
He skimmed past the note in parentheses at the top.
Indeed, the League had established a kind of "lottery-like" game for the tournament. People could win prizes by correctly predicting the official roster, the Top 64, the Top 3, each match's winner, or even the Pokémon species and order used in every battle. Of course, the prerequisite was guessing right.
That was one of the reasons the League remained so popular over the years. Beyond high-level matches, a bit of gambling excitement had always been part of a Trainer's life, and it also gave the audience a sense of participation.
But Silas didn't have extra money for that sort of thing. He already spent enough raising his Pokémon — if he lost money on betting, he'd have nowhere to cry about it. At most, he'd bet a little on himself. Winning a bit would be nice, and it'd show confidence in himself.
Looking at one of the reports on his computer analyzing him, Silas couldn't help but admire how capable these people were.
And this was only from ordinary informants — the analyses from the major families were even more precise.
Still, he scratched his head. "Hot-blooded type Trainer"? Wasn't that supposed to describe Ash? Was he really that hot-blooded?
He thought about it. Well, maybe a little. He usually faced opponents head-on, overpowering them directly. When an opponent used a move, he'd just break through it.
Weather tactics, Dig strategies, move combination setups — those had nothing to do with him or his Pokémon's battle style.
But it still annoyed him. He clearly considered himself a strategic type! He always prepared thoroughly before battles, and his in-battle responses always had backup plans. He had no idea how these informants got the impression he was a hot-blooded fighter.
He subconsciously refused to see himself as being in the same category as Ash in his early days.
Though, to be fair, hot-blooded Trainers had always been common. Even among the Elite Four, both Lance and Bruno had started out that way — they just toned it down later.
Maybe it was an ingrained habit from his childhood memories.
Silas scrolled further down. The estimates of his strength in various reports generally placed him between 50th and 70th place. For a rookie Trainer competing in the League for the first time, that already meant he was projected to reach the main stadium.
Every report he read showered him with praise and he deserved every bit of it.
He took a deep breath. There was still a whole month left before the preliminaries. In a month, he would become even stronger.
Silas was filled with confidence.
For most Trainers, another month of training after years of effort wouldn't change much. But for him, it was different a single month could mean a world of difference.
After all, his Blaziken had been training for barely a year, not to mention the others he had caught later.
He wasn't aiming for Champion just yet, but securing a spot in the Top 16 maybe even the Top 8 seemed within reach.
Finally, his eyes shifted to the top six Trainers, the ones consistently ranked highest across all reports.
.....
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