Seeing Heracross's expression, Freya didn't feel relieved at all.
Instead, her vision went dark.
"Y-You didn't steal that from someone, did you?!" she blurted out.
"Hera?" Heracross blinked innocently.
"You can't do things like that, Heracross!" Freya panicked. "You'll get arrested for stealing!"
The more she thought about it, the more alarmed she became. If Heracross really had stolen someone else's Big Nugget, she would be implicated too.
Sure, as its Trainer, she was supposed to face things together with it, but… if something could be avoided, it was better to avoid it, right?!
"Hera?"
Seeing Freya's reaction, Heracross finally stopped slurping honey. It looked at her seriously, as if it sensed how grave the situation had become.
"Did you really steal it from someone?" Freya asked anxiously.
Although Heracross was undeniably a glutton, it had always been reliable in battle.
"Hera!"
Heracross shook its head vigorously.
This Big Nugget wasn't stolen, it had been picked up on the road!
"It wasn't stolen?" Freya immediately let out a huge sigh of relief. As a Trainer, she chose to trust her Pokémon.
"Hera!" Heracross nodded firmly.
"That's good…" Freya finally relaxed. "Alright then, next, we're heading to Lucien City!"
First, they'd go to the Friendship Store, sell the Big Nugget, and buy tickets to Lucien City.
As the Pokémon flying taxi lifted into the clear blue sky, the land below, towns, forests, and winding roads, gradually fell away.
"Wow…"
The boys and girls gazed down at the vast land beneath them, their hearts filled with anticipation as they headed toward the end of their journey.
Kagome Village wasn't far from Lucien City. In less than two hours, Freya arrived at the capital of the Unova Kingdom.
Standing at the entrance of the Pokémon Flying Taxi Company, she looked up at the largest and most prosperous city in Unova, unable to stop herself from marveling.
"Wow… Watchog, this place is huge!"
The streets were wide and immaculate, crowded with people. Trainers walking alongside their Pokémon could be seen everywhere.
At this moment, Freya felt like a complete country bumpkin who had never seen the world.
She walked down the street with Watchog, her eyes constantly darting toward the neat rows of shops on either side.
"Eh? Pokémon Bath Center? Is that a place just for Pokémon baths?"
"Pokémon Beauty Salon… make your Pokémon even more beautiful?! Wow, there's even something like that!"
"Pokémon Snack Shop."
Before Freya could finish reading the sign, she suddenly heard a crisp click from her pocket.
A flash of white light followed.
Heracross popped out of its Poké Ball.
Its eyes immediately locked onto the snacks displayed behind the glass window, and drool began pouring from its mouth.
"Hera…"
Freya's eyes widened. Her face twisted in despair.
"Heracross, we're almost out of money, okay?!"
Sometimes, having such a gluttonous Pokémon really didn't feel like a blessing at all.
Inside the castle.
Lucien stood by the window, gazing down at the increasingly bustling streets as he listened to Elif's report.
"Your Majesty Lucien," Elif said, "starting a few days ago, Trainers from all over the region have begun arriving in Lucien City one after another."
"According to reports from the Grand Arena and the Trainer Association, as of now, eighteen Trainers from other cities have already arrived."
"Eighteen…" Lucien nodded thoughtfully.
That number was well within his expectations. More Trainers would surely arrive soon.
There was very little time left before the Final Trainer Celebration began.
Originally, more than three thousand youths of eligible age had received starter Pokémon from the Trainer Association.
Now that a year had passed…
How many of them would truly make it here?
"By the way, Your Majesty," Elif added after a brief pause, "there's one more thing."
"Miss Anna has returned to Lucien City."
"Anna?" Lucien raised an eyebrow slightly.
He wasn't particularly surprised.
After all, with Anna's personality, there was no way she would miss something like this.
"It's just…" Elif hesitated. "I don't know why Miss Anna hasn't come to see you yet."
"She's probably planning a surprise," Lucien replied slowly.
Back then, when the Unova Kingdom was still neglected and desperately short of capable people, he had sent Anna, Geralt, and others to different cities to gain experience and temper themselves.
Now that he thought about it, Anna must have gained a great deal over the past year.
'Very well,' Lucien thought. 'I'll see for myself just how much that little girl, who once cried silently in the snow, has grown.'
The 151st year of the Kingdom Calendar was drawing to a close.
By mid-November, all Trainers who had successfully collected eight Gym Badges had gathered in Lucien City.
According to statistics from the Trainer Association, a total of seventy-eight Trainers were participating in this tournament.
Though they came from different cities and regions, they all shared the same goal.
To become Champion.
At the same time, nobles and wealthy figures from across the kingdom also received the news. They purchased tickets and boarded steam trains bound for Lucien City, eager to witness the might and style of these elite Trainers firsthand.
On November 15th, before the tournament officially began, the first event to take place was a sacred ceremony.
The Holy Fire Relay Ceremony.
As per tradition, the participating Trainers were required to travel to a cave outside Lucien City and retrieve the Fire of Truth left behind by the Dragon of Truth, Reshiram.
They would then carry the flame back to the Grand Arena and ignite the Holy Fire Basin, announcing to the entire kingdom that the first Pokémon League Tournament in Unova's history had officially begun.
The Trainers responded with overwhelming enthusiasm.
Citizens flooded in to watch, drawn by the lively spectacle.
Through the combined efforts of the participating Trainers, the Fire of Truth was successfully delivered to the Holy Fire Basin at the center of the Grand Arena.
Whoosh—!
Brilliant flames roared skyward.
"I hereby announce..."The President of the Trainer Association shouted from atop the Holy Fire Stage, his voice ringing clearly across the arena.
"That the First Unova Kingdom League Tournament has officially begun!"
The Grand Arena erupted instantly.
Lucien City itself seemed to tremble with excitement, swept up in an unprecedented atmosphere of celebration.
"Ahhhhh!"
Cheers thundered from every direction as countless people looked forward to the birth of the strongest Trainer.
Inside the Grand Arena, the seventy-eight participating Trainers listened to the deafening roar outside, their expressions filled with excitement and anticipation.
Anna, Derick, Freya.
And even the eight Gym Leaders.
They exchanged glances, silent sparks of fighting spirit flashing between them.
Outside, the President of the Trainer Association continued, clearly introducing the tournament rules to the audience.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Grand Arena, to witness this historic event!"
"Before we proceed to the drawing of lots, allow me to explain the competition rules."
"The first round will be the preliminary stage. All seventy-eight contestants will participate in 2v2 battles, each Trainer may send out only two Pokémon. The winner advances."
"In the second round, the thirty-nine winners will draw lots again. One Trainer will receive a bye and automatically advance, while the remaining thirty-eight will engage in another round of 2v2 battles to determine nineteen winners."
"This will leave twenty Trainers, who will compete in the Top 20 to Top 10 matches."
"At this stage, battle rules will change to 3v3."
"From the Top 10 to Top 5 stage onward..."
The President's voice rose dramatically.
"...the rules will become 6v6 Full Battles!"
The crowd roared once more.
"Now that the rules have been explained," the President declared, "we arrive at the most anticipated moment of all…"
"The drawing of lots!"