"All right, that's about everything that needs to be said. Does anyone else have anything to add? If not, you can keep staying here and chat for a while."
Lance did not want to make the atmosphere too serious either, so after saying a few words, he hastily ended the topic.
The Gym Leaders present all let out a sigh of relief.
Good thing they did not keep talking. Otherwise, if they really went into detail, even three days would not be enough.
"Gym Leader Grey, how was your half-month or so in the Unova region? I heard you caught one of the legendary dragon Pokémon over there. Is that true?"
Whitney was also very curious about the situation in other regions. Since there was now a Gym Leader Grey who had returned from another region, she might as well ask him directly about what things were like there.
"It was all right, I guess. The place really is pretty open-minded, but I didn't stay there for that long, so it felt about as expected."
Grey looked like he had stayed in the Unova region for a long time.
In reality, the number of places he had gone to was only those few.
He had even spent a lot of time just traveling.
If he really counted them, the places he had visited could be counted on both hands.
"As for the legendary Pokémon, that's true. I just got lucky and picked up an opportunity, that's all."
As Grey spoke, his gaze unconsciously flicked toward the Premier Ball at his waist.
Reshiram was inside.
It was also his ace on the surface.
In reality, he still had Kyurem and little Riolu holding the line.
With three battle-legend tier Pokémon around, if he had to say it, he really did not need to be afraid.
"Wow! I'm so jealous! I've noticed that no matter where Gym Leader Grey goes, you always come back with a huge harvest!"
Whitney did not finish what she wanted to say.
But everyone present understood perfectly.
Whitney wanted to say that if Grey went to the Johto region later, maybe he might even catch Ho-Oh and Lugia.
"Nothing special, nothing special. Catching legendary Pokémon is really just a matter of whether your paths are meant to cross. If there's fate, then you'll naturally catch one. If there isn't, then there's nothing you can do. This kind of thing can't be forced."
Grey's approach to catching legendary Pokémon was all about going with the flow. He really had never gone to a certain region specifically for a specific Pokémon.
Previously, he had gone to the Unova region because of matters involving the Unova League.
If the Seven Sages had not invaded the Kanto region and attempted to cooperate with Team Rocket, he probably would not have gone to the Unova region at all.
In the end, catching Reshiram and Kyurem had only been something he did along the way.
It was just that this "along the way" had been a bit too convenient.
The Gym Leaders present listened to Grey speak so casually, and though they did not fully understand, they still felt it sounded impressive.
"The young really are fearsome, the young really are fearsome! In this Gym Leader Ranking Tournament, this old man probably won't even be able to rank."
Blaine's gaze also stopped on the Premier Ball at Grey's waist.
As a Fire-type Trainer, he really wanted to see Reshiram with his own eyes.
Hmm.
He would wait until Grey had time later.
"Not at all. Everyone here knows Gym Leader Blaine's strength very well. If I don't send out Reshiram, I might not necessarily be your opponent."
Grey also gave a modest reply.
Of course.
His ace Annihilape was at Champion-level.
And Blaziken was also about to step into the Champion-level ranks, so there was no need to fear Blaine too much.
"Gym Leader Grey is still too modest. Young people should have a little more confidence."
Blaine straightened his clothes, feeling that Grey's biggest issue right now was that he was sometimes too humble.
"It's better to be modest."
Grey only smiled slightly and did not say much more.
Blaine did not seek trouble for himself either. He turned to the Gym Leader sitting opposite him, Pryce, who was also the Gym Leader of his own region's "seventh Gym."
"Old Pryce, are you going to use your full strength in this Gym Leader Ranking Tournament?"
Pryce was a rather short old man, looking only a bit over five feet tall.
Even while sitting in a chair, he held a cane, and a Swinub rested on his shoulder, looking completely harmless.
However…
As everyone knew…
Generally speaking, Trainers like this, whose strength was anything but ordinary and who casually let out unevolved Pokémon, were never easy to deal with.
For example, Grey and little Riolu, and in the future, Ash and Pikachu, would both be the same.
And Grey also knew Pryce was not easy to deal with.
Pokémon: Swinub
Type: Ice, Ground
Level: 85
Ability: Thick Fat
Moves: Blizzard, others omitted.
Grey: "…"
A level 85 Swinub…
That really was not easy to mess with.
At least, judging by the Pokémon Grey currently held, only Reshiram and Kyurem could fight this Swinub.
Even Annihilape might not necessarily be able to beat it.
Sure enough, old ginger was still the spiciest.
This Swinub, which looked plain and harmless, was actually the most threatening member of Pryce's team.
"Rulu~" (You seem to have something really tasty on you!)
The hemispherical brown little pig made a sound. It leapt from Pryce's shoulder straight into Grey's arms.
Its bright red pig nose sniffed around Grey's body, and its narrowed eyes instantly lit up.
"Rulu~" (Wow, the Ice-type energy on you is the strongest energy level I've ever seen on a Trainer~)
Swinub's tone was clearly excited. It had obviously noticed that Grey was the kind of person who had long-term contact with Ice-type Pokémon.
And the Ice-type Pokémon energy level on him was very high. The energy faintly leaking from him without his noticing was very suitable as one of its usual little snacks.
"Oh? Is that so? I didn't expect Articuno's energy to attract you."
Grey pretended to be confused and brought up Articuno.
As one of Kanto's three legendary birds, Articuno still had quite a lot of prestige locally.
"Rulu?" (Articuno? Isn't that thing common around here? Its energy doesn't taste that good. Are you sure you're not mistaken?)
Swinub obviously did not care about Grey pretending to be confused.
"Ahem. Since you want to meet Articuno so badly, I'll bring you to see Articuno later when I have time."
Grey's expression did not change.
Even if Swinub exposed him, even if the League Champion came today, what Swinub had smelled was absolutely Articuno.
"Rulu…?" (Articuno? Forget it. If it's Articuno, then it's Articuno. Eating leftovers once in a while isn't impossible. I'll treat it as dieting.)
Swinub had eaten plenty of refined food.
Articuno's energy tasted just okay.
It was better than nothing.
"Swinub, don't be rude."
Pryce's cane struck the ground heavily.
Swinub had no choice but to stop. It leapt back onto Pryce's shoulder and turned its head, smiling as it stared at Grey.
"Gym Leader Grey, this child of mine is a little mischievous. Please forgive it. How about this, I'll consider this matter as owing you a favor. If you ever need my help later, I'll do my best to assist you."
Pryce spoke kindly.
"This… Wouldn't that be troubling you too much, Senior Pryce? Besides, I didn't really do anything. It's just letting Articuno provide a little energy to feed Swinub. It's hardly any effort."
Grey currently did not dare determine which version of Pryce this was. If he could avoid getting involved with him, that would be better.
Judging by Swinub's data panel, there was a high chance this Pryce was the manga version of Pryce…
Level 85 was already a level where it could clash head-on with a first-tier Legendary Pokémon.
Even his Kyurem was only level 80.
From that, it was easy to see how much effort Pryce had poured into Swinub.
It was worth mentioning that Pryce did not only have a Swinub. He also had a Delibird.
Low base stats, but not low strength.
Once a Pokémon reached this level, base stats no longer mattered that much.
Battle-legend tier was a threshold.
As long as a Pokémon could cross it, no matter how "ordinary" it was, it would gain the ability to slay gods.
Do not look at how Giovanni's Beedrill had been suppressed by Reshiram.
That was because it did not have the advantage in typing, and instead was countered by Reshiram.
If Kyurem had stepped forward, Giovanni might have battled for several hundred rounds before simply walking away.
"It won't be troublesome. I also want to see Articuno."
Pryce still maintained his kind smile.
Grey pondered for a moment and could only nod.
"In that case, let's find a time later."
One did not slap a smiling face. Since Pryce had not fallen out with the Pokémon League right now, it was better for Grey to maintain some courtesy as a junior.
"That would be excellent."
Pryce nodded in satisfaction.
...
...
Kanto region, Indigo Plateau, inside a hotel room.
"Grey, did you feel that something was… off about that Pryce earlier?"
Sabrina took off her long boots. Her black-wrapped legs rested across Grey's knees, and her whole body lay back on the bed as she stared up at the ceiling, asking about what had happened in the conference room today.
Among the Gym Leaders of Kanto and Johto, who had left a deep impression on her?
Aside from Giovanni, only Pryce remained.
She had heard older-generation Trainers mention that back then, Pryce had belonged to the same generation as Professor Oak, Agatha, and Blaine.
According to rumors, his strength was slightly below Blaine's.
But after seeing him in person today, Sabrina discovered that she could not see through Pryce's depth at all.
The old man who had left in a wheelchair seemed to be surrounded by a silence like a frozen lake. Even when her psychic probing touched him, it was like sinking into a layer of permafrost, unable to stir even the faintest ripple.
Sabrina had only felt such an unfathomable aura from peak powerhouses like Red, Blue, Giovanni, and Lance.
And at that moment, the pressure surrounding Pryce was not inferior to Red or Blue in the slightest.
It was a silence that had tempered extreme cold into absolute control, as if his foundation was so deep that it could even freeze time itself…
It was truly terrifying.
"Pryce? There definitely was something, but I can't really describe what it felt like."
Whether in the anime or in the manga, Pryce had actually gone through separation from his Pokémon.
The ending in the anime was better. With Ash's help, Pryce and his Piloswine were reunited, and the misunderstanding between them was resolved.
But in the manga…
To be honest, Grey felt that version was a little extreme.
And the current Pryce had a level 85 Swinub.
It was very hard not to think in the direction of the manga version!
What could he do?
This was hard for him too!
If he had to say it…
Actually, he could still handle it.
Even though the Swinub in the manga could suppress Ho-Oh, if it fought Reshiram, Grey felt the advantage should still be on his side.
Reshiram was different from other first-tier Legendary Pokémon.
Its source of strength was more like "conviction."
The higher the conviction, the stronger its power.
Without a Trainer, Reshiram's strength might be in the lower-middle ranks among first-tier Legendary Pokémon.
But with a Trainer like Grey, Reshiram's strength was not something as weak as lower-middle rank.
Instead, it had touched the upper-middle level of first-tier Legendary Pokémon strength!
This was the confidence that three times Kyurem's power gave him!
"Of course, Gym Leader Pryce doesn't look like he has any problem right now. Even if something really happens, I'm still here."
Grey patted his chest.
Although he usually did not like acting like someone who relied on Legendary Pokémon…
At a critical moment, he would definitely choose to do it once.
Otherwise, why catch legendary Pokémon?
Catching them and not using them would just be pure stupidity.
With Reshiram and Kyurem in hand, Grey felt that he was now standing on the same level as the other Champions.
"Mm. I believe in you."
Sabrina got up, sat beside Grey, leaned into his arms, and closed her eyes.
"I don't have much time. I'll probably have to go back three days after the Indigo Plateau Conference ends. When I'm not here, you have to take good care of yourself."
"Shouldn't that be my line?"
Grey did not know whether to laugh or cry.
How long had Sabrina been able to take care of herself?
If anyone should say that, it should be him saying it to Sabrina.
"I don't care."
Sabrina's psychic power burst out, making Grey lean backward.
...
...
The next day, nine in the morning.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome, everyone, to the Gym Leader Ranking Tournament jointly hosted by the Kanto and Johto regions! I am your host, Guli TV! Beside me are the other three commentators, PokéFan DP, Slowking, and Darknight."
The Gym Leader Ranking Tournament arrived as scheduled.
The audience seats were completely full.
Most of the audience members happened to be contestants of the upcoming Indigo Plateau Conference. At this moment, their eyes were fixed on the sixteen Gym Leaders entering the arena below.
Between Kanto's eight Gyms and Johto's eight Gyms, a winner was finally about to be decided.
"Hello~ Hello, everyone. I'm Darknight~ The other three commentators and I will be covering different matches, so I hope everyone supports us when the time comes~"
Darknight was a blue-haired young man wearing square-framed glasses. He looked refined and gentle.
"Then without further ado, let's see how today's battle groups will be arranged~"
As soon as his voice fell…
The electronic screen inside the venue displayed large portraits of the sixteen contestants.
After the order was randomly shuffled, they were paired off into eight groups.
Soon, the grouping results appeared.
Upper bracket: Blaine VS Pryce, Muno VS Whitney, Sabrina VS Bugsy, Koga VS Chuck.
Lower bracket: Giovanni VS Jasmine, Lt. Surge VS Falkner, Grey VS Morty, Erika VS Clair.
Every single match was a Kanto Gym Leader against a Johto Gym Leader.
For now, there were no same-region matchups.
After seeing the group list, Grey secretly raised an eyebrow.
According to the groupings, after defeating Morty and his next opponent, he would probably have to face Giovanni.
And after that, he would have to VS Pryce!
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