"Does the origin of this type of Pokémon food come from the Spirit World?"
"And moreover, up to now, only the Thorne Family possesses that area of the Spirit World that contains these materials?"
After Laura Thorne left, Ethan slightly frowned as he looked at the four bottles of purple gas in his hand.
When he proposed obtaining the formula for the food that Litwick used, Laura hid nothing.
In reality, the recipe for that food was no longer considered a secret; what truly mattered for producing it successfully were the manufacturing process and the raw materials.
And those two points were mastered only by the Thorne Family, which meant that this food exclusive to the Litwick family was practically monopolized by them.
Furthermore, the sale of food for Ghost-type Pokémon constituted one of the main sources of income for the Thorne Family. Most trainers who raised Ghost-type Pokémon usually obtained it through purchase.
Therefore, Laura's recommendation to Ethan was to buy it directly, and she herself could act as an intermediary. Whenever Ethan needed it, he could come to her to acquire more.
"This price is really outrageous. Even though Laura said she already gave me a discount, it's still an amount an ordinary person couldn't afford."
"Luckily, I'm not an ordinary person!"
Ethan shook his head slightly and signed the purchase agreement with Laura.
The four bottles of purple gas he had at the moment were part of Laura's personal stock, but she had already contacted her family. More would arrive very soon, as long as Ethan could pay for them.
"Littwwiikk!"
Inside the room, Litwick excitedly hugged one of the bottles of purple gas, flying back and forth.
From time to time, it carefully opened a tiny crack in the bottle to secretly inhale a mouthful, after which it became so happy that it almost lost control.
"As long as Litwick likes it, it's worth spending as much money as necessary."
Ethan smiled faintly, no longer feeling any remorse.
...
The next day, the quarterfinal battles of the Cross Cup officially began.
Since from this stage onward Champion Leo Cross would attend as a guest, the stands were already packed with his fans.
At exactly eight o'clock, the eight participants and the special guests made their punctual appearance.
Immediately, the entire stadium erupted into deafening cheers. Ethan raised his head and looked at Champion Leo sitting in the honor stand.
Compared to his imposing appearance in Coral City, this time Champion Leo seemed much more gentle, like the difference between the scorching sun of summer and the warm sun of winter.
In addition to Champion Leo, the mayor of Solaris City, the president of the Pokémon Trainers' Guild of Solaris City, and the president of the Pokémon Researchers' Guild were also present, among others.
"I've finally made it this far."
Ethan smiled faintly as he looked toward the guest stand.
At the same time, he felt the Poké Ball containing Charizard in his hand vibrate slightly.
It was obvious that Charizard had also been waiting for this day for a long time.
"Now, let the giant screen start spinning."
Amid an atmosphere thick with tension, the quarterfinal draw slowly began.
As the names flashed on the screen, the hearts of all the participants sped up.
Soon, after a round of shuffling, the matchups were finally decided. Some rejoiced, while others lamented.
"My opponent in the quarterfinals is... Naira?"
Seeing the pairing on the screen, Ethan was slightly stunned.
Naira Cross was one of the top favorites to win this Cross Cup! He hadn't expected to meet her already in the quarterfinals.
"Alright!! The matchups have been decided!!"
"Next, let us enjoy the first battle of the day!"
The host grabbed the microphone and announced enthusiastically.
Very soon, the two participants of the first battle stepped onto the stage with excited expressions. With Champion Leo present, it was clear that both wanted to show off.
If they could receive even a bit of guidance from Champion Leo during the battle, this tournament would already have been worth it.
The first battle officially began, and to the surprise of many, both trainers sent out Charizard. Evidently, since Champion Leo's signature Pokémon was Charizard, they were trying to draw his attention.
After the battle ended, the guests in the stands commented on the match, especially Champion Leo, who pointed out several problems observed in the confrontation between the two Charizard. Both trainers were so excited that they could barely contain themselves.
The other participants and spectators also listened attentively as Champion Leo offered his teachings.
"So that's how it is... this flaw of Charizard normally isn't noticeable, but in battle it can have such a huge impact."
Ethan reflected deeply, then showed a smile of clear satisfaction. Coming to this Cross Cup had definitely been worth it.
After the first battle and before the second began, the guests turned off their microphones and started chatting among themselves.
"That girl Naira is here as well, huh?"
"If nothing unexpected happens, the champion of this edition should be her."
The mayor of Solaris City looked at Naira in the participants' area and said this to Champion Leo.
He had watched the preliminary rounds, and the strength of that Ninetales was truly terrifying. Among the Pokémon present, practically none seemed capable of standing up to that Ninetales.
Soon, the second battle began, and the process was just as intense, making Ethan slightly furrow his brow from below the stage.
These participants had really come well prepared. Someone like him, who mainly relied on Charizard and had rather hastily captured two Fire-type Pokémon to participate in the Cross Cup, was clearly a minority.
The third battle began...
One of the participants was someone very familiar to Ethan: Patrick Mills.
Although Patrick had suffered several defeats at Ethan's hands, he came from a family specializing in Fire-type Pokémon, and with the support of his lineage, the strength of his Pokémon was still formidable.
In the end, after an intense battle, Patrick successfully advanced to the semifinals.
Very soon, the fourth battle began, and the two opponents were precisely Ethan and Naira.
"Ethan Black?"
"Why do I feel like he's so familiar?"
At that moment, the president of the Pokémon Trainers' Guild of Solaris City spoke with some confusion.
"Have you forgotten?"
"He's one of the candidates in this edition of the Pokémon World Championship."
President Morgan of the Pokémon Researchers' Guild smiled as he spoke, his gaze discreetly sweeping over those present.
He didn't know what expressions they would have when Magmortar appeared.
"So it was him!"
"No wonder he felt so familiar. Recently, he's been carrying out Gym evaluations in our region. It seems that now he's only missing the Coral City Gym and the Emberfall City Gym."
The president of the Pokémon Trainers' Guild of Solaris City suddenly understood. It was no wonder he had heard so much about Ethan lately.
"Ethan... I remember that his Charizard is also a descendant of your Charizard, right?"
The mayor of Solaris City directed his gaze toward Ethan and said this to Champion Leo.
Leo nodded slightly, watching Ethan and Naira Cross with evident interest; an uncommon anticipation was reflected in his eyes.
"Also?"
"Looks like this battle is going to be very interesting!"
The eyes of the president of the Pokémon Trainers' Guild of Solaris City gleamed slightly as he fixed his gaze on the stage.
One is a candidate for the Pokémon World Championship, and the other is a disciple of Champion Leo... without a doubt, it will be a battle worth waiting for!
(End of chapter)