"Is that Ethan really only 20 years old?"
"Could it be that the Daleron League lowered his age?"
The spectators from the Federal League were completely bewildered.
Since the quarterfinals, Ethan had consecutively defeated James and Harvey.
And in both cases he won with a six-against-one! That left everyone speechless.
Now, Ethan made them feel a real sense of threat. No one knew what other hidden card he might reveal, and that kept everyone on edge.
Originally, three of the four semifinalists were from the Federal League. Their fans had already boasted endlessly, with headlines and reports flooding the media.
But with Ethan entering the final, those reports became awkward; it was like a slap in the face.
"Do you think... Ethan could face Stefan?"
Suddenly, a spectator asked that question, leaving everyone stunned.
"Wouldn't that be impossible?"
"That Slowking has incredible recovery ability. But although it defeated four Quasi-Elite level Pokémon, none of those victories were easy. It practically wore down its opponents until defeating them."
"If someone can pressure it from the start and not give it a chance to recover..."
One spectator expressed his opinion. And to pressure that Slowking, Stefan's Gothitelle could certainly do it.
Although Ethan's Pokémon had surprised everyone, the strength of Stefan's Gothitelle was obvious at first glance.
"Is it really impossible?"
"So far, Ethan has only used Vibrava, Cacturne, Charizard, and Slowking. He still has other Pokémon that haven't appeared. Moreover, his greatest strength is his command ability and the synergy of his team. Under a sandstorm, his Pokémon can become even stronger."
"And Stefan is a Psychic-type specialist trainer. Ethan's Cacturne and Tyranitar are Dark-type, which gives them a clear type advantage."
On the Daleron League's side, the team members were also reflecting on this, and they couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope.
If Ethan could really defeat Stefan...
Thinking about that, their hearts began to boil with excitement and they clenched their fists.
...
"Ethan, you must be careful. According to internal league information, it's possible that Stefan is a Divine Envoy."
In the Federal League's resting area, Lucas was explaining the data about Stefan to Ethan.
"A Divine Envoy?"
Hearing those words, Ethan was surprised.
Since becoming a Pokémon Professor, he knew many secrets.
The term "Divine Envoy" spoke for itself: a messenger of the gods. In Pokémon terms, an emissary of a legendary Pokémon.
In other words, it was very likely that Stefan had a legendary Pokémon on his team!
"A legendary? Which one?"
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
In every League, to a greater or lesser extent, there was the possibility that they possessed legendary Pokémon.
For example, in the Phoenix Stadium of the Daleron League, a Moltres had appeared. And the Federal League, as the number one in the world, would hardly be without one.
What was unexpected was that one of those legendaries might be in the hands of Stefan, who was only 22 years old.
"We still don't know. But according to the league's information, none of the known Divine Envoys of the Federal League have made any moves."
"So this legendary might have been captured recently... or Stefan himself might have captured it."
Lucas spoke with a grave expression. If the news was true, the final would be extremely dangerous.
"A recently captured legendary?"
Ethan pondered, reviewing in his mind the information about different legendary Pokémon.
According to records, there were also hierarchies among legendary Pokémon. Some mythical Pokémon, the legendary birds, or the legendary dogs were considered relatively weaker within that group. And most of the legendary Pokémon controlled by the Leagues belonged to that category.
Moreover, according to documents about captures, wild legendary Pokémon usually had strength at the Quasi-Elite level or even higher.
If Stefan's legendary had been recently captured, its power would probably be around that level. Considering Stefan's age and experience, the most likely scenario was that his legendary was close to the Elite level.
"A Quasi-Elite level legendary?"
Thinking about that gave Ethan a headache.
After all, legendary Pokémon possessed unique special abilities. Even if they had not yet reached the Elite level, in a full burst of power they could rival ordinary Pokémon of that level.
"It's already difficult enough to deal with Stefan's other Pokémon. And now he might have a legendary... I might as well just give up right away."
Ethan rolled his eyes. How was he supposed to win?
"So just do your best."
Lucas shrugged. If Stefan really had a legendary, the battle would be almost impossible.
...
With Ethan advancing to the youth final of the World Championship, the news spread across all the Leagues.
Soon, the attention of the entire world focused on that final.
On the battlefield, Ethan and Stefan stood face to face.
"I didn't expect my opponent in the final to be you."
Stefan looked curiously at the trainer who was two years younger than him.
In his opinion, Ethan's current strength was not exceptional, but his training methods were very interesting.
He believed that Ethan's Pokémon already had the potential to aspire to the Elite level. If he continued to grow, becoming one was almost certain.
Too bad he was only 20 years old. If he had been born two years earlier, perhaps they could have fought on equal terms.
"I suppose I've been lucky." Ethan replied with a faint smile. At the same time, he mentally reviewed the information about Stefan.
"The battle begins now."
The referee announced after taking position.
On the giant screen appeared who would take the first turn.
"I start, huh? Then you'll open the battle."
Stefan threw his Poké Ball with apparent indifference.
Once again, the figure of Gothitelle appeared on the field.
Throughout the entire world championship, Stefan had only used Gothitelle. And against Ethan, he did the same.
(End of chapter)