Lilac Arena, Lily of the Valley Island.
From above, the structure of the Emerald League stadium was clear. The main arena sat at the center, with three smaller circular battlefields positioned around it in a triangular formation, all fully integrated into the same massive complex.
Lilac Arena was already packed.
Every seat was filled.
Rotom drones fitted with high-definition cameras hovered through the air, broadcasting sweeping views of the crowd. Vendors moved through aisles, selling food and drinks as spectators settled in for the opening match.
The Emerald League had officially begun.
Interest had already surpassed previous Pokémon World Championship seasons. The expanded format, with multiple simultaneous battlefields, allowed more matches and more coverage without losing focus on top-tier battles.
Tonight's opening match featured two figures who needed no introduction.
A Champion known for elegance, beauty, and overwhelming battle control.
And a Dragon Master, a dual Champion whose presence alone carried pressure, his cape as recognizable as his name.
In the previous World Championships, they had ranked second and fourth, respectively. Cynthia had placed second. Lance had placed fourth. Steven had taken third. Diantha had taken fifth.
The balance between regions had shifted since then, but their reputations had not weakened.
. .
In the cafeteria viewing area, Austin and the others sat with trays of food while the broadcast played on a large screen.
Shion leaned forward slightly.
"So many people…"
Mizuki adjusted her glasses.
"This is one of the most popular forms of competition in the world. Possibly the most popular."
No one contradicted her.
Even Dai Yui, who had once competed at the highest level in martial tournaments, remained silent.
At 5:15 PM, the prediction proved correct.
The opening match was about to begin.
The host finished the final sponsor segment and stepped into the introduction.
Austin was not focused on the screen.
He was on his Pokégear.
Ethan: "It's starting, it's starting!"
Blue: "Place your bets. No refunds."
Austin: "Cynthia."
Clair: "Lance."
Ethan: "Fight, fight, fight!"
Red: "This is difficult to choose…"
Yellow: "I will support both sides☺️."
The chat continued without restraint.
"Is this really the time to argue while the match is about to start?"
Lance's reply came calmly.
"It is not a sudden death match. The schedule is long. There is no need to argue."
Blue wrote.
"That is fair."
Lance continued.
"I will be entering soon."
As Lance himself had said, the Emerald League used a points system. Even if he lost this match, as long as he accumulated enough points over the course of the tournament to finish inside the top sixteen, he would still advance.
The pressure of the opening match existed, but it was far from a do-or-die battle.
The announcer raised her voice.
"First to enter, the Dragon Master from the Johto Region, Lance Blackthorn!"
The stadium immediately erupted.
Although Lily of the Valley Island was not his home territory, Lance's popularity had long since transcended regional borders. The cheers rolled through the arena like crashing waves, and the atmosphere quickly reached its first peak.
Lance stepped out from the tunnel.
As always, the cape enthusiast had prepared a new outfit for the occasion.
His traditional black-and-red cape had been replaced by an orange outer layer lined with white. To match the new look, he wore orange leather boots, while even the belt around his waist carried the same color scheme.
[Image]
Ethan immediately sent a message.
Ethan: "Wait, where's the old black-and-red cape?"
Blue noticed the detail almost instantly.
Blue: "Isn't that Charizard's color scheme?"
Walking onto the battlefield, Lance waved toward every section of the audience, calmly acknowledging the deafening applause.
Then the female host suddenly raised her voice another level.
"Next, please welcome the Champion of the Sinnoh region, Cynthia Shirona!"
This was Sinnoh.
This was Lily of the Valley Island.
This was Cynthia's home field.
The entire stadium exploded.
The applause, cheers, and chants merged, shaking the entire arena.
Yellow typed first.
Yellow: "Miss Cynthia's outfit is different, too. It feels really wild!"
Normally, Cynthia appeared in her familiar black coat and elegant attire.
Today, however, she wore an entirely new battle outfit.
The design had clearly taken inspiration from Lucario.
The upper half featured a fitted black top with sharp lines, while bright yellow armored accents decorated the shoulders. Black high-waisted shorts and matching thigh-high stockings emphasized mobility, while a dark belt created a clean transition between the upper and lower sections.
[Image]
A cobalt-blue cape flowed behind her, and scarlet gloves added the final touch.
The entire outfit emphasized speed, aggression, and confidence.
It sacrificed warmth completely in favor of visual impact. It accomplished its function as she exuded a great amount of allure.
"Wow! She's so beautiful!" Shion exclaimed.
"She really is," Mizuki agreed.
As expected, the girls paid no attention whatsoever to whether the outfit was practical.
Hanson Black revealed a satisfied smile.
"Looks good, doesn't it? Another designer and I worked on it together. There are several more designs prepared, so look forward to those as well."
Amanda raised an eyebrow.
"Lily designed it, too?"
Aunt nodded proudly.
"She did."
Amanda immediately became interested.
"Can you make one for me as well?"
Austin poured cold water on the idea.
"Uncle's prices are high. Forget it."
Hanson rubbed his increasingly shiny scalp.
"Money isn't the issue. My hair is."
Austin glanced over.
"If you keep rubbing it, you'll lose even more."
Leon patted his older brother's shoulder.
"Do not be sad. Everyone who studies design eventually goes bald."
"..."
The room burst into laughter.
. .
Meanwhile, inside Lilac Arena, the female host raised the microphone.
"The opening match will be a six-on-six single battle!"
"Mega Evolution and Z-Moves are permitted!"
As for Dynamax and Gigantamax, those techniques remained largely exclusive to the Galar region.
Whether they would eventually become widely available remained uncertain.
The previous World Championships had reached unprecedented popularity precisely because Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, and Gigantamax had all appeared on the same stage.
The resulting discussions had pushed competitive Pokémon battling to a completely new level, eventually leading to the creation of the Emerald League itself.
The host spread her arms dramatically.
"Who will claim victory in this opening battle?"
"Let us find out together!"
The referee raised his flags.
Then, with a swift motion, both flags came down.
"The match begins!"
Accompanied by a sharp whistle, both sides released their Poké Balls at the same time.
"Salamence!"
"Go, Togekiss!"
The stadium exploded into noise the instant both Pokémon appeared.
"Big news! Lance has opened with Salamence, a rare Dragon-type in his usual roster!"
The commentator's voice rose over the crowd as another analyst quickly added context.
"Salamence, Dragon and Flying type. The Hoenn Dragon Elite, Drake, is also well known for using this Pokémon in high-level battles."
From Austin's side of the screen, Identification Eye could not fully penetrate the battle conditions due to interference from the stadium field and broadcast shielding.
Only one clear reading appeared.
Ability: Intimidate.
Lance stood calmly on his side of the field, lips slightly curved.
A thought crossed his mind.
So they still think I always lead with Flying types. Think again.
On the communication channel, reactions came instantly.
Ethan: "Another Flying-type opener. That really is Lance."
Lt. Surge: "Wonder if he is going for a Flying Z-Move early."
Clair's voice came through immediately, loud and sharp in a voice message
"You two, stop guessing randomly!"
. .
Across the field, Cynthia's expression remained steady.
She had expected Gyarados.
Intimidate pressure. Safe opening. Stable tempo control.
Togekiss was the correct response to that line of thinking.
But Salamence appeared instead.
Cynthia adjusted instantly, eyes narrowing slightly as she assessed spacing and air control.
Salamence let out a deep roar.
The sound rolled across the arena like a pressure wave.
. . .
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