The next day, the Super Contest Hall in Hearthome City was packed to the brim. Tens of thousands of spectators filled the stands, their voices blending into a roaring wave of excitement as trainers from all over the region entered one after another.
On the central stage, Mayor Enta stepped forward, his voice amplified across the arena.
"Ladies and gentlemen, trainers from all corners of the world—welcome to the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition!"
He paused dramatically before continuing,
"After selection, a total of 128 trainers have entered this competition. We will randomly distribute 64 matching number cards—trainers with the same number will form a team, creating 64 pairs! Each trainer will send out one Pokémon, forming 2v2 double battles!
There will be five rounds in total, ultimately determining the final four trainers who will compete in the championship!"
In the crowd, Peter held Whitney's soft hand, raising an eyebrow slightly.
In the anime, this event had only a few dozen participants—it wasn't a major tournament, and the prize was just a pair of Soothe Bells.
But now… this scale was far beyond expectations.
He scanned the arena.
Familiar faces appeared one after another— Nessa , Nemona, Draak, Valric, Zemu, Paul, and even Ash Ketchum.
There were also others—like a bespectacled, middle-parted "science guy," Conway.
Peter remembered him clearly.
Conway claimed to possess a "perfect formula for victory." In the anime, he specialized in analyzing opponents beforehand and executing precise counter-strategies. However, his rigid thinking made him vulnerable—especially against unpredictable trainers like Ash.
If things didn't go according to his calculations… he'd fall apart.
In a way, he was one of the earliest tacticians in the anime.
But in this world, thanks to Peter's influence, even casual viewers had developed some level of strategic awareness.
Of course… most of them leaned toward "dirty tactics."
The upside? You win—and your opponent feels like throwing hands.
The downside?
…Honestly, there wasn't one.
…
The mayor continued explaining the rules.
Unlike the arena system, this was a pure elimination format—no point matches. One bad draw, and you could be eliminated in the very first round.
"Now, please take out your number cards! Each card displays a number from 1 to 64. Find your partner with the same number to form your team!"
Peter and Whitney exchanged a smile and pulled out their identical cards.
Whitney had specifically requested them in advance.
And clearly, Peter's popularity had boosted the event's scale—it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
"Hey there, Dr. Peter!"
Peter turned around to see a red-haired man in a light blue suit and dark cape approaching, followed by a powerful Metagross.
The man grabbed his hand enthusiastically.
"I'm Saikikka Stone—nice to meet you!"
Peter blinked. "Stone ?"
The man laughed. "Ah, Steven Stone is my cousin. I heard you were here, so I came all the way from Hoenn to check things out!"
Peter nodded slowly, still processing.
Same surname. Same Metagross.
But… why did this guy look like a mix between a champion and a stray adventurer?
As if reading his thoughts, the man added casually,
"Oh, and Lance is my cousin too."
Peter & Whitney: ?!
A double champion family… and his name is Stone?!
…
Soon, the brackets were finalized.
The tournament was divided into four groups—A, B, C, and D—with 16 teams in each.
Group A: Brock paired with a woman named Holly; Ash was fated to team up with Paul; Saikikka ( Psychic who has Metagross) partnered with a Karate-ō (Karate Fighter who has Zangoose).
Group B: Valric teamed up with Tony; Dawn paired with Conway; Draak partnered with a skinny boy who had followed Goblin earlier; and Peter teamed with Whitney.
Group C: Nessa partnered with a flashy green-haired youth.
Group D: Nemona teamed up with Zemu.
Groups C and D looked relatively weaker—many participants were just casual entrants—so Nessa and Nemona were likely to advance easily.
Due to the large number of participants, the first round would be held simultaneously across multiple smaller battlefields.
Efficient. Brutal. Fast.
…
Group A began first.
At Saikikka's enthusiastic invitation, Peter and Whitney stayed to watch.
The results were largely as expected.
Brock and Holly advanced smoothly—Brock's Gym Leader-level battle sense even impressed his partner, sparking a hint of admiration.
Saikikka bulldozed his opponents with sheer Metagross power.
And then—Ash and Paul.
They sent out a combination of Chimchar and Pikachu against Rhydon and Magmar.
Rhydon's Lightning Rod completely nullified Pikachu's Electric attacks, and both opponents resisted Fire-type moves. On top of that, Ash and Paul had zero coordination—they were practically fighting separate battles.
And yet…
Pikachu pulled off a ridiculous sequence—Iron Tail splitting through Surf, one-shotting Rhydon, then Volt Tackle smashing into Magmar. With Chimchar assisting using Dig, they secured a clean victory.
Peter couldn't help but twitch his lips.
"Master of type disadvantage, huh…"
Still, his attention lingered on Chimchar:
[Chimchar ♂ Lv.33 (Advanced)]
Ability: Blaze [Unmastered] (A special variant of Blaze. When pushed to the brink, it can increase all move power by 80%, but requires immense willpower to control.)
Peter clicked his tongue softly.
"Damn… the Monkey really is something else. Too bad I'm not a Fire-type trainer…"
Otherwise… he would've definitely tried to steal that one.
From Paul's actions, it was obvious—he had entered this tournament specifically to push Chimchar to its limits, using enemy Fire-type attacks to awaken and control its Blaze ability.
A dangerous gamble.
But if it succeeded…
Chimchar would undergo a terrifying transformation.
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T/N:
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