A faint smile appeared on Brandon's usually stern face.
He stared at the screen before him.
His sharp gaze seemed as though it could pierce straight through it.
"Showing this scene… are they implying that Ash defeated me?"
The moment he said it—
Brandon immediately shook his head.
"No. Absolutely not."
"Out of all possibilities, this is the one thing that's impossible!"
No one understood his strength better than he did.
Meanwhile, Trainers gathered in groups, discussing Brandon.
"This Mr. Brandon… is he really that strong?" a rookie Trainer asked hesitantly.
"It's not a matter of strong or not!"
"He's the kind of Trainer you simply cannot defeat!"
"See that pyramid?"
"Brandon is the Pyramid King of the Battle Frontier in Kanto! He's known as the strongest Frontier Brain—his strength is on par with the Elite Four and Champions!"
A knowledgeable Trainer spoke excitedly in a hushed voice.
The surrounding crowd gasped.
Even if they didn't fully understand what the Battle Frontier was—
They understood one thing clearly.
Strength comparable to Champions!
Powerful!
A true powerhouse!
They looked at Ash on the screen—still not that mature—
Then at Brandon, surrounded by an aura of authority and experience.
Yeah…
The outcome of this battle seemed obvious, didn't it?
Still—
Holding onto a tiny sliver of hope for Pikachu, a few people believed Ash might have the slightest chance.
Then they heard the knowledgeable Trainer continue—
"I once battled Brandon… and let me tell you, it was brutal!"
"And don't think I'm exaggerating!"
"Not only is Brandon a powerful Trainer, he's also an expert in exploring ancient ruins!"
"And in one of those ruins, he captured a Legendary Pokémon!"
Everyone sucked in a sharp breath.
Captured… a Legendary Pokémon?!
Brandon was practically a god among Trainers!
After learning about Brandon's strength—
The way people looked at him changed completely.
Their eyes were filled with admiration and awe.
A Trainer who could capture Legendary Pokémon…
Facing someone like that—
Did Ash really stand any chance?
Everyone instinctively shook their heads.
It wasn't that they didn't believe in Ash.
It was just…
At that moment—
The cold mechanical voice rang out once again.
[Timed Betting Event Begins!]
[Challenge: Battle Pyramid! Regice VS Pikachu!]
[Failure to choose within ten minutes will be considered forfeiting.]
The corresponding text appeared in the chatroom, ensuring everyone could see it clearly.
In an instant—
From ordinary people to Trainers to Champions—
Everyone's emotions were stirred.
Huh?!
A timed betting event?
A prediction game?
This actually sounded pretty interesting!
Pikachu versus Regice?
What kind of Pokémon was Regice?
Many Trainers hadn't even recalled it yet.
Steven Stone, however, looked shocked.
[Steven Stone: Regice? The Legendary iceberg Pokémon from the Ice Age? That's one of the Legendary giants!]
[Steven Stone: According to legend, Regice slept within glaciers for thousands of years. Its body is made of Ice Age ice that cannot be melted, even by fire! It can control freezing air as cold as minus 200 degrees!]
As someone who had once given up his Champion position just to pursue mining—
Steven had studied Regirock, the Rock-type Legendary giant, in great detail.
Through that, he had also learned about the other Legendary giants.
Regirock—the Rock Titan.
Registeel—the Iron Titan.
Regice—the Ice Titan.
If he remembered correctly—
Brandon had already captured Regirock and Registeel.
And now—
Adding Regice to the mix…
Even Steven couldn't help but admire him.
Such an achievement was not something just anyone could accomplish!
The title of the strongest Frontier Brain in Kanto was well deserved!
Brandon had earned it through sheer strength!
Others didn't know as much about Regice as Steven did.
But after hearing his explanation—
Shock and awe spread across their faces.
A Legendary Pokémon?
One of the Legendary giants?
It sounded incredibly powerful!
And now—
That same Regice was about to battle Pikachu?!
…