Chapter 59: League Champion
[Ding! The intermission has ended. The livestream will now continue.]
[Ding! Parallel-World Celebrity Series, Episode One—Water-Type Pokémon Master Raina—Stage Five begins!]
[VIP Chat Group]
[Ash]: First, first, first!
[Pikachu]: Pika!
[Gary]: Ash, how childish can you be? What’s the point of being first?
[Ash]: There is a point! It’s part of the ritual!
[Iris]: It’s finally here! I want to watch Raina compete in the League Conference! (ノ｀Д´)ノ
[Ding! Generating a random question...]
[Question: Where did Raina encounter Squirtle, her first Pokémon?]
[A. In Cerulean Gym’s backyard]
[B. At the beach]
[C. Beside a river on the outskirts of Cerulean City]
[D. At Professor Oak’s Laboratory]
[The answering period will begin in thirty seconds!]
[Ash]: Huh? Isn’t this basically a free point? Raina found Squirtle at—
[Gary]: Shut up! Are you trying to tell everyone the answer?!
[Ash]: You—I—Aaaaaah! Damn you, Gary!
[Ding! A contestant has successfully buzzed in!]
[Congratulations to Gary for successfully buzzing in!]
[VIP Chat Group]
[Ash]: Gary, you got it?!
[Gary]: My hands were simply faster.
[Ash]: What are you choosing?!
[Gary]: B. At the beach.
[Ash]: Aren’t you afraid you’ll get it wrong?!
[Gary]: If I’m wrong, then I’m wrong. At worst, I’ll receive a punishment. I, Gary Oak, have never needed to hesitate before taking action.
[Brock]: Why does Gary sound so domineering today...?
[Professor Oak]: Isn’t it merely because the question is easy?
[Gary]: Grandpa, stop ruining my moment.
The light screen flickered.
[Correct answer!]
[Congratulations to Gary for receiving a reward—one Mega Stone Mystery Box!]
[The Mystery Box contains one random Mega Stone.]
[VIP Chat Group]
[Ash]: A Mystery Box?! A Mega Stone Mystery Box?!
[Gary]: Not bad.
[Ash]: What do you mean, "not bad"?! That’s a Mega Stone! Open it and see what’s inside!
[Gary]: What’s the hurry? I’ll open it when I get back.
[Ash]: Open it now!
[Gary]: No.
[Ash]: Why not?!
[Gary]: Because watching you grow impatient is more entertaining than opening the box.
[Ash]: Gary, you—!
[Pikachu]: Pika, pika!
[Gary]: If Pikachu wants to see it, I might consider opening it.
[Ash]: Why does Pikachu’s opinion matter more than mine?!
[Gary]: Pikachu is cuter than you.
[Ash]: ...
[Delia]: Don’t be discouraged, Ash. Your mother thinks you’re cute too.
[Ash]: Mom!!!
The screen lit up again.
The camera swept across an enormous stadium. The stands were packed with spectators, while colorful flags fluttered overhead.
The finals of the Kanto League Conference—the main stadium at Indigo Plateau.
Raina stood at one end of the battlefield, her orange hair gleaming beneath the sunlight.
Opposite her was another young Trainer, who was commanding a Rhydon to charge forward.
"Blastoise, Hydro Cannon!"
The column of water struck Rhydon directly in the chest and blasted it completely out of the battlefield.
The referee raised his flag.
"Rhydon is unable to battle! The winner is Raina from Cerulean City!"
"The winner of this year’s League Conference is—Raina from Cerulean City!"
Deafening cheers erupted from the stands.
Raina stood at the center of the battlefield with all six of her Pokémon gathered around her.
Blastoise and Gyarados stood on either side of her, Dragonite stood behind her, Eevee lay atop her head, Gengar poked half its head out of her shadow with a wide grin, and Lapras rested beside her feet.
Raina raised the championship trophy high above her head, her golden eyes curving into crescents as she smiled.
"We did it!"
[Regular-Seat Chat Group]
"She’s the Champion! She really became the Champion!"
"I took a screenshot of Raina holding up the trophy!"
"Her six Pokémon are all gathered around her! This scene is so heartwarming!"
[VIP Chat Group]
[Erika]: League Conference Champion. A thoroughly deserved victory.
[Lt. Surge]: After winning the Conference, the next step should be challenging the Elite Four, right?
[Koga]: That is the standard procedure. The League Conference Champion earns the right to challenge the Elite Four.
[Bruno]: Perfect! I’ve wanted to battle Raina for a long time!
[Lorelei]: Aren’t you afraid of losing, Bruno?
[Bruno]: What is there to fear? A true warrior never fears defeat! Even losing would be an honor!
The video fast-forwarded.
A simple line of text appeared at the top of the screen.
[Raina issued a challenge to the Kanto Elite Four.]
The scene changed, revealing Raina standing opposite Bruno.
[First Battle: Bruno]
The image shifted again.
Bruno’s Hariyama lay defeated on the ground, while Raina’s Gyarados remained standing on the battlefield.
Bruno laughed heartily.
"Excellent! That was truly exhilarating!"
[Second Battle: Agatha]
Agatha’s Gengar was defeated head-on by Dragonite’s Thunder Punch.
Agatha recalled Gengar and smiled at Raina.
"Not bad, little girl. You’ve got some skill."
[Third Battle: Lorelei]
Lorelei’s Lapras and Raina’s Blastoise faced each other across the pool for a long time.
In the end, Raina only managed to defeat Lorelei after using Mega Evolution.
Lorelei recalled Lapras and nodded toward Raina.
"The younger generation is truly formidable."
[Regular-Seat Chat Group]
"She defeated three Elite Four members in a row?!"
"Even though they skipped the battles, those results are still completely insane!"
"What are you doing, subtitle system?! Give us back the actual battles!"
[VIP Chat Group]
[Bruno]: Although I lost, I can tell from that version of my expression that I thoroughly enjoyed the battle!
[Ash]: Master Bruno, you have such a great attitude!
[Bruno]: Of course! Battling a powerful opponent is an honor!
[Brock]: Three consecutive victories! Raina has already defeated three members of the Elite Four!
[Gary]: Lance is next.
[Raihan]: Lance’s Dragonite is no joke. Do you remember Asher’s Dragonite from the beginning of the video? Even if Lance’s Dragonite isn’t quite as powerful, it can’t be far behind.
[Iris]: You can do it, Raina!
Within the video, the scene changed to the main stadium at Indigo Plateau.
Raina stood at one end of the battlefield, fine beads of sweat covering her forehead.
Three consecutive Elite Four battles had taken a considerable toll on her. Of the Pokémon she carried, only Blastoise, Dragonite, and Lapras were still capable of continuing to battle.
Opposite her, Lance wore his signature cape, his expression perfectly calm.
"Raina, I watched all three of your previous battles."
Lance walked to the other end of the battlefield and took his position.
"However, my battling style is different from those of the other three. Are you prepared?"
Raina nodded slightly.
"Mr. Lance, I look forward to learning from you."
Lance raised his hand and threw a Poké Ball.
A flash of red light burst forth.
A Dragonite landed on the battlefield.
Raina took a deep breath and threw her own Poké Ball.
"Blastoise, I’m counting on you!"
Blastoise landed firmly on the ground.
It had already fought through three Elite Four battles and had expended a great deal of stamina, but it still stood perfectly upright.
The referee raised his flag.
"Let the battle begin!"
"Blastoise, Ice Beam!"
Raina chose to attack first.
Twin icy-blue beams shot from Blastoise’s cannons and raced directly toward Dragonite.
Lance calmly issued his command.
"Dragonite, dodge."
Dragonite merely shifted its body slightly to the side.
The Ice Beams grazed past its chest and struck the ground behind it, leaving a frozen trail across the battlefield.
"Hurricane."
A violent gale instantly swept across the entire arena. Blastoise was forced to lower its center of gravity just to remain standing.
"Blastoise, use Rapid Spin and charge through it!"
Blastoise withdrew into its shell and spun toward Dragonite.
"Aqua Tail."
Dragonite swept its tail forward, spiraling water surrounding it as it struck the side of Blastoise’s spinning shell with perfect accuracy.
The attack knocked Blastoise off course, sending it crashing into the battlefield and creating a crater.
"Blastoise!"
Raina clenched her fists.
Blastoise struggled out of the crater, shook the fragments of rock from its head, and stood upright once more.
"Again! Ice Beam!"
"Thunder Punch."
Before Blastoise could fully regain its footing, Dragonite was already directly in front of it.
A Thunder Punch slammed violently into Blastoise’s body, sending it flying across the battlefield. It rolled twice before coming to a stop.
Blastoise pressed its claws against the ground and attempted to rise, but ultimately collapsed.
The referee raised his flag.
"Blastoise is unable to battle!"
[Regular-Seat Chat Group]
"Holy crap! Mr. Lance’s Dragonite is far too powerful!"
"Blastoise fought through four Elite Four battles in a row. It has already lost too much stamina."
[VIP Chat Group]
[Leon]: Lance’s control over the pace of the battle is exceptionally precise.
[Bruno]: Blastoise fought four consecutive Elite Four battles. Enduring this long is already an extraordinary achievement.