A staff member entered the room and said, "The opening ceremony is about to begin. Everyone, please follow me."
Alex and the other participants rose from their seats and followed the staff member, who led them through several hallways toward the main arena.
When Alex and the other participants stepped into the arena, they were greeted by a breathtaking sight.
Every spectator seat was filled with people. The gigantic arena was packed to capacity, and not a single empty seat could be seen anywhere.
Alex looked at the enormous sea of spectators and felt a surge of excitement. Although he had participated in similarly large tournaments before, those feelings had never completely disappeared. Standing in such a massive arena once again, surrounded by countless spectators, he could still feel the same excitement coursing through him.
He looked toward the sky and saw several Elite-level Water-type Pokémon flying and swimming through specially constructed pools suspended around the arena.
Dozens of Pokémon, including Milotic, Gyarados, Pelipper, and Kingdra, began using Master Rank Water-type moves in perfect synchronization.
Massive streams of water rose into the air and formed enormous arches above the stadium.
The water twisted and moved as though it were alive, creating gigantic shapes of famous Pokémon, the Hoenn region, and even the symbol of the Pokémon Alliance.
At the same time, music began to play throughout the arena.
The water show continued as countless streams of water crossed each other high above the arena. Under the bright sunlight, rainbows formed throughout the stadium, drawing excited reactions from the audience.
The participants lined up in the center of the arena while the enormous water sculptures moved overhead and the music echoed throughout the stadium.
Even Alex, who was normally difficult to influence, found himself caught up in the beautiful show. After several minutes, the water show finally came to an end.
The enormous water structures collapsed harmlessly into thousands of sparkling droplets that rained gently down into the collection pools around the arena.
As the last traces of the performance disappeared, Professor Birch appeared on a large podium near the center of the arena, holding a microphone.
Before Professor Birch could even begin speaking, the audience erupted into applause and cheers.
Countless spectators stood up from their seats while others shouted his name. The enthusiastic reaction demonstrated just how popular Professor Birch was within Hoenn.
While he was not nearly as famous in other regions as professors like Samuel Oak, within Hoenn he was one of the most respected public figures.
Not only was he the region's leading Pokémon Professor, but he also served as an adviser to the Hoenn Pokémon Alliance and possessed considerable influence throughout the region.
Alex looked at Professor Birch without surprise. He had expected Professor Birch to appear at the tournament.
Professor Birch showed a warm smile as he listened to the crowd's enthusiastic cheers. Only after the audience had calmed down somewhat did he begin speaking.
"Welcome to this year's Hoenn Champion Tournament!"
The audience immediately erupted into applause once again.
Professor Birch waited patiently before continuing. "Today marks the beginning of one of the most prestigious competitions in our region. Over the coming days, the trainers standing before you will compete against one another in pursuit of a single goal: to prove that they are the strongest trainer participating in this year's tournament. However, before the battles begin, I believe these trainers deserve recognition for what they have already accomplished."
The crowd responded with thunderous cheers. Many spectators stood up while others waved banners supporting their favorite participants.
Professor Birch smiled and waited for the noise to die down once more. "On the first day, participants will battle in one-versus-one matches until only 16 trainers remain."
A large screen behind him displayed the tournament format. "Once only 16 participants remain, the format will change to three-versus-three battles. Tomorrow, those sixteen trainers will continue competing until only 4 semi-finalists remain."
He paused briefly before continuing. "And on the final day, the championship match will be decided through a full six-versus-six battle."
Professor Birch raised his microphone slightly and said, "Some of these trainers are experienced veterans. Some are rising stars. Some are Gym Leaders. Others are challengers hoping to make a name for themselves. But once they step onto the battlefield, titles and reputations mean very little. Only skill, determination, and the bond between Trainer and Pokémon will decide the outcome."
Professor Birch raised the microphone slightly. "Over the next three days, we will witness great victories, heartbreaking defeats, incredible strategies, and battles that will be remembered for years to come. And when the tournament finally comes to an end, only one trainer will stand at the top."
The audience erupted into its loudest applause yet.
Professor Birch smiled broadly before raising one hand. "Now then, with all that said... Let the tournament begin!"
The crowd roared with excitement.
As Alex listened to the speeches and watched the water show, he couldn't help but feel that the Hoenn Champion Tournament truly overshadowed the Kanto Champion Tournament in terms of spectacle. The water show, in particular, was genuinely impressive.
After the opening ceremony concluded, Alex and the other participants returned to the waiting room.
Several large television screens mounted throughout the room immediately lit up.
The tournament bracket appeared on every screen, displaying the first-round matchups. Many participants quickly gathered around the televisions to see who their opponents would be.
Alex calmly looked toward one of the screens.
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Participant 36: Ian
Pokémon: Milotic Lv. 42, Gyarados Lv. 47, Gyarados Lv. 47, Gyarados Lv. 47, Gyarados Lv. 51, Gyarados Lv. 53
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Alex couldn't help but take a closer look to make sure he had seen it correctly—that his opponent really did have a team consisting of five Gyarados and one Milotic.
For a brief moment, he imagined this trainer repeatedly asking himself what Pokémon he should add to his team, only to arrive at the exact same answer every single time.
He even, couldn't help but think of a certain meme from his old world when he saw that team.
Alex shook his head slightly and suppressed a laugh.
Although he understood why some trainers chose to specialize in a particular Pokémon type—or even a specific Pokémon species—he himself would never do such a thing.
In Alex's opinion, a team composed almost entirely of the same Pokémon simply had too many weaknesses. While there were certainly advantages to such specialization, the lack of versatility was a flaw he could never overlook.
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