Two days later, the Hoenn League Ever Grande Conference officially opened.
A total of five hundred and twelve trainers had gathered from across the region to compete in this year's Pokémon League.
As the Chairman of the Pokémon League, Mr. Damaranche appeared as a special guest at the opening ceremony. During the lighting of the sacred flame, he delivered an inspiring speech, expressing his hopes that every participating trainer would achieve outstanding results in the competition.
That night, Aiden Flint stood before the sacred flame alongside countless other trainers.
Under the gaze of tens of thousands of spectators, he solemnly issued his challenge to the Hoenn League Ever Grande Conference.
Looking around at the familiar faces—his future opponents—Aiden couldn't help but smile.
Ash, burning with passion and enthusiasm.
Morrison, full of confidence and fighting spirit.
Paul, cold and serious as ever.
Tyson and Harrison, brimming with pride and determination.
And countless other trainers, each carrying their own dreams.
The real battle was only just beginning.
…
What surprised Aiden slightly was the fact that Paul had also joined this year's Hoenn League Ever Grande Conference.
Perhaps it was because he had lost at the Scientist Town earlier and refused to accept defeat.
If that was the case, then the clash between Ash and Paul might come even sooner than expected.
"Next, the tournament will proceed with random grouping. Four trainers will form one group and compete in the first round of preliminary matches!"
"There are five hundred and twelve participants in this Ever Grande Conference, divided into one hundred and twenty-eight groups. Each group contains four trainers who will compete in a round-robin format."
"A victory earns one point, a loss deducts one point, and a draw earns no points. After all matches are completed, the trainer with the highest score in each group will advance to the second round!"
"In other words, even though all of you have collected eight Gym Badges, you must still stand out within your four-person group to qualify for the next stage!"
"Trainers, I look forward to your performances!"
As Chairman Damaranche finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted across the stadium.
At the same time, the massive screen above the Ever Grande Stadium lit up, displaying the group allocations.
Contestant No. 117, Aiden Flint, was grouped with No. 500 Joker, No. 307 Xiao Wu, and No. 465 Shaluo.
They were assigned to Group Seven, battling on Arena No. 7.
Tomorrow, Aiden's first match would be against Shaluo.
Shaluo, a trainer from Dewford Town, specialized in Water-type Pokémon.
For this one-on-one battle, Aiden had already decided who would take the field.
The next morning, before the matches began, Aiden woke up in the luxury suite of the Pokémon Center.
As he went downstairs, he ran into Ash and Morrison, both brimming with energy.
"Ah, Aiden! Are you heading to your match too?" Ash asked excitedly.
Aiden smiled and greeted them casually.
"Aiden, you're strong, but I won't lose so easily in this tournament!" Morrison declared with determination.
Facing Ash's enthusiasm and Morrison's competitive spirit, Aiden chuckled.
"Alright. Then we'll meet again in the official matches."
Originally, Ash and Morrison wanted to watch Aiden's battle, but since their own matches were scheduled for the morning as well, they had no choice but to head to their respective arenas first.
After a brief chat, Aiden made his way to Arena No. 7.
Soon, all four trainers in Group Seven arrived.
The preliminary matches were not held in the main stadium but in eight smaller battle arenas surrounding it.
To maintain efficiency, all group battles had to be completed within half a day.
At this pace, at least sixteen groups could finish their matches in a single day, meaning the top 128 trainers could be determined within seven to ten days.
In other words, every group scheduled for today had to complete three battles.
The first match on Arena No. 7 was Aiden versus Shaluo.
"Now beginning the preliminary match of Group Seven on Arena No. 7! Contestant No. 117, Aiden Flint from Littleroot Town, versus Contestant No. 465, Shaluo from Dewford Town! Each trainer may use one Pokémon. The battle begins!"
As Aiden and Shaluo stepped onto opposite sides of the battlefield, the match officially started.
"Go, Starmie!"
"Come out, Torterra!"
"Ding! Starmie's current status is as follows:"
Pokémon: Starmie
Level: 38
Ability: Illuminate
Type: Water / Psychic
Potential: Purple
Mega Evolution: Locked
Moves: Psybeam, Hydro Pump, Psychic, Recover, Harden, Cosmic Power…
Facing Starmie, which had reached the peak of the elite level, Aiden naturally sent out Torterra, which had just completed its final evolution.
"Starmie, use Psychic!"
"Torterra, Frenzy Plant!"
Aiden opened with one of Grass-type's strongest moves.
Although Starmie's eyes glowed blue and its psychic power inflicted some damage on Torterra, Torterra's overwhelming defensive power allowed it to endure the attack with ease.
The moment it found an opening, thick vines and massive thorns erupted from the ground, whipping toward Starmie relentlessly.
Even with its impressive durability, Starmie couldn't withstand the continuous assault and was quickly overwhelmed.
It lost its ability to battle.
"Ding! Torterra defeated Starmie and gained 435 experience points. Level increased. Current level: Lv. 40!"
"Ding! Torterra's updated status is as follows:"
Pokémon: Torterra
Level: 40
Ability: Overgrow
Type: Grass
Potential: Gold
Mega Evolution: Locked
Moves: Wood Hammer, Giga Drain, Leaf Blade, Worry Seed, Synthesis, Crunch…
Friendship: 190
Experience: A gentle starter Pokémon from Sinnoh that found its destined Trainer
Hobby: Enjoys basking in the sun
The first battle ended with an effortless victory for Torterra.
"Shaluo's Starmie has lost the ability to battle! Torterra wins! The winner is Aiden Flint! One point awarded to Aiden, one point deducted from Shaluo!"
As the battle ended, Joker and Xiao Wu watched in shock.
A one-hit victory in the preliminaries.
The result of this group already seemed obvious.
However, now it was their turn to fight.
Joker sent out Magmar, while Xiao Wu chose Onix.
With the advantage of type matchups, Xiao Wu ultimately claimed victory.
Next came the battle between Aiden and Xiao Wu.
"You're strong, but I won't lose to you. Go, Rhyperior!"
It was clear that Xiao Wu specialized in Rock-type Pokémon.
"Ding! Rhyperior's current status is as follows:"
Pokémon: Rhyperior
Level: 40
Ability: Lightning Rod
Type: Rock / Ground
Potential: Purple
Mega Evolution: Locked
Moves: Horn Attack, Earthquake, Drill Run, Rock Blast, Iron Tail, Stomp, Scary Face…
At the same time, Aiden's Blaziken stepped onto the battlefield.
"Looks like I got lucky. My opponent is a Fire-type Pokémon. Rhyperior, Rock Blast!"
As Xiao Wu issued his command, Rhyperior roared, and countless rocks rained down from above.
But Blaziken, the fastest-growing and strongest among Aiden's starter Pokémon, showed no fear.
"Blaziken, go! Sky Uppercut!"
The moment Aiden gave the order, Blaziken's eyes sharpened.
With a sharp cry, it dashed forward at incredible speed.
Thanks to its Speed Boost ability and outstanding agility, Blaziken effortlessly dodged the falling rocks.
Then, a terrifying punch slammed into Rhyperior's body.
With a single blow, Rhyperior let out a painful cry and collapsed on the spot.
Another instant knockout.
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