The moment the Alpha Mega Pidgeot appeared in the sky, the audience inside the Silver Stadium started buzzing with curiosity, and then loud cheers rocked the sky when the drones zoomed in and Aizen and Ilene's faces appeared on the screens.
The two landed right on top of the Royal Box, and the Avian Pokémon perched itself there whilst its riders teleported in the lounge below him.
Old Charles Goodshow, Ethan Hunt, Lance Blackthorn, Blue and Hilda Oak, and Sabrina were present in the lounge, and after the Queen and her Consort greeted everyone, they took their seats as the match was about to start.
"Ladies and gentlemen, on the Eastern Grid, we have the Girl from Pallet Town, Kanto, who won the hearts of millions nine months ago at the Indigo Conference, and who had made it to the Semi-Finals and won the Bronze Final in the very first year of her Pokémon Journey. Her record, almost perfect, 41 Official Matches, 40 wins. She won the Orange League Challenge a few days before the start of this Conference, and now, in the Semi-Finals of the Silver Conference, she eyes the spot in the Finals... please welcome, the Star of the Blanc Laboratory, the ambitious, the talented, the focused, the tuthless, the clever... Leaf... Green!!!"
Aizen smiled when the stadium cheered for his little Assistant to the limits of their voices.
And as soon as Leaf exited the tunnel, she looked towards the Royal Box, found him, and smiled.
They shared a nod before she took her spot in her grid, and her eyes instantly turned cold as she entered her battle mode.
"On the Western Grid, we have the Boy from Pallet Town, Kanto, who has earned a fair share of his own fans during this conference. He has performed beyond the odds, and he has earned his place in the Semi-Finals due to the sheer grit and tenacity of his and his Pokémon. Only in the second year of his Pokémon Journey, this Trainer has shown the world that he must not be underestimated. The Top 32 of the Indigo Conference, in the Semi-Finals of the Silver Conference only nine months later, you can count on it that he is eyeing the spot in the final. Please welcome, the tenacious, the ingenious, the brave... Ash... Ketchum!!!"
The Boy from Pallet Town ran out of the Tunnel and started shadowboxing in his grid under the cheers of the crowds.
When the countdown started, Ash turned his hat around and tightened his right gloves.
The two friends grinned at each other before they selected their first Pokémon, and as soon as the whistle sounded out, the green light appeared on the screens, and both activated their Pokéballs and threw them in the air.
"Eeeuuu!!"
"Gwarrrrr!"
The Two Pokémon glared at each other, and the Referee smiled at the sight of them.
"Round 1: Charizard vs Lapras. Begin!"
"Ancient Power!"
"You too."
Both Leaf and Ash used the same move, and multiple rocks, surrounded by purple energy emerged from the ground, and then they were sent flying at their opponent.
A lot of rocks crashed into each other, and Ash immediately called for his Lapras to use a Hydro Pump, and Leaf asked her Charizard to use Flamethrower.
The two attacks clashed with each other, and both failed to overpower their opponent's move.
As a result, the entire battlefield was now surrounded by steam, which was drying up fast, but before it could happen, Leaf ordered her Charizard to use Smokescreen.
"Sing!" Ash worriedly called out but regretted the move as Charizard managed to locate Lapras and ruthlessly smashed it with a Thunder Punch. "Waterfall!"
However, the boy managed to find an opportunity, and his Lapras managed to execute the move before Charizard could get away.
"Dragon Rush."
Leaf did not back down, and her Charizard ruthlessly smashed into Lapras, covered in purple energy.
The Water Pokémon groaned in pain, and Ash's heart jumped up in his throat when the Charizard flew up and started sending out Air Slashes.
"Use Waterfall to protect yourself, and then use Perish Song."
Leaf's heart too skipped a beat at Ash's choice, and then she sighed because she could not recall her Pokémon yet.
The malevolent yet beautiful melody caught the Fire Pokémon.
"Blast Burn." She ruthlessly ordered, and Charizard used the terrifying Fire Type Move that made the crowd very nervous.
When the flames cleared, Charizard was seeing swaying on his feet, and Lapras was dealing with burns.
"Lapras, be strong. Charizard can not move for a while. Use Brine!"
Leaf clenched her fist when she saw the stubborn Lapras manage to execute the move, but her Igneel did not fall.
It entered the state of Blaze and then used Flare Blitz at Lapras before falling unconscious.
Lapras too had fainted after receiving that move, and the Referee raised his flags, declaring the result of the first round.
"Both Charizard and Lapras are unable to battle. Round 1 ends in a draw!" His voice was soon overshadowed by the cheers from the crowd. "Contestants, please send out your second Pokémon as soon as the countdown ends."
Since they both were going in blind again, they took deep breaths to compose themselves.
As soon as the countdown ended, Leaf devilishly smiled.
The roar of Charizard rocked the Stadium once again, and on their other and menacing Pokémon was surrounded by crackling electricity.
"Round 2: Electivire vs Charizard. Begin!"
Up in the Royal Box, Aizen keenly observed the two Pokémon. Electivire was strong but newly evolved, and Charizard was determined.
The battle that ensued between the two showed that the Type Advantage was moot because the Fire Pokémon just refused to give up even after suffering from a powerful Thunder.
Electivire too suffered from the Blast Burn, and then the two Pokémon took each other out with Volt Tackle and Flare Blitz, ending a round that lasted for nearly twenty minutes.
"Both Electivire and Charizard are unable to battle. Round 2 ends in a draw!"
Ash was frowning as he recalled his Pokémon, but on the other side, Leaf was still smiling.
And the Boy from Pallet Town started sweating when the third round began.
Leaf sent out her Raichu, and he had sent out his Heracross, expecting her to use one of her Grass Pokémon or Farigiraf.
His gamble did not pay off, and Heracross failed against the Pokémon who was just too quick for it and also had a Type Advantage over it.
In the fourth round, after taking a few deep breaths and regaining his composure, he sent out his Snorlax.
Leaf wasted no time and recalled her Raichu, choosing to send out her Annihilape, revealing it for the first time in the Conference and catching Ash off-guard.
Against the terrifying Fighting Ghost, Snorlax was helpless, and to no one's surprise, fell short before the five-minute mark could be reached.
Ash, however, caught everyone by surprise when he sent out his own Annihilape.
Her Pokémon was eager to fight, and so Leaf allowed the two Pokémon to battle their hearts out.
In the end, both of them took each other out and fainted, causing the fifth round to end in a draw as well.
Ash now had only one Pokémon left, but Leaf still had her Raichu and two slots.
After making up his mind and accepting the result, the boy sent his Pikachu to the battlefield, and Leaf happily sent out her Electric Pokémon again.
Against all expectations, Pikachu did not lose. Ash and Pikachu fought with ingenuity, with a lot more tenacity, and in the end, both ended up taking each other out.
With four rounds that ended in a draw, it was one of the most exciting matches of the entire Conference, and yet, Leaf Green comfortably won her place in the Finals.
The two Trainers shook heads in the centre of the battlefield and wished each other best of luck for the next match.
Aizen excused himself from the Royal Lounge and came out of the Stadium, where he met up with his friends whom he had not seen in person in a while.
Leaf and Ash were receiving praise from their friends when the girl spotted him, and then she immediately rushed into his arms.
"Well done." He said to her and squeezed her in his embrace, which made her giggle. "One to go."
"Yes!" She nodded her head, and as much as she wanted to kiss him, she was too shy to do it without everyone around.
Aizen praised Ash's performance as well, and the boy was excited to see him again.
"I haven't caught many Pokémon this year." He laughed when the boy asked about it, and then called out his Zorua, who immediately took Ash's form.
"Ash Ketchum, meet Ash Ketchum."
"Woah..." The boy had stars in his eyes when he saw his doppelganger and was even more amazed when Zorua mimicked his voice and spoke in human tongue. "Amazing."
"We want to meet Alex!" Risa, Leaf, and Misty then made the request, and he promised to bring the little Prince to see them in the evening.
He needed to get back to the Royal Box after the group sat down in the Pokémon Center and had a long and happy chat. As for his sister and the rest, they decided to watch the second Semi-Final from the Trainer's Lounge.
The second Semi-Final was won by a Trainer named Hareta, who was from Sinnoh. He was fifteen years old, but he had started his Pokémon Journey this year.
In the evening, when Aizen arrived at Pokémon Center with his son, he invited the girls to his suite, and laughed when he saw them gush of Alex.
They had dinner together, and also met Ilene when she same to the suite.
And right before Leaf stood up to leave for her room, Aizen asked her to accompany him on a walk.
"Don't take your opponent lightly. He is well prepared. And I am certain that he has not revealed all his cards in the Conference yet."
The girl surprisedly looked at him, and then furrowed her brows and nodded her head.
Aizen did not kiss her as she wanted him to. Instead, he planted a kiss on her forehead, caressed her head, and told her to do her best.