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Time flew by.
The tightly packed rounds of the Pokémon League Championship unfolded smoothly. Quarterfinals, semifinals… until at last, the day of the grand finale arrived.
There were no more dark horses left to surprise the world. Even without Kael stepping onto the field, Lanny had advanced to the Championship stage, relying on his other Pokémon and careful strategy.
On the opposite bracket, Nolan dominated his matches with frightening ease. Not a single challenger had forced him to reveal even a fifth Pokémon before being swept aside.
Finally, at 8:00 PM, the moment arrived.
Across the world, people gathered. Office workers came home, showered, and turned on the television. Students buried in their studies put aside their books to glance at the match streaming on their phones.
Families sat together in living rooms, chatting casually while bowls of snacks sat untouched everyone's eyes fixed on the big screen.
It was the grand finale of the Pokémon League Championship. Tonight, a new Champion would be crowned.
From Castelia City to the islands of Alola, all the way to the far reaches of Galar, wherever time allowed, millions of eyes turned toward the city.
Above the city's night sky, cleared of industrial haze months in advance, countless stars shone brightly. Beneath them, the colossal steel-and-glass Silverridge Stadium loomed like a shining bird's nest, glowing with flowing lines of electric blue that shimmered with both modern elegance and quiet mystery.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Streaks of light soared skyward like an inverted meteor shower. They paused at their peak, then erupted into explosions of color.
Fireworks bloomed into dazzling flowers across the sky, painting the heavens with brilliant reds, greens, and golds. Even passersby in the streets stopped in their tracks to lift phones, capturing the spectacle.
Inside the stadium, the audience roared with excitement. Multicolored glowsticks waved in unison like a living ocean of light.
In the VIP rows sat celebrities, tycoons, and political figures, clad in elegant suits and gowns, murmuring to one another.
From the entrance to the stage stretched a crimson carpet. Upon it walked Damalanth, the League Chairman, clad in a black suit. His expression was solemn as he carried a dark wooden bowl etched with ancient markings. Within it flickered a small but holy flame red, white, and yellow intertwining as one.
It was the Sacred Flame of Ho-Oh, carried from the League's headquarters. The eternal fire was the very symbol of the League's spirit and history.
Step by heavy step, Damalanth advanced down the carpet, the crowd hushed by the weight of the moment. At last, the elder set the flame into a specially crafted silver brazier at the heart of the stadium.
Whooom!
The fire roared, bursting into a radiant halo of light that rippled through the arena before settling into a steady, shimmering glow. Under its witness, the next Champion would be born.
Beneath the flame, attendants placed a pedestal. Upon it gleamed the newly crafted Champion's Trophy: forged of pure gold, polished to a mirror shine.
A golden Poké Ball crowned the top, symbolizing the core of every trainer's journey, while the base was etched with intricate patterns as an ode to the League's long and storied past.
The award ceremony would be held immediately after the match.
Dong… dong… dong…
Ancient chimes rang through the night, reverberating across the stadium. The red carpet was rolled away. The crowd grew still.
Unlike the earlier rounds, the battlefield for the finals held no terrain gimmicks, no environmental twists. Only the dark, unadorned stone floor of the League's most sacred arena remained. A pure stage where strength alone would decide the outcome.
From one entrance, Nolan appeared, dressed in the ceremonial white-and-silver robes provided by the League. His cloak trailed behind him, embroidered with faintly glowing runes of silver thread.
From the opposite gate came Lanny, dressed in equally lavish black-and-gold attire tailored sharply and battle-ready, a stark contrast to Nolan's regal flow.
The two finalists stood at opposite ends of the battlefield.
Lanny's expression was calm but unreadable. Across from him, Nolan's faint smile carried a confidence that bordered on arrogance.
Lanny's mind raced. He had already surpassed his original goal of reaching the Top 8. Now, with Kael's power at his side, he dared to dream of the Champion's throne itself.
But Nolan's strength was formidable on par with Zilin's, if not greater. Choosing the right order for his Pokémon was critical.
Against Zilin, he had hidden Flaaffy until the final moment. But here, both sides came prepared. Whether Kael entered the field first or last could decide the entire outcome.
It was a gamble.
If Nolan led with his ace and Kael came last, Nolan might sweep through most of his team uncontested. But if Kael went in early and Nolan saved his strongest for later, the same could happen in reverse.
A psychological battle.
Lanny gritted his teeth.
'Enough overthinking'
At the referee's signal, both trainers hurled their first Poké Balls into the air.
The League Finals had begun.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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