The smell of ozone still lingered in Cerulean Gym when the referee finally found his voice. He stammered, then raised his flag high.
"Th-The winner of this official Gym challenge… Ethan Carter of Lavender Town!"
The audience erupted. Daisy's Kingdra still twitched faintly on the field, body scorched by the divine bolt Snorlax had somehow summoned through Metronome. Daisy herself looked shell-shocked.
That wasn't just Thunderbolt. That was… Zekrom's strike.
Ethan crouched, ruffling Snorlax's head. "Well done, big guy. You just rolled god's dice and won."
Snorlax opened his mouth expectantly. Ethan tossed a few energy cubes into the air, which the beast swallowed in one gulp before vanishing back into his ball.
Daisy approached, still gripping the Cerulean badge. "Your power is… frightening. Tell me—why did you lead with Metronome, of all things? Such recklessness…"
Ethan accepted the badge with a half-smile. "Simple. I trust my luck. And mine happens to be extraordinary."
He didn't linger. By the time Daisy blinked, Ethan was already striding toward the exit.
In the stands, the tattooed trainer who had challenged before clenched his fists. He had come expecting to mock Ethan. Instead, he'd witnessed chaos reshaped into victory.
I was the short-sighted one, he admitted silently. Then, louder: "No—I have to make friends with him."
He sprinted out the doors… just in time to see Ethan's Charizard rise into the skies, leaving only a trail of flame.
"Damn it."
Behind them, Daisy's youngest sister held a recorder in her hands. "Sis, what do we do with the video? Should I show the trainers? You promised it'd be a thrilling match, but… you got wrecked. Twice."
Daisy's cheeks colored. "Idiot." She ruffled Misty's hair, then snatched the recorder and deleted the footage. "We'll upload a written record instead."
She quickly scrawled the official entry: Gym Leader Daisy fielded her main Pokémon, Starmie and Kingdra. After a thrilling match against Ethan Carter's Charizard and Snorlax, victory came only by chance. Ethan shows exceptional potential and could become a future League Champion.
In the score column, she marked him S-rank.
When she turned back to the audience, Daisy forced a cheerful smile. "Due to battlefield damage, Cerulean Gym will close for repairs. Challenges will resume in one month. Thank you all."
The crowd groaned but dispersed. Daisy exhaled with relief. A month's break. Maybe this loss has some perks.
High above Kanto, Ethan leaned against Charizard's neck, badge glittering in his hand. He pulled out his League instructor license and adjusted the fee.
"Fifteen thousand a session," he murmured. "Two badges means higher rates."
Business was business.
He dialed James.
The Rocket heir's voice came through in a rush: "Ethan, finally! If you hadn't come, my parents would've forced me to choose one of their instructors. I refused—I want you."
Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose. "James… you know how that sounds?"
"…Uh."
"Never mind. Point is, relax. I'll convince them I'm worth their money." He paused, grimacing at his own words. Why do I sound like I'm courting him?
James didn't notice. "Thank you. Truly."
Ethan ended the call and nudged Charizard. "Saffron's suburbs. Let's go meet the family."
The next morning, Charizard descended onto the manicured lawns of the Yamabuki Estate, James's family villa. Two figures waited at the gate—James himself, waving like a child, and his butler.
"Ethan!" James hurried forward.
Ethan dismounted, returning Charizard with a flick of his wrist. His gaze, however, was already drifting beyond the Yamabuki manor.
Across the hedge, another estate loomed—smaller, sleeker, designed like a Master Ball emblazoned with a silver "M." Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"James… whose villa is that?"
James followed his gaze and answered casually, "Oh, that? That belongs to the president of Silph Co."
Ethan's lips quirked. Silph's president, living practically next door to James's family. That explains a lot… and promises even more.