Johto.
White Silver Town.
The annual White Silver Conference was being held as scheduled.
Countless trainers who had collected eight badges flocked here from all directions.
Among them was a boy in a blue short-sleeved jacket and a red-and-white baseball cap.
Perched on his shoulder was a tiny, adorable Electric Mouse Pokémon, its head swiveling curiously from side to side.
Walking beside him were two companions: a girl about his age dressed in a fiery, eye-catching outfit, and a dark-skinned young man with squinting eyes.
The girl had a slender waist and long, shapely legs. Her yellow sleeveless crop top and denim shorts cut dangerously high showed off her figure perfectly.
She raised one delicate hand to shield her eyes from the sun, while the other cradled a Pokémon shaped like an eggshell.
"Ash, there are so many participants this year. Don't tell me you're going to stop at the Top 16 again?"
"Come on, Misty, don't jinx me like that. This time, my goal is the championship."
The girl—Misty—let out a soft laugh.
Having traveled with Ash since the Kanto region, both she and Brock knew Ash's strength very well.
Ash had outstanding talent, but unfortunately, the short duration of his journey so far meant he hadn't fully realized it. Last time at the Indigo Conference, he'd only made it to the Top 16.
If only he'd been strong enough back then to command Charizard properly, he might have gone further—at the very least, he wouldn't have been eliminated so early.
"Ash, winning the championship might be tough, but this time you'll definitely do better than in the Indigo Conference," said Brock, the dark-skinned young man with squinted eyes.
"Don't worry. Pikachu and I are going all out. This time, the championship is mine!"
Ash clenched his fist, his fighting spirit reignited.
"Pika, pika~"
The Pikachu on his shoulder raised its little paw in agreement—though whether it would actually cooperate was another question entirely.
"What a hot-blooded fool," Misty muttered, wiping sweat from her forehead with a dainty hand.
"Let's hurry up, sign in, and then go rest. It's way too hot out here."
With that, she grabbed Ash's hand and dragged him toward the registration booth.
"Not so rough, Misty! That hurts!"
"Quit whining. I've got to get back to my swim practice!"
The two of them disappeared into the crowd, hand in hand.
Brock tightened the straps of his backpack, his squinted eyes full of envy.
"Ah… running together beneath the sunset—that's the youth I've lost. When will I find the partner of my own youth? Nurse Joy, hurry and rescue my lonely heart!"
The passersby who overheard quietly edged away, their eyes filled with disdain. Pervert.
"Ding~"
Just then—
A mechanical chime echoed across the sky.
Immediately after, the ground shook with a force like a tidal wave crashing across the world.
On Mt. Silver, a crimson-clad boy in meditation, slowly opened his eyes.
Another challenger who didn't know their limits?
He rose from the cave where he trained—but no challenger appeared.
Instead, the wild Pokémon that normally roamed the mountains so arrogantly were now huddled together in fear.
Following their gaze, the boy froze.
Across the heavens stretched a massive curtain of light.
His pupils shrank. What is that?
Back in White Silver Town—
Ash, still being tugged along by Misty, also stopped at the sudden tremor.
"Team Rocket again?" he muttered, scanning the area for the familiar trio.
But everyone else was looking skyward.
"What's going on?"
He raised his head—and saw the same vast curtain of light blotting out the once-clear blue sky.
"!"
"What is this?!"
And it wasn't just here.
Everywhere life existed, the light curtain appeared.
Even the Legendary Pokémon could see it.
High in the ozone layer, the slumbering Rayquaza stirred, sensing a strange power.
Its eyes snapped open—and the light curtain filled its vision.
What is this thing?!
True to its violent nature, Rayquaza didn't hesitate.
Its fanged jaws glowed with rainbow energy—a Dragon Pulse was about to be unleashed!
The beam shot forth like a dragon of pure light, striking the curtain—
But then, shockingly, it vanished before even making contact.
Rayquaza reeled. The immense power within its body was suddenly unresponsive!
Even the divine authority it had been granted as the Ruler of the Sky was sealed away!
Not destroyed—sealed!
Sealed by a power that could even suppress the gifts of the Creator itself!
Whose handiwork is this?!
In the volcano's heart, Groudon awoke.
From the depths of the sea, Kyogre rose.
They too were awakened by the curtain's power—only to find their strength sealed.
Unable to fight back, they howled in rage, their fury spilling out unchecked.
And not just in Hoenn.
In Sinnoh—within the Distortion World, the Time-Space Rift—Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina glared at the light curtain, their own powers sealed.
Across every region, the same phenomenon unfolded.
The Kanto League…
The Hoenn League…
The Sinnoh League…
Every alliance in the world was at a loss, racking their brains to decipher the mysterious light curtain.
"Steven, any progress?"
The silver-haired Champion paused in his work, exhaling slowly.
"No. With our current means, we can't break through it at all. Even Porygon can't enter."
A heavy silence fell.
No understanding. No recognition. No entry.
"Look! The curtain's changing!"
Steven looked up.
Sure enough—lines of text were appearing across its surface.
Then, a majestic voice boomed across the entire world:
[Legendary Trainer Countdown Arrives]
[A global broadcast will now commence]
[There will be prize quizzes and Q&A during the broadcast]
[Only those who answer correctly will receive rewards]
[This broadcast's theme: "The Legendary Boy's Path to Victory"]
[Once loading is complete, only elite-level trainers and above may send live comments (Note: Chosen Ones will share this privilege)]
[Only those with comment privileges may participate in the quizzes and Q&A]
As the voice faded, the words vanished.
The next moment, dazzling beams of light burst forth from the curtain, raining down like shooting stars.
In White Silver Town—
Brock had just caught up to Ash and Misty when the light descended straight toward them!
In an instant, their vision was filled with brilliance.
Brock's squinted eyes opened wider than they ever had—perhaps even he wanted one last look at the world before the end.
But the pain they braced for never came.
Instead, a warm current filled their bodies, followed by a fleeting surge of information through their minds.
They had been chosen.
The curtain had marked them as "Chosen Ones," granting them the right to send live comments.
Each of them now had a small, floating personal light curtain before them.
By simply forming words in their minds, they could transmit messages onto the broadcast.
And it wasn't just Ash, Misty, and Brock—across the world, every chosen trainer now possessed the same mini screen.
[Ash: Hey, hey, is anyone there?]