[Now issuing: "The Future Awaits" Award]
[Recipient: Ash Ketchum]
[Reason for Award: In this countdown, Ash displayed an extraordinary talent, combining remarkable battle instincts with an unshakable love for Pokémon. His lifelong dream—to become a Pokémon Master—has never wavered. In recognition of his limitless potential, the "Future Awaits" Award is hereby presented!]
Finally—this was the true Future Warrior!
Compared to Cynthia's earlier prize, which had felt a little like a spoiler, this award fit far more naturally in everyone's eyes.
Of course, no one would dare protest Cynthia's reward either. After all, unless you could defeat Cynthia, you had no right to complain—and her Garchomp's scythes were more than enough reason to hold your tongue.
As the saying goes: wisdom lies in knowing one's limits!
[All rewards will be distributed shortly.]
[The next countdown will begin in three days—please look forward to it.]
When the glowing words finally faded, the light screen dimmed and vanished entirely.
After last time's experience, the audience didn't panic. The stream hadn't vanished then, and it wouldn't now.
Still, the rewards this time seemed exceptionally generous.
Even though no one yet knew the exact items, past experience told them these rewards were always something that boosted one's strength—it was practically guaranteed.
And this time, five people had been rewarded—the highest number since the stream began!
Ash winning made perfect sense. Cynthia's award could also be explained—it was Cynthia, after all, and she was clearly tied to the coming countdown.
But the Team Rocket trio?
That, no one had seen coming.
The ever-bumbling villains had somehow managed to win an official reward! And not even a quiz-style one—they were getting it directly.
That alone was enough to make countless trainers jealous.
Yet, thinking it through… it actually made sense.
Ever since the second stage of the countdown began, Team Rocket's image had changed—from simple antagonists to comic relief heroes of sorts.
They'd helped Ash more than once, created numerous iconic moments, and even played a key role in the rescue operation at the Sinnoh Heritage Site.
If not for the coordinates they'd provided, J might have succeeded through sheer deception.
Given all that, their reward was more than deserved.
As the light screen fully faded, the world once again moved on as usual.
Hoenn Region – Verdanturf Town.
Steven Stone looked up at the empty sky, a faint look of disappointment on his face.
Since the very first broadcast, he hadn't received any reward—not a single one.
For a prodigy like Steven, who had always been called a genius since childhood, that stung more than he wanted to admit.
Especially after witnessing Cynthia's Bond Transformation—the seamless fusion of Trainer and Pokémon—it had captivated him completely.
If he could obtain such power, and then find the mythical Princess Diancie, the possibilities were almost too dazzling to imagine.
(My noble treasure… Diancie!)
But sadly, neither through quick-answer events nor reward draws had he ever succeeded.
"Sigh… Cynthia, I really envy you. I didn't expect you to keep winning reward after reward."
Swirling the red wine in his glass, Steven sighed.
Still, over these past broadcasts, he had noticed something:
Cynthia's repeated rewards all seemed tied, in one way or another, to Ash.
That young boy from Kanto… there was something extraordinary about him—almost a mysterious kind of magic.
"…Maybe I should meet him myself," Steven mused, his blue eyes gleaming with excitement.
Who knew—perhaps that connection would bring him his own chance at a reward.
And maybe, just maybe, he could truly find Diancie… and unlock a Bond Form with her.
The very thought made his hands tremble.
Kanto – Silver Town.
Ever since the appearance of the light screen, Silver Town had become a hive of activity.
The Silver Conference was underway, but most of the crowd wasn't here for the tournament—they were here for Ash Ketchum.
They wanted to see firsthand the boy destined to become the Alola Champion.
And just like that, many spectators were lucky enough to witness the exact moment the rewards descended from the heavens.
From the sky, beams of white light drifted down like angelic feathers, filling the square before the Silver Conference Hall with divine radiance.
It was so beautiful that even a glance inspired awe.
Meanwhile, in a quiet corner, Team Rocket were hurriedly packing up the ice cream stand they'd been using as cover.
Just then, the three glowing orbs of light floated down right in front of them.
They'd seen this before—during Ash's previous reward.
"It looks like… you just grab it?" Jessie said uncertainly, eyeing the nearest orb.
"Then let's try, nya~!" Meowth replied, reaching forward without hesitation.
The moment his paw touched the light, a flood of golden energy erupted, pouring straight into his body.
The flash was so bright Jessie and James had to shield their eyes.
When the brilliance faded, two orbs still floated before them—but Meowth stood motionless, his slit pupils wide in disbelief.
"Meowth! What did you get?" Jessie asked urgently.
"Yeah, we couldn't see a thing," James added.
For a long moment, Meowth didn't answer—until finally, he broke into an ear-to-ear grin.
"Purr-fect! Nya~!" he cried, tail twitching with joy. "Now the Boss will finally notice me, nya~!"
Jessie and James exchanged puzzled glances, but Meowth quickly elaborated:
"It's charming! My charm's been boosted! Look—my coin's shining brighter than ever, nya~!"
Indeed, though Meowth looked the same otherwise, the coin on his forehead gleamed like polished gold, reflecting the sun in dazzling flashes.
"The Charm Coin, nya~! It enhances Meowth's allure!" he boasted, tilting his head proudly.
Even if they didn't fully understand it, Jessie and James could tell—it was something powerful.
Without another word, they both reached for their own glowing orbs.
Another blinding burst of golden light—
And when it faded, James gasped first.
"Chimecho! I finally got Chimecho!" he exclaimed, holding a newly hatched Pokémon egg that immediately cracked open in his hands.
"Chiime~!"
It was indeed Chimecho—the very Pokémon James had longed for since childhood, ever since missing his chance at a festival because he had no money.
He gently held up a Poké Ball, his voice trembling with emotion.
"Chimecho, will you be my Pokémon?"
"Chiime~!"
The little bell Pokémon tapped the button, and with a flash of light, entered the Poké Ball.
"What a wonderful feeling…" James whispered, clutching it to his chest.
As he spoke, Jessie finally came to her senses.
Her own reward wasn't a Pokémon, but a book.
A beautifully bound volume bearing the image of a dazzling man—Wallace, the founder of the Pokémon Contests, and the Hoenn Champion renowned for his elegance.
It was a personal memoir of his journey through the Contest circuit.
Jessie's eyes lit up instantly—she knew Wallace, of course.
And as someone who'd long dreamed of stardom through contests, this book was everything she could've wished for.
"Fabulous!" she declared, clutching it to her chest.
Their rewards might not have directly boosted combat power, but they were the things they desired most.
Well—except for Pikachu. That, of course, the stream would never grant them.
Instead, it had fulfilled their second most heartfelt wishes—a perfect compromise that left everyone satisfied.
At the center of the square, the crowd instinctively cleared a wide circle.
Only two people stood within it—Ash and Cynthia.
No one else could command such respect.
Before them floated two radiant orbs of light.
Ash, now quite used to this, reached out confidently.
If anyone was the stream's favorite, it was him.
The moment he grasped the light, it exploded into a burst of gold that quickly coalesced in his hand.
He was already wearing the Aura Hero's Gloves, which had since fused with his Keystone.
As the energy flowed through him, the aura within his body stirred, gathering in his palm.
When the light finally faded, a crystal rested in his hand—
—and inside that crystal, a spiraled Mega Evolution Stone.
"Lucario…" Ash whispered.
It could only belong to Lucario.
Even though he hadn't yet reached Rota Kingdom, the memories from the broadcast made it feel as if he already had.
This crystal, the stream informed him, contained a special message:
[Resurrection Crystal – Lucario's Mega Stone]
[Grants a second life to one who has lost theirs. After revival, the stone merges with the recipient, enabling Mega Evolution.]
A single, simple line—yet Ash's hands trembled.
With this crystal, he could save Lucario when that day came.
Lucario wouldn't need to reincarnate—he could return, memories intact, to continue their journey together.
Ash clenched the crystal tightly, exhaling a deep, shaky breath.
This reward meant everything to him.
Soon—very soon—he would see Lucario again.
Watching him, Cynthia arched a delicate brow. His expression shifted from surprise to joy, and she found herself smiling faintly too.
It seemed Ash had gotten exactly what he wanted.
Taking one last bite of her cream puff, Cynthia reached for her own glowing orb.
Last time, she'd received the Bond Transformation with her Garchomp.
What could possibly top that?
She couldn't help but feel a spark of anticipation.
Though not yet her future self from five years later, Cynthia was already the strongest female Trainer in the world.
Few things could excite her now—except, perhaps, the promise of greater power.
The golden light burst forth, and the entire plaza turned to watch.
Cynthia—the Sinnoh Champion, youngest scholar, and prodigy—radiated brilliance even among legends.
What reward could move her heart?
The light lasted only seconds before fading, leaving Cynthia staring curiously at her hand.
There, she held… lipstick.
Yes, lipstick.
Her lips quivered upward as she realized what it was.
Embedded in the base of the lipstick was a Keystone.
Ordinarily, acquiring such a stone would be trivial for her—if she so much as asked, the Sinnoh League would scour the world to find one.
But this one was different.
The moment she touched it, knowledge flowed into her mind:
[Bond Keystone: When Trainer and Pokémon's hearts are perfectly in sync, Mega Evolution activates. The stronger the bond, the greater the power. (Note: Cannot be stacked with Bond Transformation.)]
The last note made her sigh a little—what a shame.
If she could combine Bond Transformation and Mega Evolution, even Leon's Gigantamax Charizard wouldn't stand a chance.
Still, this Bond Keystone was undoubtedly valuable.
Bond Transformation and Mega Evolution might resemble each other—but they were clearly separate systems.
And in official battles… this one didn't even take up a slot!
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