Elf Calendar, Year XX, Month X, Morning.
Under the blazing sun,
a boy wearing a red-and-white cap, a blue jacket, and light jeans stood before a massive battle arena!
Beside him stood a boy and a girl.
The girl was bright and youthful, her face still showing a hint of innocence.
The boy had dark skin and a stern, resolute expression.
"We finally… made it this far!"
"Yeah, thanks to all those badges people handed to you!"
"You… hey, don't talk nonsense! Plenty of these badges I won fair and square!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure~"
The boy in the red-and-white cap started bickering with the girl next to him.
The dark-skinned youth stepped in to stop their quarrel.
"Alright, Misty, stop putting Ash down. The Indigo Plateau Conference starts tomorrow—give him some confidence."
"Hmph… I wasn't trying to put him down. I just don't want him getting cocky!"
"I am not cocky!"
"Hehe~~"
The girl named Misty shot him a look, and Ash had no comeback.
After all, he had stood out among the many challengers in the Kanto region's gyms!
Even though people often mocked him, saying his badges were all given out of pity,
the last few—those truly difficult badges—were earned through his own strength!
For a ten-year-old boy, being a little proud wasn't unusual.
"Let's head in, Brock, Misty!"
With that, Ash bolted toward the enormous stadium gates!
Misty and Brock exchanged a helpless glance at his recklessness,
but still followed after him.
Just then, a massive screen suddenly materialized in front of the arena gates—
to be precise, right in front of Ash!
Ash skidded to a halt with both feet, barely stopping his "reckless charge."
"W-what… what is that?!"
The enormous screen slowly rose into the air,
finally halting at a height neither too high nor too low.
At the same time, across the world…
Hoenn Region…
Sinnoh Region…
Johto Region…
In nearly every corner of the world, similar colossal screens appeared!
Not just in one place, but everywhere people were present!
In bathhouses, in toilets, in hot springs—
suddenly, a screen appeared before startled bystanders,
nearly scaring some of them half to death…
Galar Region…
At Wyndon Stadium, countless renowned Champion-level trainers and spectators had gathered.
Moments ago, the world's "Masters Eight"—the eight strongest trainers alive—had just been selected!
This was no ordinary ranking.
It was officially certified, determined through global Pokémon battles,
using the newly developed Trainer Ranking System!
The Masters Eight had only just been decided,
though the battles to determine who among them was the strongest had yet to begin.
Even so, the announcement alone had already shaken the world!
Aside from the Masters Eight themselves,
many of the Elite Four from other regions, and even famous scholars like Professor Oak,
had come here to witness the selection!
With the Indigo Plateau Conference starting tomorrow,
Professor Oak and the Kanto Elite Four needed to return home by plane today.
So, there was little time for pleasantries—
After confirming the Masters Eight lineup, they were preparing to depart.
But suddenly, a gigantic screen manifested right above Wyndon Stadium!
Champions immediately tensed in caution.
Spectators who had been about to leave, or rushing forward for autographs, froze in their tracks,
all eyes locked on the disturbance at the stadium's center.
Lance, the Dragon Master, stared grimly at the emerald screen,
suspecting it was some new technology from Team Rocket.
At some point, his Dragonite had appeared at his side.
As both a Champion and an investigator, his instincts screamed vigilance.
"Everyone, stay back from that screen—no, wait! Dragonite, Dragon Pulse!"
Just as he was warning the other Champions to retreat, the screen suddenly shifted!
On full alert, Lance immediately ordered Dragonite to unleash its attack!
A vast surge of purple energy erupted from Dragonite's maw!
A Champion-level Dragon Pulse—
if it struck directly, even a fortress of steel would be pierced clean through!
Yet when the violet wave slammed into the screen,
it only rippled slightly, like water disturbed—
without the slightest trace of damage.
Lance's expression grew even graver.
What kind of technology was this?
Even a Champion's Dragonite couldn't so much as scratch it…
Could it have been crafted using the power of Legendary Pokémon?
Lance's attack had failed.
The other Champions, faces set and grim, released their ace Pokémon one after another.
But before they could act,
a voice—ethereal and echoing—resonated from the sky.
"The Heavenly Dao's Inventory now begins. A worldwide broadcast will commence. During this event, there will be quizzes and wagers. Correct guesses and answers will be rewarded. Wrong ones will cost you points, and failures will bring punishment."
Heavenly Dao's… Inventory?
What on earth was that?