"Contestants, please enter the field!"
As the announcer's voice rang out, Gu Yuan stood at the front of all the participants, leading them into the arena. Directly behind him were the runner-up, Akatsuka, and the third-place finisher, Shimura.
In the battle for third and fourth place, Shimura had managed to secure the final victory, thanks to his type advantages. Compared to the opening ceremony, the atmosphere of the closing ceremony was less about excitement and more about a blend of sadness and gravity.
In every battle, someone had to lose. No one knew how many people's hopes these trainers carried on their backs, or the hardships they had endured to get this far. Yet, in the end, most only became stepping stones for another's success.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
As President Charles Goodshow finished his speech, countless fireworks shot into the sky, illuminating the night. As the top three finishers, Gu Yuan, Akatsuka, and Shimura stood on the podium under the gaze of thousands, waiting for the President to present their awards.
First was Shimura, who received the bronze medal representing third place. While the top three all received rewards, these were clearly not distributed on the spot; the trainers would need time to make their selections.
Soon it was Gu Yuan's turn. In addition to the gold medal representing the champion, there was a trophy.
"Keep up the hard work. The future of the League depends on you!"
"Yes, sir!"
After answering seriously, Gu Yuan raised the medal and trophy high. At this moment, he was the undisputed protagonist, rightfully earning the cheers of the entire crowd!
Following the conclusion of the awards ceremony, a grand, exciting feast began. On the plains, various delicacies were laid out for everyone to enjoy. The only downside was that many contestants were still minors, so there was no alcohol, only soft drinks.
"Big brother Gu Yuan, let me see the trophy!"
"I want to see it too! Me too!"
Ash and Gary chirped excitedly, crowding around him.
"No problem."
Facing their requests, Gu Yuan didn't hesitate and handed over the trophy and medal.
"Yay! Awesome!"
Watching the excited pair, a smile naturally crept onto Gu Yuan's face. This easygoing nature earned him further admiration from Professor Oak.
"Come, Gu Yuan. Let me toast you with this drink. Congratulations on successfully winning the Indigo League!"
"You're too kind, Professor. My victory is largely thanks to your guidance; I should be the one toasting you."
Despite the praise, Gu Yuan showed no arrogance, speaking with even greater humility. Professor Oak nodded in satisfaction and refrained from giving further lectures. He had seen many geniuses become conceited after achieving a bit of success, but he saw none of that in Gu Yuan's eyes, making any reminder unnecessary.
"Gu Yuan, are you ready for the Regional Battle Tournament?"
Shortly after Professor Oak left, Akatsuka approached with a smile to ask.
"Don't tell me you are too?"
"Exactly! When the time comes, not only will we have a chance to face each other again, but we'll also get to battle the powerhouses from other regions. Just thinking about it is thrilling!"
Akatsuka clutched his cup, his excitement palpable. Gu Yuan shook his head helplessly. When the finals ended, he thought their intense battle had ignited Akatsuka's fighting spirit, but it turned out the man was simply a total battle maniac.
He'd probably have a lot to talk about with Charizard and Annihilape.
After chatting a bit more with Akatsuka—who was older than him but lacked any sense of "senior" maturity—Gu Yuan prepared to enjoy the night before Akatsuka got too carried away and tried to drag him into another battle.
"By the way, I heard Shimura is very dissatisfied with you. Since he's in the top three, he'll also be participating in the Regional Battle Tournament."
Suddenly, Akatsuka turned serious, whispering into Gu Yuan's ear.
"Understood. I'll be careful."
Gu Yuan nodded solemnly. Although Akatsuka seemed unreliable at times, Gu Yuan knew he wasn't the type to play petty games or drive wedges between people. If he mentioned it, it was definitely true.
While reminding himself to stay vigilant, Gu Yuan also planned to investigate the faction behind Shimura. From tonight onwards, the news that he was Elite Agatha's sole disciple would spread. No matter who backed Shimura, they wouldn't dare move against him openly; he just needed to watch out for underhanded tricks.
Glancing at Shimura in the distance, Gu Yuan filed the matter away and turned to mingle with his former opponents. He carried himself without any air of superiority, never mocking their defeats, which made him very approachable.
This was a skill from his past life; he knew how to handle social interactions. Furthermore, anyone who passed the preliminaries clearly possessed talent. Gu Yuan exchanged contact information with them, building a network for the future.
As time passed, the lively atmosphere gradually cooled. After Ash and Gary grew tired, they returned the trophy and medal to Gu Yuan before being taken to sleep by Delia. Gu Yuan didn't stay much longer either, stretching as he returned to his room.
At the feast, Charizard and the others had eaten their fill and were now snoring loudly. Only Alakazam and Haunter remained energetic—one practicing psychic powers, the other watching a comedy program on TV.
Lying on the bed, Gu Yuan began to consider how to choose the Pokémon provided by the League. He currently had nine Pokémon; counting those unhatched, he had nine total. His goal was to carry twelve Pokémon, effectively two full teams.
With Alakazam and himself, he could use Telepathy to command that many Pokémon in battle. If he wanted even more, he would need another Psychic-type to act as a second core. Since Agatha had already given him a pseudo-legendary egg, he didn't need to prioritize another one right now.
After all, Axew and the unhatched pseudo-legendary would already require a long time to develop. In his current team, Fire and Ghost-types were the most common. His hardest matchups were Water-types, and he lacked a dedicated tank and a "healer."
Thinking this over, Gu Yuan identified two Pokémon that could fill these gaps and help lighten his burden during commands. With his points and the resources from Shadow and Agatha, he didn't have to worry about the cost of traveling with so many Pokémon; he could focus entirely on building his ideal roster.
As he was deep in thought, the Pokémon Egg beside the bed began to stir.