🎆 Happy New Year! 🎆
Thank you all for the amazing support throughout this year. 💙To celebrate the arrival of the new year, here is a special New Year code:
🎁 Code:NewYear: F3B16
📅 Code validity:
Start: December 30, 2025 at 11:55 p.m.
End: January 2, 2026 at 11:00 p.m.
Enjoy it and let's start this new year strong. 🚀✨Here's to an amazing 2026! 🎉
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One day later.
The four arrived at Mt. Silver, in the Kanto region.
The challenge to the Elite Four would be held this time in the grand stadium of Mt. Silver.
Although the main contender was Lance, that didn't mean there weren't other participants.
The format of the Elite Four challenge consisted of all the contenders first facing each other in several rounds of battles, establishing a ranking, and after determining the winner, that person could challenge the Elite Four.
Lance was only one of the candidates with the highest chances of success.
Upon arriving at Mt. Silver, League staff immediately received them and lodged them in rooms in the main League building on the mountain.
All that was left was to wait for the official start of the tournament.
The challenge to the Elite Four could be held publicly or privately; it only required both parties to agree.
The Kanto League, in order to show its current strength, chose to hold it publicly.
They invited young talents from all regions, heirs of great families, high-ranking officials of the regional Leagues, among others.
Anyone with status and availability traveled to Mt. Silver.
Cain and Phoebe represented the Hoenn League, Steven represented the Stone family, and Wallace represented the Coordinator Guild.
In addition to those four, many others also came from Hoenn.
It could be considered another great event after the Sinnoh Tournament.
It had enormous symbolic value.
The new generation of the League was beginning to officially take over the military power of the League.
The current Kanto Elite Four included several of advanced age.
Some wished to retire and rest, hence this succession challenge arose.
Cain and his companions gathered in their room, holding several lists with the names and brief descriptions of the participants.
"Lance appears first! Looks like he has a high chance of winning this time." commented Phoebe as she looked at the first page with his photo and data.
Cain was also reviewing his own copy.
It was information provided by the Kanto League; each guest had their own.
Indeed, Lance was on the first page.
Lance of the Drako family, direct heir, Chief-level researcher of the Kanto League, expert in Dragon-type Pokémon.
Next were listed the missions he had carried out and completed...
Upon seeing the detail "Dragon-type expert," Cain marked it with special attention.
It was a key point: in a test, many might mistakenly think it was Flying-type, but the correct answer was Dragon-type.
For a long time now, Lance had been the League's main protégé. This challenge to the Elite Four sounded as if everyone had a chance, but in reality, it was a show set up for Lance; the rest were there as companions.
Aside from Lance, some other familiar names appeared to Cain.
Koga, Gym Leader of Fuchsia City, trainer of Poison-type Pokémon.
Cain was surprised to see his name.
Would Koga also try to compete for a spot in the Elite Four?
Although his greatest skills were assassination and stealth, not direct frontal combat.
At least, not the Koga of now.
As a Gym Leader he was more than qualified, but as an Elite Four member he was still a bit lacking.
"Flint?" Reading that name, Cain immediately remembered that man with short hair, a confident smile, and obsessed with Pokémon breeding.
He had met him when he took the Intermediate Breeder exam.
At that time, Flint had invited him to visit Pewter City. He didn't expect to see him now as a contender in the Elite Four challenge.
Thinking it over, with Flint's strength, it wasn't impossible.
He could even become an important rival for Lance.
There were also some familiar names from the Sinnoh Tournament.
Will, Karen, and Lorelei.
Surely they were participating more for experience, to become familiar with the challenge format.
Like if Hoenn were to open the Elite Four challenge now: Cain imagined that he and his three companions would also participate, regardless of the result, just to live the experience.
That's why those three had lower positions in the initial ranking.
However, Cain was very eager for one particular match: Lance against Lorelei.
Who knew what spark might come from that battle?
If the tournament favorite, Lance, fell to Lorelei, it would be truly amusing.
And what if that ended up giving Koga a spot in the Elite Four?
It wasn't impossible...
Finally, there was the list of the current Kanto Elite Four.
First, Agatha, a Ghost-type specialist, considered the number one of the group.
It was said she had a very close relationship with Professor Oak.
Next, Bruno, a Fighting-type specialist, a man capable of physically facing Pokémon; he had pushed his body to the absolute limit.
The third surprised Cain a little, although deep down it made sense: Pryce!
He still held his position as a member of the Kanto Elite Four.
Cain hadn't expected it.
With his strength, he could have even been Champion; so remaining as Elite Four wasn't strange.
The curious thing was that Cain thought Pryce had already retired after serving a while.
Why was he still on the list?
His name was very well-known and no one doubted his strength.
The last member, and protagonist of the current challenge, was Master Seiji, current guardian of the Bell Tower in Ecruteak City, Johto.
His age was very advanced, even older than Pryce.
It was he who had decided to retire from his position, which gave rise to this challenge.
It was said that he planned to return to the Bell Tower to spend his final days, but before that he wished to offer his last contribution to the next generation of the League.
He had served as Elite Four for more than thirty years, always diligent and devoted, a respected figure by all in the Kanto League.
...
While the four were reviewing the dossiers, Cain suddenly sensed something.
He smiled and said: "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."
As soon as he said it, his psychic power flowed, and the door swung open.
A silhouette appeared at the threshold, hand raised ready to knock. But the door had opened ahead of time.
The person was startled for a moment.
He locked eyes with Cain, who had just withdrawn his psychic powers, and immediately understood.
Smiling, he stepped forward confidently; his cape fluttered without wind.
Another show-off.
Instantly, that was the simultaneous thought of Cain, Steven, and Phoebe.
In contrast, Wallace, upon looking at Lance, felt a chill of danger.
Damn it! Someone who poses even more than me!
"What's this? I thought it would be the devil, but turns out it was Lance," Phoebe reacted with a murmur.
Lance paused for a moment. "The devil? Who's that? What a strange name."
Cain smirked sideways: "A great trainer of ancient times, with a rank equivalent to the League President, who ruled the Pokémon World of his era."
"I see..."
Phoebe showed a look of revelation.
He was a great trainer!
Steven and the others, who knew their history, knew Cain was making it up, but they didn't bother to correct it.
Lance also wasn't bothered and sat down among them as if nothing.
(End of chapter)