Pokémon Calendar — Year XX, Month X, Morning.
Under the blazing sun,
A boy in a red-and-white cap stood before a colossal stadium, dressed in a blue jacket and light denim jeans.
At his side stood a boy and a girl—
The girl looked youthful and lively, still carrying a hint of childish innocence.
The boy, with his dark complexion and steady features, radiated a calm and dependable aura.
"Finally… we made it this far!"
"Yeah—thanks to all those charity badges you got."
"H-hey! Don't talk nonsense! I earned plenty of them with real skill!"
"Yeah, suuure you did!"
The boy in the red-and-white cap immediately started bickering with the girl.
Before the argument could heat up, the dark-skinned youth stepped between them.
"Alright, Misty, don't bring Ash down. The Indigo Plateau Conference starts tomorrow—give him a little confidence."
"I—hmph, I wasn't trying to discourage him. I'm telling him not to get cocky!"
"I'm not cocky!"
"Hehe~~"
Misty shot him a face, leaving Ash unable to muster any comeback.
Still, he had emerged from the crowd of challengers across Kanto's gyms.
Sure, he was often mocked for earning "hand-me-down" badges—but the later, more difficult ones had been won through sheer strength.
For a ten-year-old boy, a little pride wasn't all that surprising.
"Let's head inside, Brock, Misty!"
With that, Ash charged straight toward the massive stadium entrance.
Misty and Brock exchanged helpless glances at his reckless enthusiasm, then followed after him.
Just then, a gigantic screen suddenly materialized right in front of the stadium gate.
To be precise, right in front of Ash.
Ash skidded back with a panicked double-footed brake, barely avoiding a collision.
"Wh-what is that!?"
The massive screen hovered before him, then slowly ascended into the air, stopping at a height where everyone could clearly see it.
At the same moment, all around the world—
Hoenn…
Sinnoh…
Johto…
Huge screens appeared everywhere—
Not in one or two locations, but in every populated place.
Some people were in bathhouses, some in toilets, some relaxing in hot springs—
A sudden screen manifesting before their faces nearly scared them senseless.
In Galar…
Many famed Champions and countless spectators were gathered at Wyndon Stadium.
The world's newly recognized Eight Masters—the eight strongest Trainers alive—had just been selected.
Their rankings were determined by a globally unified battle circuit and a newly developed Trainer Ranking System.
The battles to decide who among the Eight Masters was the strongest had not yet begun.
But even the announcement of the Eight Masters had been a world-shaking event.
Thus, besides the chosen Eight themselves,
Elite Four members from many regions—and even scholars as renowned as Professor Oak—had come to witness it.
With the Indigo Plateau Conference beginning tomorrow,
Professor Oak and Kanto's Elite Four needed to catch their flights back today.
There was little time for small talk.
Just as people prepared to say their farewells—
A massive screen appeared at the center of Wyndon Stadium.
The sudden phenomenon instantly put every Champion on high alert.
Spectators who had been leaving—and those rushing forward for autographs—froze in their tracks, staring at the anomaly.
Lance of the Dragon Clan narrowed his eyes at the glowing green screen.
His instincts screamed danger—was this Team Rocket's latest invention?
A Dragonite materialized silently beside him, ready for battle.
As an official investigator, Lance was far more vigilant than most.
"Everyone, stay back from the screen—
No! Dragonite, Dragon Pulse!"
Lance had barely begun to issue orders when the screen suddenly shifted.
With his guard already raised to the maximum, Lance reacted instantly—
Dragonite unleashed a roaring wave of violet energy.
A Champion-level Dragon Pulse—strong enough to punch a hole through a steel fortress—
crashed into the screen.
But all it produced was a faint ripple.
Not a single crack.
Lance's expression grew even darker.
What was this technology?
Not even a Champion's ace could damage it.
Had it been created using the power of Legendary Pokémon?
Seeing Lance's attack fail, the other Champions released their own ace Pokémon, preparing for battle.
But before any move could be made—
A serene, ethereal voice descended from the sky.
"The Heavenly Tally is now beginning.
A global livestream will commence immediately.
There will be quizzes and prediction rounds.
Correct answers will be rewarded.
Incorrect answers will deduct points.
Failed answers will lead to corresponding punishments."
Heavenly… Tally?
What in the world was that?