Aaron and his four teammates stood shoulder to shoulder on the podium.
Thousands of students on the field looked up at the five of them with open envy.
Sterling smiled and said,
"Congratulations on taking first place in this competition! Each of you will receive 2 million PokéDollars, two Pokémon Move TMs, one Beryl Berry, and one opportunity to enter the Regional Pokémon Reserve to capture a Pokémon!"
A wave of gasps rippled through the crowd.
The rewards were unbelievably generous.
Pokémon Move TMs alone started at 500,000 PokéDollars, and some powerful moves could cost tens or even hundreds of millions.
The Beryl Berry was extremely rare. Any Pokémon below the Advanced Stage would immediately gain one level upon consuming it.
However, its effect only worked the first time it was used.
The most valuable reward of all was the final one—the chance to enter the Regional Pokémon Reserve and capture a Pokémon.
The Pokémon inside the reserve possessed extremely high Base Stat Totals and tremendous potential. Even with money, gaining entry was nearly impossible.
It was clear the Regional League had spared no expense with these rewards.
Aaron's eyes lit up.
"We hit the jackpot!!"
It almost felt unreal.
It was practically free money.
Just as Aaron and the others happily accepted the rewards from Sterling—a violent gale suddenly erupted overhead.
"Rooaar—!"
A thunderous dragon's roar split the sky. Immediately afterward, two dark silhouettes plummeted down at incredible speed.
Boom—!
The two figures landed directly on the awards platform, sending a powerful shockwave rippling outward.
Aaron raised his arms to shield his eyes.
The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned.
What was happening?
A terrorist attack?
But the school alarm hadn't gone off…
The crowd forced their eyes open.
Standing on the platform were two men in their fifties, accompanied by two Pokémon exuding an overwhelming presence.
One was a massive crimson dragon with a white belly.
The other had a steel body, metallic limbs, and an X-shaped mark across its face.
Charizard and Metagross.
The moment they appeared, the field erupted into chaos.
"No way… It's Charizard and Metagross!!"
"They're so cool… I want one too!!"
"Waaah, I want to ride a Charizard…"
"Metagross is the coolest, okay? Its Base Stat Total is 600—insanely strong! I heard you can't even buy one with money!"
"Hey… don't those two men look kind of familiar?"
"Huh? Now that you mention it… they do!"
"You've got to be kidding me!!"
"It's Champion Edmund and Champion Marcus of the Ten Great Champions!!"
"No way…"
The students had been dazzled by Charizard and Metagross, but the moment they recognized the two men, it was like a bolt from the blue.
Shocked cries rang out one after another.
The Ten Great Champions!
I'm actually seeing two of the Ten Great Champions in person!?
They came to Sealine Trainer Academy!?
Excitement surged through the crowd as they stared at the two figures on the platform with pure admiration.
...
Sterling's expression darkened instantly.
Damn it. He wanted to see which idiot had the nerve to barge into the school on their Pokémon.
Did they think this was some kind of joke?
As the winds subsided, Sterling strode forward angrily and shouted,
"Who do you think you are, charging into Trainer Academy like this!?"
"You… you…"
But when he finally got a clear look at their faces—it was like a lightning bolt to the head. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Champion Edmund!?"
"Champion Marcus!?"
"Gulp…"
Sterling swallowed hard. His expression flipped instantly into a wide, ingratiating smile as he hurried over.
"Champion Edmund! Champion Marcus!"
"What an honor!"
"You should have let me know in advance—I would've prepared a proper welcome!"
The newcomers were indeed Marcus and Edmund.
The two had argued nonstop, neither willing to let a talent like Aaron slip away. In the end, they had rushed overnight from Crown City—all to claim Aaron for themselves.
Marcus and Edmund gave Sterling a brief nod before sweeping their gazes across the stage.
When they saw Aaron standing there in a daze, their eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, they strode straight toward him.