"Groudon! That's Primal Groudon!"
A deep, hoarse roar—thick with near-religious obsession—ripped through the air.
Maxie's eyes burned crimson, locked tightly onto a single entry in the exchange list, a name that symbolized absolute power:
"Primal Groudon."
Before him, the item shop displayed on the light screen was nothing short of a gateway to divinity.
From the most ordinary Berries, to rare Pokémon items, to outright Legendary Pokémon—
Even a world-ending existence like Primal Groudon was listed openly, clearly priced.
All it required…
Was the absurd number of zeros following it.
"As long as it's related to Pokémon, there is nothing they cannot provide! Everything humanity has gathered over a lifetime of research doesn't even amount to one ten-thousandth of what this shop holds!"
Maxie's heart pounded wildly in his chest.
If he could summon Primal Groudon—
Then his grand vision, his lifelong dream of reshaping the world itself, would be realized effortlessly.
He had not the slightest doubt.
Doubt?
Such arrogance simply could not exist in the face of the overwhelming power displayed behind the light screen.
This force crushed everything in its path—utterly unrivaled.
If it were this powerful, why would it ever need to deceive insignificant ants like them?
Maxie's thoughts raced. His gaze burned like molten steel.
Primal Groudon—he would claim it, no matter the cost.
Under this soul-shaking barrage of extravagant rewards, any remaining casual attitude collapsed instantly.
The crowd sobered.
Jokes vanished.
The upcoming bet was now treated with unprecedented seriousness.
Two hundred initial betting points.
A pitiful amount.
Every single point had to be spent with surgical precision.
Lance spoke firmly, without hesitation:
"No need for discussion. All in—on Shen Dai."
Steven Stone followed, apologetic yet rational:
"My apologies, Ash. From a realistic standpoint… this is simply the option with the highest expected return."
Cynthia sounded gentle, yet distant:
"Failure is the whetstone on the road to strength.
Ash, don't be discouraged. You still have vast room to grow."
Alder, putting on a heroic front while clearly enjoying the spectacle:
"Hahaha! You people really have no tact!
Not believing in the kid is one thing—but mocking him right in front of his face?"
Suddenly, two lines of extremely familiar and very unserious text flashed past.
Pikachu: Please call me Pika-Super—God Pikachu.
Pikachu: Please call me Pika-Super—God Pikachu.
Diantha, with queenly sharpness:
"Oh? If you think others are being cold, then why don't you bet on Ash, hm?"
Alder instantly folded.
"Ahem! Cough! I said nothing!
Shen Dai and I go way back—of course I'm betting on him!"
Wallace scoffed:
"…Your shamelessness is truly awe-inspiring."
For a moment, the Champions and Elite Four burst into noisy chaos, like oil splashed into boiling water.
But beneath the banter, the message was unified—and merciless.
No one believed in that boy.
The reason was brutally simple:
One side was Ash, a newly emerging rookie Trainer.
The other was Shen Dai, a living legend who commanded three Legendary Pokémon.
One Pokémon was an unevolved Electric mouse—Pikachu.
The other was Regice, an Ice-type Legendary.
Anyone with half a brain knew where to place their precious betting points.
Brock placed a heavy hand on Ash's thin shoulder, his eyes filled with concern.
"Ash… it's not that I don't support you. It's just that… you see the situation too, don't you?"
He trailed off, convinced Ash understood how hopeless this was.
But Ash snapped his gaze back at him—burning hotter, sharper.
"I don't understand!"
His voice pierced everyone's assumptions like a steel needle.
"All I know is this—my Pikachu will win!
Pikachu is the strongest there is!"
He clenched his fist tightly, as though gripping the entire world.
"Pika! Pika-pi!"
Pikachu echoed him, battle spirit surging.
That's right—
As long as this boy stood beside it, Pikachu was invincible.
Ash stared at Brock and Misty with blazing eyes.
Pikachu, too, fixed them with its large, glossy black gaze.
Brock and Misty: "..."
Damn it.
Their consciences screamed under the weight of that pure, unwavering belief.
They couldn't bring themselves to pour cold water on him.
Ash pressed on, unleashing pure emotional pressure.
Those sparkling eyes shone with unstoppable protagonist energy.
Brock and Misty exchanged looks again.
"..."
"Fine, fine!"
"Alright, alright!"
"You're amazing, okay?!"
"You win, happy now?!"
They surrendered completely, rubbing their temples.
What else could they do?
If even his closest companions abandoned him, Ash's burning heart would be shattered.
With the mentality of indulging a reckless dream, Brock and Misty each placed 100 points—on Ash.
Ash immediately broke into his trademark grin.
"Hehehe! I promise—I won't let you down!"
His voice rose like an oath.
"I'm going to be the strongest Trainer in the future!"
Then—
In the very next second—
Before Brock and Misty could react—
Ash made a move so insane it made everyone's eyes nearly burst from their sockets.
ALL. IN.
Without the slightest hesitation, he dumped his remaining 200 betting points straight onto his own victory.
Brock and Misty reached out instinctively—
Too late.
Their hands froze midair.
They were nowhere near fast enough to stop this madman from smashing the "All In" button.
They could only watch as Ash placed every last chip on Pikachu.
And yet—
Neither Ash nor Pikachu showed even a trace of regret.
Was there a problem?
Not in their world.
To them, Pikachu's victory wasn't a possibility—it was a certainty.
Trainer and Pokémon wore identical, fearless smiles.
Brock's temples throbbed violently.
Misty felt her soul leave her body.
"…This is just how Ash is," Brock sighed deeply.
Misty was beyond words.
She was done.
Let this thick-headed idiot bear the consequences of his own impulse.
Pokémon League Headquarters
Chairman Goodshow forcibly suppressed a twitch at the corner of his mouth and coughed twice.
"Ahem… Ash is indeed the Rainbow Hero, but growth requires time."
"The Ash shown in the footage is still too immature.
Perhaps in ten or twenty years, he might challenge Shen Dai."
His choice was obvious.
Not because he doubted the boy chosen by Ho-Oh—
But because the rewards in the item shop were far too tempting.
On the other end of the video call, Professor Oak nodded guiltily.
"Ahem… you're right, Damarant."
They comforted themselves:
It wasn't that they didn't believe in Ash.
He just needed more experience.
In the future… surely they would stand firmly behind him.
Surely.
Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
Some analyzed Champion strategies.
Others stared greedily at the dazzling shop items.
And in the end—
Everyone placed their fate
On the choice they believed to be correct.
~~--------------------------
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