The next day, Champion Island was packed with people.
The ancient castle on the island had long since been transformed into a massive arena. With just a glance, Red could tell there were at least thousands of spectators gathered.
And this was only a relatively low-profile tournament with no strict entry requirements.
If it were a larger-scale competition, the audience would be even more overwhelming.
This alone showed the sheer appeal of Pokémon battles in this world.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Champion Island Tournament!"
"Next, let's welcome the 64 trainers who have advanced to the main tournament!"
As one of the most famous hosts in the Pokémon world, Vivian stood atop a Magnezone, enthusiastically igniting the crowd's energy!
Amid thunderous cheers, all 64 qualified trainers stepped onto the stage.
"It must be said—this year's tournament is truly full of hidden talents!"
"Let us welcome Lance's cousin, the renowned Dragon Tamer of the Dragon Clan—Clair!"
Standing under the spotlight, Clair smiled at the audience.
Yet her gaze kept drifting, intentionally or not, toward Red in the distance.
Vivian continued:
"And now, one of the favorites to win this tournament!"
"From Songzao Gym—Gym Leader Red! Red !"
At that moment, all the spotlights converged onto Red.
Thousands of spectators, along with every participating trainer, focused their eyes on him.
Feeling those gazes, Red didn't feel nervous at all—
instead, he grew excited.
Only now did he truly understand why so many trainers pursued bigger stages and larger audiences.
Battling in this kind of atmosphere felt completely different.
He cleared his throat, took the microphone, and addressed everyone present:
"I hope all participants won't hold back because of my position. Let's all give it our best—friendship second, competition first!"
Before anyone could realize something was off—
Red continued:
"And of course, everyone is welcome to visit Songzao City! Not only does it have the best Gym in all of Kanto, but also hot springs and the Songzao Forest—great tourist spots! The Songzao Gym also sells weather-themed souvenirs—"
Vivian broke into a cold sweat as Red shamelessly began advertising.
She quickly cut off his microphone.
"Haha… it seems Gym Leader Red really loves his Gym!"
"Next, let's invite another tournament favorite to speak!"
"The defending champion of the previous Champion Island Tournament—Xiao Ai!"
"And Xiao Ai has always used the exact same Pokémon as his opponents—and still won every time. What would you like to say?"
The 1.9-meter-tall man took the microphone, expressionless.
"I will become the champion—and the strongest trainer."
After saying that, Xiao Ai (Mewtwo) casually tossed the microphone aside.
Even Vivian nearly lost her composure at these two "unique" contestants, forcing an awkward smile.
"Haha… what an ambitious goal from contestant Xiao Ai…"
...
In the stands, Xiaowen awkwardly dug her toes into the ground.
"Does he really have to advertise at a time like this…?"
Ninetales, however, responded calmly:
"Isn't this normal? Making Songzao Gym the strongest Gym has always been Master's goal."
"What's a little embarrassment compared to that?"
Of course, she didn't say the last part out loud—
And honestly… Master seems to be enjoying this.
Xiaowen nodded thoughtfully, then lowered her gaze slightly, her expression dimming as she fell into her own thoughts.
Meanwhile, on the stage—
Red heard the system notification and smiled.
"Didn't expect a bonus reward."
[Ding~ Congratulations, Host. Songzao Gym Reputation +20. Reward: 20 Points]
With this, Red's total points reached 50.
"Next… should I use it on Marshtomp or Castform?"
"Forget it—let them decide with rock-paper-scissors later."
Meanwhile, after interviewing a few more contestants, the host quickly announced:
"Now, let's reveal the tournament brackets!"
"I'm in Group A?"
Red glanced at his bracket.
There were no particularly strong opponents.
His mouth twitched slightly as he looked toward Group B instead.
Seeing that Xiao Ai (Mewtwo) was matched against strong opponents almost every round, Red sighed.
"This Mewtwo really is greedy."
"It wants all the strong opponents."
He gently tapped Marshtomp's Poké Ball.
"But since it left Zheng Xiong to me… don't lose this time. This is your revenge match."
Marshtomp's Poké Ball shook vigorously in response.
After the brackets were announced, Clair walked up to Red.
"You better do your best. Once I advance, let's meet again in the finals. I hope we can have a real match next time!"
"I hope so too."
Red smiled and nodded.
But inwardly, he knew—
for Clair to defeat Mewtwo was… well, let's just say not happening.
Then Clair fidgeted with her hands and said:
"By the way, Gym Leader Red… after our battle, I realized being a Gym Leader is actually a great role."
"But with my current strength, I'm not ready to inherit a Gym yet."
"Gym Leader Red… could I come train at your Gym for a while?"
Red's eyes lit up instantly.
At the same time, the system issued a new mission:
[Ding~ New Mission: The Insecure Dragon Girl]
[Objective: Train Clair into a qualified Gym Leader]
[Reward: Dragon's Nest (Pseudo)]
[Dragon's Nest (Pseudo - Black): Dragon-type Pokémon raised within it grow 20% faster and periodically produce Dragon-type resources]
Seeing the reward, Red's eyes shone.
"Of course—you're more than welcome!"
Clair smiled brightly in response.
Watching the two chatting happily, Ninetales immediately sensed danger and cursed inwardly:
"Another fox spirit joining the Gym…"
After exchanging contact information, Clair happily skipped off the stage.
But Red stayed.
Because the first match of the main tournament—
was the long-awaited revenge battle for Marshtomp!
Zheng Xiong looked at Red, took a deep breath, and his face lit up with excitement.
"Gym Leader Red! Let me show you how much I—and my Ninjask—have improved!"
"I won't disappoint you!"
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