Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game

Late May is the hottest time of year in the Alola region, but the residents of Hau'Olé City are not affected by the sweltering heat at all, and flock to the newly built arena using Ultra World technology.

At this moment, inside this arena known as the [Future Pokémon Battleground], a semi-final match of the [Ten Masters Tournament], which was recently expanded from the [Eight Masters Tournament], is underway.

The sheer number of people surrounding the large screen outside the Ultimate Arena is enough to show just how captivating this competition is.

Technological advancements have brought a unique viewing experience. On the big screen right now, the view of one of the most popular Pokémon, Leon's Mega Charizard, is captured from a first-person perspective.

When Charizard, now Gigantamaxed and resembling a small mountain, looked down at the several huge rocks on the battlefield, they appeared to be nothing more than small pebbles from its perspective.

Charizard's gaze was fixed on the ghostly figure flashing and darting across the field.

Then, its bulging belly swelled up again, and terrifying flames, enough to melt the hardest metal in the world, burst forth in a vortex, rushing towards the landing point of that trajectory.

"Gigantamax Hellfire! As expected, facing a three-point deficit, Champion Leon still had Gigantamax Charizard use its signature Gigantamax move. Xia Chen's Dragapult just expended a lot of energy in the battle against Aegislash, so if this Hellfire hits, the chances are still quite good!"

The passionate commentary didn't stand out in the arena's stands because the explosion of flames caused by the super giant Hellfire was simply too loud.

If it weren't for the soundproof energy barrier, the enormous roar might have overturned the audience seats.

This is the match point of the second semi-final of the Ten Masters Tournament, with Dante, the champion from the Galar region, facing Xia Chen, the gym leader of the Yuanling Dojo from the Donghuang region.

On the big screen, the elf icons, some lit and some dimmed, displayed the current score: Xia Chen 5:2 Dan Di.

This means that if Leon wants to reach the finals again and avenge his loss to Cynthia, he needs to achieve the feat of Charizard defeating four opponents in a row.

Even the Galatians, who are extremely proud of their championship, have no hope for this almost insane, nearly impossible outcome.

Even though Xia Chen's lineup for the Ten Masters Tournament didn't include any legendary Pokémon besides Zeraora.

More than half a year has passed since the world-ending war caused by dark matter, and many videos of the legendary battle between the elves have been made public after some processing.

People then realized that, without the knowledge of the vast majority of people, the world had experienced an unprecedented and terrifying catastrophe that nearly led to its destruction.

However, after a brief period of lingering fear, onlookers began to discuss this unprecedented and likely unparalleled "battle of the gods."

The much-anticipated battle between Gudetama and the Unova Dragons was the least interesting part of the video, attracting almost no attention. The more noteworthy parts were the battles between the three Sinnoh dragons against Gudetama, Calyrex, and Eternatus, as well as the main battleground battle between Nashchen and the Unova Dragons as they freed Hoopa.

It was only after seeing that so-called "ordinary Pokémon" like Sylveon, Milotic, and Gardevoir could perform well in battles of this level that people realized just how powerful Xia Chen was now.

Naturally, after Donghuang champion Gu Kunshan announced that he would pass on his spot in the Donghuang Regional Top Ten Masters Tournament to Xia Chen, he immediately became the biggest favorite to win this tournament.

As expected, Xia Chen, who defeated Yu Longdu and Karuni in the round-robin stage and then defeated Gadria in the knockout stage, was only two matches away from winning the world's most prestigious tournament and making history for the Donghuang region.

Currently, with only Gardevoir and Cypher defeated, Leon has defeated five powerful Pokémon, including Dragapult, Aegislash, and Cinderace.

All Xia Chen needed to do was to easily defeat Dan Di's last remaining Charizard.

…………

This was not a difficult task, and it didn't even require a fourth Pokémon to appear. Dragapult, which looked like a "candle in the wind" in the eyes of the audience, began to exert its power.

"Oh, a sneak attack from Drambert! The massive Hellfire, with its incredibly wide coverage, has missed! Unbelievable!"

An exclamation rang out from the commentator.

Keep in mind that just a second ago, Dragapult was using Dragon Arrow, which is why Leon dared to have Charizard unleash Hellfire directly.

Even under these circumstances, Dragapult managed to recall the two baby Dragapults in a very short time before disappearing into nothingness, causing the deafening Gigantamax Inferno to miss its target.

Although this move has the effect of continuously burning Pokémon on the field, the most crucial instant damage is missed, and the more cumbersome follow-up burning is even less likely to pose much of a threat to the agile Dragapult.

Dan Di's gaze darkened, knowing that the last chance was when Duolong emerged from the shadows and launched a counterattack.

Whether it can seize the opportunity depends on Charizard's ability to do so.

As for whether Charizard realized this, he had no doubt that his old friend, with whom he had spent more than 20 years, had such a judgment.

Leon has dominated the Galar region for nearly a decade, relying on the unspoken understanding between trainers and Pokémon at crucial moments.

Charizard's performance did not disappoint him; the failure of Gigantamax Inferno Extinguisher clearly made the big guy feel "frustrated".

Hidden beneath its impetuous movements is a calm, composed, and incredibly resilient heart, patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity.

From God's perspective, this might be a trap deliberately set by the fire-breathing dragon to lure the "dragon" into its trap.

But on the battlefield, where the situation changes rapidly and opportunities are fleeting, no one can consider so much.

Just as Charizard revealed a weakness, a surge of energy filled the air, a rift in the void opened, and a ghostly figure suddenly darted out from it.

"Now! Gigantamax Hellfire!"

With Dan Di's decisive command, the Gigantamax Charizard's eyes instantly cleared, and its immense power transformed into a terrifying, tangible rage that erupted, engulfing the area in front of it.

"It hit! Charizard still has the upper hand in its battle against Dragapult. Dragapult in this state will probably have a hard time surviving a Gigantamax move... Wait a minute!"

The commentator's impassioned words suddenly stopped, followed by an incredulous exclamation: "It wasn't the main body of Dragapult that was hit, but the smaller Dragapult that came out to scout ahead. Was this something Xia Chen expected?"

On the battlefield, the raging flames, like hellfire, continued to burn, but it was clear that what fell was not Draco Balto, but a much smaller Draco.

"I've figured it out! Dragapult didn't fall into the trap set by Leon and Charizard, but instead played along. Clearly, the figure that flashed through the void just now was an illusion created by Dragapult using energy!"

By playing the slow-motion replay, the narration made it clear what happened in that instant.

In this crucial battle fought over milliseconds, Dorambaruto ultimately emerged victorious.

After Charizard unleashed its third Gigantamax move, its body began to collapse and shrink after exhausting its Gigantamax energy, just like Leon's last hope for a comeback.

Without a doubt, Charizard, which failed to defeat Dragapult during its Gigantamax form, ultimately fell to the combined attack of the two Dragapults, one large and one small.

When that burly, orange-yellow figure fell with a sense of resentment, thunderous applause erupted from the stands.

For the victor Xia Chen, and also for Dan Di, who contributed to a wonderful match.

…………

On the battlefield, the two, who had retrieved Charizard and Dragapult respectively, walked to the center of the devastated arena, shook hands, and embraced.

"Congratulations, this day has come earlier than I expected."

Dan Di laughed heartily and patted Xia Chen on the shoulder.

The two hadn't known each other for very long; they had their first Dynamax battle, which was more of a performance, two years ago.

At that time, Dan was already a world-renowned Galar champion, and Xia Chen was the leading figure of the younger generation.

The latter's victory over the former is unbelievable to many, while others feel that Dan Di deliberately held back.

Now, the result of this match is completely expected by the audience, and this is not even the strongest lineup that Xia Chen can field.

Composing himself, the Pill Emperor sighed, "Your era has arrived."

Xia Chen smiled in response and said sincerely, "The golden generation you created has never passed."

Leon, Cynthia, Cattleya, Lance, Karen...

These elites, representing the pinnacle of their respective regions, are Xia Chen's purest impression of the trainer community from both his past and present lives.

Without them, the entire elven world would lose much of its luster.

After a sincere hug and greeting, the two walked side by side off the field to the post-match interview area.

Hundreds of journalists from various regions, who had been waiting for a long time, stopped chatting when they saw Dan Di and Xia Chen walking together, chatting and laughing. They raised their cameras and started flashing their cameras.

What followed was a cacophony of questions.

"Dan Di, what are your thoughts on being eliminated in the semifinals of this year's Top Ten Masters Tournament?"

"Leon Champion and former Unova Champion Alder stated before the competition that [Xia Chen is already a trainer from another planet and should be banned from participating in Pokémon competitions on Earth]. What is your opinion on this?"

"Master Xia Chen, you've reached the finals in your first appearance at the Ten Masters Tournament. Is there anything you'd like to say?"

"Master Xia Chen, are you confident you can win the match against Champion Cynthia in three days?"

"Leon Champion, Gym Leader Xia Chen, who do you think is the strongest trainer in the world today?"

"..."

The cacophony of sounds made Xia Chen wonder if he was surrounded by a large group of poisonous skeletal frogs.

He'd given post-match interviews before, but this was the first time he'd ever seen one so intense and frenetic.

Having seen many grand occasions, Dan Di remained calm and composed. He smiled slightly at Xia Chen and then answered the reporters' questions.

"To be honest, I'm a little disappointed that I didn't make it to the finals, but I'm mostly happy. I'm disappointed because I lost the chance to avenge my loss to Cynthia, but happy because..."

Leon patted Xia Chen on the shoulder and said, "Many people used to think that the level of us trainers is getting worse with each generation. They still regard my teacher, the battle legend Mastedt, as the pinnacle of trainers. But the emergence of trainers like Xia Chen and Steven has made everyone believe that battle tactics are being updated and iterated, and trainers are constantly improving."

"As for Adek's assessment of Xia Chen..."

Dante smiled and said, "I partially agree that Xia Chen is indeed a trainer of another level, but I disagree with banning him from participating in competitions. Otherwise, how will I improve my own skills in the future?"

"..."

Dan Di calmly, composedly, and with high emotional intelligence answered the reporters' questions one by one. Xia Chen followed suit, choosing to answer only the questions he could, generally maintaining a humble attitude of respect for his seniors.

Shortly after, the interview ended, and he and Dandi left the arena under the flashing spotlight.

…………

If a little over a year ago, Hoorla was at best a scenic tourist city, now it is a bustling metropolis comparable to cities like Flying Cloud and Miare.

Somewhat incongruous with the beautiful seaside scenery, skyscrapers rise one after another, lined up in the center of Alola City, with the Ultimate Arena as the center.

The reason for such a drastic change naturally stems from the opening of the Ultimate Cave.

After the dark matter completely dissipated into nothingness, the crisis in the ultimate world was also resolved.

Since then, the two worlds that have both experienced the cataclysmic disaster have established a stable two-way passage, with the medium being the Alola region where the Ultra Hole is located.

Hau'alo, already the largest city in Alora, was able to develop rapidly once again.

Xia Chen did not stay at the Alola Pokémon School where he had stayed for a period of time when he came to participate in the Ten Masters Tournament. Instead, he stayed at the residence of his "beloved student" Lillie.

Having inherited most of the Ether Foundation's assets, Lillie is now a veritable little rich woman. Although she has lost control of Ether Park, she has plenty of large houses in Haole City, which can fully meet the short-term living needs of Xia Chen's "big family".

"I am back!"

Xia Chen's first words upon returning were barely audible in the vast, luxurious manor, but this was mainly a formality; those who remained at home could sense his return.

Do you need... help?

The one who was most eager to greet Xia Chen was Deoxys, which appeared suddenly in front of him as if it had teleported from nowhere.

Although its face, which hasn't changed much, doesn't reveal any facial expression, you can still feel its enthusiasm from its movements.

"Yes, please heal them, Deoxys."

Xia Chen reached out and patted its head, which had come closer. Then he released the injured Dragapult, Cyclops, and Zoroark from their Poké Balls and handed them over to Deoxys for healing.