"Hey… what are you going to do now? Now that you've mastered Mega Evolution?" said Cety, sitting next to Arion on the rooftop of Hotel Z.

  "Ahh, so you think I've mastered Mega Evolution properly?" Arion replied with a smile.

  Cety rested her head on his shoulder:

  "You saved Lumiose City twice, and you helped a little girl catch one of the most powerful Legendary Pokémon out there. Do you really think you haven't mastered Mega Evolution yet?"

  "Ahaha… you're right, point for you!" Then Arion fell quiet…

  "So? You're going to leave, aren't you?" She took his hand while gazing at the horizon alongside him.

  "Hey Cety, do you know why I wanted to master Mega Evolution?"

  "No… you never told me… or rather, we never had the time to talk about it…"

  "Well… you already know I'm one of the masters of Paldea — and of Sinnoh, Unova, and Johto too… but that's not the most important part. Recently, before I arrived in Lumiose, I received an invitation — for a championship. A championship that will bring together trainers from all over the world who have never been Pokémon Masters, never been League Champions, never been Gym Leaders…"

  "Wait, you just said you were a master of Paldea, Unova, and all that."

  "Ahh, that's not the same thing. Regional masters are trainers who simply defeat the Elite Four and the League Champion, without actually becoming a Pokémon Master — which is what lets you be a League Champion yourself."

  "And you're not one?"

  "Exactly — yeah. Because for that you have to do a whole bunch of things, and honestly it's not really what I'm after. Me, I want to explore new horizons, discover new cultures, new Pokémon, new trainers!! Not be stuck in one region waiting for a challenger to show up, hahaha…"

  "But this tournament… you're going to… go… aren't you?" Cety's hand tightened around mine, her voice trembling slightly.

  "Yes… this tournament will let me truly prove my strength — and this time, to the whole world! I'll meet faces I've never seen before, incredibly talented trainers! It's going to be incredible!!!"

  "And… where exactly is this championship?..."

  "On the island of [name TBD] — an island with tons of entertainment and little towns designed to make trainers from all over the world feel right at home, and even the tourists coming to watch the matches… ahhhh!!! But you're coming too, right??!!"

  This time, Cety went quiet.

  Then she spoke again:

  "I can't…"

  "What? Why?!!!"

  "Quasar Corp needs me, I made a promise to Grandma… and Hotel Z too — I have to take care of it…" She gripped his arm tight. Her voice was trembling; she was trying not to cry.

  "I'm going to miss you, Arion!!"

  "Cety!!!" Arion cried out. He pulled her into his arms, and she immediately held him tight — she didn't want to let go just yet.

  Suddenly, the door to the staircase leading up to the balcony where we were standing swung open.

  "So? Are we interrupting?" said an amused voice.

  "Whoa!!! Rudy!!!"

  It was Rudy, along with her friend Inno, Anya — a little girl who loves making donuts — and Zeraora, Arion's best friend who follows him everywhere.

  "Can we join you up on the roof?" said Inno.

  "I brought donuts!!!!" shouted Anya — their seven-year-old friend who absolutely loves making donuts. She was also accompanied by her partner, Hoopa.

  The whole gang gathered on the rooftop. We all sat around a low table, the stars above us, a gorgeous starry sky overhead.

  "Guys, I have something to tell you," said Arion.

  "Huh?? What now? After everything that's happened, we can't take much more." said Lida, worried.

  "Relax, he probably has something personal to say," replied Nasveen, reassuring her.

  "Personal? Like a love confession?" said Ansha, completely innocently.

  Taunie turned bright red; as for me, I laughed.

  "My stay here in Lumiose is over. I need to go back to Paldea."

  "WHAT?????" Nasveen exclaimed.

  "BUT WHY???!!!" said Lida.

  "Whyyy???" said Ansha.

  "But it's not because I want to leave Kalos — I originally came to Kalos to train in Mega Evolution. And you're going to ask why, right? Well, it's to compete for the title of World Pokémon Battle Champion!!!"

  "Wait WHAT???? You're going to the World Master Clash????" Lida exclaimed.

  "HUH?! You know about it??"

  "Yes! Everyone's been talking about it lately on social media."

  "And what's the World Potato Splash?" said Ansha, completely mangling the name.

  "Ahaha, well — it's a tournament that'll take place on Horizona Island. It'll bring together trainers from all over the world. There'll be tons of matches and it's all going to be incredible!"

  "So you're leaving, Arion?" said Ansha, looking sad.

  "Don't worry! I'll be leaving — but only to come back here to Lumiose! With the title of World Champion!"

  A tear rolled down Arion's cheek as he remembered the best moments they had shared together.

  "Arion, don't cry!!! Or we're all going to start crying too!!!!!

  Then Lida, Ansha, and even Nasveen piled onto Arion, who was sitting in an armchair with Taunie leaning against his shoulder.

  After a quiet moment, Taunie said something:

  "Arion… I'll wait for you however long it takes for you to come back! So give it everything you've got! I'll watch every single one of your battles!!!!!"

  "Taunie…" said Arion, looking at her face, almost brimming with tears. "Count on me! I'll give it everything — for you! For Team MZ! For AZ!"

  And so concludes Arion's adventure in Lumiose City.

  We now follow the story of Arion, a young boy originally from Johto who moved to Paldea with his mother. He seeks to live a life full of adventures with Pokémon and to battle trainers stronger and stronger. After a quick stop in Paldea to let his loved ones know, he's now aboard a plane heading toward Horizona Island — where the World Master Clash awaits him.

  And here he is, finally. The plane lands — a little rough, but safe and sound. Arion presses his face against the window, already drinking in the landscape stretching out before him. To his right, his Zeraora — but unfortunately, Zeraora's seat doesn't give him a view of anything, so, as always, the two start bickering, with Zeraora trying to shove Arion out of his seat to get a look for himself.

  "HEYYY!!!! That's my seat!!!!" Arion yelled, trying to pull Zeraora by the tail.

  "ZERAAAA!!!!" Zeraora tried to fight back.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at our destination. Please retrieve your carry-on luggage from the overhead bins, and kindly make your way off the aircraft. Welcome to Horizona Island!" said the flight attendant.*

  "WAHHHHH THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!!! Look at those balloons, Zeraora!!! They're GIGANTIC!! Ahh, this mix of urban vibes and tropical beach energy really reminds me of Alola!!!"

  "ZERA!"

  Arion has barely set foot in Horizona City and he's already in awe of its splendor. The harmonious blend of city architecture and beachside atmosphere truly echoes the spirit of Alola. Pokémon roam freely alongside their trainers through the alleyways. People everywhere fill the streets. Dirigibles bearing the tournament logo drift overhead, raining confetti down on the city below.

  "Wahhhh?? All these people came to see the World Master Clash? The tournament was only announced a little while ago and there are already this many people?"

  "Ohoho!! Malasadas, Zeraora!!! Come on!!! Let's eat, I'm starving!!!"

  "Zeraaaa!!!"

  "Hey, wait for me!!! I spotted them first!!!!"

  Arion bolted straight for the malasada vendor, trying to outrun Zeraora, who glanced back at him mid-sprint with a teasing smirk. Then, suddenly — not seeing what was ahead of him, or rather right in front of him — he reached the vendor faster than expected, and BAM!!! He nearly crashed straight into the stall… nearly. What saved him: someone catching him by the shoulders just in time.

  "ZERAORA!!!! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!!!!!" Arion shouted.

  "OHH!! That gave me a fright!!!" said the vendor.

  "SORRY SIR!!!! WE WON'T DO IT AGAIN!!!!" Arion bowed quickly.

  The person stood Zeraora upright and walked toward Arion, leaning down slightly — he was a bit taller than him.

  "Here you go. Is this your Pokémon?"

  A young man with silver hair and red eyes smiled at me.

  "Ahh, yes… thank you…"

  "Be careful — this city is quite packed, and jostling happens often…"

  "Ahh yes, thanks — we just arrived, but honestly it's our fault for not watching where we were going. Sorry about that!"

  "Oh, you're not from here? I mean, a good portion of the population are tourists anyway, so it's not surprising."

  "Ahh hehe, yeah — we came for the World Master Clash!"

  "Oh I see, you came to watch the tournament — I have a feeling it's going to be incredible too!"

  "Wait, what?" Arion looked at him, confused. "No no no! Zeraora and I are going to compete! In the tournament!"

  A silence fell as the other person processed this…

  "Ehhhh???? WHAT??? You're actually going to participate???!!!" the silver-haired man exclaimed.

  "YES!!! And we're going for that World Champion title!!!!"

  (Now I understand why he's accompanied by such a rare and magnificent Pokémon,) thought the silver haired boy to himself. "Ahh, where were my manners… My name is Aelric Valeris. Pleasure to meet you!"

  "Oh! Likewise! I'm Arion Kazeuma!"

  "Pleasure's mine, Arion. Come on, I have an idea — what if I gave you a tour of the city? You seem like you get lost pretty easily."

  "Ohh hehe… you're not wrong… But right now I'm looking for Alpha Residence."

  "No problem — as long as I'm around, you can walk with your eyes closed! Let's head to Alpha Residence then!!"

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  The two of them took the main avenue and began walking, under the blazing sun, everyone enjoying themselves — and then suddenly GRRRUMBLE, Arion's stomach let out a growl.

  "Ehehe… sorry, I haven't eaten since we landed," said Arion, embarrassed.

  "HAHAHA!!! There's a restaurant over there, we could stop if you want!"

  "YESSss let's go, I'd love that!!!"

  The two of them stepped inside the restaurant — nothing too fancy, but nicely put together — though what drew you in most was the smell of the food.

  "Ohoh!! Don't tell me those are UNOVA BURGERS!!!!!"

  "Hehe, yes — since this island welcomes visitors and trainers from every region, we make a point of welcoming them properly with their regional dishes," said Aelric.

  "Heeee!!!! I missed these SO much!!!" said Arion, on the verge of tears.

  A little while later, their food was ready.

  "WAHHHH!!!! Good old BURGER!!!! The ones in Paldea just don't hit the same!!!!"

  "You're from Paldea?" asked Aelric.

  "Yeah!! I'm originally from Johto, but when I was 17 we moved to Paldea for work — and for me, it meant I could get even better at battling and have a ton of new adventures. It was incredible!! What about you?" said Arion, mouth full.

  "Ohh, I'm originally from Galar, but I come to Horizona Island now and then because I really love the vibe, and the battle training grounds here are great. My dad works in real estate here, so I come fairly often."

  "Ehh??? You're a trainer????"

  "Oops, caught me. Yeah… but I'm not really that good, you know…"

  "Oh, don't give me that modest act! You don't judge a trainer until after a battle!!!"

  "Eheeee…" Aelric said, embarrassed.

  "Aelric Valeris!!! I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!!!!" Arion declared, all fired up.

  "Ehee… Pokémon battles in the city center are prohibited — we'd need an official arena. Besides, weren't you supposed to be heading to the Residence?"

  "Perfect timing then! The Residence I'm headed to is the World Master Clash Residence — it's got tons of official arenas!!" Arion announced.

  "Ehheee… I suppose I don't have a choice then…" Aelric sighed.

  Arion stood up immediately, paid the cashier, and headed for the restaurant exit: "Hurry up! I want to see what you're made of!!!"

  Aelric, having no say in the matter, found himself dragged into a Pokémon battle with a master of Paldea.

  After winding through several alleyways, the two of them arrived at Alpha Residence — one of the five residences hosting WMC participants.

  "Wow, it's really massive when you see it in person!" said Aelric, taking in the residence and its breathtakingly beautiful gardens.

  "Yeah!! If you believe what's written online, it has 10 outdoor stadiums and 5 indoor ones — for trainers who want to train in peace, or in case of bad weather."

  "And to think I come here fairly often…" said Aelric, looking a little sheepish.

  "Seriously though, how do I know more about this residence than you do?"

  "Ahh… it's just that all the WMC data was kept confidential, so they built every WMC facility without revealing anything. I didn't want to dig into it too much."

  "Fair enough hehe — I couldn't stop reading about this place, or the whole complex rather. I was way too excited…"

  "Right! Didn't you want a Pokémon battle? You?"

  "Ahh, yeah! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten at all!!!"

  Suddenly, the moment they passed through the gates, a guard stopped them.

  A tall, broad-shouldered man in a suit and sunglasses stepped in front of them.

  "Apologies, gentlemen — please show your badges to access the Alpha complex," said the muscular man in the suit.

  "Huh?? A badge?!" Arion exclaimed.

  "Your World Master Clash invitation — it includes the residence you've been assigned to and serves as proof of your participation in the tournament. Without it, you are not permitted to access the complex."

  "Ahh right… the invitation?? (Ahh, but I don't have an invitation on me…) said Arion, panicking.

  "Arion, do you have your Rotom Phone?"

  "Yeah, why?"

  "Can you hand it to me for a second?" said Aelric, calm and composed.

  "Ahh… sure…"

  Arion handed his Rotom Phone to Aelric — it had a case featuring a map of Alola on the back. Aelric took it and began tapping away.

  "Did you check the 'WMCnow' app?"

  "Ahh, the tournament app? Yeah, I installed it and entered the login info they sent me by email."

  "GOTCHA! There you go, sir!"

  Aelric showed the Rotom Phone screen to the guard.

  "Very good. Welcome to the complex — make yourselves at home!" said the guard in a firm, gravelly voice.

  "EHHHH???!!! What did you just do??? H-how??!!!" Arion stumbled comically in reaction.

  "Aha! I just clicked on your profile in the WMC app, and your trainer card appears automatically!" said Aelric brilliantly, raising one finger and closing his eyes — clearly pleased with himself.

  "Wahhh!! How did I not think of that earlier… and? Wait." Arion sighed.

  "Yes?"

  "How come he didn't check your trainer card too?"

  "Shhhh!! I have no idea! But I think if someone doesn't have access but they're with a trainer who does, they can still get through…" Aelric whispered.

  "Ehhhh, haha imagine if that's not actually the rule hehe…" Arion laughed.

  The duo headed toward the nearest arena to kick off the battle Arion had been waiting for.

  Once they arrived, each of them took their position at opposite ends of the stadium. They drew out a Poké Ball — pressing the small button to expand it before the throw.

  "So, are you ready to give it everything?" said Arion, grinning from ear to ear.

  "Ehheee, I'll do my best, at least," he said, looking flustered.

  "Froslass, come join me!!!" Aelric called, launching his Poké Ball.

  "WAHHHHH!!! A Froslass!!!! She's so COOL!!!!!!!" Arion shouted, admiring Aelric's Pokémon. "Alright, my turn!!! ZERAORA, GO!!!" The Zeraora who had been standing beside Arion stepped into the arena. Both Pokémon were ready to battle.

  "ZERAORA, charge!!!!" Arion ordered — quickly and firmly.

  In the blink of an eye, Zeraora launched forward with incredible speed toward Aelric's Froslass.

  "Ah, Froslass, dodf—"

  "Oh? You're going to dodge? Sorry… but it's way too late for that."

  Zeraora was indeed already close enough to Froslass to strike before she could evade. "MACH PUNCH!!!!" Arion cried. Zeraora instantly unleashed a rapid Mach Punch aimed straight at the torso, sending the opposing Froslass flying.

  "Froslass!!! Hang in there!!!"

  "Zeraora! Don't wait!!!" ordered Arion. Zeraora charged at Froslass again, with unmatched speed.

  And there it was — another Mach Punch incoming. Aelric suddenly smiled. "WHAT????" said Arion, stunned.

  Zeraora had struck thin air — almost. Aelric had used Protect at exactly the right moment. Zeraora found itself thrown back by the impact.

  "AHHH, Arion!!! You and your Zeraora are truly incredible! He knows exactly which move to use without you even having to repeat yourself. Now I understand why you were invited to the WMC.

  But me too… me too, I can give it everything!

  (Now that Zeraora's been pushed back, his combo is broken. I can counter-attack — but one wrong move and that divine speed of his will punish me.) "Froslass! Icy Wind!!!" called Aelric.

  "Zeraora!!!!"

  (Oh no… a ranged attack. My Zeraora takes heavy damage from physical hits… better to—) "Zeraora! Again!!!"

  "Wait, another Mach Punch? Is he serious?" Aelric wondered.

  Froslass immediately launched Icy Wind, releasing a heavy, freezing gust from her mouth — and Zeraora countered by hurling himself straight into the jaws of the storm, charging forward with Mach Punch and taking the icy damage head-on.

  "You do know the freezing winds that Froslass releases are at -50 degrees Celsius, right?"

  "Huh? And what does that have to do with anything?" said Arion — just before watching his Zeraora struggle to stay on his feet after the hit. A critical hit? Impossible…

  A weakened Zeraora tries to stand his ground, but he's suffering.

  "Zeraora!!!! It's not over yet!!!" Arion encouraged him, and Zeraora responded to those words with a fierce howl.

  "Froslass! Shadow Ball!!!"

  "Zeraora! Dodge!!!"

  "Froslass, don't stop!!! Don't let him get close!!!"

  Froslass bombarded Zeraora with Shadow Balls, keeping him at bay. Little by little, Zeraora tried to close the gap — but the firing rate was far too high to dodge everything.

  (If this keeps up, Zeraora is going to wear out. I need to quickly… wait. No. Don't tell me…) "ZERAORA!!!!! UNLEASH EVERYTHING!!!!! PLASMA FISTS!!!!!"

  Zeraora leaped into the air, charging both fists with crackling blue electricity before slamming down onto Froslass and releasing the full built-up charge.

  "I hope you just realized the mistake you made. Froslass is a Ghost-type — all those Mach Punches you were throwing earlier had zero effect."

  "Rahhhhhh!!!!! Why did I forget that?!!!!!" Arion cried out in frustration.

  Froslass took the devastating Plasma Fists from Zeraora head-on — she was seriously weakened.

  "Let's go! Froslass!!! Ice Beam!!!!!"

  "Zeraora!!!!"

  Froslass powered up and unleashed a massive Ice Beam with everything she had left. Zeraora attempted a last-second dodge — but his agility had taken too many hits from all the missed strikes. He took a solid chunk of the attack. And when the smoke cleared…

  Froslass stood tall, facing a Zeraora flat on the ground. Aelric had won.

  "Well done, Froslass!!!"

  "Zeraora!!!!" Arion cried, rushing over to his Pokémon, and recalled him into his Poké Ball to heal later.

  "Great battle, Arion!" Aelric walked over to Arion and extended his hand to help him back up, after he had dropped to his knees beside Zeraora. "You fought well," Aelric said with a smile.

  "And you said you weren't that strong!!! Ugh, you big liar!!" Arion sulked, grabbing Aelric's hand to pull himself up.

  "I didn't lie, you know — it's just that you forgot that Froslass is a Ghost-type in addition to Ice-type, so you went all-in on Fighting-type moves thinking you'd be super effective. That's all," he said with the smile of an angel.

  "Pfff, you're really twisting the knife like that…" Arion muttered, frustrated.

  "Hey! Look on the bright side! Now, if you ever battle a Froslass again, you won't make the same mistake."

  And Aelric stepped off the field.

  "Hey, where are you going?"said Arion.

  "Did you forget? It's night — the opening ceremony starts soon. I'm going to pick up some snacks and watch it nice and cozy at home."

  "Ahh YESSSSS!!!! Rahhhhhh I almost forgot!!!!!!" said Arion, panicking. "ALRIGHT I'M HEADING OFF TO GET READY — WE'RE HAVING A REMATCH, AELRIIIIIC!!!!!!!" Arion shouted as he sprinted back toward the residence to get ready for the ceremony. All participating trainers would need to present themselves in the center of the stadium, in front of the spectators, for the tournament rules to be unveiled.

  After a quick preparation, each trainer climbed into their designated car and was driven straight to Horizon City Stadium — one of the 5 main venues where World Master Clash matches would take place. The other four were located in four other regions of Horizona Island.

  As they moved through the night, lights slipped softly past the car window. Arion was captivated by the beauty of the city after dark — he couldn't take his eyes off it.

  The driver slowed and pulled up to the curb. Through the window, Arion could make out a red carpet and crowds of people waiting behind barriers, cameras flashing.

  "Very well, sir — we have arrived at your destination," the driver said.

  "H-huh??? What do you mean??? That red carpet… is it for me??? And and — those photographers too??????" said Arion, completely lost.

  "That's for you to decide. If you're not comfortable, nothing is stopping you from ignoring them," the driver replied, pragmatically and matter-of-factly.

  (This has to be a dream… they're really all here for me…) thought Arion.

  His heart was hammering the moment he opened the door — and once he stepped outside, he realized there were far more camera flashes and photographers than he had been able to see through the tinted window.

  Squinting through the light, he moved forward slowly.

  (Okay, move at a good pace, don't stop for interviews or we'll tank our image — but slow enough that they can get a good shot. Hihi! Mom is going to be so happy!!)

  The noise from fans and journalists was overwhelming — but Arion did his best to block it out, slipping in his earphones as he made his way toward the entrance.

  After walking for a short while, he spotted the exit — or rather the entrance — of the stadium. Even before he stepped inside, he could already hear the roar of supporters and spectators, the blare of trumpets, the beat of drums, the whistles, the clapping — all of it hit him with a strange, overwhelming sensation. His heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest. A kind of dizziness mixed with pure excitement. But that was before he actually walked out into the stadium.

  (Whooooah, what kind of stadium IS this?)

  The stadium was enormous — far larger than any standard battle arena.

  It reminded him of the battle stadiums in Galar.

  Under blazing spotlights, the players advanced. Arion was part of a procession — trainers from around the world in front of him and behind him, all walking in a straight line toward the center of the stadium.

  Then they lined up, side by side, facing the longest side of the stadium — where, high up in the stands, the dignitaries sat: presidents and rulers of various regions, the organizers, and the notable trainers — including regional masters.

  Then, suddenly, as Arion stood overwhelmed by everything around him, he felt something tap his left shoulder.

  "Hey — Arion?"

  Arion turned to the left. It was Aelric Valeris.

  "WHAAAAAAT??????? NOOOO WAY THIS IS REAL!!!!!!!"

  "HEHE, nice surprise, right?"

  "Wait, no no no — are you serious right now???? You're — you're — you're entering the tournament?????!"

  "Yes, hihi, I love it!! The surprise went exactly as I imagined!!!"

  "I — seriously, I can't process this, I don't understand anything anymore, rahhhh." said Arion, basically shouting, since it was nearly impossible to talk over the crowd. He was also completely thrown off by the revelation that Aelric was part of the tournament too.

  (Don't tell me that absolute monster Aelric is actually in the WMC… he really was hiding how good he is…) thought Arion.

  "The ceremony is about to start!!!!!" said Aelric, shouting right into Arion's ear.

  "Aren't we already in it???"

  "Yes!!! But…"

  The crowd fell silent.

  "Oh shut — it's starting."

  Beams of light shot up into the sky, crossing to form a giant symbol: the WMC logo. Above it, Legendary Pokémon — Lugia, Rayquaza, Zacian, Miraidon…and more — appeared briefly as holograms, saluting the trainers who had come from every corner of the world. Thousands of spectators waved flags from every region.

  Then the giant screen at the center of the field, which had been displaying the WMC logo, shifted — it began showing the stadium itself, then panned to the first trainer. And suddenly, a voice rang out. The announcer began to speak:

  "Thirty-two trainers. Thirty-two dreams. One single title!!! Welcome to the World Master Clash!!! The grand tournament that unites trainers from across the globe — souls hungry for battle, for thrills, for adrenaline! Each and every one of these individuals will experience that rush firsthand during this incredible event!!!

  Now, let's move on to the introductions!

  Aiden Lake, from Unova! Lyna Iris, from the Sinnoh Region! Kate Kokonami, from the Kalos Region!..."

  And then name after name rang out — but Arion couldn't hold onto any of them. He was drowning in the sheer scale of everything. He hadn't expected any of this. Until his own name was called:

  "Arion Kazeuma, from the Paldea Region!"

  Arion froze on the spot. It caught him completely off guard — he had been lost in his thoughts.

  "Aelric Valeris, from the Galar Region!" Arion glanced at Aelric, who — unlike him — wore a steady smile as he looked out at the crowd. A determined expression. Ready for whatever came next. Arion studied him, then decided to do the same — setting his jaw, and fixing his gaze on the spectators.

  (Me too! Me too, I'm ready to show all of you what I'm capable of!!!) Arion thought, ready to take on the world. (What's scary here is that unlike regional leagues, where you know your opponents — here, everything is different. Nobody knows anybody. Not the spectators, not the trainers — no one knows who they'll face. But honestly… that makes it even more exciting when I really think about it!)

  While Arion was lost in thought, the announcer kept going:

  "Toko Horimura, from the Fiore Region! Sora Nabi, from the Alola Region! Taggeur Dallien, from the Johto Region!…"

  Arion's eyes snapped wide open. "Wait, what???" He looked up at the screen. "HUH?????? TAGG???? SORA?????" Arion yelled.

  "Wait, you know them?" Aelric asked, tilting his head toward Arion.

  "Taggeur is my brother, and Sora is my childhood friend — but I consider him my brother too… I can't believe they didn't tell me anything???? I'm absolutely floored — honestly, just this evening alone has made my head spin. I have no idea how I'm going to stay standing through the entire tournament…"

  "Oh, they sound really strong," said Aelric.

  "Strong? You're joking, right? Those two absolute powerhouses are some of the strongest trainers I've ever faced. To put it in perspective — Taggeur is at the same level as your own Roy."

  "Roy from the Elite Four?"

  "YES!!!! I swear he's a monster!!"

  "Oh, I hope I get to face him!!! And the other one?"

  "Sora? Sora is like a legendary knight. A kind of hero who fears nothing — someone so incredible that he'd leap off a cliff into thin air if something even mildly interesting caught his eye down below."

  "Ohhh, I want to battle him too!!!!"

  Suddenly, while the two of them were still chatting away, the announcer wrapped up the introductions.

  "Now that you've seen all 32 participants present!!! It's time for the moment you've all been waiting for — the most exciting moment of the night!!! It's time to…"

  "REVEAL THE RULES OF THE WORLD MASTER CLASH !!!!!!!!"