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The fact that Jasmine recognized him didn't surprise Kai all that much.
Even though he had competed in the Indigo League rather than the Johto Conference, the two regions were neighbors practically intertwined on the same landmass.
While some Gym Leaders, like Morty in Ecruteak, focused only on their own local circuit, most had sharp senses and kept up with the larger competitive scene.
After all, watching matches was a way for Gym Leaders to hone their instincts. While they might not watch every round, few of them would miss the semifinals or finals of a major tournament.
Still… Jasmine didn't look like someone who followed intense battles.
She had the aura of a delicate, well-mannered girl someone you'd expect to be into tea parties or calligraphy, not watching high-stakes Pokémon brawls and analyzing type matchups.
Kai smirked to himself. 'So this is what it means to be a Steel-type specialist, huh? Cute on the outside, pure iron on the inside.'
Their handshake ended, and Jasmine turned her gaze to Erika.
She studied her for a moment, then her expression lit up.
"You're Miss Erika of the Celadon Gym, right?"
"Huh?" Erika blinked. "You know me?"
Jasmine nodded. "When I was little, my parents took me to Kanto. We attended a garden tea ceremony hosted by your family. I remember you helped me bandage my knee when I fell."
Erika looked stunned. "I… I'm so sorry. I don't remember that at all."
"It's okay," Jasmine said warmly, waving her hand. "We were kids. It's only natural. Besides, we've met again, haven't we?"
Kai silently gave her a thumbs-up in his heart.
Now that's how you defuse awkwardness with style. She even used it to deepen the connection between them. Impressive.
Jasmine's eyes flicked between the two of them, then she covered her mouth with a playful smile.
"So… are you two traveling together as a couple?"
Another one.
Kai sighed.
That was the 9th person to make that assumption.
Traveling with a single woman apparently had its social side effects.
Erika, however, had a very different reaction.
At first, she always brushed such comments aside. But now, after spending so much time together, after all the moments they had shared, something had shifted.
She sneaked a glance at Kai, her ears quietly turning red.
'What's wrong with me…?' she thought, heart skipping a beat.
She quickly composed herself and shook her head. "No, you misunderstood. We're just travel partners."
Jasmine gave her a look a knowing, playful look.
Even if they weren't official, she could tell. There was something there.
Erika wasn't sure whether Jasmine believed her or not… but at least the topic was dropped.
They made a little more small talk, then finally moved on to business.
Jasmine stepped to her side of the battlefield. Kai walked to his own. Erika took a seat in the viewing gallery above.
The Gym attendant who had escorted them in now stood as the referee.
Once Kai was ready, the match rules were announced.
"This will be a standard knockout battle," the referee declared. "Each side may use two Pokémon. The battle ends when both of one Trainer's Pokémon can no longer continue."
Just as Jasmine reached for her Poké Balls, Kai raised a hand.
"Miss Jasmine. If it's alright with you… I'd like to face your strongest Pokémon."
She paused only a moment before smiling in understanding.
"Ah… I see. Weaker Pokémon don't challenge you anymore, huh? Then, of course, I'll give you my best."
She walked over to a control station, placed her default Poké Balls into storage, and retrieved two new ones from a separate platform.
As she returned, Kai was already choosing his first battler.
With a nod from the ref, both Trainers tossed their Poké Balls.
Twin flashes of light lit up the field and a massive, blue, metallic Pokémon slammed into the ground with a thunderous clang.
Jasmine had chosen Metagross.
Steel-blue in color with four muscular limbs, its body looked like a massive, levitating hunk of weaponized hardware. A silver "X" stretched across its face, gleaming under the battle lights.
Kai recognized it instantly.
Metagross… no wonder she called it her strongest.
In game terms, Metagross was a pseudo-Legendary, much like Dragonite in the first generation a Pokémon with incredibly high stats and power.
Since it was his first time facing one, Kai pulled out his Pokédex.
Pokédex: "Metagross. The Iron Leg Pokémon. A dual Steel and Psychic-type. Metagross is formed when two Metang merges together. Its four brains are connected by a complex neural network, granting it immense calculation abilities and cold tactical precision. It can analyze opponents in battle faster than a supercomputer, and when it folds its legs inward, it can levitate and fly."
Kai closed the Pokédex and took a closer look.
Steel types were notoriously resilient.
Of the eighteen known types, Steel resisted ten of them and was completely immune to Poison. Only Fighting, Ground, and Fire dealt double damage.
No other type had that kind of defensive spread.
And Metagross wasn't just durable it hit like a truck.
This was going to be a real fight.
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