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Liam thought for a long time before finally recalling who that red-haired girl named Cissy was. She was one of the future Orange Crew members in the Orange Islands and also he Gym Leader of Mikan Gym. He never expected to run into her here… Was this fate?
After completing his four preliminary battles, there would be a one-day break. The next day, the 16 advancing trainers would head to the top of the Indigo Plateau—to the main venue of the League Tournament—for the final battles.
Starting from the Top 16, they would battle until the league champion was decided.
Once all the preliminary matches had concluded, the remaining 16 trainers stood together in the center of the field. Liam turned to look around and was relieved to see that all the familiar faces he had expected were present.
"Ha ha! Ladies and gentlemen! Now, please focus your attention on the final 16 trainers left standing in this arena! They are powerful trainers who have endured the trials of Gym battles across the regions and have emerged victorious from among 200 participants. They are tomorrow's brightest stars! Let's give them the warmest round of applause!!"
As the announcer's voice fell, thunderous applause echoed throughout the venue—not just for the 16 who advanced, but also for all the other trainers who had fought with all their might.
They were all admirable.
"Alright! The Top 16 has been decided. Next, we'll randomize the battle matchups! Then the trainers will get one day of rest. The day after tomorrow, the battles will commence atop the Indigo Plateau! The League Tournament resumes in the main arena!"
Clap clap clap!!
Another wave of enthusiastic applause followed.
"Let us begin the shuffle!"
At the announcer's command, the big screen displayed the portraits of the remaining 16 trainers. The images began to shuffle rapidly in random directions. A few seconds later, the matchups were finalized.
"It's done! The battle order has been determined! The first match of the Top 16 is set! The first trainers to face off will be—!!"
The announcer's voice dragged with dramatic flair before he shouted again:
"On the red side! From Pallet Town—Liam!"
"On the green side! From the Johto region—Axu!"
"These two are both outstanding trainers! Their battle is sure to be a must-see!"
RAAAHHHH!!!
The crowd instantly erupted in cheers.
Liam looked at the screen at the two opposing portraits, then turned to Axu with a slightly helpless smile. At the same moment, Axu, wearing a similarly resigned expression, was already looking at him.
"Senior… I didn't expect the very first match to be between us... Senior, can you promise me one thing?"
Axu walked over with a bitter face. After hesitating for a moment, he looked at Liam seriously.
"Uh… don't worry. It's still a 3v3 in the Top 16. I won't use Weavile, so you can feel free to use your Blissey."
Liam assumed Axu was worried about facing his Weavile and quickly reassured him.
"Of course not!!"
Before Axu could even say what he wanted to, Liam's words completely caught him off guard. His face flushed red, and he shouted loudly.
"This match is 3v3! I've decided not to use Blissey! I'm going to bring out my strongest partners. And what I want to ask is… in the battle, please don't hold back—because if you do, I might be the one who advances."
There was a flicker of fire in Axu's eyes as he looked at Liam with utter seriousness.
Liam was slightly surprised by Axu's words, but then chuckled softly and said:
"Alright, I understand. I'll use the elites of my team to battle you. I won't let you down."
Hearing Liam's words—though spoken with a smile, yet firm in tone—Axu scratched the back of his head sheepishly and then asked a bit shyly:
"Senior, if you're going to use your elite team… then can I ask—where does Weavile rank in strength among your Pokémon?"
Liam blinked at the question, then fell into a thoughtful silence. After a while, he raised his head and replied:
"Hmm… Right now, I have nine Pokémon with me. If I don't count the little guy on my shoulder, Weavile probably ranks sixth in terms of strength… on par with my Arcanine."
As for Liam's current lineup—Garchomp was obviously number one, no question. Next was Aerodactyl, second only to Garchomp in raw power. After that was Arbok, whose strength kept rising after its mutation; in a serious fight, it wouldn't be much weaker than Aerodactyl. Then came Nidoking—if it got serious, its powerful special attacks could overwhelm opponents in seconds. Following that was the recently evolved Steelix—while its overall strength might not be extraordinary, its defense alone made it nearly untouchable for Weavile.
Only after Steelix did Weavile and Arcanine come into the picture, who Liam considered to be on the same level. Though, to be honest, if it wasn't for Arcanine's stamina lacking a little bit, it could undoubtedly be placed even before Steelix.
And then finally, there was Scyther. While others might consider it top-tier among its species, compared to Liam's lineup, it didn't stand out at all… because, frankly, Scyther couldn't beat anyone on Liam's team.
However, that didn't mean it couldn't beat other people's Pokemon.
"Uh… Senior, can I take back what I just said? Maybe you should use Weavile… and the two Pokémon ranked below it."
Axu wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke in a nervous tone.
"Heh…"
Liam simply chuckled. That was all he had to say to Axu.
The day passed quickly. Both Nidoking and Weavile had fully recovered and were ready for battle at any moment.
Technically, this day was supposed to be a break for the trainers. However, Liam didn't get much rest—no sooner had he stepped out of the preliminary hall than he and the other 15 finalists were swarmed by reporters from various TV stations. Question after question came flying, and it was exhausting to deal with them all.
After finally escaping those annoying reporters, Liam went straight to the hotel where Delia and the others were staying, and spent a relaxing day with them.
One thing struck Liam as odd—Professor Oak, who had originally come with Delia's family, was nowhere to be seen. When he asked Aunt Fumiko about it, she only smiled mysteriously. Liam figured the professor was probably up to something and didn't press further.
Soon enough, the day was over. Together with Delia and the others, Liam arrived at the peak of the Indigo Plateau, the League Tournament's main venue.
There was still a little time before the first match began. Delia and the others headed to the spectator stands, while Liam—after submitting his trainer ID—entered the designated player lounge. The League's main arena had two lounges: one for red-side trainers, one for green-side. Each was located on opposite ends of the stadium.
When Liam entered the red lounge, he immediately saw Bruno sitting on one of the benches, winking at him. No one else was around, so Liam walked over with an amused look.
"Just you? I thought I might see a few more familiar faces."
Liam grinned as he spoke to Bruno.
"Heh, what more do you want? Be glad someone's here to keep you company. Your match is starting soon—are you nervous?"
Bruno raised an eyebrow.
"What's there to be nervous about? This is just the beginning. I'm still looking forward to battling you, Lorelei, and Lance. I'm not stopping here."
Liam shook his head, unfazed.
"Heh, then you'd better work hard. The rest of us will be waiting for you up ahead."
Bruno smiled warmly, his eyes narrowing into slits. And just then, the booming voice of the announcer echoed from outside the door, filled with excitement and energy.
Liam knew it was time. He nodded at Bruno, turned around, and—with a confident smile on his face—stepped onto the battlefield.