"Rex, when did you guys arrive in Ever Grande City?"
Rex walked towards Ash and his friends and asked.
"Rex, you're here too! We just arrived in Ever Grande City yesterday. I can't wait to have a battle with you!"
Seeing Rex, Ash's fighting spirit was rekindled.
"Really, Ash? You're too impulsive. Who challenges someone right after reuniting?"
May said, slightly exasperated.
"Yeah, yeah. By the way, Rex, did you bring Lapras? I've been missing it lately."
Max asked expectantly. Max had a great relationship with Lapras and was eagerly looking forward to seeing it again, so he couldn't wait to ask Rex.
"Sorry, Max. I didn't bring Lapras this time."
Rex replied honestly.
"That's too bad. I was hoping to see it."
Max said, a bit disappointed.
"It's okay, Max. Don't be sad. You'll have plenty of chances to see Lapras in the future. You're always welcome at my farm."
Rex patted Max's shoulder to comfort him.
"May, you know Rex too?"
At this moment, Rina approached them, looking curiously at May.
"Yes, Rex traveled with us for a while. So, you know Rex too, Rina?"
May explained.
Through their conversation, Rex learned that May and Rina had known each other since childhood. Their families were good friends, so they often visited each other.
Time flew by, and today was the start of the Ever Grande Conference.
Rex had a fulfilling few days, exploring local cuisine with May and training Pokémon with Ash and Brock. He also met many other competitors.
Interestingly, Tyson, whom Rex had met earlier, was the torchbearer for this year's Ever Grande Conference. Usually, torchbearers are trusted members of the League, and their strength is recognized.
This indicated that Tyson was a formidable opponent in the tournament.
The Ever Grande Conference had three stages: preliminaries, preliminary tournament, and final tournament.
The preliminaries selected 256 participants for the official competition. Each trainer competed in one-on-one battles, and the winners advanced to the preliminary tournament, while the losers were eliminated.
In the preliminary tournament, the 256 trainers competed in double battles, with the winners advancing to the final tournament. Winning three consecutive battles was necessary to advance.
The final tournament involved 32 trainers who had won in the preliminary tournament, competing in six-on-six full battles on various terrains—grass, rock, water, and ice—determined by a roulette. A mid-battle break and terrain change occurred when three Pokémon on one side were unable to battle.
To win the championship, a trainer had to win five full battles.
The competition was held at a large outdoor arena near the Pokémon Center. With over 600 participants, most needed to win just one match to advance to the next round.
Four battlefields operated simultaneously due to the large number of participants.
Rex's match was scheduled for the afternoon because of his high draw number, which didn't bother him.
Since each match was a one-on-one battle, they were relatively short. Rina's number was drawn early, so she was one of the first to compete.
Rina's opponent was a young man, and she quickly defeated his Tauros with her Sceptile, securing her victory.
Soon, it was Ash's turn. He faced a Hitmonlee with his Pikachu. Despite some difficulties, Pikachu finished the battle with Iron Tail.
Coincidentally, Tyson faced Vivica in the preliminaries. Tyson used his boot-wearing Meowth, while Vivica used its evolved form, Persian. Despite the evolutionary advantage, Tyson's Meowth was strong enough to defeat Persian, resulting in Vivica's elimination.
Returning from the battlefield, Vivica was visibly upset. Given her strength, she would have had a high chance of advancing if not for facing Tyson in the preliminaries.
However, luck is part of the competition, making Rex more cautious, knowing that in such random pairings, any opponent could be encountered.
As time passed, it was finally Rex's turn. He chose his Swellow, while his opponent, a young man named Bray, used a Blaziken.
When Rex's Swellow appeared in the arena, the audience gasped at its enormous size.
Bray felt the pressure. Although size doesn't determine everything, larger Pokémon often have an advantage in battles.
"Blaziken, use Flamethrower!"
Bray initiated the attack, sending a massive flame towards Swellow.
Instead of dodging, Rex had Swellow counter with Hyper Beam. The two powerful energies collided mid-air, causing a huge explosion.
"Blaziken, jump up and use Blaze Kick!"
Seizing the opportunity, Bray aimed for a decisive strike. Blaziken leaped towards the temporarily stationary Swellow, its leg engulfed in flames.
"Swellow, use Aerial Ace repeatedly!"
Anticipating Bray's move, Rex knew the match was in his favor.
Following Rex's command, Swellow vanished just before Blaziken's attack landed, reappearing to strike Blaziken from behind with its sharp beak.
Swellow continued to vanish and reappear, delivering heavy blows to Blaziken each time.
"Boom!"
After the relentless assault, Blaziken could no longer maintain its balance. It fell to the ground, unable to continue the battle.
"Blaziken is unable to battle. Rex is the winner!"
The referee's announcement was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience. Despite the short battle, it was one of the most exciting matches they had seen.
"Rex, your Swellow has gotten much stronger. But my Sceptile won't give up easily."
Rina, though impressed by Swellow's power, wasn't ready to concede without a fight.
"You better work hard then. Don't get eliminated before facing me!"
Rex patted her shoulder encouragingly.
"Hmph!"
Rina, slightly blushing, turned away and huffed, expressing her displeasure.
Seeing her reaction, Rex decided not to tease her further and continued watching the matches.
Soon, all the participants completed the first round. Since the remaining number of participants exceeded 256, the organizers randomly selected some trainers for additional matches.
Fortunately, none of Rex's acquaintances were chosen, meaning they all successfully advanced to the next round—the preliminary tournament.
(Chapter End)