"Dear viewers, welcome to the finals of the Little Ho-oh Cup! I'm your commentator, Satō."
"And I'm your commentator, Kodō."
At that moment, the camera slowly panned across the venue of the Little Ho-oh Cup finals. The stands were already filled with eager spectators awaiting the start of the final battle.
As the camera turned, the screen finally settled on the two commentators.
These two were a well-known duo in the field, beloved by fans for their expert insights, humorous commentary, and deep understanding of the matches.
"After a full week of intense and thrilling battles, we've finally reached the climax of our tournament today. Honestly, this year's competition has been full of unexpected surprises!" Satō said emotionally.
"Absolutely," Kodō nodded in agreement. "Who would've thought that the biggest dark horse of this tournament would be a Gym Leader?"
Satō nodded along. "Exactly! When I first heard that, I couldn't believe my ears. I was thinking, huh? A Gym Leader joining a rookie competition? Are you kidding?"
"But then I looked into it and, well... turns out it's true."
"This kind of thing does happen every now and then," Kodō added. "Some top-tier veterans want to test the gap between themselves and the younger generation..."
"But according to the records, this is Caleb's first time entering an official competition. Technically speaking, he's still a rookie."
"Wow! There's a rule like that? A Gym Leader who's never participated in any official events is really rare. Guess that means our other contestant isn't so lucky," Satō said.
(ps: Green faked her identity. People only know she's from Pallet Town; everything else is blank.)
"But hey, sometimes it's the ones pretending to be harmless who turn out to be the biggest sharks. Who knows—maybe our contestant Green is secretly a hidden master, haha."
The commentators were slightly embarrassed and tried to lighten the mood with some jokes.
It was the first time they had encountered such a situation. Despite the fact that most people were here for Caleb, the crowd was full of signs bearing Green's name and not his.
Even from the commentary booth, which was quite a distance from the stands, they could hear the roar of the crowd.
Shouts like, "Caleb should drop dead!", "Caleb is morally corrupt!", and "Drown Caleb in a pig cage!" echoed across the stadium.
Of course, amidst this sea of curses and accusations, there were a few faint voices of praise.
Unfortunately, these rare positive remarks were quickly drowned in the overwhelming tide of negativity.
If things kept going like this, a fight might break out between the two factions.
Thankfully, before the situation could spiral out of control, Caleb and Green finally appeared on the stage.
The moment the two of them showed up, the commentators let out a breath of relief.
Satō composed himself and spoke, "Alright, dear viewers, the match is now officially entering its final countdown. Both contestants have arrived at the venue. So, who will walk away with the grand prize? Let's find out together!"
...
Kanto Region, Pallet Town, in front of a house.
A girl with orange pigtails lightly patted her flushed cheeks to calm herself.
It's okay, it's okay. I'm just inviting him to see a movie. He won't overthink it...
Gathering her courage, Yellow nervously pressed the doorbell. Moments later, a faint electric buzz came from the intercom.
"It's you, Yellow. The door's not locked—come up to the second floor."
Come directly to the second floor? That's... Red's room?
The thought made her cheeks burn. Embarrassed yet curious, she hesitantly pushed open the door.
Suddenly, a yellow blur flew down from the second floor and leapt into her arms.
"Pika, Pika~"
Yellow instinctively opened her arms.
"Oh, it's Pikachu. You came to welcome me? Thank you."
Seeing Pikachu, she smiled and gently stroked its fur.
She walked up to the second floor, where a young man with short black hair and determined eyes caught Pikachu and placed it on his shoulder.
It was Red.
Just as Yellow was about to speak, a familiar voice came from inside the room.
"Yo, it's Yellow!"
Startled, she peeked into the room. Inside, a handsome young man with straight brown hair sat on the bed.
"Bl– Bl– Bl– Blue?! What are you doing here!" Her face flushed as she pointed at him, shocked and confused.
"What do you mean 'what am I doing here'? You didn't even call me Teacher," Blue said with a frown.
"I... am I interrupting something?" Yellow fidgeted nervously, tugging at the hem of her shirt and speaking in a tiny voice.
Could it really be like Green-senpai said...
"No, you came at just the right time." Red grabbed her arm and brought her into his room.
Red's room was neat and clean. Trophies lined the windowsill, and the furnishings were simple—just a bed, a wooden desk with a computer, and a round clock on the wall.
As soon as Yellow sat down on the bed, Blue asked, "So, what did you call me here for?"
Red opened his computer and smiled. "I saw a really interesting Trainer yesterday."
Hearing this, Yellow quietly sighed in relief. So that's what this was about.
Blue, however, perked up with interest. It was rare for someone to catch Red's attention like this.
"Let me see!"
Red stepped aside and let Blue take the seat. He deftly opened the livestream. The screen displayed the Little Ho-oh Cup finals.
"The Little Ho-oh Cup!" Blue blurted out.
"Isn't that the tournament Green went to? That kiddie cup?"
Yellow leaned in to look at the stream as well.
"It really is. I can see Green-senpai!"
"So the Trainer you found interesting is that Caleb guy?" Blue asked.
"Yeah. His tactical use of Chansey is just brilliant!"
"Ahh, I really want to battle him. Too bad Green got to him first." Red's eyes sparkled.
"Tactical use, huh..." Blue recalled Chansey's moves and nodded.
"Yeah, I have to admit—it's solid."
"But if we're talking about beating Green, I don't think it's likely. Her Hitmonlee is the offspring of Bruno's ace. That's not your average Fighting-type."
"Bruno's ace's descendant, huh..." Red replied. "Still, I think Green might just lose to Caleb this time."
"Oh? Wanna bet on it?"
Noticing Red's disagreement, Blue raised an eyebrow.
Whenever the two had differing opinions, they'd settle it with a bet.
"Sure. What's the wager?"
Blue smiled slightly and pulled a fiery, glowing stone from his pocket.
"I happen to have a premium Fire Stone. If you win, it's yours. But if you lose..."
He paused for effect. "You'll wash my socks for a month!"
"Deal." Red agreed without hesitation. Once he committed to a bet, losing wasn't in his plan.
With the stakes set, the two locked their eyes on the stream.