After the easy victory, the three sisters clung to each other and cried dramatically for a long time.
Kiyomi Tsugumi stood there calmly and politely, waiting for them to finish venting their emotions. Once they had composed themselves, they handed him the badge. He thanked them, bid farewell, and walked out of the gym.
After leaving, Kiyomi had somewhere in mind to visit. But as he turned to head back, something caught his eye—a poster. It seemed to be about some kind of competition. Curious and with time on his hands after finishing the gym challenge, he went back to take a closer look.
Upon inspecting it properly, he confirmed it was indeed a tournament. However, it was clearly a privately organized event—not an official league competition.
Still, the rewards were attractive. A 50-participant limit, and the rules were simple: one Pokémon per match in all rounds except the finals. The prizes were generous:
1st place: 2000 PokéCoins and five Poké Balls
2nd place: 1500 PokéCoins and three Poké Balls
3rd place: 1000 PokéCoins and one Poké Ball
4th place: a consolation prize of five Potions
Since he only had 2,100 PokéCoins left, Kiyomi thought this might be a good opportunity. If he placed in the top three, he'd get a decent return. He tore the poster off the wall, folded it up, and followed the directions printed on it to find the venue.
The tournament was being held in a somewhat remote plaza, where four arenas had been set up. In addition to a few staff members, Kiyomi saw a number of trainers arriving with their Pokémon in tow.
Not wanting to waste any time, he quickly ran to the front desk to register. After completing the sign-up process, he received a number and entry slip. He then headed to the Pokémon Center to heal his Charmeleon before returning to the player lounge to wait.
As the event began and time passed, more and more trainers—both male and female—entered the lounge. Most looked pretty young and inexperienced, likely new trainers just starting their journey.
Suddenly, an announcement echoed through the lounge:
"Dear Trainers, we're sorry to inform you that all registration spots are now filled. Please leave the registration area immediately. The competition is about to begin."
Shortly after the broadcast, a man wearing a staff badge entered the lounge and gathered all the participants to draw their battle order. Kiyomi Tsugumi stood up and followed the group.
They were directed to draw cards from a large wooden box. Players who drew the same number would face off against each other. Once most had drawn, Kiyomi reached into the box and pulled a card.
He looked at it—Number 20.
He found a chair and sat down, holding onto his card. The announcer began calling out the matchups in numerical order. Numbers 1 through 4 were called first, and eight trainers stood up and headed out to their matches.
Since there were four arenas, Kiyomi estimated he wouldn't have to wait long.
Glancing toward the lounge entrance, he watched trainers coming and going. Some returned cheerful and victorious, while others looked disheartened after a loss. The winners wore proud smiles; the losers trudged in quietly. Kiyomi watched them absentmindedly, lost in thought.
After a while, another announcement played:
"Participants 20, 21, 22, and 23, please prepare. Your match is about to begin."
"Well, that's my turn."
Upon hearing his number called, Kiyomi immediately stood up. Seven others followed—four boys and three girls. They eyed each other with guarded expressions.
Kiyomi didn't react and simply followed the staff member who led him to one of the battle arenas. Not long after, his opponent entered the ring—a boy around his age, wearing tight denim shorts, a pale vest, and short-cropped hair. At his feet stood his Pokémon: a Rattata.
Huh? Is that his starter? A civilian trainer...
There was a stark difference between civilian trainers and sponsored trainers like Kiyomi. As someone who had gone through the official league process, Kiyomi was allowed to choose a starter from the standard trio, received a Pokédex, Poké Balls, and free treatment and lodging from Pokémon Centers.
Civilian trainers, on the other hand, didn't pay to enter the league program. Instead, they could use their Trainer ID to obtain a basic Pokémon, usually common types like Rattata, Oddish, Weedle, or Caterpie. They could still lodge at Pokémon Centers for free, but treatment cost extra—and without payment, they couldn't compete in the official Pokémon League finals.
A sharp whistle from the referee signaled the start of the match.
Kiyomi tossed his Poké Ball confidently, and Charmeleon landed on the platform with a roar. From the look in Rattata's eyes, it was clear the small Pokémon was frightened—but the boy encouraged it bravely, and Rattata leapt forward to confront the fire-type.
Charmeleon bared its fangs and assumed a ready stance, focusing completely on its opponent.
Charmeleon always gave its all, regardless of the strength of the foe. That was its way of respecting the opponent—and challenging itself.
"Rattata, use Tackle!" the boy commanded.
Rattata tightened its small body and lunged forward at full speed.
"Block and follow with Scratch," Kiyomi instructed calmly.
But just as Rattata was about to strike, the boy changed his command:"Forget Tackle—use Bite!"
Rattata adjusted mid-charge, opening its mouth wide to bite down on Charmeleon's arm.
"Alloy Claw," Kiyomi responded instantly.
As the bite landed, Charmeleon's arm shimmered—its skin turning metallic and steel-hard. Rattata chomped down, only to instantly recoil, screeching in pain.
"Come on, Rattata—hang in there!" the boy urged, but his Pokémon's mind was muddled from the shock. It couldn't even register the command.
"Ember!" Kiyomi ordered.
Charmeleon's tail flame flared, shifting from orange to deep red, and a burst of fist-sized sparks exploded from the tip. The fiery blast hit Rattata squarely, knocking it back across the platform.
The referee stepped in and checked Rattata's condition.
"Rattata is unable to battle! The victory goes to Kiyomi Tsugumi!"
As the boy quietly recalled his fainted Rattata and stepped down from the arena in defeat, Kiyomi let out a sigh.
It was a quick match—due to poor strategy and a large gap in strength. The boy never stood a chance.
Having won his match, Kiyomi calmly left the ring and returned to the lounge to await the next round.