"Five cents for a stack?! Why don't you just rob me!" Green shouted.
"Well, I mean... I did, didn't I?" Caleb replied, smugly fanning the stack of cards in his hand.
Green: "…"
Ignoring her glare, Caleb flipped through the cards, analyzing his upcoming opponents.
He had to admit—Green did have her connections. She somehow got her hands on info for almost every competitor in the tournament.
Korrina's and Bea's Lucario, Maylene's Samurott, Ash's Chimchar, Brock's Toxicroak, Koji's Machamp, Anthony's Annihilape…
Every registered Pokémon listed in full detail. It wouldn't be surprising if she'd hacked the League's system herself.
Then, one card caught Caleb's eye.
A special one, marked differently from the others.
"Oh, that one," Green said. "He's been making waves in Alola recently—goes by 'The Masked Royal.' Always wears a mask, never shows his face. Even the League's records don't have his real identity."
"But we do know he uses an Incineroar."
Caleb stared at the card: a shirtless musclehead in a red luchador mask, striking a cringe-worthy pose.
"…Didn't expect the professor to show up," Caleb muttered.
The Masked Royal was none other than Professor Kukui of the Alola region.
What was it with professors donning masks and sneaking into tournaments these days?
Wait—why'd I say "these days" like it's common?
A sudden thought struck Caleb, and he hastily rifled through the cards again, even double-checking to be sure.
"Whew…" he let out a long breath. "Thank Arceus, no sign of Professor Oak."
He remembered way too clearly how Oak once tied a few black bands to his face and entered the 9th Indigo Conference.
Went up against Green, too—flattened her with a Spearow and left her questioning reality.
Good thing he wasn't here. If battling didn't beat Caleb, Oak's in-person trash talk certainly would.
Finding his next opponent, Caleb's expression shifted into a grin.
An old friend, huh?
…
That afternoon, at the C-zone arena for the Fighting Specialist Tournament—
On the field stood a determined girl in a gi—Maylene.
"Protect!" she shouted.
Across from her, a scruffy, beer-bellied man growled, "Croconaw, use Aqua Break! Smash through that Protect!"
The blue crocodile's body lit with surging water as it threw a heavy punch—
Only for it to slam uselessly into a glowing green shield.
Protected!
A second later, purple toxin pulsed along Croconaw's body, sapping its strength further.
"Tch! What kind of martial artist fights like that?!" the man shouted furiously.
But Maylene didn't even blink. The moment she chose to run a Toxic-Substitute-Protect stall strategy, she'd accepted the consequences.
Her gym's survival meant more than her reputation.
"Lucario, Thunder Punch!"
"Lu-ca!"
A fist crackled with lightning and struck the already-weakened Croconaw.
KO.
"Croconaw is unable to battle. Lucario wins. The victor is Maylene!"
The judge raised the flag.
The scruffy man fumed, his face red. "Where's the spirit of martial arts?! I came for fists, not tricks, kid!"
Maylene simply closed her eyes and walked off without a word.
When she opened them again, a steely clarity replaced her earlier hesitation.
"This is what a duel really is," she whispered. "There's no honor or shame in battle—only victory or defeat. I think I finally get it, Gym Leader Caleb…"
Just then, a blur of motion raced toward her—Korrina, breathless but beaming.
"Maylene! I just got back and heard you won! That's amazing!"
Korrina didn't care about the crowd's whispers. She was Maylene's friend, and that was all that mattered.
"Oh, right—your next opponent is Caleb, right?"
"Yeah," Maylene said calmly.
Korrina grinned. "I've never seen a Poison-type Gym Leader battle before. I'm curious how it works."
Maylene: "…"
If you'd arrived two minutes earlier, you'd know.
Ten minutes later—
Caleb stepped onto the battlefield.
His opponent: a handsome, charming man who instantly triggered shrieks from nearby female fans.
That would be Arthur, a former opponent from the Ho-Oh Cup—and a celebrity.
He'd apparently rebranded himself into a "Fighting Star," a new rising icon in the world of martial arts.
Online, fans claimed he was the next big thing, but Caleb figured most of that was fan-driven hype.
Korrina leaned toward Maylene. "He seems famous...?"
But before Maylene could answer, another voice cut in, cold and unimpressed.
"Flashy moves. No substance."
They turned and saw the dark-skinned girl nearby—Bea.
She gave a slight nod, eyes never leaving the battlefield.
Caleb, seeing his old rival again, chuckled and tossed out a Poké Ball. "Go, Chansey."
A pink egg-shaped Pokémon emerged, beaming sweetly. "Lucky~"
The moment it chirped, Arthur's Scizor visibly flinched.
Caleb sighed.
Most people couldn't understand what Chansey said.
But with the Viridian Force, he could.
That "Lucky~" just now translated to: "I hope you'll last long enough for me to enjoy this."
Yeah... not great.
"A Normal-type Chansey?" Korrina blinked.
"Aren't we at a Fighting tournament?" she whispered.
Even Bea looked puzzled. Shouldn't this be that Riolu again?
Only Maylene stayed quiet—she knew what Chansey meant to Scizor... and she wasn't about to say a word.
Scizor's legs trembled. Its last battle with Chansey had been... traumatic.
Still, Arthur tried to steady it. "Don't be scared. She's just a Normal-type. One Close Combat and it's over!"
Scizor hesitated... then nodded.
Last time was a fluke, right? I've trained since then! I'm stronger now!
Eyes flashing with resolve, it launched forward, red claws blurring through the air with vicious force.
Close Combat—devastating against Normal-types.
Chansey simply patted her egg and smiled serenely. "Lucky~"
So, you're done warming up? My turn, then.
Her tiny fists began to glow with fire.