"Iris, I've been looking for you everywhere."
A smooth, overly polished voice interrupted their quiet conversation. Eric and Iris turned to see a young man approaching. He was dressed in a pristine, tailored blue riding jacket with the silver crest of an influential Kanto trading family embroidered on the lapel.
His blond hair was perfectly coiffed, and his expression carried the distinct, comfortable arrogance of soone who had never been told 'no' in his life.
Julian. He was the heir to one of Saffron City's wealthiest rchant guilds, and he had been trying to court Iris for months, only to be repeatedly and coldly shot down.
Iris didn't even turn her head fully to look at him. "Julian. I am busy."
"Oh, co now, don't be like that," Julian said, his smile tightening slightly before his gaze flicked over to Eric. He looked at Eric a little coldly and asked, "And who might you be?"
"Eric"
"That na doesn't ring a bell," He said as he started looking up Eric's information on his phone. Soon, disdain filled his eyes.
"I see the Williams family is letting just about anyone onto the estate these days," Julian said, his tone dripping with condescension. "An orphan from the slums of Redwood... quite a dramatic rise, isn't it? But you should rember, boy, a coat of paint doesn't make a commoner an aristocrat. You don't belong in circles like this."
Eric's expression was deadpan. 'Can you be any more cliché than this?" He thought as he ignored Julian.
Seeing that he wasn't getting a reaction, Julian's face flushed slightly with irritation. He turned back to Iris. "I'll be at the grand stadium, Iris. You shouldn't waste your ti with background noise."
With a dramatic sweep of his shoulders, Julian turned and walked away.
Eric watched his departing back for a second before turning to Iris, "He isn't going to send his goons after next, is he? Surely he isn't that cliché?"
Iris blinked, montarily caught off guard. Then, a soft, rare chuckle escaped her lips, "Probably not? He is quite diocre as a trainer."
Before they could speak further, a massive, thunderous roar echoed from the grand stadium at the center of the estate, followed by a sudden wave of excited murmurs from the crowd.
"What is that?" Iris muttered, her focus instantly shifting.
"Let's go find out," Eric said.
---
They walked toward the stadium, where a large crowd of young prodigies and wealthy heirs had already gathered around the primary battlefield. The excitent in the air was palpable.
Standing on opposite sides of the field were Red and Blue.
"It's Blue Oak!" soone in the crowd whispered excitedly. "The grandson of Professor Oak!"
"But who's the other guy?" a stuck-up young master from a prominent family sneered, crossing his arms. "So country boy from Pallet Town? Red, was it? No background, no family na. How did he even get an invitation?"
Another guy said, "Stop acting tough. Everyone who isn't living under a rock knows who Red is. Both of them are rivals."
"Hmph! That's just PR. There is no way soone without a background can match the grandson of The Professor Oak."
Standing nearby, Green was leaning against the railing, listening to the young master's snide remarks. A highly amused, wicked smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She walked up to them and, in a single, blurred motion of absolute sleight of hand, her fingers slipped into the pocket of the complaining heir, quietly swapping his wallet without him ever realizing it.
She tossed the stolen wallet lightly in her hand, before turning toward the field and shouting playfully,
"Go get 'em, Red! Show these snobs what you've got!"
Eric noticed Green but ignored her for now, his eyes locked onto the battlefield. His heart beat slightly faster. Red vs. Blue. The legendary rivalry of Kanto, happening right in front of him. He was genuinely excited to see this clash in person.
"Eric!"
A yellow shadow blitzed past Eric's legs as Belle, wearing her oversized Pikachu-hooded jacket, hopped onto the stone step beside him. She was holding a massive double-scoop chocolate cone, her eyes shining as she looked at the field.
"Belle."
"You're watching the fight as well? Belle heard all the commotion so she ca to watch"
"Sa here."
Iris looked at Belle from the side and said hi.
"Ah! You're the girl with that cool Murkrow!"
"Pika!"
"Is this the Pichu from before?"
"Mhm. Sparkles evolved so ti ago."
---
Na: Pikachu
Gender: Female
Level: 28
Type: Electric
Ability: Lightning Rod
Held item: None
Potential: Purple
---
The trio talked amongst each other as a short distance away, Alister Nashville was seething. His hands gripped the stone railing so tightly his knuckles turned white. Why were they attracting more attention than him? He was the star, not them!
"As agreed, this will be a one-on-one battle!" the referee's voice bood across the stadium. "Both trainers, release your Pokémon!"
The crowd fell silent as both trainers reached for their belts.
Red unclasped a standard Poké Ball and threw it forward with a sharp, fluid motion. "Let's do this, partner!"
ROOOOOOAR!
The temperature in the stadium spiked as a massive orange dragon looking Pokemon appeared and stood in front of Red.
---
Pokémon: Charizard
Gender: Male
Level: 41
Type: Fire / Flying
Ability: Blaze
Held Item: Charcoal
Potential: Light Gold
---
At Level 41, Red's starter had officially crossed into the Advanced stage, and with his Light Gold potential, he radiated an incredibly dense, refined fire-type energy.
Blue smirked, his eyes burning with competitive fire. He unclasped a sleek Ultra Ball, tossing it onto the field with effortless grace. "Don't think you're the only one who's been pushing limits, Red. Go, Blastoise!"
BOOM!
A massive, heavily armored water-type crashed onto the field, its twin steel cannons glinting under the sunlight as it let out a deep, echoing bellow.
---
Pokémon: Blastoise
Gender: Male
Level: 40
Type: Water
Ability: Rain Dish
Held Item: Mystic Water
Potential: Light Gold
---
The fire-type energy in the stadium neutralised as Blastoise showed up.
The sheer pressure radiating from both Advanced-level starters collided in the center of the field, creating a physical shockwave of hot air and moisture that swept across the stadium.
The crowd gasped, completely captivated by the raw power on display.
The battle of Kanto's top prodigies was about to begin.
------------------------------
Bonus Chapter to start off the arc. Another one coming up.
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