----
After finishing his quarterfinal match, Kai stepped out of the stadium and rejoined his group outside.
Though he had advanced into the Top 4, both Ash and Misty had already been eliminated, ending their own Whirl Cup runs earlier than expected.
Now, Kai was the last one left carrying their collective hopes.
To be honest, this outco had caught both Ash and Misty off guard. They had entered the tournant full of confidence, thinking a smaller regional competition like this would be the perfect place to show off their progress.
Clearly, they still had work to do.
Ash, in particular, felt the sting of defeat. He'd always viewed Kai as his greatest rival soone to chase, soone to challenge.
Back during their ti in the Orange Islands, they had both defeated Drake and earned the title of Honorary Orange League Champions, giving Ash the illusion that he and Kai were equals again.
Since then, Ash has made real strides. He'd caught more Pokémon, won the Grass-Type Tournant, and racked up solid wins across Johto. His confidence had soared. He truly believed the gap between them was narrowing.
But once again, reality hit him hard.
Just like at the Indigo League, he had failed to get past the Top 16.
This ti, it was Misty who knocked him out—ironically, using her Psyduck in an unpredictable upset.
But no matter the excuse, a loss was a loss. And Ash knew that ant one thing: he still wasn't strong enough.
Fortunately, Ash was resilient. He bounced back quickly.
What did confuse him, though, was Misty's mood.
She had just been eliminated too... yet she seed happier than ever. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes bright, and she carried herself like she had just won the tournant.
No matter how much he prodded her, Misty just smiled knowingly and said nothing. Every now and then, her eyes would drift toward Kai, and sothing unreadable would flicker in them.
Ash noticed. But being Ash… he didn't quite understand what that sothing was.
Still, even after their defeats, the three of them had no plans to leave the islands just yet. They wanted to stay and support Kai through the semifinals and finals. As friends, teammates, and rivals it was the least they could do.
Ash turned to Brock. "That was Kai's last match for the day, right? What's the schedule look like tomorrow?"
Brock pulled out the tournant guide and flipped a few pages. "Let's see... semifinals start tomorrow morning. Two matches to determine the finalists, and then the championship match is in the afternoon. After that, the 'Blessing of the Sea Hero' ceremony takes place. If everything goes well, we'll leave with the trophy by the next morning."
Like Misty, Brock had no doubts Kai was going to win it all.
Unlike Ash and Misty, Kai wasn't the kind of Trainer to leave room for error. He was strong, efficient, and thodical. And with his red Gyarados in reserve? It wasn't even a fair fight.
Kai, anwhile, felt unusually relaxed as he listened to his friends chatting around him.
When he'd first arrived in this world, he'd felt like a drifting leaf with no roots, no direction, no attachnts. But now he had all of that. He had friends, teammates, and even soone special.
Their trust in him and her love had anchored him here. Given him purpose.
Under the clear blue sky, with clouds drifting lazily overhead, Kai felt at peace.
And yet… sothing felt off.
The whole tournant had gone too smoothly. Like enjoying a perfect feast, only to realize the appetizer was missing.
Then it clicked.
He turned his eyes toward Ash and imdiately figured it out.
Of course. That's what's missing…
Where is Team Rocket?
There had been no interference. No bizarre plots. No impromptu "blasting off again." Without them around, the tournant felt strangely… quiet.
But knowing them, Kai was certain they hadn't just left. No way.
They were out there. Watching. Waiting. Plotting.
---
He wasn't wrong.
Team Rocket had arrived on the Whirl Islands early, tailing Ash as usual. Jessie, Jas, and owth had disguised themselves as snack vendors and slipped into the tournant grounds.
In fact, they'd made a tidy profit over the last few days selling popcorn and chilled drinks.
But that was just a cover.
Their real target was sothing much more valuable: the ceremonial staff held by High Priestess Maya the one topped with the legendary Heart of the Sea gem.
They had planned an earlier heist, but after a failed attempt triggered a major security upgrade around the grandstand, they'd been forced to lay low.
Now, holed up in a quiet corner of the stadium, the trio huddled together in their disguises.
"Did you see that?" owth whispered.
"Of course I did," Jas sighed. "Kai beat his opponent again like it was nothing. He's definitely going to win this whole thing."
"That guy's a problem," he added with a groan. "With him around, our chances of grabbing that staff just went way down."
Jessie narrowed her eyes.
"What's that supposed to an? Are you saying we should give up?"
Jas recoiled. "N-No! I'm just saying… maybe we need to be extra careful—"
"You're not thinking of bailing, are you?" she cut in sharply, her voice low but threatening.
owth and Jas both shook their heads frantically.
"N-No, of course not!"
"It's just… well, we've already made good money selling snacks. Do we really need to risk it all for that stuff?"
"Exactly," owth added. "Kai's scary! We should just stay away from him, nyah…"
Jessie scoffed, glaring at them.
"You two really are scared of him, huh?"
She crossed her arms and flipped her hair with dramatic flair.
"That staff, with its beautiful golden finish… and that radiant sea gem at the top it's destined for soone as stunning as ! It was made to make more beautiful! How dare you suggest we walk away?!"
She threw her head back in full lodramatic villain fashion.
"I can already see it—, basking in the glow of the Heart of the Sea, adored by millions… Ahahaha!"
Jas and owth exchanged tired glances. They'd seen this delusion before.
Still, despite her wild ambitions, both of them couldn't help but worry.
"But… didn't our warning letter backfire? They've only increased security…" Jas muttered.
"Exactly as I planned," Jessie said proudly, eyes gleaming. "Now that they've tightened security, they think they're safe. That false sense of security will make them drop their guard at the perfect mont."
owth blinked. "That… kinda makes sense."
Jas nodded slowly. "Brilliant as always…"
----
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