Chapter 266: 266. The Battle Begins

Words : 1163 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

---- The sky was clear and bright, with the warm sun shining down upon Pummelo Stadium. As the clock struck 10:00 AM, the booming voice of the stadium's announcer echoed across the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for your patience! Welcome to the latest edition of the Orange League Winner's Cup! I am your host for today's match, and I know many of you, like me, have been eagerly awaiting this high-stakes showdown! After a long wait, the moment we've all been anticipating has finally arrived!" Much like the Indigo League, the Orange League also had a dedicated announcer to hype up the audience before the match. With just a few simple yet powerful words, the crowd's energy quickly reached its peak! After continuing his commentary for a bit, the announcer straightened up and said in an enthusiastic voice, "Now, let's get to the main event! All eyes on the battlefield! First, please give a thunderous round of applause to the Orange League's Chief Trainer, our undefeated champion, Drake!" A muscular man wearing a black vest that exposed his strong arms walked calmly out of the trainer's tunnel. His expression was resolute and determined. The moment he stepped onto the battlefield, the crowd erupted into deafening cheers a wave of sound so overwhelming that it sent shivers down the spine! The noise was so powerful it almost felt like a shockwave, filling the air with electrifying energy. Once the cheers had slightly died down, the announcer raised his voice again. "And now let's welcome the Indigo League Champion Kai!" Kai's Entrance Inside the trainer's tunnel, upon hearing the announcer call his name, Kai took a deep breath and rose from his seat. "It's time," he murmured. At his feet, Haunter emerged from the shadows, floating up beside him with a grin. "I've been waiting for this! They keep hyping up this guy let's see if he really lives up to the legend!" With that, Trainer and Pokémon stepped onto the battlefield together, walking into the spotlight under the gaze of thousands. As soon as Kai appeared, he was greeted with a wave of cheers as well. Although his welcome wasn't as thunderous as Drake's, it was clear that even among Orange League fans, the Indigo League Champion was being respected and acknowledged. A Certain Fruit Vendor's Shock However, among the crowd, one middle-aged man was staring at the big screen in absolute shock his eyes wide and mouth agape, as if he had seen a ghost! It was the same fruit vendor who had bet against Kai yesterday! "W-WHAT?! IT'S HIM?!" He rubbed his eyes frantically, his mind spinning in disbelief. The random traveller he had placed a bet with yesterday... was actually Drake's opponent today?! For a moment, his thoughts were a chaotic mess he simply couldn't process it. Following protocol, Kai and Drake walked to the centre of the battlefield and shook hands, a gesture of sportsmanship. At the same time, both sized each other up. Drake was tall and broad-shouldered, roughly the same height as Kai but more muscular. Years of battling under the Orange Archipelago sun had tanned his skin to a deep bronze, giving him an aura of rugged strength. Kai also noticed something else around Drake's neck, he wore a Poké Ball necklace. That must be his ace Dragonite. Meanwhile, Drake was observing Kai as well. With a friendly yet competitive smirk, he said, "Welcome to the Orange Islands. Ever since I heard you were coming to challenge the Winner's Cup, I've been looking forward to battling you!" Kai smiled confidently. "Same here." Although their conversation wasn't audible to the crowd, the commentators could clearly see the intensity of the moment. "This is truly a historic matchup!!" the announcer declared with excitement. "The strongest Trainer of the Orange League versus the strongest Trainer of the Indigo League who will emerge victorious?! Let's find out together!" In the stands, Drake's supporters waved banners and cheered loudly. In their hearts, they believed this would be a tough battle, but there was no doubt in their minds Drake would win! Meanwhile, some female spectators in the Orange League crowd, although originally supporting Drake, were having a different kind of reaction. "Wait... the challenger is kinda... really handsome?" "I mean, yeah, we should support Drake, but... maybe we should cheer a little for Kai too...?" After their brief exchange, Kai and Drake took their positions on the battlefield. As the defender, Drake stood on the Red Side, while Kai took the Green Side. The battlefield then began to shift. The standard arena split apart, revealing a rock-based terrain and a large central water pool surrounded by smooth stones. As the referee raised the flags, signalling the start of the match, Drake threw his first Poké Ball! "Let's go, Ditto!" A flash of blue light revealed a small, light purple Pokémon with tiny eyes and a jelly-like body. It landed on the rocky terrain, its form soft and malleable, resembling a puddle of slime. "And there it is!!" The announcer's voice boomed across the stadium. "Drake's Ditto! Throughout countless battles, this Pokémon has helped Drake defeat numerous challengers! How will Kai respond to such a formidable opponent?!" Kai expected this. Ditto was Drake's go-to opener it was his signature strategy, and he wasn't about to change it now. Luckily, Kai had spent the previous night planning for this exact moment. Ditto's greatest strength was its ability to instantly transform into its opponent, copying not only its appearance but also its type, abilities, and moves. This meant that any Trainer facing Ditto would have to fight their own Pokémon's abilities in a mirror match. Most Trainers found this difficult to handle. But for Kai, this wasn't a problem. Because in his team, he had two Pokémon that Ditto could never truly replicate. The first was Haunter. Even if Ditto transformed into Haunter, Kai's Haunter had lived for over two thousand years. In terms of battle experience, intelligence, and raw power, his Haunter would easily outmatch the copy. Not to mention, Haunter possessed certain tricks that weren't actual Pokémon moves, which Ditto could never imitate. As for the second option... Kai tossed out his own Poké Ball, his voice steady and firm. "Let's start strong. Go, Gyarados!" "ROOOOOOOOARRRR!!" The moment Gyarados materialized, the entire stadium shook with its presence. Its enormous body, gleaming scales, and piercing red eyes exuded a dominant aura. Then, it let out a thunderous roar so powerful that it completely drowned out the cheers of over 20,000 spectators. ---- Don't forget to drop some PowerStones!???????????? For early access to advanced chapters on p@treon. P@treon/iamxeno Thank you so much for your support and for reading!

Chapter 266: 266. The Battle Begins

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