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The commentator's voice was filled with excitement at this moment. Throughout the entire history of the Indigo Plateau Conference, only a few hundred people had ever achieved such remarkable results, and even fewer were as young as Ash.
The commentator never expected that the thoughts forming in his mind would become reality right before his eyes.
Blackthorn City
"Brother! It looks like this kid has a real chance of breaking your record!" a girl said, standing beside her companion in a villa located in Blackthorn City, Johto Region.
"If Ash can really pull it off, mine won't be the only record he breaks," Lance replied, watching the television screen before him. He picked up the cup of black tea from the table and took a sip.
As one of the Elite Four, Lance was also the Trainer from the Johto Region who had managed to win his first two matches at the Alliance Conference using only a single Pokémon.
In the past few decades, combining both the Kanto and Johto Regions, only about a hundred people had achieved this feat. The number of people who could manage three consecutive matches with only one Pokémon was reduced to fewer than ten individuals.
This kind of achievement required not only strength but also considerable luck. If all three opponents happened to be powerful masters, even if they couldn't defeat you outright, they would at least force you to use a second Pokémon.
Therefore, achieving such a milestone was no easy task. Lance had done it once, but he had already been fourteen years old at the time.
When he first became a Pokémon Trainer, he had spent his first two years at a Pokémon Academy. With the theoretical knowledge he gained there, he believed that simply reaching a certain level of understanding would qualify him as a top-tier Trainer.
However, after participating in several competitions—all of which ended in the qualifier rounds—he found himself in a state of deep confusion.
He couldn't determine which was more important: theory or practice. Finally, he chose to leave the Pokémon Academy altogether.
Unexpectedly, during what would become his lowest year, after departing from the Academy, Lance discovered an entirely new world.
That year, at fourteen years old, he traveled independently, collecting Badges on his own. During the process of adventuring and training, he awakened his innate power to control Dragon-type Pokémon.
He then participated in the Indigo Plateau Conference that same year. At that tournament, he underwent a complete transformation. During the first three matches of the conference, he sent only one Pokémon onto the field.
By defeating his opponents three times consecutively, he became the biggest dark horse that year and made a name for himself throughout the region.
Later, he continued to make tremendous progress and won the Indigo Plateau Conference championship that year. From that point forward, Lance was reborn. He competed in various tournament circuits and finally ascended to his position as Champion of the Elite Four.
However, in truth, he wasn't the first person to achieve such results. Before him and after him, there were other individuals who had accomplished consecutive victories using only a single Pokémon.
Even so, currently only fewer than ten people had managed this feat. If Ash won another match with just one Pokémon, he would join those exclusive ranks.
When Lance had accomplished it, he had already been fourteen years old. Now Ash was only ten years old and still a Rookie Trainer.
If Ash truly succeeded, it wouldn't simply be a matter of breaking Lance's record. He would also become one of the youngest Trainers in history to achieve this milestone.
Despite everything, Lance felt a vague sense of anticipation in his heart. He hoped Ash could accomplish it—or even break everyone's records, reaching an unprecedented level.
Battle Arena
At that moment, both Ash and Pete had recalled their Pokémon. Pete stepped down from the battle platform and walked over on his own initiative.
"You're worthy of being recognized by Moltres. I'm completely convinced of my loss. Please do your best in the upcoming matches—for my sake as well!" Pete said, walking up to Ash and extending his hand.
On the field they were opponents, but now that the match had concluded, the competition was over.
After a battle ends and the victor has been determined, congratulating one's opponent is also an important part of sportsmanship.
"Thank you! It was an honor to battle against you!" Ash replied.
Although his opponent's strength hadn't matched his own, Ash still admired the all-or-nothing determination Pete had shown at the end.
Unlike self-righteous and rude people, Ash didn't have patience for poor attitudes, but he would never be discourteous to those who showed proper respect.
"The first match on this field is complete, and player Ash has successfully advanced! Audience members, please take a brief rest. The second match will begin shortly!" the commentator announced.
After the two shook hands, they waved to the audience and then walked back through the corridors from which they had entered, leaving the arena.
Although the entire battlefield had been destroyed, this didn't affect the Indigo Plateau Conference in the slightest, nor would it impact the next match. The venues used for all battles weren't identical—they simply used special devices to reconfigure them between matches.
After the battle, Ash met up with Misty and the others, then returned to the Pokémon Center and handed Pikachu over to Nurse Joy.
Once Pikachu had recovered its energy, Ash went to watch other competitors' matches. Green, Gary, Ritchie, Giselle, and others had all successfully advanced as well.
However, starting from this round of matches, there were no performances as dominant as those from the first round.
Although they still won fairly easily, at the very least, each of them had sent out a second Pokémon.
Influenced by Ash's performance, Gary had originally planned to win using only one Pokémon. However, perhaps because he had been overthinking things and became too impatient, his first Pokémon had already sustained injuries and consumed significant energy.
Gary had stubbornly held on, unwilling to lose to Ash in this regard. But in the end, he couldn't maintain his position and his Pokémon was defeated by his opponent.
When Ash saw him afterward, he could clearly sense Gary's frustration. Misty and Green couldn't help but chuckle quietly when they noticed Gary's irritated and displeased expression.
Ritchie found the dynamic between Ash and Gary quite interesting. At the same time, he felt a bit envious. He had been traveling alone for so long and envied the lively atmosphere that surrounded Ash.
However, he didn't share Gary's intense desire to compete with Ash. Ritchie had a calm personality and preferred a steady, measured approach. For him, breaking records would certainly be nice, but he would always prioritize the most effective battle strategy for any given situation.
Therefore, in this match, although it had been relatively straightforward, he had still switched Pokémon to ensure his team maintained optimal condition for future battles.
After all, the Indigo Plateau Conference wasn't just a single match—it was a continuous series of battles. Maintaining proper condition for one's Pokémon throughout the entire tournament required careful attention and strategy.
Regardless, even though their performances differed from Ash's, everyone else had successfully advanced as well. There were still two more matches remaining before the main tournament rounds.
Judging from the current momentum, the upcoming matches shouldn't pose any significant problems.