"Shocking: 21-Year-Old Draconia Champion!"
"The Strongest Trainer in Draconia History!?!?"
On the day John became Draconia's champion, news outlets worldwide were flooded with coverage of this unprecedented achievement.
Becoming champion at twenty-one was remarkable in any nation, but in Draconia, the world's second most populous country with the deepest talent pool, it was simply unbelievable.
Especially after learning about John's complete resume.
John was immediately hailed as the idol of an entire generation of trainers and breeders worldwide.
Even before any international appearances, John already possessed terrifying global influence.
Not that this had much impact on John himself.
That evening, Saul Badman hosted a celebration banquet in John's honor.
John had barely touched his drink, but Saul was already thoroughly intoxicated with joy. Clearly, his mentor was extraordinarily happy about this achievement.
John remembered the last time Saul had been this elated, when John became an Elite Four member.
After ensuring his mentor got home safely, John returned to his own manor.
He settled in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing out at the city's countless lights while quietly playing on his Gameboy.
"Dark Mewtwo is ridiculously difficult," John muttered, having just attempted another solo challenge against the legendary Pokemon and getting thoroughly demolished.
After all, it was a top-tier legendary with a level cap beyond 100.
To defeat it, he would need to significantly improve his team's strength.
Better to focus on challenging other champions first and meet the opening requirements for the Pokemon Championship tournament.
But where to find the remaining champions? That required some exploring to do.
Just as John set down his Gameboy, he received a message from his assistant Emerald
"Boss, the official World Pokemon Tournament news has arrived, they've sent an invitation from the Master Eight!"
John clicked to accept the invitation.
The content was straightforward: congratulations and greetings, followed by an invitation to participate in the Master Eight tournament in two months.
However, before the Master Eight competition, he would need to travel to the World Pokemon Tournament's official headquarters to accept challenges from other trainers.
The Master Eight system functioned as the world's top eight trainer rankings. The only way to participate was by improving one's ranking sufficiently to challenge the current eight Masters.
If a challenge succeeded, the victor would claim the defeated Master's position.
Since challenges depended entirely on the challenger's initiative, John wasn't certain he would face any.
Given his record of defeating Magnus previously ranked in the top five globally, John figured most rational trainers would avoid challenging him recklessly.
However, considering his age, he couldn't rule out individuals or entire nations preparing "sneak attacks" against the young champion.
"Book me a flight to Sky Island," John instructed Emerald.
The World Pokemon Tournament's official location was uniquely extraordinary, not situated in any country, but on a floating island that drifted through the sky.
Reaching it required special flights with strict access requirements: at least Elite Four status or ranking in the World Pokemon Tournament's top 100.
"Understood, Boss."
Setting down his phone, John stretched luxuriously.
After such an exhausting day, maybe he'd skip training tonight and give himself and his Pokemon a well-deserved vacation.
Just as John prepared for a relaxing evening, his Gameboy suddenly illuminated on its own.
"Garde?" Gardevoir noticed and used Psychic to float the device directly to John's face.
"What's wrong?" John accepted the Gameboy as a notification appeared on screen.
[The Slumber Cocoonin your inventory has changed.]
"The Slumber Cocoon changed!" John's eyes widened in amazement.
He had nearly forgotten about the Slumber Cocoon entirely.
He remembered finding this mysterious item during his first year at university, discovered accidentally in some ancient ruins. A truly valuable artifact.
John knew that Jirachi resided within the Slumber Cocoon, but since the wish-granting Pokemon typically awakened only once every thousand years, he had no idea how long Jirachi had been sleeping or when it might emerge. He had simply kept it as a rare collectible in his character inventory, never expecting any changes.
John quickly retrieved the Slumber Cocoon from his Gameboy's storage.
Immediately, a massive purple crystal materialized on John's bed, its surface emanating a faint glow that steadily intensified.
"Wurrr~~~"
John could hear soft, gentle murmuring.
This appeared to be Jirachi's voice.
"It's about to hatch!" John held his breath, watching the increasingly brilliant crystal before him.
The entire room gradually filled with radiant light.
The dazzling illumination made it impossible to look directly at the source.
When the light finally faded, the purple crystal had vanished completely. In its place, a snow-white Pokemon with a distinctive yellow star adorning its head floated gracefully in mid-air.
It was Jirachi, the legendary wish-granting star that awakened once every millennium.
Jirachi opened its sleepy eyes, and a pair of bright golden orbs immediately focused on John. A joyful smile spread across the legendary Pokemon's innocent features.
'Hello~~'
Jirachi cheerfully circled John while communicating through telepathic powers.
A child's voice echoed softly in John's mind, gentle and melodic.
"Hello there," John responded warmly.
Then he immediately extended an invitation.
"Would you like to be my partner?"
John understood the Slumber Cocoon functioned essentially as Jirachi's egg. As the first person Jirachi encountered upon awakening, forming a partnership should be relatively straightforward.
'Partner? What does that mean?' Jirachi tilted its head, contemplating the unfamiliar concept.
"A partner is your good friend, someone who will battle alongside you, play with you, and share adventures," John explained thoughtfully.
'Good friends who play together!' Jirachi's innocent face lit up with another bright smile. "Okay, okay!"
"Then please enter this Pokeball first, so I can take you with me wherever we go." John produced a Luxury Ball and offered it to Jirachi, feeling somewhat like he was coaxing a child with candy.
Jirachi showed no suspicion whatsoever and dove headfirst into the Luxury Ball.
Without the slightest shake or resistance, the capture was immediately successful. Jirachi then promptly emerged on its own accord, clearly having spent a thousand years in the cocoon and wanting no part of another enclosed space.
But having entered the Pokeball, Jirachi now officially belonged to John's team, allowing him to check its attributes through his Gameboy interface.