Seeing the little rabbit's adorable behavior, Dawn's eyes instantly turned into sparkling stars.
"Buneary is so cute… Every time I see one, I feel like I want to catch one myself…"
Brock nodded in agreement, adding seriously,
"The color of its fur, the coordination of its movements… this Buneary has been raised extremely well."
Only Ash remained silent, his gaze locked firmly on Peter. If Pikachu hadn't still been recovering from its injuries, he probably would have already challenged him to a battle on the spot.
Peter smiled faintly, acknowledging Dawn and Brock's praise, then turned his eyes to Ash.
"So… I finally get to meet you, Ash."
"Huh?" Ash blinked. "You know me?"
"Of course," Peter replied calmly. "I worked at MooMoo Farm in Goldenrod City before. Back then, you and Brock were traveling together with Misty."
Peter really had crossed paths with the OG Kanto trio years ago—but at that time, his dream was still distant and blurry. Now, meeting Ash again, his mindset was completely different.
"Wait—so it was you!" Brock suddenly remembered. "I knew you looked familiar!"
Ash, however, still wore a blank expression, clearly having no memory of it at all.
Peter chuckled softly.
"Do your best. I'm really looking forward to seeing your performance at the Sinnoh League. Next time we meet, I hope we can have a truly exhilarating battle."
Ash's eyes lit up instantly.
"Yeah! I won't lose!"
Peter laughed, waved goodbye to the group, and turned to leave.
Now that he had officially met Ash and confirmed the progress of the timeline, his own path had become even clearer.
-----
Sandgem Town – Pokémon Center
"Hello, Nurse Joy. I'd like to register for the Sinnoh League Challenge."
Peter handed over his identification.
"Alright, please wait a moment…" Nurse Joy typed rapidly on the computer, then looked up at him with visible surprise.
Peter simply smiled, offering no explanation.
After all, it was rare to see an "older" challenger like him—someone with absolutely no Gym challenge history.
"There's no record of taxes or League challenges under your name," Nurse Joy said gently.
"If you'd also like to apply for a Pokédex, you'll need to successfully challenge three Gyms and pay a registration fee of 100,000 Poké Dollars."
She handed him a badge case.
"Please do your best!"
Peter paused, then nodded firmly.
"I will."
Maybe this was exactly why he loved the Pokémon world.
Even if this was your final year chasing a dream.
Even if you were starting from nothing.
No one mocked you—they cheered for you instead.
"Oh, right," Peter added, "I'd also like to ask about Arena Trainer rankings."
"Ah, that system works like this…"
As Nurse Joy explained, Peter quickly grasped the structure.
The Arena was a large-scale regional competitive platform—essentially a warm-up circuit before the annual World Championships.
Similar to ranked leagues in competitive esports.
Before the World Championships began, all participating Trainers had to climb the Arena ranks themselves.
The ranks, from lowest to highest, were:
Iron → Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Diamond.
Each rank only matched Trainers of the same tier.
For every net 10 wins, a Trainer would advance to the next rank.
Reaching Diamond automatically qualified a Trainer for the World Championships, after which they would schedule battles and earn points to advance into the knockout stages.
"So if I join now," Peter asked, "I'll start at Iron rank, and need ten net wins to reach Bronze?"
"That's correct," Nurse Joy replied.
"Net wins mean your victories must exceed your losses by ten. So in theory, you'd need at least a ten-win streak."
Peter grinned.
"That actually sounds pretty fun."
Just like ranked matches back in his old gaming days.
"You get two challenge opportunities per day," Nurse Joy added.
"And matches are broadcast online. Winners receive 50% of the broadcast revenue as a reward."
"You can earn money too?"
Peter's smile widened. "Then please help me apply for Arena battles."
"Of course. The nearest Arena is in Jubilife City to the north. I've registered you for an Iron-rank match."
"Thank you."
…..
Peter later picked up the custom sunlight lamp he had ordered for Smoliv, ensuring it could continue bathing in sunlight even at night to accelerate its growth.
He stopped by a Berry shop to select several high-quality Berries, then hopped onto his bicycle and headed north.
His plan was simple: return to Jubilife City, try out the Arena, and complete the system's objectives as soon as possible to earn more powerful rewards.
"Mi~chu!"
Buneary dashed alongside the bike, constantly shifting speed. In just one week, her Klutz trait had almost been completely overcome. If she continued pushing her limits, awakening Speed Boost was only a matter of time.
Smoliv, meanwhile, continued practicing its singing. It could already finish an entire verse smoothly now, sunlight bathing it as the seed atop its head released a gentle fragrance.
With light and song intertwining around him, Peter gazed down the winding road ahead and smiled.
His journey—
was only just beginning.
As he pedaled forward, Peter registered an SNS account on his phone.
This was a unique social platform in this world. In canon, even top Champions used it—like Raihan, the Dragon-type Gym Leader of Galar, who frequently posted selfies and had massive popularity.
Peter planned to follow that route too.
Fame didn't matter much.
But earning a bit more Poké Dollars never hurt.
After completing real-name verification, he posted his very first update:
Goal: Normal-type Pokémon Master.
Day 1 of my journey.
Challenging the Jubilife City Arena.
Objective: Two consecutive wins.
As a brand-new account, the post received no attention—but Peter didn't mind. This was simply his way of recording the journey, making it feel more meaningful.
Soon, his bicycle stopped in front of a massive domed structure.
The towering canopy completely enclosed the battlefield, while circular, tiered stands surrounding it buzzed with excited voices.
Even from outside, Peter could hear roaring cheers.
In this world, although anime and games from his previous life still existed, Pokémon battles were always the main form of entertainment.
That was exactly why Arenas like this had come into existence.
Peter curled his lips into a smile.
"Let's go. This will be your first official battle—do your best, both of you."
"Mi~chu!"
"Mi~no~!"
The two Pokémon responded in unison, eyes filled with determination.
Stepping into the Arena, Peter saw Trainers everywhere, each accompanied by their Pokémon. Multiple giant screens displayed ongoing battles across the venue.
His journey—
had truly begun.