The trio soon found themselves in line to board the SS Anne, waiting for the cruise staff to take their tickets. Gary had taken the opportunity to look up the tournament information.

"So, according to this year's tournament," the brunette began as Ash and Misty listened closely, "there are three rounds, which means that we would have to face up to three trainers before they can determine who's going to leave with the grand prize."

"Did they mention what Pokemon would hatch from the egg?" the red-haired girl asked as she crossed her arms. "I just can't help but wonder if it's going to be Togepi or something."

"It says that the egg is a surprise. The only hint we're given is that the egg would likely hatch into a dragon-type Pokemon, but even then, it's not guaranteed." Gary shot a glance over toward Misty. "I guess that means that Togepi is out of the picture."

"Considering he wasn't a dragon-type, you'd be right." Misty exhaled with a nod. "It hopefully won't be long until I see him anyway, so it doesn't matter."

"Ash, do you think it could be one of your Pokemon?" the Oak boy asked as he looked towards his rival.

"It's possible," Ash mumbled as he glanced towards Pikachu. "We already got Gible, so it's either…"

"Dragonite, Dracovish, Goodra, or Noivern," Pikachu finished for his trainer. The dark-haired boy nodded in response.

"I have four dragon-types that I haven't found yet," Ash clarified when Gary and Misty gave him confused looks. "Gible is the only dragon-type that I've found so far."

"Is there not any way to confirm it?" Gary asked after a moment of silence, and Ash shook his head at this.

"Unless the egg is in my sight, I can't confirm what Pokemon might be inside." The raven-haired boy sighed. "I guess the only way is to win the tournament so we can get our hands on the egg, huh?"

"Seems like a solid plan to me," the brunette agreed with a chuckle. "I don't think I have to ask you if you were planning on keeping the egg if it wasn't someone familiar."

"You know I would; I'd be happy with a new friend." Ash grinned at this as the line began to move. "Old or new friend, I'd be fine with either."

"Of course, Ashy-boy. Of course." Gary laughed softly as he pocketed his hands. He looked forward. "Looks like we're almost at the end of the line."

"Great, I'm starving!" the dark-haired boy exclaimed, causing Gary and Misty to laugh.

It did not take long before the trio made it to the front of the line, where they gave their tickets to the attendant.

"These tickets seem valid…" the attendant muttered as she looked at the tickets. "You three may go on," She gestured towards the entrance and stepped out of the way.

"Thanks!" Ash grinned as he and his companions walked on board, excited about what would happen. He couldn't wait to get battle experience for his Pokemon team, but he did feel nervous as he remembered what else was about to happen.

"This would be where Team Rocket attacked again, right?" Misty asked after a tense moment of silence, causing the raven-haired boy to turn towards his oldest companion.

"Yeah, they did attack us on the S.S. Anne and caused the ship to sink," Ash mumbled, glancing around the cruise ship.

"They're probably already here," the red-haired girl muttered as she looked around her surroundings. "We probably should keep our guard up."

"Team Rocket attacked last time?" Gary asked with a raised eyebrow as he listened to the conversation. "I think I was too busy going after Sabrina last time even to bother checking out the cruise."

"Yeah, they did." Ash nodded as he scratched his chin in thought. "They were trying to steal Pikachu and whatever Pokémon that were on the cruise. We fought them off, but we ended up underwater and had to figure our way out." He blinked before he turned towards Misty and Gary. "We all should have water types on us, right? I'd normally have Squirtle at this point - he's with Professor Oak for now - but I have Piplup. I know I could transfer him in, but I want to ensure I spend time with Scyther and Eevee right now, and Piplup should be enough in case things go south."

"Yes, I have Wartortle and Krabby." the brunette confirmed.

"I got Starmie, Staryu, Vaporeon, and Goldeen," Misty responded. "Why?"

"I just wanted to ensure we had a water type on us in case things went wrong…" Ash mumbled before he grinned. "Let's just eat and worry about the tournament for now. I don't think they'll attack for right now."

"So I get to kick some asses?" Pikachu asked with a slight chuckle towards his trainer.

"You know I'll make sure you do." The raven-haired boy smirked. "Can't leave you out to become stronger."

"And speedier," the electric mouse reminded his trainer, causing Ash to chuckle.

"Right." Ash nodded in response. He and his companions moved forward to see if they could find something to eat. They knew they needed their bellies full before they could think further about battles, but Ash was more than eager to see who he was facing.

It took about an hour and a half before the speaker crackled to life, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Attention trainers, attention trainers," the speaker boomed. "If you want to participate in the tournament, please go to the registration desk and see Brich."

"It's Butch!" Another voice cut into the speaker, seemingly irritated about his name being wrong. The original voice was quick to return.

"Yeah, whatever this guy's name is. He's the one with teal-colored hair, you shouldn't miss him. Remember that we are only opening registration for the next thirty minutes, so you'd best get over there now. Thanks, everyone."

Ash, Misty, and Gary looked at each other as they blinked at the announcement.

"Does that sound like Cassidy and Brett or whatever his name was?" the raven-haired boy mumbled as he scratched the back of his head.

"From Team Rocket." Misty rolled her eyes with an annoyed huff before she got up. "Let's just get registered and see what happens."

"Hope they don't plan on holding my Pokémon." Ash chuckled softly as he and Gary got up as well. "Let's get going."

With that, Ash and his companions approached the registration desk. He did see the familiar teal-haired man who sat at the desk, seemingly to process the registration.

'So Team Rocket is already here…' the Ketchum boy thought as he entered the line. He crossed his arms. 'But it seems like Jessie, James, and Meowth aren't around right now like they were last time…But why?'

"Next!" Butch called out as he looked towards the trio. "Come on, we don't have a lot of time."

"I'll go first." Ash looked over towards Misty and Gary, who nodded in confirmation. He then moved to stand in front of Butch. "I'd like to register for the tournament."

"Very well." The older male nodded as he handed Ash some papers to fill out. "Go ahead and fill this form out, then we'll get you officially registered."

"Thanks, sir." The dark-haired boy grinned as he took the papers from the disguised Team Rocket member. He also moved away from the line to let Misty and Gary register. While the other two trainers were occupied with Butch, Ash took the time to look over the papers as he filled them out.

"I don't see anything that looks suspicious so far," Pikachu commented as he glanced down towards the paper from his trainer's shoulder. "I would not be surprised if they used some information against us."

"It wouldn't be the first time they've done this," Ash mumbled as he glanced toward his electric starter before returning his glance towards the papers. "I'm not sure how much they are involved with this tournament, but I know we will likely have to step in at some point."

"I'm pretty sure we will have to," the Electric Mouse mused thoughtfully. "Team Rocket…they've always been nothing but trouble."

The Ketchum boy sighed as he nodded in agreement. He then finished up the registration forms before handing them back to Butch. After that, Ash waited on Misty and Gary to finish their registrations before they could rejoin Ash which did not take long at all.

"So, I guess we're all registered now?" Misty asked as she and Gary regrouped with Ash. She was also sneaking occasional glances towards the Team Rocket duo as they continued to register other trainers.

"Yup, it would appear that we're all registered," Gary commented. "I'll do my best to keep an eye on Team Rocket as I battle. They said that we should be getting our opponents in a couple of minutes."

"Great, I wonder who I will be paired up with," the dark-haired boy admitted with a soft laugh. "I'm planning on using Pikachu as long as we don't get paired up with someone with ground-type Pokemon."

"He does need all of the opportunities that he can get, considering that Misty willingly blocked the opportunity, and then Wattson did use Roar unexpectedly before he was able to have his turn," the Oak boy pointed out as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"I'm not worried, to be honest," Ash uttered as he glanced toward his electric starter. "I've been training Pikachu as much as I can at this point. Of course, while the training will help him, battle experience will help him more."

"I agree," Pikachu mumbled, as he let out a long sigh. "It wouldn't do me any good if I didn't get to battle someone."

"You're right." Gary nodded - even if he didn't understand Pikachu, he understood that the Electric Mouse agreed with his trainer. "Who do we have after Wattson anyways?"

"The next gym leader I battled was Sabrina, and I had to get Haunter to help me win. Haunter then went to be with her afterward…I wonder how he was doing when the Paradox Pokemon attacked." the Ketchum boy answered thoughtfully before he continued. "After Sabrina, I also battled Erika, and I had to disguise myself as a girl since I was dumb enough to insult her perfumes."

"You had to disguise yourself as a girl?" the brunette asked, sniggering in response. Misty and Pikachu also tried to hold back their laughter as Ash recounted his gym battles.

"Shut up, Gary," Ash spat as his cheeks started to flame up from embarrassment. "I had to do what I could to get all 8 Kanto gym badges, even if it meant that I had to dress as a damn girl!"

"Geez, chill down, Ashy-boy." Gary held his hands up, laughing softly at his rival's reaction. "You gotta admit that it's funny."

The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes in response. He was about to fire back towards his rival when the speakers came on again.

"Attention, trainers. Attention, trainers," the male voice cut in, and this caused Ash, Misty, and Gary to look up towards the speaker. "This is Butch. The registration is now complete, and I will now be announcing the pairs that will be battling each other. Please listen carefully, as I will not be repeating this."

There was a couple of muttering before Butch's voice continued.

"The first round will be between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Gentleman Walter from Saffron City. These two trainers will begin their battle after this announcement." The disguised Team Rocket paused momentarily and then spoke up again. "The second battle will be between Misty Waterflower of Cerulean City and Leon Griffin of Postwick Town in Galar!"

Ash blinked at this as he looked at Misty. "Leon Griffin? Galar? That sounds vaguely familiar."

"It sounds much like the World Champion Leon." The red-haired girl blinked. She then scratched her chin before she continued. "When did he become the Galar champion anyway?"

"I'll look that up and find out," Gary responded as he got out his PokeNav to look up information regarding Leon.

"I'd like to know if it's the same Leon I fought during the World Coronation Tournament," the dark-haired boy mumbled as he crossed his arms. "Even then, why is he in Kanto?"

"If I remember right, Leon's Charizard told me that Leon tends to get lost if he isn't there to guide his trainer," Pikachu cut in. Ash turned to look towards his electric starter. "While we were eating lunch after the sea training, Charizard told me a bunch of stories from when Leon ended up in other regions rather than Galar."

"Huh, that would make sense." Ash blinked in response before he grinned widely. "I hope it's him. I can't wait to see what his strength would be like in the past."

"He isn't a Champion yet." Gary finally spoke up after several moments. "According to the information I found, the current Galarian Champion is some guy named Peony."

"So Leon is likely on his way through the Galarian League to become a champion," the raven-haired boy commented before he nodded. "Thanks, Gary. I guess I'll go and find out for myself. I just need to get through Walter, then I should be able to battle him afterward."

"That's assuming that I lose." Misty rolled her eyes in response. "There were rumors that he went undefeated for nearly a decade. I'd have to give it my best shot, but I'm not going down that easily."

"I'll have to give it my best shot, too." Ash grinned before shooting a glance toward his electric mouse. "Isn't that right, buddy?"

"That's right. I can't wait to kick Charizard's ass again, even if he ends up not having evolved yet," Pikachu snickered, his cheeks beginning to spark.

"The tenth battle will be between Gary Oak of Pallet Town and Sally Watkins of Olivine City in Johto! Because of the thirty-minute time limit, we could only get twenty trainers to sign up. We should be ready to begin if Ash Ketchum and Gentleman Walter could get to the battlefield!" Butch announced as he got to the end of the list for battles. "May the best trainer win!"

"I guess that's our cue to go." The Ketchum boy looked towards his companions as he laughed softly. "I wish you guys luck!"

"Good luck, Ash." Misty smiled as she nodded. "I'll do my best."

"I'll certainly do my best as well, Ashy-boy. Good luck." Gary chuckled as he placed one of his hands in a pocket before moving his free arm forward with two fingers extended out and his thumb facing his face. Ash couldn't help but smile at Gary's gesture. He knew that his rival was rooting for him.

"Thanks, Misty. Thanks, Gary-beary." Ash smirked as he waved towards his two companions before scurrying off towards the battlefield, where he knew he would meet the Gentleman. It was not long before the Pallet Town native found himself on the battlefield, facing his first opponent of the day.

"You must be Ash." Walter chuckled softly as he spoke, looking up to meet Ash in the eyes. "I am Walter. It is a pleasure to meet you, young man."

"Thanks, sir. I hope we'll have a great battle." The dark-haired boy grinned. "I can't wait to see what you got in store."

"I will have to agree with you." The older man smiled at the Ketchum boy before turning his attention to the referee.

"This battle will be between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Gentleman Walter from Saffron City. This is a one-on-one battle with no substitution allowed. The winner of this round will be declared when one side is out of Pokemon. If these rules are agreeable, then send out your Pokemon!" the referee announced as he threw down both flags, signaling that Ash and Walter could begin.

"Raticate, my old friend, it is time for a battle!" Walter called out, tossing his Pokeball as it opened. His Raticate soon materialized on the battlefield, biting at the air as he was ready to battle.

'Raticate…?' Ash blinked as he studied the Mouse Pokemon. 'Why is that he seems to be familiar?' It was not long before his eyes widened upon realizing why the said Raticate was familiar to him. 'It's the same Raticate I got from trading Butterfree last time.'

His thoughts were soon interrupted by Pikachu smacking his tail against his cheek.

"Ash? Are you going to call me out?" the Electric Mouse asked, noticing his trainer was lost in his thoughts. He'd make sure to ask Ash about it after the battle.

"S…Sorry, buddy," the dark-haired boy mumbled as he shook his head before he cleared his throat. "Pikachu, I choose you!" He then pointed towards the battlefield, and Pikachu immediately jumped off of Ash's shoulder before landing on the battlefield.

"This battle will be between Pikachu and Raticate! Ash Ketchum may make the first move!" the Referee declared.

"If this Raticate is the one I remember…" Ash mumbled under his breath, causing Pikachu's ears to perk up in interest. He then spoke up. "Pikachu, start with Quick Attack!"

"You got it, Ash!" Pikachu smirked as he began to run towards Raticate in an attempt to tackle the Mouse Pokemon.

"Jump out of the way, then use Jump Kick!" the gentleman called out. Raticate immediately jumped out of Pikachu's way before kicking the Electric Mouse. This sent Pikachu flying towards Ash, who looked on in alarm.

"Use your tail to ground yourself!" the dark-haired boy shouted in alarm. Pikachu was quick to dig his tail into the wooden ground. He managed to stop himself from flying, but he let out a pained groan as the pain shot into his tail.

"Owww…" the Electric Mouse mumbled as he glared at Raticate.

"Are you good, buddy?" Ash asked, which earned a nod from his starter. He continued, "Use Agility to gain some speed, then try to use Electro Ball!"

The Electric Mouse nodded in response and began dashing towards Raticate, jumping back and forth to boost his speed. His cheeks began to spark as he was about to get close to Raticate. He formed an Electro Ball and quickly slammed his tail against it. This caused the orb to fly towards the Mouse Pokemon.

"Watch out!" Walter attempted, but it was too late. The Electro Ball exploded upon impact, sending Raticate flying through several lounge chairs. The trainers surrounded to watch the battle were quick to scatter out of the way so they wouldn't be harmed by Raticate or any trace of the Electro Ball.

"Good job, buddy." The Ketchum boy grinned after seeing the result of Pikachu's Electro Ball. "Looks like you're getting there with the Electro Ball."

"Thanks, Ash," Pikachu smirked as he looked at his trainer for a moment before returning his gaze to Raticate, who was currently getting up and walking back onto the battlefield.

"You alright?" the gentleman asked, to which Raticate nodded in response. "Good, use Hyper Fang!"

The Mouse Pokemon immediately shot himself towards the Electric Mouse, causing Ash's eyes to widen.

"Use Iron Tail to block the attack!" Ash called out. Pikachu quickly spun around and hardened his tail. Luckily for the duo, Raticate took the bait and chomped down onto the hardened tail. This caused the rodent to cry out in pain as his front tooth cracked from impact.

"Raticate!" Walter shouted from concern upon seeing his Pokemon being in pain. "Are you still able to battle?"

"I…I don't know…" Raticate trembled as tears welled up in his eyes, whining from pain as he held onto his broken tooth. Ash and Pikachu could only blink in concern as the duo watched Walter and his Mouse Pokemon.

"I'd like to forfeit because of my concerns for Raticate's health." The gentleman finally spoke after a few moments, turning to face the referee. "I don't believe it is sensible for him to continue battling with the amount of pain he's in due to my own fault."

"Very well then." The referee nodded as she listened to Walter's request before declaring. "Gentleman Walter has forfeited this battle. This means that this round will go towards Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Pikachu!"

"I'm so sorry about your Raticate's tooth," Ash called out to Walter, frowning as he watched the gentleman recall the Mouse Pokemon.

"Don't worry about it, young man." Walter chuckled as he offered a kind smile. "You had no malicious intentions and were just trying to block my Raticate's attack."

"Are you sure? I can do something for you if this is going to be too much trouble for you," the dark-haired boy offered as he rubbed his arm.

"I am sure. Just make sure you win this tournament for me, alright?" The gentleman smiled before walking off, leaving Ash and Pikachu alone.

"I hope that the Raticate will be alright…" Ash mumbled as he glanced towards Pikachu.

"He'll be fine," the Electric Mouse commented as Walter walked away. "If I remember correctly, Raticate can regrow their teeth. So he won't be out of battle for too long."

"Is that why he wasn't so upset?" The Ketchum boy blinked as Pikachu climbed onto his shoulder.

"That would be my guess. He likely had years of experience, so he isn't too worried about it. He just wanted to ensure his Raticate had time to recover," Pikachu explained with a small smile.

"I hope you're right, buddy," Ash sighed as he walked off to meet up with Gary and Misty to chat with the two until the next round was announced. It was about ten minutes before the speakers came on once again.

"Will Misty Waterflower of Cerulean City and Leon Griffin of Postwick Town in Galar come onto the battlefield?" the male Rocket requested through the speakers.

"I guess that's my cue." Misty crossed her arms as she looked over towards Ash and Gary. "Wish me luck, boys." She then walked towards the battlefield to await her upcoming opponent.

"So, you're Misty, huh?" the boy asked as he approached the battlefield. He had dark purple hair, which had been messy and went down to his shoulders. He also wore a black and white jacket, a black cap, and pants. He looked about the same age as Ash, if not a little older.

"Yes, I am." The red-haired girl grinned before asking, "I guess you must be Leon?"

"Yup, I'm Leon! I'm going through the Galar League to achieve my dream of being a champion!" the Galar native chuckled, crossing his arms before he let out a nervous laugh. "Though, I don't think I'm in Galar anymore…"

"You're currently in Kanto, around Vermillion City," Misty explained, offering a small smile. "What about this? After we get off of the S.S. Anne, I can try to point you back to Galar so you can continue with your challenge."

"Sounds like a great time to me!" Leon smirked before retrieving his Pokeball. "I'm about ready, what about you?"

"It'd be fun to see what a trainer seeking out the championship has got," the Cerulean City girl giggled as she retrieved her Pokeball.

"This battle will be a one-on-one between Misty Waterflower of Cerulean City and Leon Griffin of Postwick Town in Galar! Neither trainer is permitted to substitute at any time. This battle will end when one side is out of Pokemon. If both trainers agree to this, please send out your Pokemon!" the referee announced, throwing down the flag to signal that Misty and Leon could send out their Pokemon.

"Misty calls for Staryu!" Misty yelled, tossing her Pokeball as Staryu materialized in a battle stance. The starfish Pokemon's light merely blinked as it looked forward toward Leon.

"Staryu? Huh." The purple-haired boy grinned, tossing his Pokeball as he called out his Pokemon. "In that case, you're up, Thwackey!"

Thwackey was soon on the battlefield. He smirked towards Misty and Staryu, pulling both sticks from his mohawk.

"Hell yeah, I get to go after a water-type!" The Beat Pokemon chuckled as he flexed his sticks. Neither Misty nor Leon understood what the grass type had said, but Ash and Pikachu, watching from the audience, could understand.

"You may start!" The referee declared as she signaled for both Misty and Leon to begin battling.

"Pretty cocky Pokemon, huh?" Pikachu commented with a snigger as he watched Leon send out his Galaran starter.

"Tell me about it…" Ash mumbled as he watched on. "That Thwackey feels pretty powerful, and Leon isn't someone you wouldn't want to take seriously." He then smirked. "This does make me feel excited about the possibility of facing him. I'd love to see where his strength is before he became a champion."

"That's true." The Electric Mouse laughed softly as he smirked. "I do wonder how strong his Charizard was before he fully evolved. I wonder if he's still a Charmander or a Charmelon."

"That Thwackey…" Gary mumbled as he glanced over towards Ash. "Can I borrow your Pokedex?"

"Sure." The dark-haired boy nodded as he retrieved his Pokedex before handing it to the brunette. He couldn't help but wonder why Gary had wanted his Pokedex.

"Thanks, Ashy-boy." The brunette smiled before aiming Ash's Pokedex towards Thwackey and pressing a button, which the device immediately began to speak.

"Thwackey is the evolved form of Grookey, which can be found around the Galar region. This Pokemon is a grass-type with the abilities of Overgrow and Grassy Surge, though the latter ability is hidden. It skillfully uses its two sticks to drum out rapid beats and pummel opponents during the battle. It evolves into Rillaboom using battle experience," the Pokedex stated as it read over the entry for Thwackey.

"Huh, a grass-type middle evolution…" Ash blinked after listening to his Pokedex to explain the middle-evolution Pokemon. "I didn't know that Goh's Grookey could evolve into Thwackey. I've never really studied too much about the evolutionary line for Grookey when I was traveling with Goh and Chloe."

"It's interesting, alright," Gary mumbled as he glanced towards the battlefield. "If Thwackey is a grass-type and he's being used to battle Misty… then she's in trouble."

"Yeah… No doubt about it." The Ketchum boy grimaced as the two watched the ongoing battle. Staryu was firing off Water Pulses to keep its distance from the Beat Pokemon, but it was clear that Leon had the upper hand at the moment, given his type advantage.

"Knowing how powerful Leon is as a champion, there isn't any doubt that Misty will lose." The Oak boy sighed as he handed the Pokedex back to his rival, who took it and pocketed the device. "He understands the type advantage, and it's pretty clear he spent plenty of time training this Thwackey."

Ash just laughed at this as he nodded, grinning towards Gary. "I believe it alright. Thwackey, as a Rillaboom, wiped out two of my Pokemon when I battled Leon during the World Coronation Series." He then looked towards his rival. "Even after that, my Dracovish only barely defeated him."

As the two Pallet Town boys continued conversing, they were interrupted by Leon calling out for Razor Leaf. When their attention turned to the battlefield, Thwackey had started shooting several Razor Leaf attacks toward Staryu.

"Jump out of the way!" the red-haired girl called in alarm. The Starfish Pokemon quickly obeyed its Trainer's command, attempting to evade the Razor Leaf barrage.

"Move your aim up and keep trying!" Leon commanded, pointing towards the jumping Staryu. The Beat Pokemon immediately shifted his aim, and Staryu couldn't evade in time. The Water-type was struck by a powerful Razor Leaf, its gem blinking from pain as it tried to dodge the super-effective move to no success. The two rivals could only shudder as they watched the ongoing attacks.

"So that's going to be a tough battle, no doubt." Gary nodded as he rubbed his chin in thought. "I guess we can only see how Misty will fare with the type disadvantage, but it won't look good for her."

The dark-haired boy nodded in agreement as the two focused on the ongoing battle. He noticed Staryu was beaten up as the Starfish Pokemon struggled to stand on its two legs.

"Staryu, are you okay?" Misty asked her water-type in concern, noticing that her Staryu was shaking at its feet. Its gem blinked in response, signaling the red-haired girl that it was okay, but she knew it wouldn't last long. "Alright, use Rapid Spin to get a hit on that monkey!"

The Starfish Pokemon jumped up and spun rapidly, flying towards the Beat Pokemon. Thwackey smirked as he moved his two sticks together in preparation while he waited on the upcoming order from his trainer.

"Finish it with Acrobatics!" Leon shouted as he pointed towards Staryu, his eyes glinting with excitement.

Misty's eyes widened in horror as Thwackey jumped towards the spinning Starfish before slamming down his two sticks. It stopped Staryu in its tracks as it tried to jump away from the Acrobatics to prevent further damage.

"Take that, you fishy Pokemon!" The Beat Pokemon hollered as he slammed both sticks down onto the Starfish Pokemon, which caused it to slide across the battlefield before crashing into a light pole. The light pole promptly fell over, creating a huge dust cloud.

"Damn…" Ash mumbled in surprise as he, Pikachu, and Gary watched on from amazement. It took several minutes before the dust cloud cleared up, revealing an unconscious Staryu.

"Staryu is no longer able to battle, this means that Leon Griffin is the winner of this round!" the referee declared as she pointed her flag towards the grinning Galarian native.

"Nicely done, Thwackey." Leon chuckled as he returned his Beat Pokemon before walking up to Misty. As the Cerulean native returned her Staryu, he held his hand up and grinned at the red-haired girl. "Thanks for a great battle."

"You've trained your Thwackey well." Misty smiled politely, taking the purple-haired boy's hand before shaking it. "He seems pretty powerful already, despite not being fully evolved."

"He's pretty close to it." The Galarian native laughed nervously as he scratched his head. "I've been training my team as equally as I could. Between all of them, Thwackey and Charmeleon are pretty close to evolving."

"I'm not surprised. You seem to be a great trainer already." Mistygiggled. "My friend Ash would love to battle you during the tournament if you two are still in then."

"Oh yeah? The boy with his Pikachu?" Leon asked with a smirk. "That Pikachu seems pretty powerful, I'm sure my Charmeleon would love a challenge against the mouse."

"I'm glad. You'd better stay in the tournament to battle him, and I'll make sure he does the same." Misty smirked as she crossed her arms. "I'll be seeing you around."

"You too." The purple-haired boy chuckled as he walked off, leaving Misty alone as Ash and Gary approached the Cerulean City native.

"That was a great battle, Misty. Sorry that you didn't win." Ash let out a nervous laugh.

"It's all good. I'll watch the Team Rocket folks to ensure nothing happens." Misty chuckled as she waved Ash off. "I'll let you know if they decide to strike."

"Hopefully my battle doesn't get interrupted," the dark-haired boy mumbled. "And hopefully we can prevent the attack, or at least mitigate it. It'd be good if I could make sure that SS Anne doesn't end up sinking because of Team Rocket."

"Agreed." Pikachu nodded in agreement, his cheeks beginning to spark. "But first, I'd love to fight Charmeleon to see his strength already."

"I'll make sure of that, buddy. I will." Ash chuckled as he ruffled his electric starter's fur gently.