By 5 PM, the final battle bell echoed through the Royal Do.
Naoki's points had finally reached 12, surpassing the requirent for advancent to the Super Rank.
"Congratulations, Mr. Gold King!"
Vivian, the Royal Do receptionist, greeted him with a bright smile.
"You've accumulated 12 points, which qualifies you for the promotion match! If you win, you'll officially enter the [Super Rank]!"
She then leaned in slightly, her tone turning a bit more serious yet encouraging.
"But be careful!" she warned. "Trainers in the promotion rounds have much more battle experience, and these matches attract way more spectators!"
"If you perform well, you might even gain so fans!" she added playfully.
Naoki wasn't particularly interested in becoming a star player, but he still glanced at his profile out of curiosity.
[Player Code: Gold King]
Level: General
Points: 12 (Promotion match required for Super Rank)
Ranking: 1
A satisfied nod. First place.
Naoki then asked, "When's the promotion match?"
"It's been scheduled for 10 AM tomorrow," Vivian inford him.
That ant no more battles for today.
After acknowledging the schedule, Naoki left the Royal Do and returned to his ranch in Alola.
...
By the ti Naoki arrived, Kiawe had already finished his tasks and returned ho.
The ranch was spotless, its environnt fresh and inviting—a sign that Kiawe had done a great job.
Naoki, feeling satisfied, quickly sent a ssage through his Rotom Phone, confirming Kiawe's job offer and letting him know he'd be compensated accordingly.
Kiawe was overjoyed!
"Great! With this, I can finally start saving up for my journey to Paldea!"
He also thought about using so of his earnings to buy gifts for his little sister.
anwhile, Naoki mounted Koraidon and traveled through Giratina's Reverse World to return ho.
Indeedee had already prepared dinner for Naoki and his Pokémon at the ranch.
As they ate, Naoki started a video call with Iono, chatting about his day at the Royal Do.
"The Royal Battles in Alola feel... weird."
Naoki sighed, poking at his food. "You get what I an? I spent the entire day battling rookie trainers—most of them were under ten years old. It just felt like I was bullying them."
Beside him, Farfetch'd nodded in agreent, gripping its massive leek like a proud warrior.
"Quack!" (The opponents were way too weak.)
On the other end of the call, Iono laughed.
"Pokémon battles don't depend on age, y'know?" she said. "I've battled plenty of newbie trainers before. At first, I felt bad about crushing them, but later on, they ca back stronger and beat instead."
Naoki thought about that and slowly nodded.
"That makes sense," he admitted.
If it were him, losing to a trainer with a Legendary Pokémon as a beginner would motivate him to train harder. He'd probably even make defeating that trainer his long-term goal.
At that mont, Alcremie, who had been enjoying dessert at the table, suddenly placed her tiny hands on her hips and huffed.
"Alcremie!" (Why didn't I get to battle today?!)
Naoki: "…"
Hearing this, Iono chuckled.
"Oh no, Alcremie looks super mad!" she teased.
The little cream Pokémon nodded furiously, puffing up her cheeks like a mochi.
"Alcremie!" (That's right! I'm mad!)
Naoki sighed helplessly.
"Alright, alright. I promise you'll battle tomorrow, okay?"
Now that Naoki had fully understood the rules of the Royal Battle, he knew that losing one or two matches wouldn't be a big deal—at worst, he'd just lose a few points.
And with Alcremie's uncanny luck, who's to say she wouldn't pull off a surprise win?
Hearing this, Alcremie peeked open one eye and looked at Naoki.
"Alcremie?" (Are you serious?)
Naoki nodded. "Of course. Tomorrow's battle is up to you!"
Alcremie puffed up her chest, placing her tiny hands on her hips.
"Alcremie ~!" (Leave it to !)
anwhile, in the Legendary Pokémon Chat
Just as Naoki lay down for the night, a ssage from Giratina popped up in the Legendary Pokémon chat group.
[Giratina: Are you sure you don't need my help?]
Groudon, who had arrived late to the conversation, finally finished reading through the earlier chat logs and decided to chi in as well.
[Groudon: Huh, I missed this. I could help too.]
Naoki: "…"
[Gold King: No need, really.]
But Giratina wasn't convinced.
[Giratina: Don't be so quick to dismiss it! I watched all your matches, and I know how this works. Your opponents have been weak so far, but what if you run into a real powerhouse?]
Naoki blinked.
[Gold King: Wait. You watched my battles?]
[Giratina: Of course! The matches are stread online. I had Rotom find them for . But seriously, those humans were too weak. It's a good thing I didn't bother. Disdain.jpg]
Naoki: "…"
At that mont, the other Legendary Pokémon in the chat grew curious.
Ho-Oh: The battles of the Rainbow Hero I chose? This is worth watching.
wtwo: Naoki trained Koraidon into such a strong Pokémon. As a human, his skills must be worth observing.
Finally, Giratina enthusiastically dropped a link in the group chat.
[Giratina: Here's the match stream. If I get to battle one of the top trainers, I'll personally take them down!]
Naoki is not a fool; seeing that Giratina has ntioned it so many tis, it is obvious that it has so intention to achieve sothing through fighting.
Naoki Narrowed His Eyes.
[Gold King: What exactly are you trying to do?]
[Giratina: Just helping, that's all. 😊]
Naoki wasn't buying it.
But when he couldn't get any more information out of Giratina, he decided to drop it for now.
[Gold King: I'm going to sleep. Big match tomorrow.]
Giratina: "Tsk… There Has to Be Another Way!"
Deep within the Distortion World, Giratina's blood-red eyes glead with determination.
Since Naoki refuses to call on , I'll force my way in!
Before he can send out a Pokémon, I'll just appear myself. By then, it'll be too late for him to stop !
Giratina smirked. He'd already made up his mind.
But first, he needed to make sure his first battle was truly worth it.
"Rotom, find the strongest human trainer competing in the Royal Do!"
Rotom scanned the internet.
"Search complete! The strongest, most famous, and most beloved star of the Royal Do is The Masked Royal!"
Giratina grinned. Perfect.
...
The Next Morning
By 10 AM, the Royal Do was packed with excited spectators.
The announcer's voice bood through the stadium speakers.
"Ladies and gentlen, welco to today's Royal Battle!"
"This is the Super Rank Qualifier!"
"First up, we have the rising star—our undefeated newcor, the 'Gold King'!"
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Naoki walked onto the stage, his mask concealing his identity.
"Looks like I'm making a bit of a na for myself already," he muttered.
"And his opponents!" the announcer continued.
"First, we have the seasoned veteran, the master of endurance, Coconut Palm!"
"Next, the legend who has risen and fallen through the ranks countless tis—Muscle Demon!"
"And finally, the icy queen of the arena, who once held a twenty-match winning streak—the beautiful and elegant Frost Queen!"
...
The neon-lit Royal Do was packed with spectators, their cheers and chants filling the air. So waved glow sticks, others wore headbands with contestant codes, and a few were even shirtless, shouting with wild enthusiasm.
"Frost Queen! I'd drink your bathwater!"
"Coconut Palm, show them your true power!"
"Muscle Demon, crush them all with your insane strength!"
"…."
The announcer, Roger, stood on an elevated platform, gripping his microphone with excitent.
"Wow! The crowd is electric! The three veteran contenders are in peak condition—this is shaping up to be one intense battle!"
The cheers erupted again, blending with the excited cries of Pokémon from the audience.
But suddenly, Roger's expression changed.
His eyes locked onto Naoki, the mysterious 'Gold King' contestant.
Sothing was different.
And when he looked at the Pokémon standing in front of Naoki, his jaw nearly dropped.
"Oh my Arceus! Gold King has changed his Pokémon!" Roger exclaid. "It's not his powerhouse Farfetch'd—it's… It's an Alcremie?!"
The stadium fell into a stunned silence.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Wait, he's using an Alcremie?"
"Is this a joke? That thing belongs in a café, not a battle!"
"I was expecting a powerhouse, but… this?"
Even Roger was struggling to process it.
Alcremie is a Pokémon known for being adorable and sweet—not for fighting.
Most trainers wouldn't even consider using it in battle. Its signature moves were mostly support-based, like Decorate, Aromatic Mist, and Mist Terrain.
Compared to the ferocious combatants on the field, Alcremie looked completely out of place.
"Is this a mistake?" Roger muttered into the mic.
Despite the confusion, the four trainers had already chosen their Pokémon.
The spotlights bead down, illuminating the massive battlefield.
Under the spotlight, Kommo-o stood tall, its armored scales clanking as it crossed its muscular arms. Its piercing golden eyes locked onto its opponents, and the battle-ready stance exuded pure confidence. The glimring scales along its body shimred under the lights, a stark warning to anyone daring to challenge it.
Exeggutor stretched its absurdly long neck, cracking it audibly. The three heads atop its tree-like body twisted to survey the battlefield with lazy confidence.
Tsareena stood elegantly, her long, slender legs exuding an air of refined power. Despite her graceful stance, those familiar with her knew she was a rciless fighter on the battlefield, capable of overwhelming opponents with sheer strength and precision.
And then there was Alcremie.
The tiny, fluffy cream Pokémon blinked innocently at the three terrifying opponents, her eyes shimring with pure curiosity.
She tilted her head slightly, as if wondering why everyone looked so angry.
Comntator Roger Can't Believe It
Roger, still in utter disbelief, turned toward Naoki.
"Gold King, are you sure you don't want to switch Pokémon?" he asked hesitantly.
If Naoki didn't change now, it might be too late once the battle started.
Naoki, not bothering to respond verbally, simply shook his head.
He was keeping Alcremie.
The other three trainers raised their eyebrows in surprise.
The crowd burst into laughter.
"Is he serious?"
"This poor guy is about to get wrecked!"
"What a joke!"
Even Roger had to stifle a chuckle before trying to maintain his professional deanor.
Everyone on Muscle Demon's side looked as though they belonged in a Pokémon battle themselves—towering figures with bulging muscles, exuding pure strength.
anwhile, the trainer of the Tsareena was a tall woman dressed in a bunny-girl outfit and a mask, her elegant posture as intimidating as it was alluring.
"Hey, hey, are you kidding ?" Muscle Demon's fiery temper flared up as he glared at Naoki. "You're seriously sending that Pokémon against us? You think this is a joke?"
Naoki: "…"
Alcremie, noticing the mocking looks from their opponents, imdiately puffed up with defiance. She let out a determined cry: "Mree!"
"Heh, in that case," Muscle Demon scoffed, cracking his knuckles, "I'll just take all your points myself!"
"Ahem—well, it looks like the tension is already heating up between the contestants!"
...
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