1.Ash's Story (Part 2: Johto)

Chapter 88: Group H

The group-stage board became the next mountain.

The morning after the opening ceremony felt quieter than the stadium flame should have allowed. Silver Stadium had roared when I lit the torch, and the Sacred Flame still burned above the Conference grounds, but inside the Athlete's Village Pokémon Center, every Trainer seemed to be reading the group board in tense silence. The field had already been cut down to forty-eight. Now those forty-eight names were being placed into groups of three, and only one Trainer from each group would reach the Victory Tournament.

Ethan stood beside me, scanning the board with both hands clenched. "I am in Group E."

I found my name a few lines lower. "I am in Group H."

Lillie leaned closer to read the rules under the display. "The semi-final round is a round-robin tournament. Each Trainer battles the other two Trainers in the group. A win gives three points, a draw gives one, and a loss gives none."

Kris nodded, still studying the chart. "Only the Trainer with the most points in each group advances."

Ethan grinned, but I could tell he was taking the rule seriously. "Then I just need to win both matches."

East looked at the screen, then at the path toward the stadiums. "Cleanest route. Do not rely on tie math."

Reisa folded her hands near her chest. "Every group has its own rhythm now. One wrong beat can close the path."

Pikachu stood on my shoulder and stared at Group H. Pikachu's meaning came through with sharp focus: "First group. Win clearly."

I nodded while watching the names settle beside mine. "That is the plan."

The board did not only show my group. It showed the whole shape of the next stage. Gary was placed far enough away that we could not meet yet, Silver had landed in another group, and Harrison's name sat on a screen that already drew attention from Trainers who remembered the Ho-Oh Shrine delay. Ethan kept checking Group E like staring at it long enough would reveal every strategy Jackson and the others planned to use.

Lillie opened the competitor information page and pointed to the smaller notes beneath Macy's name. "She favors Fire-types, but we should not assume that means only Fire-types."

"Good point," I said, remembering how many opponents had punished me whenever I made the easy assumption.

Kris adjusted the screen so everyone could see. "League battles reward preparation more than Gym battles do. A Gym Leader has a theme. A League opponent may have a theme, a counter-theme, and something specifically chosen to punish people who noticed the theme."

Ethan groaned softly. "That sounds annoying."

East answered without looking away from the screen. "That sounds like League strategy."

Before I could check Macy's town properly, a girl with bright eyes and a confident smile hurried toward us with a Vulpix at her side. She looked from the group board to me, then smiled even wider.

"You are Ash, right?" she asked, clasping her hands together. "I am Macy. We are in the same group."

I nodded politely and kept my voice steady. "Nice to meet you, Macy."

Her Vulpix stepped forward with a graceful flick of its tails, and Lillie smiled at it first. "Your Vulpix is beautiful."

Macy's smile warmed for one second. "Thanks. She is my partner."

For a moment, it felt like we might have a normal first meeting. Macy seemed proud of Vulpix, and Vulpix walked beside her with the kind of trust that made it obvious they had battled and traveled together for a long time. Then a shadow crossed the Pokémon Center awning, and the good first impression collapsed.