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 Silver Stadium had. The Sacred Flame still burned above the Conference grounds, but inside the Athlete's Village Pokémon Center, Trainers stood in front of the group board without much talking. Forty-eight names remained, divided 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. Togetic hovered beside her shoulder, and Espeon sat near her feet with both tail tips curled around her paws. "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 toward the stadium paths outside. "That is safer than depending on a tie."

Reisa folded her hands near her chest. "With only two matches, one loss matters a lot."

Pikachu stood on my shoulder and stared at Group H. "Then let's win both and keep the math simple."

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

The board showed more than my group. Gary was placed far enough away that we couldn't meet yet, Silver had landed in another group, and Harrison's name appeared on a different section. Ethan kept studying Group E, where Jackson's name was listed as one of his opponents.

My own section showed Macy beside me and one other Trainer waiting for a later match. The schedule gave Macy to me first. I read the time twice, then checked the stadium letter so I would not end up running across the village at the last minute.

Ethan pointed at his first Group E slot. "I battle before you do. Jackson is later, so I get one match to settle into the round before I see him."

"Then come back with three points," I said.

Ethan grinned. "I was planning on it."

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

"Good point," I said. "If she knows everyone expects Fire-types, she probably prepared for that."

Kris adjusted the screen so everyone could see. "League opponents can change their teams between matches. What they prefer and what they actually send out are not always the same thing."

Ethan groaned softly. "That makes studying them harder."

East answered without looking away from the screen. "That is the point."

Noctowl, already perched beside East, tapped his beak against the Group E section. East glanced down and noticed the second opponent he had skipped.

"Good catch," East told him.

Noctowl ruffled his feathers. "You were reading too fast again."

East heard only the tone, but I understood the complaint and smiled.

Before I could read more about Macy, 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 and smiled even wider.