Aaron's companion, a young red-haired woman, placed several documents on the table.
"You four are of similar age, so naturally, you'll want to compete to prove yourselves. The rules of the Lily of the Valley Tournament require each participant to use 18 Pokémon, divided into three teams for battles. You'll need to carefully allocate your lineup."
This format tested not only each Elite Four member's battle strategies but also their ability to raise and train Pokémon beyond their usual main team.
"A Bug-type army would be highly effective against Caitlin. Should we prioritize countering her first?"
Aaron shook his head.
"Rather than that, Klein's combat style is much more aggressive. If we go up against him carelessly, our Pokémon could get seriously injured. I'd rather focus on countering him first."
"Targeting Klein?"
"The strength of his Pokémon at the Cinnabar Island Exhibition Match left a deep impression on me. He took down Cynthia's strongest Garchomp in a one-versus-three battle. I want to face him and measure the gap between myself and Cynthia."
Aaron spoke gently, but the determination in his eyes made it clear—he would give his all in this battle.
Among the four, Klein was the one he had to defeat.
As for Caitlin, Aaron didn't seem as eager to challenge her—perhaps her elegant and adorable demeanor played a part.
---
Meanwhile, Klein left Professor Oak's lab and boarded an official League jet bound for Cinnabar Island.
Upon arrival, he immediately noticed Rosa at the Pokémon Center's reception desk—yawning.
Klein frowned slightly.
Joey nurses rarely showed signs of exhaustion.
Then, he saw the massive queue numbers displayed on the screen and quickly understood.
Cinnabar Island had been flooded with trainers, leading to an overwhelming workload for the medical staff. Rosa and Nurse Joy had already treated over forty trainers since morning, leaving them completely drained.
Now that it was midday, Nurse Joy had gone for lunch, leaving Rosa on shift.
Noticing someone approaching, Rosa looked up—and immediately giggled at Klein's rugged mountaineering outfit.
"You're back, huh?"
Klein instinctively clutched the hexagonal golden gem in his hand but quickly suppressed his emotions.
Now was not the time to restore Rosa's memories.
If she remembered too soon, her body might not be able to handle it.
A faint pulse of Aura energy spread from Klein's hand, causing Rosa to feel an odd sense of familiarity with the ornament.
At first glance, she instantly liked it.
"This thing... it's beautiful. Are you planning to give it to someone special?"
Rosa's face flushed slightly as she asked, feeling oddly embarrassed by her own words.
Klein, however, remained unfazed. He removed the golden hexagonal gem and handed it to her.
"If you like it, it's yours."
Taking the ornament, Rosa felt a warm sense of comfort, as if a part of her had been missing until now.
Strangely, the exhaustion from her morning vanished completely.
"...I never said I liked it that much," Rosa muttered, then quickly added, "but thanks for the gift."
"No problem. Just don't forget—you owe me dinner."
Rosa grinned confidently.
"Don't worry! Tonight's meal is gonna blow you away!"
"Good. Then I'll be waiting."
Just as Klein turned to leave, Rosa suddenly called out.
"One more thing... for the Lily of the Valley Tournament... good luck."
Klein paused.
"Hm?"
"I said... good luck!"
---
With Caitlin, Klein, Aaron, and Phoebe—four of the strongest young Elites—gathering on Lily of the Valley Island, the Sinnoh League heavily promoted the tournament, causing a massive stir online.
All four had extraordinary strength and striking appearances, making their clash even more anticipated than the Sinnoh League itself.
Fan discussions erupted across forums, with supporters fiercely debating their favorites.
However, most neutral fans considered Caitlin and Klein the top contenders.
Caitlin was known as the "Human Tyrant", a one-woman army who once singlehandedly crushed the Plasma Frigate, crippling Team Plasma's operations.
Meanwhile, Klein, despite rising to fame more recently, had overwhelming power and a multi-front combat style that made him a terrifying opponent.
Swampert, Delphox, Scizor, Tyranitar, Lucario—all signature Pokémon associated with him.
To add to the hype, the three-team rule made team composition a major talking point.
Because of this format, many fans believed Klein had an advantage, as he had far more well-trained Pokémon than the others.
While Caitlin had greater raw skill, Klein's ability to coordinate multiple battlefronts made him a serious threat.
As for Aaron and Phoebe, their matchups depended on team composition, making lineup strategy crucial.
Even President Goodshow was excited for the Lily of the Valley Tournament, and the Sinnoh League's intense marketing efforts ensured record-breaking viewership.
Even Rosa—who rarely browsed the internet—had heard about Klein's upcoming battles.
Clearly, the Sinnoh League's promotion was in full force.
Meanwhile, in the Kanto League, tensions were high.
Klein's recent annihilation of Team Rocket's northern branch had left the League executives in an awkward position.
Now that Klein was heading to Sinnoh, they were relieved and began actively pushing promotional efforts.
---
"This time, I won't lose."
"I believe in you," Rosa said softly, then added, "but... be careful."
After a few more words, Klein returned to his room.
The special Pokémon Center suite, reserved just for him, had become both his personal living space and office.
It was a two-bedroom unit with a private bath and kitchen, a perk of his status as a Champion-level trainer.
Settling in, Klein activated his Dream Simulation System, letting it calculate the most efficient battle formations.
While Aaron and Phoebe were still strategizing, Klein had already finalized his lineup against Caitlin and was now fine-tuning the rest of his roster.
Suddenly, a small figure appeared.
A Swinub toddled out from hiding and nuzzled up to him affectionately.
"Swinub, do you want to battle too?"
Swinub let out an excited cry, clearly eager.
Its previous battle against Silver's Feraligatr had awakened its fighting spirit.
However, Klein hesitated.
Swinub wasn't fully trained yet.
It hadn't evolved, and its battle strategy was incomplete. If rushed into combat too soon, it might hinder its future development.
"...You still need time to grow."
Hearing this, Swinub whined in disappointment and turned away sulkily.
Thirty minutes later, however, after a barrage of treats, Swinub completely forgot its frustration and happily dug into its food.