Deep within the western region of Hoenn, Mt. Pyre towered over the land—a sacred peak, much like Kanto's Lavender Tower, Sinnoh's Lost Tower, and Unova's Celestial Tower.
These places served as resting grounds for departed Pokémon souls.
At the summit of Mt. Pyre, the newly appointed Ghost-type Elite Four, Phoebe, sat in deep meditation.
Around her, purple spectral energy swirled, forming a delicate balance between the realms of the living and the dead.
Phoebe was a mystical legend in Hoenn.
Born and raised on Mt. Pyre, she had coexisted with Ghost Pokémon since childhood, developing a telepathic bond akin to Sabrina's psychic powers, allowing her to converse directly with Ghost-types.
Though her abilities were not as overpowering as Caitlin's, Phoebe's deep communion with Ghost Pokémon was still a force to be reckoned with.
The Dark-type Elite Four, Karen, slowly approached the mountaintop, handing Phoebe a formal invitation to the Lily of the Valley Conference.
"Your opponents have been decided," Karen stated. "You, alongside Klein, Caitlin, and Bug-type Elite Aaron, will compete in the Four Kings Clash."
Phoebe remained silent.
Her closed eyes concealed her thoughts, while the spectral energy around her pulsated ominously.
Then—
She smiled.
"A three-on-three format… meaning we'll have to choose eighteen Pokémon total. This will take some thought."
In an instant, the ghostly aura dispersed, and Mt. Pyre returned to a peaceful, tranquil state.
Karen toyed with the invitation in her fingers.
"So, which of them will you prepare for the most?"
"Caitlin and Klein are both strong opponents… and Aaron isn't weak either," Phoebe mused.
As an Elite Four member with assassination and infiltration experience, Phoebe had survived numerous death battles, proving her worth in military-style warfare.
After a long pause, she reached for the Keystone around her neck.
Then—
She pulled out a coin.
"I'll let fate decide."
The coin spun through the air, gleaming under the sunlight before landing softly in her palm.
Karen sighed.
"You're really going to choose that way?"
Soft piano music filled the halls of a grand Gothic castle.
While the other Elites trained intensely, Caitlin appeared completely relaxed, indulging in tea and pastries alongside Cynthia.
"Half a year ago, you had just stabilized your dual-core strategy," Cynthia remarked. "Now, you're already working towards a triple-core framework. That's impressive."
Caitlin stretched lazily and let out a soft yawn.
"That's why I wasn't interested in joining this little competition. Most of those guys are still stuck on single-core battle strategies."
"...One of them has already taken half a step into the dual-core threshold," Cynthia pointed out.
Caitlin raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? You must be talking about Klein, right?"
Then, her lips curled into a sly smile.
"You've been keeping quite the eye on him, Cynthia. Are the rumors true? Do you have a thing for him?"
Cynthia's expression remained neutral.
"I'm more interested in his multidimensional battle theory than the person himself."
"Right~ whatever you say," Caitlin giggled.
But Cynthia's tone turned serious.
"You shouldn't underestimate the Lily of the Valley Tournament. Klein isn't as weak as you think. If you get careless, you will suffer."
"And Aaron and Phoebe?" Caitlin asked.
"They're different from you," Cynthia warned. "Both of them have survived real death battles. They have no shortage of ruthless, hidden techniques."
Caitlin smirked.
"Don't worry, I haven't been slacking off. The Plasma remnants in northern Unova—I cleaned them up myself."
Unlike the main Plasma forces from the original timeline, Unova's northern Plasma holdouts had been nearly wiped out.
By her alone.
A rampaging Psychic prodigy who could shatter entire bases with nothing but raw willpower—Caitlin had crushed them so completely that Team Plasma's revival efforts were paralyzed.
This was why, when Ash arrived in Unova, Plasma's influence was weaker than before.
Because Caitlin had already annihilated most of them.
"By the way, I heard Klein challenged the Battle Frontier," Cynthia mentioned.
Caitlin casually sipped her tea.
"Only those who conquer all ten levels qualify to be my opponent."
Her arrogant tone made Cynthia sigh inwardly.
Caitlin was already beyond the level of a standard Elite Four—she was one step away from Champion-tier battles.
Her psychic abilities had fully matured over the years, making her growth nearly unstoppable.
Even Cynthia herself would never take Caitlin lightly.
As news of the Lily of the Valley Tournament spread, online forums exploded with discussions.
A battle featuring four young, powerful, and attractive Elite Four members was the perfect recipe for high ratings.
The Sinnoh League even planned to shoot an official promotional video before the tournament, blending sci-fi and idol themes to appeal to fans.
A lone figure traversed the treacherous terrain of Mount Silver.
Draped in a gray cloak, Klein carefully examined the hidden entrance to a cavern deep within the mountain.
Six Pokémon. No substitutions.
Beyond wild Pokémon threats, the real challenge was the ten Frontier Guardians—who could attack at any time.
The first few challengers had already been eliminated by surprise attacks.
Klein's experience with Agatha's hypnosis tactics had left him wary—if he let his guard down, he'd be eliminated immediately.
Though he had visited Mount Silver before, this was his first time venturing into its deepest, most secret pathways.
Following Agatha's cryptic instructions, he stepped into the unknown darkness of the cavern.
A decaying scent filled the air, making every step uneasy.
This tunnel was merely the first checkpoint—and he had to prove himself worthy before advancing.
Lucario activated Aura Sight.
Simultaneously, Klein's eyes glowed golden.
After the Tree of Beginning incident, Klein had awakened minor psychic abilities, allowing him to communicate with his Delphox, Lucario, and other Pokémon telepathically.
The pitch-black cavern gradually came into focus.
Then—
A sudden, killing intent.
A flash of crimson light.
Too fast.
Before Klein could react, a sharp streak cut across Lucario's face—leaving a wound.
Lucario's Aura detection had been disrupted?
Could it be…
The opponent was also an Aura master?
At that moment, Klein understood who he was facing.
"The Aura Guardian, Riley..."