Was it the masked Ogerpon wielding a hefty club?

Or the flashy millionaire-like Pokémon that shimmered in gold and clobbered opponents with coins?

Or maybe the trio of Gogoats standing majestically atop a mountain?

Or… should he go with his ace team, Dragonite and Pamwot?

Naoki couldn't decide right away. But there was still some time before the next match, so he didn't overthink it. He'd pick based on the situation when the time came.

That evening passed quietly.

...

The next morning, while Naoki was having a picnic with Elara and the Pokémon out on the ranch, his Rotom Phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket.

He pulled it out and saw the caller ID flash: Leon.

"Huh? Leon?" Naoki blinked, surprised. "Why's he calling me now?"

He tapped the green button, and Leon's face appeared on-screen.

"Hey, Leon."

Leon grinned back and asked, "By the way, Naoki, have you seen that forum post that's been blowing up online lately?"

Naoki tilted his head. "A post?"

Leon nodded. "Yeah! It's about the World Championship's advanced tier, you know, the one you're competing in! So far, there are two rising stars everyone's talking about. You… and another strong, highly favored challenger. I thought you'd be interested."

"Oh?" Naoki perked up, curiosity piqued.

A seeded favorite? Who could it be?

Naoki tried to think it through…

There was still one year before Ash's Eight Masters Tournament.

As far as Naoki knew, people like Alain, Iris, and Korrina hadn't stepped into the fray yet.

And the anime didn't really show the full roster from the previous championship either.

He couldn't come up with any solid guesses, so he asked, intrigued, "Who is it?"

Leon smirked and leaned in slightly. "Ever heard of the Lily of the Valley Conference?"

"Of course," Naoki replied without hesitation. "That's the league tournament held in the Sinnoh region, right?"

But the moment the words left his mouth, a shocking realization struck him.

'Wait, no way… Could the person Leon's talking about be...'

"That trainer competed in that league and won the entire thing… using just two Pokémon," Leon continued.

"And, in the finals, he swept his opponent's full team of six with only one Pokémon!"

Leon's eyes sparkled as he delivered the final line: "His name is Tobias. Like you, he's known for using legendary Pokémon. His Darkrai and Latios are already making waves."

Naoki was visibly surprised.

'So it really was him.'

Seeing Naoki fall silent, Leon continued,

"Tsk. Tobias is a real dark horse in this year's World Championship. Just like back in the Lily of the Valley Conference, he's only used two Pokémon so far, Darkrai and Latios, and has already climbed to 68th place in the Advanced Tier."

"According to the Championship rules, both of you are on winning streaks, so a face-off between you two is likely coming soon."

Naoki: "..."

'Tobias is actually competing in the World Championship...'

The initial shock wore off quickly, and Naoki regained his composure. He nodded calmly. "Got it. I'll prepare accordingly."

Using Giratina and Koraidon against regular opponents might feel like overkill. But against another legendary-wielding trainer? That wouldn't count as bullying, right?

Giratina had just expressed its desire to battle. This could be the perfect opportunity.

'If it ends up being a 3v3, then I've got just enough legendary Pokémon at the ranch,' Naoki thought to himself.

Giratina, Koraidon, and Ogerpon, that makes three.He also had Kyurem and Calyrex.

But Calyrex was special. Compared to the others, he wasn't really his Pokémon in the traditional sense. Their bond was more like a friendship than a trainer-and-partner relationship.

Still, if Calyrex were to appear on a world stage like the Championship, he'd definitely receive a massive surge of faith energy from the audience.

That settled it.

Naoki made up his mind.

A full-scale battle with Tobias, it was perfect.

Leon had no idea what kind of decisions Naoki had made in just a few moments of silence.

Grinning from the other side of the screen, Leon added, "By the way, there's something else. With the hype around you two, the World Championship committee has received a flood of fan requests. Everyone's hoping that if you and Tobias go head-to-head, the match will be a 6v6 full battle."

"6v6?" Naoki blinked.

"Yup," Leon nodded. "The organizers had a meeting last night and agreed to let the two trainers decide."

He paused, then smiled expectantly. "Tobias has already said yes. Now they're waiting on your answer."

Naoki: "..."

He thought for a moment, then asked, "Do we know if Tobias's remaining four Pokémon are regular ones, or... legendary too?"

Leon shook his head. "No one knows. Tobias has never revealed the rest of his team."

"I see." Naoki nodded. "Well, if he's agreed to a 6v6, then I have no reason to back down."

He raised his head and said firmly, "Tell them, I accept."

He still had enough Pokémon at the ranch to build a full legendary squad.

Urshhifu, Ogerpon, Koraidon, Kyurem, Giratina, and Calyrex.

Upon hearing Naoki's answer, Leon grinned. "Alright then. I'll report back to the event committee."

"Oh, and one more thing. Tobias left a message for you."

"A message?" Naoki raised an eyebrow.

Leon smirked. "He said, don't lose before you reach him."

Naoki was momentarily stunned, then chuckled.

"In that case," he said, eyes glinting, "I have something to say to him too."

"Oh? What is it?" Leon leaned in, curious.

"When the time comes…" Naoki's smile deepened, "I'll definitely give a big surprise."

"Surprise?" Leon raised an eyebrow in curiosity but quickly smiled and said, "Alright, I'll definitely pass the message along."

After hanging up, Leon turned to report back to the tournament organizers, while Naoki returned to enjoying his day playing house with his daughter.

The sky was a clear, vibrant blue, with soft white clouds drifting lazily above the peaceful ranch. A picnic blanket was spread across the grassy field, covered in snacks, a wicker basket, and a collection of toys.

Elara sat happily on the blanket, playing with toys alongside Larvesta, Alcremie, and other Pokémon. A few Meltan toddled around, cheerfully helping carry snacks and treats to the others.

Naoki sat beside Koraidon, both of them watching the joyful scene with warm smiles.

Behind Elara, the three Legendary Beasts, Raikou, Suicune, and Entei, rested on the soft grass. As they lifted their heads and gazed at Naoki, Entei spoke.

"Do you need our help?"

They had clearly overheard the phone call just moments earlier.

Naoki blinked, then smiled and shook his head. "No need to trouble you three this time."

Compared to the Legendary Beasts, Naoki believed that Urshifu and Ogerpon were the ones more eager to prove themselves on that grand stage.

The three beasts nodded in understanding.

Everyone had their own responsibilities.

Naoki's path was to compete in the World Championship. The duty of the three beasts was to stay behind, watching over the ranch and the future Rainbow Hero under the will of Ho-Oh.

"Daddy!"

Elara suddenly stood up and tossed a plastic Poké Ball toy toward Naoki with a giggle.

Naoki reacted instantly, catching the toy ball with practiced reflexes.

"Go", Elara shouted, mimicking the motion of a trainer throwing a Poké Ball into battle.

Children loved to imitate what they saw. She had clearly watched too many Championship battles lately with Indeedee and the others, and now she was trying to copy the trainers.

Naoki clutched his chest dramatically and let out a groan, falling backward onto Koraidon's wide, warm body.

Elara burst into laughter, thinking her dad was just playing along.

But a few seconds passed, and Naoki didn't move.

The smile vanished from Elara's face. She got up from the picnic blanket, wobbled over, and crouched down beside him.

"Daddy?"

Just then, Naoki opened one eye and, in a flash, reached under Elara's arms and hoisted her high into the air.

"Wah!" Elara squealed in surprise.

But she quickly realized what was happening and puffed out her cheeks in mock outrage.

"Daddy, mean!"

"Alright, alright! I was just playing with you," Naoki said, placing her gently back on the ground. He leaned back again, resting his head on Groudon and watching Elara with a smile.

Elara snorted and pouted, clearly pretending to be angry.

Seeing her adorable reaction, Naoki reached out and picked her up again.

"How about we ask Koraidon to take us up into the clouds so we can see the stars?"

"Yahh!" Elara nodded with excitement.

With that, Naoki climbed onto Koraidon's back, holding his daughter close. Koraidon, understanding the moment perfectly, let out a low rumble and lifted off into the sky.

Elara was a little annoyed at first, but soon her attention was captured by the constantly changing scenery around her.

The ground below gradually receded, and a gentle, warm breeze brushed against her cheeks. Before she knew it, they were surrounded by soft, fluffy clouds, like floating cotton candy in the sky.

Even though they were soaring high above the earth, Elara didn't feel afraid at all. Leaning safely against her father's arms, she gazed around in awe.

"Wow!" she gasped.

There were no stars in the daytime sky, but the boundless blue dome above was still magnificent and mesmerizing.

Naoki smiled as he looked up at the endless sky. If only they had spacesuits, he would've loved to take Elara into outer space to see the real stars. Maybe they could even catch a glimpse of a passing Clefairy spaceship, or wave at Deoxys darting by.

After a while, he sighed softly.

Forget it.

There's a vast world out there, beyond this peaceful ranch.

And one day, when Elara grows up, she'll go and explore it herself.

...

League Calendar Year 204, August 10, 10:00 AM. Naoki's fourth match officially began.

However, his opponent wasn't Tobias, it was a young girl who used a Beautifly.

Seeing this, Naoki decided not to use any of his legendary Pokémon. Instead, he sent out his second Miltank.

As expected, the battle was a clean victory, and Naoki's ranking rose from 79th to 75th.

August 12 – Fifth Match: His third Miltank faced off against a Tauros, and Naoki moved up from 75th to 69th.

August 15 – Sixth Match: The fourth and fifth Miltanks took to the field and secured another win, advancing him from 69th to 63rd in the rankings.

Time continued to fly by.

Before long, it was September 25th, League Calendar 204.

During this period, Naoki had yet to face Tobias.

But that didn't surprise him. A showdown like that, between two rising stars with legendary Pokémon, was bound to be saved by the organizers for the perfect moment, when the whole world would be watching.

In another important match, Naoki sent out his Garganacl, once part of a small group of Nacli that had grown and evolved on his ranch into towering Salt Pokémon warriors.

Now, under the stadium lights and roaring crowd, Garganacl stood tall and proud, smashing through every opponent that challenged him.

With that victory, Naoki advanced to 10th place in the Advanced Tier.

Only one step away from the prestigious Masters Eight.

As the crowd erupted into cheers, Naoki gave a quiet nod of acknowledgment before turning to head back into the trainer's backstage.

There, a man with long gray-blue hair and a red waistcoat was leaning against the wall, waiting for him.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time," Tobias said with a fiery look.

He had successfully advanced to ninth place a few days ago and had already earned the right to challenge the eighth-ranked trainer in a place-swap battle.

But he had declined the opportunity, because he wanted to wait here for Naoki, the man chosen by legendary Pokémon, just like himself, for a qualifying battle.

The winner would go on to face the eighth-ranked trainer.

"Tobias..." Naoki looked at him, then smiled. "Actually, I've heard of your name for a long time. I didn't expect we'd be facing each other like this today."

"What?"

"Your performance at the Lily of the Valley Conference back then was unforgettable," Naoki said.

Tobias was briefly taken aback, then a proud smile crept across his face. "This time, I'll give it everything I've got in our battle."

"Then let's see what happens," Naoki replied calmly.

All-out... was Tobias going to use every legendary Pokémon he had?

If so, Naoki would also give it his all.

Time flew, and soon it was September 29, the final day of the World Championship's Advanced Tier matches. It was the decisive battle for the right to challenge the Masters Eight.

By the time the match began, the entire Galar Coliseum was overflowing with people. Even outside the arena, fans and spectators from around the world had gathered.

On the VIP balcony, champions and Elite Four members had gathered to witness this battle.

In the stands, Iono was holding Elara in her lap, while Indeedee, Cyclizar, and other Pokémon sat nearby, watching the arena with eager eyes.

Elara's wide eyes sparkled as she looked down at the familiar figure on the battlefield.

She pointed and shouted, "Dad!"

"Yes, that's your dad!" Iono nodded excitedly. "Elara, today's a really important match for him. Let's cheer him on together."

"Dad, go get'm!" Elara called out loudly.

Her tiny voice was quickly drowned out by the roar of the crowd.

But a father and daughter's hearts are always linked. Down in the arena, Naoki seemed to sense something. He turned toward the audience.

His eyes locked precisely onto Iono and Elara in the stands. He nodded to them, silently drawing strength.

Then he shifted his gaze back to his opponent, Tobias, standing confidently across the battlefield.

Naoki gently touched the Poké Balls on his belt.

Urshifu, Ogerpon, Kyurem, Giratina, Calyrex.

And beside him stood Koraidon, ready and waiting.