Pokemon: I'll Exchange Everything

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Thick smoke and dust billowed across the battlefield, drawing everyone's attention.

"Roooaaar!!"

A deafening roar rang out from within the cloud, the powerful soundwaves shaking the haze into dispersing ripples.

Liam, whose expression had barely shown any concern throughout, let a faint smile tug at the corner of his lips upon hearing the familiar roar.

"Roooaaar…"

The roar was soon followed by the heavy thud of footsteps. A purple figure slowly emerged from the smoke—it was Liam's Aerodactyl. At that moment, Aerodactyl's face was filled with fierce pride as it spread its wings and puffed out its chest, proudly showing off its strength to the audience around them.

As Aerodactyl stepped out, the smoke behind it gradually cleared, revealing the battlefield.

"Lance's Aerodactyl has lost the ability to battle! Liam's Aerodactyl is wins!!"

AAAAHHH!!!

WOOOOAHH!!

With the referee's declaration, the entire arena instantly erupted into wild cheers! Applause and shouting rang out in waves—for Liam and Aerodactyl, for the incredible, blood-pumping battle they had just delivered.

"It's over! This prehistoric clash has finally come to an end! What an exhilarating match this was! Who would've thought, in this modern day and age, we'd be lucky enough to witness a battle worthy of the history books! Dear viewers, let us express our deepest thanks to the two Trainers who gave us this unforgettable experience!"

YEEAAAAAHHH!! 

"So now? Lance only has one Pokémon left—Seadra! What decision will he make next?"

The announcer's voice brought all eyes back onto Lance. The entire stadium was fixated on him, curiosity running wild—how was he going to respond?

"Come back, Aerodactyl. You did well…"

Lance walked onto the field and recalled his Aerodactyl. After pocketing the PokeBall, he turned to face Liam. His eyes showed signs of struggle… but in the end, he sighed and relaxed his tightly knitted brow.

"You win. This time, I'm completely defeated. My Seadra is still paralyzed—it doesn't matter whether I send it out or not. I concede this match. Congratulations on becoming the Champion of the Kanto League."

As Lance spoke, he walked toward Liam. Finally, he stopped in front of Liam and Aerodactyl, smiling as he extended his hand.

"You're incredibly strong. You're only going to get stronger. If we get the chance, let's battle again sometime."

Liam took Lance's hand and smiled in return.

"Haha, next time I'll give it my all too. I won't hold back."

Lance laughed when he heard that and shook Liam's hand firmly.

"Don't make it sound like you were holding back this time…"

Liam answered nonchalantly, as if it were nothing.

"It's over! It's really over! Lance has voluntarily forfeited the final match! He chose not to send in his injured Seadra—a wise decision! This is the kind of judgment every Pokémon Trainer should possess! Let's give him a round of applause!"

"And now, the Champion of this year's Indigo League!! Rising all the way from the opening round, defeating one powerful opponent after another—the young Trainer from Pallet Town: Liam!! He is without doubt the strongest contender of this tournament!! Let's give another round of applause!!"

With the top three placements now confirmed—Liam in first place, Lance in second, and Lorelei in third—the awards ceremony was scheduled for the evening. Afterward, the closing ceremony of the Kanto League would officially take place.

As evening fell, the stadium was still bustling with people. The main battlefield had been cleared, replaced by a tall awards platform standing at the center of the League's main venue.

"Now! Let the victors of this tournament step forward to receive their awards!!"

This time, the announcer finally revealed his face: a tall, well-dressed, dashing middle-aged man in a sharp suit, standing beside the podium with a mic in hand and an excited expression as he shouted toward the three Trainers waiting below.

Liam turned to glance at Lorelei and Lance, then stepped up to the platform. The other two followed closely behind.

"They're here, they're here! Everyone, look! Leading the way is our Champion of the tournament! From Pallet Town, the Trainer who combines strength and good looks—Liam! His strength has earned the respect of all! Let's hear it for him. Congratulations, Liam!!"

The moment the announcer saw the three of them step onto the stage, his eyes lit up. He immediately pointed at Liam, causing every camera and flash to focus squarely on him.

Liam looked slightly awkward, unsure of what kind of expression to make. In the end, he simply put on a small smile and made his way up the platform.

"Liam, please stand here. Lance and Lorelei, please take these two positions."

The announcer pointed at the staggered steps of the platform.

Once the three of them stood in place, the announcer turned toward Lance, who was on Liam's left, and said loudly:

"The runner-up of this year's tournament is none other than the Dragon Trainer from Johto—Lance! Everyone has witnessed his strength throughout the competition as he took down many powerful challengers and gave us thrilling matches!"

"And next…"

The announcer then turned toward Lorelei.

"And lastly, our Ice-type beauty from the Sevii Islands—Lorelei! She showed us just how powerful Ice-type Pokémon can be! And more than that—she showed us that when you like someone, you should have the courage to say it out loud! Even if you're rejected, countless people will still support and admire you! Lorelei, don't worry—no matter what happens in the future, we'll always be behind you!"

He made the declaration with heartfelt sincerity and a solemn expression.

"Ahhh!! You're embarrassing me! Stop talking already!!"

Lorelei's face flushed bright red. She waved her arms wildly and shouted, then squatted down with her face buried in her hands like she'd just lost all dignity.

"Hahahaha!!!"

Her adorable reaction made the announcer and thousands of people in the stands burst into laughter. Clearly, the audience genuinely adored this brave and bold girl.

"Hehe…"

Liam, standing in the center, scratched his cheek in awkward silence. He didn't know what to say, so he could only let out a dry laugh.

"Haha! And now, let us begin the awards ceremony! Please welcome the President of the Kanto League—Mr. Charles Goodshow—to present the awards!"

The announcer chuckled and stopped teasing Lorelei, turning to guide everyone's attention to a man with a thick beard—clearly the aforementioned Charles Goodshow.

Charles Goodshow walked over with a warm smile and a gentle aura that put people at ease the moment they approached him.

"First of all, congratulations to all of you. Your strength has earned you this honor, and I'm proud of each and every one of you."

Smiling, Charles Goodshow spoke to the three Trainers. Then he turned and took a golden trophy handed over by a staff member, firmly holding it with both hands as he stepped up to Liam.

He handed it to Liam solemnly, his voice still warm and teasing.

"Haha… Young man, you've still got quite a road ahead of you. There's plenty of hard work waiting for you."

Liam hurriedly accepted the trophy with both hands. Hearing Charles Goodshow's words, he looked completely confused—what did he mean by that?

Next came the medals. Charles Goodshow personally hung a gold medal around Liam's neck, then patted Liam's shoulder three times in a meaningful way before turning to award Lance.

Liam watched the scene unfold, his face suddenly filled with dread as a cold chill ran down his spine…

Just then—the long-silent system prompt sounded once more in his mind—