Pokémon: I’m Really Not a Team Rocket Spy

"Why not open it and take a look?"

Maki suggested.

"No need," Lance shook his head, confident that Maki wouldn't tamper with something like this.

"So, you dragged me out so early in the morning—don't tell me it's for a battle?"

Maki yawned mid-sentence, clearly annoyed with Lance. Disturbing someone's sleep was an unforgivable crime in his book.

"Eh, don't you know?"

Lance gave Maki a surprised look in response to his complaint.

"Know what? All I know is I was sleeping soundly until you woke me up. Isn't that right, Charmander?"

"Charrr!"

Charmander raised its little paw in protest.

"Ahem! Well, I figured it wasn't that early anymore, plus there's a battle today that you absolutely can't miss. Didn't you see the announcement on the official site yesterday?"

"Official site? I only glanced at it after my match yesterday. Didn't notice anything," Maki shrugged, pulling out his phone to check the site.

"No need to bother if you don't know already. It's a battle between a senior member of the Dragon Clan and another Master Ball-level trainer. Both of them are top-tier, and it's going to be spectacular!"

Before Maki could respond, Lance grabbed him by the shoulder and started heading toward the arena.

"A Master Ball-level battle? And someone from your Dragon Clan?"

Maki's interest was piqued after hearing Lance's explanation.

The Master Ball level wasn't just another level above the Great Ball and Ultra Ball ranks—it was fixed, limited to only 1,000 trainers. If someone didn't participate in matches for an extended period or lost repeatedly, they'd risk dropping back to the Ultra Ball rank.

And while 1,000 might sound like a lot, this rank included trainers from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova. On average, each region had only about 200 spots. Rumor had it that trainers from Kalos would soon join, making the competition even fiercer.

To maintain a spot in the Master Ball level, a trainer couldn't rely solely on a few Ultra Ball-level Pokémon. They needed at least one or two pseudo-Elite Four-level Pokémon to stay competitive. Otherwise, even if luck got them in, they'd likely be booted out quickly.

The fact that one of the trainers was from the Dragon Clan made the battle even more impressive—dragon-type specialists were notoriously formidable.

"Our clan's senior is currently ranked around 200 in the Master Ball level. Their opponent is similarly ranked," Lance explained.

"Is it an official match?" Maki asked.

Lance shook his head. "Just an exhibition. The League organizes these periodically, inviting seasoned Master Ball level trainers to put on a show. Tickets are free but distributed via a lottery system at the arena."

Maki froze for a moment. He hadn't even known about the event, let alone tried to get a ticket.

"But I don't have a ticket!"

"Well, whose fault is that for not keeping up with these things? Didn't you notice the long lines at the arena yesterday afternoon?" Lance shot Maki a sideways glance.

"I went in the evening."

"Then it's no wonder you missed it. The tickets were gone in no time. But don't worry; since our Dragon Clan is involved, I have some special connections," Lance said with a smug smile, raising an eyebrow.

"So… backdoor access?"

Maki sighed, realizing that Lance's so-called special channels were nothing more than nepotism.

"Don't put it like that!"

Waving off the comment, Lance led Maki to the arena entrance in no time, as it was close to the Pokémon Center. He handed Maki a ticket.

"Don't lose it. I only got two."

After scanning their tickets and using the teleportation pad, they entered the arena.

The venue was leagues larger than the one where Maki had battled the previous night. And rightly so—such a small arena couldn't possibly contain the sheer force of this battle. One Earthquake could easily wreck the place.

"Isn't this seat a bit too conspicuous?"

Maki noticed that Lance had secured front-row seats. Glancing around, he saw that the people here were all dressed extravagantly—clearly VIPs.

Among the crowd, Maki even spotted a few familiar faces. Being in Saffron City, the headquarters of Team Rocket, it wasn't surprising to see many attendees with ties to the organization. However, Sabrina, the acting Gym Leader, was absent—probably still asleep, as Maki had forbidden her from using psychic powers to train.

"I didn't mean to! I just asked for two tickets and ended up with these seats," Lance said defensively.

Resigned, Maki and Lance quickly took their places. Front-row seats offered the best view, but if anything went wrong, they'd also be the first to face danger.

Especially with a battle of this caliber, a stray Thunderbolt or Flamethrower could spell disaster. Thankfully, the League had prepared for this.

Two Alakazam floated on either side of the audience, eyes closed in concentration. They were ready to intercept any stray attacks with their formidable psychic abilities. Judging by the size of their heads and the sheer aura of their psychic energy, they were undoubtedly pseudo-Elite Four level—more than capable of protecting the crowd.

Since this time wasn't like Maki's previous casual battle with Nathan, he kept Charmander in his arms. Fortunately, the seats were spacious enough to be comfortable.

"Why are you wearing that?"

Maki noticed Lance had put on a mask, leaning back in his chair silently. His earlier confidence was nowhere to be seen.

"Ahem. Just a precaution. I'd rather not be recognized," Lance muttered.

While he didn't mind attention outside, being here among such high-profile individuals was a different story.

Maki figured as much. Lance was, after all, a League investigator on a mission—it wouldn't do to attract too much attention.

"So why didn't you get tickets for a regular spot instead of these VIP seats?"

"When does the match start?" Maki glanced at the time—it was almost 8 a.m.

"Should be soon. The League scheduled it for this time," Lance said, leaning closer to ensure Maki could hear him clearly.

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