While Kay was thinking that he should become stronger, the leader interrupted his thinking, "Since you managed to pass my test, I have two gifts for you."
Kay raised an eyebrow. "Gifts?"
"Yes, the first one is that the next game will be postponed by one day. This will give Eevee enough time to recover."
Kay's eyes widened slightly. That was actually useful. With one extra day, Eevee could recover completely, so he wouldn't have to go into battle at a disadvantage.
Then the leader added, "The second gift is the right to watch the final match of the A-rank tournament."
Kay's heart skipped a beat. Watching an A-rank tournament final was a huge opportunity.
The strongest trainers were there. If he could see them battle, he might learn something useful for his own fights.
But before he could say anything, the leader smiled and added one last thing.
"That is… if you're still alive by then."
Kay understood what the leader meant by his words. The tournament was dangerous, and he had no guarantees that he would make it alive to the end.
But Kay wasn't afraid. He clenched his fists, met the leader's gaze, and said, "Sure, I will."
The leader smirked and said, "Nice. I like your confidence." Then he added, "Now, the guards will accompany you back to the hall. When your Eevee has fully recovered, we will give it back to you."
Kay nodded, accepting the decision.
But before he could leave, the leader's expression turned serious. His voice was cold as he said, "One more thing. What happened here is confidential."
His sharp eyes locked onto Kay as he continued, "If I ever find out that you revealed anything about what you saw today... you wouldn't be able to imagine what I would do."
A chill ran down Kay's spine. The leader's tone made it clear that this was no empty threat.
Without another word, the guards signaled Kay to follow them. On the way, they handed him a piece of cloth. "Cover your eyes," one of them ordered just as they did before.
Kay sighed and did as they said. Moments later, they reached the massive door once again. One of the guards tapped his shoulder. "You can remove the cloth now."
Kay pulled it off just as the huge doors creaked open. As he stepped inside the hall, he immediately felt dozens of eyes turn toward him.
The other participants were watching him closely, their gazes filled with curiosity and suspicion.
Ignoring them, Kay walked straight to a corner of the room. He found a spot, sat down, and began setting up a place to sleep.
Suddenly, a female robotic voice echoed from the speakers:
"It's time to sleep. Lights will be turned off in ten minutes."
Kay blinked. Had he really spent that long outside? He realized how exhausted he was. The events of the day had drained every bit of his energy.
With a heavy sigh, he lay down, his thoughts drifting to Eevee. 'How is it doing? Is it sleeping well?'
Before he could think any further, his body gave in to fatigue. He fell into a deep sleep, knowing that nothing, not even an earthquake could wake him up tonight.
The next morning, Kay was awakened by the same weird music from the speakers. By now, he had started to get used to it.
He sat up, stretching his arms, when suddenly the Marowak-masked man appeared in front of them.
Before anyone could react, an Alakazam appeared next to him and, with a flicker of energy, teleported him away.
Kay exhaled, he thought. 'It seems that the last round of the first game had finished.'
A few minutes after Kay woke up, the rest of the players also stirred from their sleep. The heavy doors creaked open, and a group of Cubone-masked men came in. Their presence sent a wave of tension through the room.
Then, one of them began calling out numbers.
"24." "16."
Kay instantly recognized those numbers. They belonged to his teammates from the first game who had lost their Pokemons.
The moment a number was called, the entire room turned toward the player wearing that number.
Their silent stares made it easier for the guards, who simply followed their gazes to locate the player.
Kay watched as his former teammates were led away without any resistance. Their expressions were hollow, their eyes empty. It was as if their souls had shattered the moment they lost their Pokemons.
Kay understood why. In this world, being a Pokemon Trainer wasn't just about battles and conquering dungeons; it was also a way out of poverty.
Many trainers were the only ones in their families or villages who carried that duty. Losing their Pokemon meant losing everything.
As Kay was lost in thought, the air shimmered. Alakazam reappeared, bringing the Marowak-masked man along with six players.
Then, in a blink, Alakazam teleported away again. A few minutes later, it returned with another group of six players.
Kay quickly realized something: the first game's last round must have been far less intense than theirs. Unlike his round, no one had died.
The Marowak-masked man cleared his throat loudly.
"Ahem… Ahem."
The entire room fell silent as he began to speak.
"The last round of the first game has also ended in a tie, as both teams successfully caught their Pokemon."
He paused for a moment, allowing the information to sink in.
Then, he continued, "However, Team 2 managed to catch two Pokemons. As a result, the players of team 2 will receive a special item, just as we promised."
Kay's eyes widened in shock. He wasn't alone; every player in the room shared the same stunned expression. How could they catch three Pokemons while catching even one was a challenge?
The Marowak man ignored their reactions and continued, "The special item will be revealed and distributed just before the next game."
Then, as if delivering the final verdict, he announced, "There will be no games tomorrow. The next game will be held the day after. Use this time wisely to rest and recover."
Kay took a deep breath. The leader had kept his word. Eevee was being treated, and now he had an extra day to prepare.
After finishing his announcement, the Marowak man pulled out a small remote control and pressed a button.
Above them, the large screen changed.
The bold text that had read "36/36" was now updated to "22/36."
The message was clear, out of 36 players, only 22 remained. In just one game, they had lost 14 players.
And there were still four more games left to go.
Over the next two days, two important things happened.
First, after Eevee had fully recovered, one of the guards approached Kay and handed him Eevee's Pokeball.
Kay took it carefully, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. He wanted to release Eevee immediately, but he knew it was prohibited to let Pokemons out outside of the games.
Even so, he quickly checked his Pokedex. A small smile appeared on his face when he saw that Eevee was in perfect condition. That was enough to put his mind at ease.
Kay also noticed that many of the remaining players had started forming small groups.
They gathered in hushed circles, whispering and exchanging ideas, trying to predict what the next game would be.
See you in the next chapter...
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