The score stood tied at 2-2.
Both trainers were back at their starting positions, and the first two rounds had already been thrilling. Mega Sceptile and Mega Charizard had each traded a win with Ludicolo and Scizor, leaving both sides with only one Pokémon remaining.
The match had reached its most crucial point — one final battle to decide the winner.
"Both sides have reached the deciding round. Since Edgar has already sent out Ludicolo earlier, his last Pokémon must be Politoed."
"On the other side, Jacob will most likely send out his ace, Dragapult — though Noivern is still a possibility."
"If it's Dragapult, Jacob will almost certainly take this match. Let's see how this final battle plays out."
As the announcer's voice echoed through the stadium, Edgar released his last Pokémon — also his weakest — Politoed.
On the other side, Jacob hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to send out Volcarona or play it safe with Dragapult. Before he could decide, deafening cheers rose from the crowd.
"Drakloak!"
"Drakloak!"
"Drakloak!"
...
Most of the crowd was chanting "Drakloak," with a smaller group shouting "Noivern." It was clear that in this exhibition match, the fans wanted to see Jacob's ace Pokémon — his Shiny Dragapult.
Among all of Jacob's Pokémon, Dragapult and Charizard were by far the most popular. Charizard's popularity came from its striking appearance and the buzz around its first Mega Evolution. Dragapult's popularity, on the other hand, came purely from its overwhelming strength.
Hearing the crowd's cheers, Jacob smiled. It was almost New Year, after all, and he wanted to give the fans what they wanted.
Crowd-pleasing Jacob had entered the chat.
"Go, Dragapult." Jacob smiled, drew Dragapult's Poké Ball, and threw it out.
A flash of red light later, Dragapult appeared on the field. Its golden head and ghostly, translucent body drew immediate cheers from the crowd.
Truthfully, with Dragapult's strength, dealing with the Politoed across from it would be effortless.
Watching Dragapult take the field, Edgar gave a wry smile and quietly shook his head. Sometimes, a person really has to admit their age — the younger generation was growing far too fast.
Both of his Heavenly King-Level Pokémon had just been defeated by Jacob's Quasi-Heavenly King-level Pokémon. Even accounting for Jacob's advantage from Mega Evolution, there was no denying how strong his two Pokémon truly were. Whether it was Sceptile or Charizard, their fundamentals were rock-solid — clearly among the best at their respective levels.
What surprised Edgar most, though, was that both Charizard and Sceptile still had enormous room left to grow, judging by the strength they'd already shown. Their potential looked to be Quasi-Champion-level at minimum, maybe even Champion-level. Add in Mega Evolution and an even stronger Dragapult, and once they matured further, Jacob would undoubtedly be a serious contender for the Champion title.
A future Champion!
Getting to have a 3-on-3 match against a young future Champion was an experience Edgar wouldn't forget.
...
Edgar took a deep breath and steadied himself. He knew he was almost certainly going to lose, but he still wanted to show a fighting spirit to the very end.
"Come on, Jacob — this is the final round! Politoed, use Ice Beam!"
"Dragapult, Phantom Force!"
...
The rest of the match went exactly as expected — completely one-sided. Dragapult made short work of Politoed, securing the win with ease.
After the match, Edgar walked over to Jacob. He didn't seem bothered by the loss at all, wearing a faint smile as he spoke: "Congratulations."
"Senior Edgar..." Seeing how graciously Edgar was taking the loss, Jacob held back what he'd originally planned to say and greeted him warmly instead.
"The new generation always surpasses the old. You're the most formidable young trainer I've ever faced." Edgar looked at Jacob, offering nothing but praise. "With your current strength, you could easily challenge the Gym Leader of the Imperial Capital."
He then turned to the audience and called out, "We're witnessing history in the making — the birth of the youngest Imperial Capital Gym Leader, the youngest of the Four Heavenly Kings, and the youngest Champion. Let's hear it for Jacob!"
"Congratulations — tonight's victory belongs to you."
Edgar's words carried far beyond the arena. He led the applause himself, and the whole stadium erupted into cheers.
Today's match had shown everyone just how strong Jacob had become. Even though nine months had passed since the High School Cup, his strength was clearly still climbing fast.
"Congratulations to Jacob for winning this exhibition match, and let's also give a round of applause to Edgar. The two of them gave us a fantastic battle tonight."
After the match came the live interview segment. The interviewer assigned was the match's own commentator, Eliana.
Wearing a qipao and heels, Eliana walked over to Jacob, raised her microphone, and greeted him with a professional smile: "Jacob, hello. I'm Eliana, the commentator for tonight's match. This is your first match back in your hometown of Starlight City after nine months away. How are you feeling right now?"
"Really happy. It's almost New Year, so winning tonight means a lot. I'd also like to wish everyone a Happy New Year in advance." Jacob's answer drew warm applause from the crowd.
Eliana's smile widened. "And a Happy New Year to you too, Jacob."
"Thank you."
"Next question," Eliana said, turning to face the camera. "Jacob, tonight's match makes it clear you're more than ready for the Gym Leader League — yet you still haven't entered it. A lot of your fans, myself included, are curious: when do you plan to take part?"
"Uh..." Jacob thought for a moment, then smiled. "Soon. Soon."
"Can you give us anything more specific?" Eliana asked, giving him a playful, curious look.
Jacob considered it for a second, then answered seriously: "Next year, after the New Year holidays, I might enter the Gym Leader League."
"Then we'll be looking forward to hearing good news — best of luck getting started." After a few more pleasantries, Eliana moved to her final question: "Jacob, one last question — and this one comes straight from your female fans."
At the words "female fans," Jacob already had a bad feeling about where this was going.
"You're so handsome and so accomplished — have you started dating anyone during college?" Eliana's eyes sparkled with curiosity; clearly, she was just as invested in the answer as the fans were.
Meeting her gaze, Jacob took a deep breath and said simply: "Yes."
...