"Hello~ kid, this is the registration hall for competitors,"
the bright, youthful female staff member with a work badge on her chest said with a smile as she walked over.
"The spectator entrance and ticket hall are next door. Did you walk into the wrong place?"
Holding Pikachu in his arms, Ash hadn't even had time to look for a staff member to ask about registration before being stopped.
"Hello, miss," Ash replied politely.
"I'm here to compete. This Pikachu is my Pokémon, and I'm also a League-registered Trainer."
"Really?"
The staff member looked surprised.
Ash didn't bother explaining further and instead asked directly,
"Miss, this is my first time at a City Battle Arena. Do I need to register first?"
"Oh—!"
The staff member snapped back to attention.
"Sorry, kid, I spaced out for a moment."
"Registration, right? Come with me—big sister will take you there."
She led Ash over to the registration counter.
Since there was no one ahead of him, Ash was processed immediately.
"Hello, please present your Trainer ID,"
said the clerk behind the counter—another cheerful, attractive young woman.
Seeing that Ash wasn't even tall enough to reach the counter—having to tiptoe to talk—while she herself had to half-stand just to see him, the clerk's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
The staff member who had guided Ash over didn't leave either. Seeing the scene unfold, she found it oddly amusing.
"Hey kid, let me hold you," she said, stepping forward and lifting Ash up so he could see over the counter.
Pikachu was being held by Ash.
Ash was being held by the staff member.
The girl's face lit up with excitement.
Ash, on the other hand, felt a bit helpless.
Being young definitely had its advantages—but situations like this were… undeniably awkward.
Eat well, exercise more, and grow up faster, he reminded himself silently.
Inside this six-year-old body lived the soul of an adult.
Ash had to admit—being held by a pretty big sister was comfortable.
But compared to being hugged, he much preferred independence.
He handed over his Trainer ID.
After the Pokémon Summer Camp ended, the League had mailed him his official ID—a card similar in size to an ID from his previous life, complete with a chip and magnetic strip.
Once he officially set out at age ten and received a Pokédex, the Trainer ID could be inserted into it, integrating all Trainer identification functions.
Name: Ash Ketchum
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: May 22, XXXX
Registered Address: Pallet Town, Viridian City, Southern Kanto
Trainer ID Number: ×××××××
"Ah!! You're Ash!!"
The moment the card was scanned and the information appeared, the clerk cried out in shock.
"Uh—"
Ash blinked, a little embarrassed by the sudden reaction.
"Then… Ash, can you take off your mask and hat?" the clerk asked eagerly.
"Oh, sure."
Ash thought she was just verifying his identity—
But what happened next left him completely speechless.
"Click!!"
The clerk whipped out her phone, switched to the rear camera, and—eyes blazing with excitement—snapped five photos in rapid succession of Ash's cute, handsome face.
"Miss, that's enough," Ash said helplessly.
"Please hurry up and finish my registration. I want to get to my match soon."
"Hey! You're going too far!"
The staff member holding Ash snapped angrily.
"This is work time! Hurry up and register Ash properly!"
"And don't forget to send me those photos you just took—
or I'll report you to the supervisor for slacking off during work hours!"
Ash: ( -_- )
"Hehe…"
…
"Alright, Ash," the clerk finally said with a grin.
"I've finished your registration."
"This semi-transparent crystal card is your City Battle Arena ID. It's valid in all City Battle Arenas worldwide, and it also functions as a special global Arena bank card."
"Whenever you register for matches, you'll present this card. Any prize money you earn from battles will be transferred directly onto it."
"You can withdraw money from any bank counter or ATM, but this card can only withdraw funds, not deposit them. All money on it must come from City Battle Arena matches."
"One more important thing," she added playfully.
"The City Battle Arena's official website has a marketplace section. Only registered Arena Trainers can buy items there—and purchases can only be made using prize money earned from Arena matches."
"So unless you really need it, try not to withdraw your winnings for other uses. Once you take the money out, it 'devalues'—and you can never deposit it back again~"
"I see…"
Ash nodded.
He already knew most of this before coming. He'd browsed the Arena's online marketplace before—
from ordinary Pokémon food to extremely rare, almost priceless Pokémon items, everything was available there, and often at excellent prices.
Just as the clerk said—
If a Trainer competed in the Arena to train Pokémon, not to improve personal living standards, then withdrawing the money was usually a bad idea.
"Ash, which type of match would you like to register for?" the clerk asked.
"Random Match or Ranked Ladder?"
"Ranked matches give better rewards," she explained,
"but since this is your first time here, I recommend starting with Random Matches to get familiar with the Arena."
"Alright," Ash replied easily.
"Please sign me up for Random Matches."
"Okay~!"
The clerk beamed, clearly pleased that Ash had accepted her advice.
"Then which format do you want?" she continued.
"1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 6v6, or Double Battles?"
Before Ash could answer—
"Hey! Stop rambling and wasting our Ash's precious time!"
the staff member holding him cut in.
"You just want to chat with Ash and get his attention, don't you?"
"I can see right through your little tricks."
"Ash came here alone today—of course he's doing Singles.
And since it's his first time, obviously he's starting with 1v1."
"Right, Ash?" she added sweetly.
Ash smiled.
"Yes. 1v1 it is."
His first battle in the City Battle Arena—
was about to begin.
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T/N:
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