Chapter 198: Lily

After securing victory in the third round of battles, Ron walked out of the battlefield, only to be immediately surrounded by reporters as usual.

Perhaps due to being intimidated by Ron the last time, the first reporter who had initially interviewed him never showed up again.

After casually dealing with a few questions, Ron left without hesitation.

Since he had built up a persona of being aloof, acting overly enthusiastic would only make people feel surprised.

Upon returning to the Pokémon Center, he took a short break before going online to check just how much his popularity had soared.

During his first match, although many were cheering for him, only about half of the audience supported him.

By the second match, the number had increased to nearly two-thirds.

For this match, Ron was astonished to find that almost the entire audience was chanting his name.

This piqued his curiosity, making him eager to find out just how popular he had become.

To his surprise, in a very short time, his fan club had developed into an organized group, recruiting members through chat apps, even implementing an entry exam.

They had even set up a website dedicated to Ron, where various pieces of information about him were posted.

At the top of the page was a section dedicated to Ron's Pokémon.

No one knew how they had managed to gather such detailed information, but even Larvitar had been identified—only Gastly remained undiscovered, still shrouded in secrecy.

Under each Pokémon, there was a description, and they had even labeled Larvitar as the "team mascot."

Ron wondered whether Larvitar could still hold onto this title once it evolved into Tyranitar.

Finding all this information amusing, Ron continued browsing leisurely.

Among the various posts about him, the most popular ones were those related to his battles. However, one particular post caught his attention—a public challenge directed at him.

Judging from the challenger's profile picture, it was a young woman, with a majority of her supporters being male.

Following the name, Ron quickly identified her among the tournament participants.

Her name was Lily, and she hailed from Maiden Town.

Despite her gentle-sounding name and youthful appearance, she was actually a fierce Fighting-type specialist, known for her remarkable battle prowess. She also had an "astonishing pair of weapons," perfectly embodying the term "baby-faced yet voluptuous."

This was precisely why she had garnered so many male fans.

Upon reviewing Lily's Pokémon lineup, Ron discovered that she was also an High Elite trainer. In her first-round match, she achieved a clean sweep, taking down all three of her opponent's Pokémon with just one of her own.

In the second round, much like Ron, she only needed two Pokémon to secure victory.

After memorizing her commonly used Pokémon, Ron headed straight for the training room.

There was still some time before the fourth round, and there was no guarantee they would even face each other, so he didn't need to focus too much attention on her just yet.

That afternoon, while Ron was immersed in training, the male audience in the battle arena grew increasingly excited.

Lily emerged from the contestant tunnel, wearing shorts and a cropped T-shirt that accentuated her flawless figure.

Her pure, innocent-looking face made her all the more captivating.

As the referee announced the start of the battle, Lily released her first Pokémon—Infernape.

"Go, Infernape! Charge in and use Close Combat!"

The moment the battle commenced, Lily's demeanor transformed. She radiated an intense fighting spirit, completely contradicting her sweet and delicate appearance.

Sensing its trainer's battle fervor, Infernape became equally fired up, swinging its fists as it charged at its opponent.

Despite the overwhelmingly one-sided cheers from the audience, Lily's opponent, Rio, remained unfazed. As a trainer of comparable strength, he calmly commanded his Pokémon to counterattack.

The match dragged on for five full rounds. By the sixth round, both trainers were down to their last Pokémon.

Rio sent out his Grass/Poison-type Venusaur, while Lily's final Pokémon was her Fighting-type Machamp.

Interestingly, her Machamp was female.

In the end, thanks to its Guts ability, Machamp persevered until the very last moment, securing Lily's victory in the third round.

After stepping out of the battlefield, Lily was asked who she most wanted to battle next. Without hesitation, she named Ron.

Her previous public challenge to Ron was soon unearthed, sparking widespread discussion. Whether they were spectators at the Indigo Plateau or viewers watching the tournament on TV and online, everyone began eagerly anticipating a potential showdown between Ron and Lily in the fourth round.

Back in Pallet Town, at Professor Oak's laboratory, Ash and Gary were deep in discussion about the possible outcome if Ron and Lily were to face off.

For once, Ash and Gary shared the same opinion.

Though Lily had proven herself to be a formidable opponent, both Ash and Gary believed Ron was the stronger trainer.

"Grandpa, do you think big bro Ron can win the Indigo League Championship?"

Now that he and Ash finally agreed on something, Gary suddenly felt unfulfilled and turned to ask Professor Oak.

Before they parted ways, Gary had already been confident in Ron's abilities. Now, after reading online discussions, he was even more convinced that Ron had a strong chance of winning the championship. However, what he really wanted to know was his grandfather's judgment.

"Hmm, how should I put this… If nothing unexpected happens, Ron's chances of winning are quite high."

"Of course, that is… assuming there aren't any 'little troubles' along the way."

After a brief moment of thought, Professor Oak slowly responded to Gary.

"What kind of 'little troubles' are you talking about, Professor Oak?"

Hearing those words, Ash couldn't help but ask.

"That… is something I can't say. Best not to say."

Faced with the still-young Ash and Gary, Professor Oak chose not to reveal matters that were too dark or complicated.

"Come on, Professor Oak, just tell me! Don't you want to see Ron win the championship?"

"Yeah, Grandpa! Just tell us! If not, you should at least tell Ron directly!"

"Alright, alright, you two little rascals, don't worry. Ron knows what he's doing."

Having weathered countless storms in his lifetime, even Professor Oak couldn't withstand Ash and Gary's persistent pleading. He finally relented, speaking with a slightly helpless yet indulgent tone.

Meanwhile, the Indigo Plateau was growing more crowded with visitors.

Among them, two stood out with their striking hair colors—one with fiery red hair and the other with vibrant yellow.

The remaining visitors quietly checked into their hotels, resting in their rooms without paying any attention to the ongoing Indigo League tournament.

At the same time, an unknown trainer stood inside the Pokémon Center, silently receiving six new Pokémon to replenish his team.

As the Indigo League progressed, more and more people gathered at the Indigo Plateau, all preparing for their final moves.

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