Pokémon: From Pirate to Just

"Aron is unable to battle, Ursaring claims victory!"

"Let's all congratulate contestant 'Ironskin' on his fourth consecutive win! The prize pool has now reached 80,000 Pokédollars, and he's also earned a special reward from our club!"

As the host's enthusiastic voice rang through the stadium, the entire arena erupted into another round of wild cheering.

Of course, some groans were mixed in, Sieg figured they probably came from those who lost their bets.

He had to admit, that match was absolutely thrilling. The Pokémon in the Intermediate Arena were generally above level 30.

Sieg's Crawdaunt and Sharpedo were in that range too, which made him especially invested in the shifts and tactics used in battle.

"But that was pretty brutal..."

Sieg sighed in amazement. That Aron had been lifted and slammed by Ursaring, then repeatedly struck with powerful Fighting-type moves.

A four-times type weakness wasn't something to take lightly.

Even Aron's steel armor had become warped and bent, clearly suffering severe damage.

"Haha, that Ursaring's not bad at all! Its offense is pretty solid. As they say, the best defense is a good offense!"

Next to Sieg, a rough-looking teenager with a Mohawk commented while watching the battle unfold.

Unlike the others who sat calmly in their seats, this guy crouched down and tossed a Pokéball in his hand. He looked exactly like some street punk.

Hearing the punk's comment, Sieg couldn't help but get a little interested.

"Offense is important," Sieg said, "but you can't ignore defense either."

But the punk seemed unconvinced and shot back immediately, "You don't get it! Offense is the best defense! All-out attack! Attack! Attack!"

He then stood up on his seat, waving his Pokéball like a maniac, shouting encouraging words toward the fighters in the arena.

Sieg had no intention of arguing with him. His own match was coming up soon, so he quietly stood up and left the stands.

The punk, however, stared at Sieg's back curiously for a moment. After some thought, he left the Intermediate Arena's stands and followed him.

He ended up at the Beginner Arena's viewing area.

"Up next, we have the newcomer 'Dusk' going up against the challenger 'Lycan'!"

Apparently, this club didn't use real names for matches. Sieg figured it was probably because people from the gray areas of society often participated. Instead, nicknames were allowed.

Sieg didn't mind that one bit. He simply picked a codename for himself. Most of the nicknames reflected the traits of a Trainer's Pokémon anyway.

Like his opponent, Lycan, whose signature Pokémon was a Mightyena.

Sieg slowly stepped into the dimly lit contestant tunnel, met by roaring cheers and blaring music.

The battle hadn't even started, yet the atmosphere alone was enough to get anyone's blood pumping, and this was just the Beginner Arena.

As Sieg glanced over the packed stands and thought about the betting odds tied to this match, a thought crossed his mind:

"No matter who wins or loses, the organizers never lose money."

Inside the corridor, Sieg casually picked up a black mask with a white smile on it, and put it on. The Battle Club didn't seem to care about the contestants' real identities. In fact, they offered a bit of protection for anonymity.

This made Sieg feel that something about this place was... off.

It had the air of operating in a legal gray zone.

"I'd like to bet 100,000 Pokédollars on myself to win," Sieg said, handing over a thick wad of Pokédollars to the staff assigned to assist contestants.

The club had special betting pools just for the Trainers themselves.

Sieg took a glance at the odds, 4 to 1.

His opponent, Lycan, had already won three matches in a row and was a bit of a known name in the Beginner Arena.

Sieg, on the other hand, was, as the host had said, a total rookie, an unknown.

The max bet for the Beginner Arena was 100,000 Pokédollars, and Sieg had already gone all in.

The staff looked at him with a bit of surprise. There weren't many newcomers this confident.

At the same time, a flicker of suspicion crossed the staffer's mind.

"Could he be trying to rig the match?"

There had been incidents in the past where two Trainers conspired, placed huge bets, and then faked a battle result to make a fortune.

Needless to say, when they were caught, they were immediately exposed and thrown out of the club.

After that, neither of them were ever seen again.

What happened to them afterwards... well, one can guess.

"Only 100k Pokédollars allowed for the beginner tier, huh? Makes sense. If some powerhouse came in and dumped millions into bets, they'd rake in a fortune."

Sieg mused to himself as he walked down the contestant tunnel, quietly cursing the organizers for leaving no loopholes to exploit.

The dim lights suddenly gave way to a blinding glare as Sieg stepped out onto the field, a massive, square-shaped battlefield stood before him.

It was a standard arena, nothing fancy. Clearly, the organizers had cut corners, unlike official League matches which featured diverse battlefield types.

No water terrain, no ice terrain, no grassy terrain, just bare stone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Lycan has won three battles in a row, and his Mightyena is still in good condition! If he wins again, he'll earn another 20,000 Pokédollars, bringing his total to 80,000, and receive a mystery gift of higher tier!"

The host's voice was laced with temptation, and the crowd erupted again in deafening cheers.

Inside a nearby machine, thick stacks of cash were already piling up. This blatant display of money and temptation clearly pushed the Trainers' fighting spirits higher.

It was also a great marketing gimmick for drawing in more spectators.

Lycan wasn't just known for defeating opponents, he injured them. His battles were brutal, bloody, and explosive.

Even more enticing was the mystery prize. These were no joke. Someone had once pulled an evolution stone from one of them!

To ensure fairness, the Club even made contestants open the gifts live on stage.

That kind of mystery and anticipation always drew people in.

Everyone loves a good pack opening.

"Lycan! Lycan! Lycan!"

"Crush your enemies!"

"Go Lycan, get that fourth win!"

Amid the thunderous chants, a tall, lean man wearing a menacing, wolf like mask, only covering the upper half of his face, stepped onto the field.

He waved at the audience confidently, his lips curling into a smug grin. He clearly loved being in the spotlight.

Sieg glanced around the stands, unsurprisingly, nearly every single person was cheering for his opponent.

"And now, let us welcome the other contestant, known as 'Dusk!' A newcomer! His registered Pokémon is the mysterious Murkrow, a rather rare Pokémon! Who will triumph in this dark-type showdown?!"

The host's tone cooled noticeably while introducing Sieg. His enthusiasm dropped, and there was even a trace of mockery in his words.

As expected, the entire crowd erupted into boos.

"So they stir up the crowd by ridiculing me? Tch... how original," Sieg muttered, feeling mildly exasperated.