The Leaky Cauldron was more crowded than he had ever seen it. Wizards and witches of all ages filled every er of the inn.

  Some were crisscrossing oairs, and Magnus guessed that the aodations had to be fully booked as well.

  The voices of too many people talking all at once made it sound like the buzzing of bees.

  He momentarily paused at the entrance, ing his o get a better look at the bustling se. The usual cozy charm of the pce that he had seen in the films was still there, though it was now dulled by the stant movements as diners left seats and others rushed to take them almost immediately.

  Magnus could see the reason for the rush.

  There were too many tables as—way more than usual. He guessed they had to add seating to cater to the surge in numbers.

  'What’s got everyone so riled up?' Magnus wondered.

  Was it a holiday he didn’t know about? A special event? The thought flitted through his mind, but hunger quickly pushed it aside.

  Finally, he spotted ay stool at the far end of the ter and hurried over before someone else could cim it.

  He actually had to shoulder aside another bloke to reach it first, but he hardly stopped to apologize.

  He plopped down with a sigh of relief and waved over the guy behind the ter.

  Of course, he kom, the old barkeep.

  Magnus felt a little rude for summoning the old guy rather than heading there himself to make his order.

  Tom, however, did not appear to give him much attention.

  Magnus felt his previous sideration give way to frustration.

  Wouldn’t it have been easier if the old chap had gottera help, even just for today? Magnus thought. I mean, such a crowd could hardly be a fsh mob. Whatever the event is, it must have been something he could have foreseen.

  'At this rate, it’ll be forever before I’m served' .

  “What’ll it be, boy?”

  Magnus tur the sound of an icy voice behind him.

  It was the man he had shouldered aside.

  Magnus immediately realized he had mistaken him for a peting er.

  “Oh... sorry,” he said, a bit embarrassed, though he thought the cold tone wasn’t quite necessary.

  Everyone was in a rush here. But then, a sorry never killed anybody.

  The apology clearly smoothed things over, as was evident from the transformation on the guy’s face.

  “No, don’t mention it. Your order?” His voice was much friendlier now pared to the previous icy tohough there was still a sense ency.

  Magnus hasteo pce his order.

  “A beef and potato stew, and whatever dessert you’ve got left.”

  “That’ll be eight Sickles.”

  Magnus hesitated.

  Paying before eating wasn’t how the modern world worked, but then this wasn’t the modern world. Looking at the huge crowd, it actually seemed like a good move.

  Charging afterward would be a headache, especially with fewer attendants. He hurriedly fumbled in his pocket and handed alleon.

  The man pocketed it and handed him nine Sickles iurn.

  “ing right up,” he said with a nod before heading to the kit.

  Magnus leaned bad opened his book, flipping past the introductory pages to the chapters that really mattered:

  Battle strategies.

  The artwork was simple but engaging, with diagrams of Pokémon moves tering oppos’ attacks.

  He couldn’t help but grin as he perused it.

  The possibilities began to look endless.

  In his mind, he could already see himself with his own team. With his knowledge of both worlds, he was bound to be a formidable pyer.

  Unless... uhere were things that didn’t work the way he expected them to.

  Maybe magic had altered things.

  True enough, his fears became a reality as he kept reading.

  Apparently, in this Wizarding version of Pokémon battling, a team was made up of only two pyers.

  One was called the Hahis, as Magnus realized, was the person referred to as the Trainer in the Pokémon world. Aside from the ge of hey did almost the same thing: trolling the Pokémon and calling the attack moves.

  He hat defensive s were not part of the Handler’s role.

  They focused solely on helping the team win through vicious attacks. As for tering oppos’ attacks, that role was left for the sed pyer, referred to as the Defender.

  This was where it got iing.

  The Defender was allowed to use magic to protect their eeam from the oppo’s moves.

  However unlike in the Pokémon anime, where attacks were directed at specifiohey could just as easily target the eeam.

  Magnus immediately saw the danger in this.

  Imagine a move like Hydro Pump bsting through humans. Surely even the Ministry had to see the danger in that.

  His fears, however, abated slightly as he read on.

  All pyers were required to wear a protective, armor-like vest, which, acc to the description, was ented to repel mortal blows. Death was out of the question, though injuries, as he soon found out, were part of the game.

  He was so engrossed that he almost didn’t notice when his stew arrived, steaming hot and smelling heavenly.

  He mumbled a quick thanks to the guy, scooping up a spoonful without tearing his eyes away from the page.

  He devoured it between paragraphs.

  The chapter expined how points were rewarded.

  As he had learned earlier, each team had to have three Pokémon, making for a total of six in a match. Eaon battled an oppo’s pokemon in one round, and no Pokémon could battle in two rounds.

  There was an exception however.

  If a Pokémon was incapacitated and the team was leading, they could substitute another Pokémon, as long as that Pokémon hadn’t already won a round.

  This was due to another rule that stated no Pokémon could win more than one round per battle.

  A round sted as long as both Pokémon were standing. It ended when one was knocked out or incapacitated after a round began.

  To win a match, a team had to at least win two rounds... even then, all rounds were pyed to the end unless an oppo forfeited in which case the oppo automatically got the point .

  Magnus took another spoonful of the steaused to think about what he had just read.

  So, what happens if each team wins one point in the first two rounds, and then a Pokémos incapacitated i round? I mean, at this point no one was leading, so the rule about being allowed to substitute a Pokémon could not apply.

  Before he could ponder further, the ctter of steel on por snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked down at his pte in shock.

  it was empty.

  How...? He looked around as if expeg to see someone else lurking behind him with a spoon. Did I really finish it that fast?

  Both hunger and curiosity had worked side by side, each taking care of its need.

  Magnus stared bnkly for a minute, w if he’d been founded before relutly turning to the st part of the book.

  Almost immediately, his question was answered.

  If both teams were tied and a Pokémon was incapacitated, the team could revive it to finish the round. If they couldn’t, they forfeited the round, and the oppo won by forfeit.

  The league was made up of twenty teams, and the oh the most points after fag all other teams worophy and a prize of a huhousand pounds.

  The team that won the most trophies over three years would represent Engnd at the Iional Pokémon Magical Battle League.

  Just thinking about the huhousand pounds made Magnus dreamy. Fifty thousand pounds each—surely, that was a fortune.

  The hum of the crowd had faded into the background until a familiar voiapped Magnus out of his focus.

  “Tell you what, Lee, we will bet you two Galleons on the Manticores’ Charizard to win the first round.”

  There was a dismissive snort, followed by a voice he had e to associate with Quidditentary and ter on as the host of Potterwat the Wizarding Wireless.

  “What do you take me for? I ’t bet a Knut on the Silver Griffins, not when they have a Gyarados in the first round against a Charizard.”

  Magnus turned around slowly just to firm his guess, even though he already knew who he would see.

  And when his eyes caught the dual pair of redheads o a dreadlocked head, his guess was solidified.

  It was defihe Weasley twins and their friend, Lee Jordan.

  It was then that Magnus realized something.

  Up to now, he hadn’t actually uood which timeline he was in.

  now seeing the trio, his guess was that they were about to join third year at Hogwarts, which would mean that it would also be the year that Harry joihe school.

  As exg as this information was, it paled in parison to what he had just heard the three friends discussing.

  A live Pokémon Magical Battle?... Why, that was something he would give his st Galleon to witness.

  Now, all his attention was focused on the versation.

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