He'd been around the region at least twice now. He had seen and done just about everything there was to see and do in Kanto. So, Isaac supposed, as he walked into Viridian City that day, the only thing left to do was try at the Championship, and then get the hell out of Kanto. Really, he was only doing this to say that he had, another feather for his cap. The boy couldn't imagine winning the whole thing and unseating Lance. It'd be the worst possible fate he could think of, full of being shunted between exhibition matches and representing the Indigo League in official events, just waiting for some random off the street to come and unseat him. Being able to move to Johto, where the air was cleaner and he didn't have to worry about being blindsided by sentient toxic ooze or balls of poisonous gas, was a slight consolation. The two regions shared a league, no reason he couldn't avoid the Kanto half of it until he was dragged back to the Indigo Plateau again. Regardless, it was a boring existence he certainly didn't want for himself.
He would be trying his hardest to win it nonetheless, however. He had earned the respect of his Pokemon through hard work and dedication, and he wasn't about to shirk the league tournament just because he didn't want the prize. The Pokemon that had brought him all this way at least deserved the glory of giving it their all among the best and brightest Trainers the region had to offer, and if they didn't make it all the way, it would be because they'd been beaten fairly by a superior team, not because their own Trainer decided not to give it his all. So, he steeled his nerves, marched into the local Pokemon Center, and filled out all the necessary paperwork.
"I know you guys won't let me down," he said, with a small smile, turning to the Pokemon next to him. Like many trainers, Isaac often walked with his Pokemon. Usually, as it was currently, the Pokemon was his Starter, the Charmeleon Joseph. His first and most loyal Pokemon, though its sense of pride prevented it from evolving to its final form, and thus limited its overall strength compared to the fully evolved members of Isaac's roster. "I doubt you could if you tried." They'd made it so far, after all. Collecting all eight Gym Badges was no small thing in itself.
Not waiting to hold up the line, and not presently needing the center's services, Isaac stepped out of the building, his Charmeleon following behind him. He dodged around a girl and her Arcanine - Thomas would be the obvious answer to that, if he faced it in the tournament, though Marshall and Alfred could also do serious damage to a Fire Type; Isaac was in the big leagues now, he needed to plan ahead accordingly. The more he could dominate the field of battle, the better. For now, he took a seat on a nearby bench, and studied the people and Pokemon around him. He suspected that that was what everyone else would be doing. After all, everyone here was a potential opponent.
