The entire stadium erupted in thunderous applause.
Wallace stood in the center of the field, under the spotlights. Like an elegant prince, he bowed deeply to the audience and the girl opposite him who had not lost heart despite her defeat.
"Next time, I will definitely beat you!"
Flannery wiped her face, unable to tell if it was rain or sweat. She shouted loudly at Wallace, then turned around and left with her head held high.
"A magnificent battle."
On the Elite seat, Drake, the Dragon-type Elite who had been silent all this time, spoke slowly, his voice aged yet powerful.
"That young girl named Flannery has a strong fighting spirit and is a good talent. As for Wallace, he has integrated the ever-changing nature of water into his very bones."
The other three Elites also nodded in succession, giving high praise.
The first match was so spectacular that everyone was full of anticipation for the upcoming duels.
Ariel withdrew his gaze. He had learned a lot from this battle.
Wallace's control over weather and rhythm had reached a level of pure perfection.
...
Lavaridge Town, Fire-type Gym.
The air was filled with a humid heat; heat waves distorted the view, making everything in the distance seem less than real.
In this sweltering heat, only the light projected by the television screen brought a touch of untimely coolness.
Former Elite Four member Mr. Moore's expression was uglier than the flames spat out by his most prized Charizard.
On the screen, his granddaughter Flannery had just finished her match. All six of her Pokémon were defeated, while her opponent Wallace still had four Water-type Pokémon capable of fighting.
"Juan!"
Mr. Moore slammed a fist onto the stone table beside him, causing a few small pebbles to roll off.
"That guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes! The apprentice he taught fights so viciously! To beat my precious granddaughter like this—next time we meet, I'll definitely settle this account with him, with interest!"
"Alright, alright, it's just children playing house, why are you getting involved?"
Katsuya, sitting to the side, slowly picked up a glass of iced tea, looking completely out of place in the environment.
"Young people, you know, winning and losing is normal. Don't be so serious."
Katsuya, also a former Elite Four member, had a style completely opposite to Mr. Moore's.
He patted Mr. Moore's shoulder hard, making a dull thud.
"Mr. Moore, stop being angry. Look quickly, the next match is that kid Ariel's."
Mr. Moore was knocked off balance by the pat and turned his head impatiently.
On the screen, the battle information had refreshed.
Ariel vs. Gym Leader Brawly!
"Huh?"
Mr. Moore's brows furrowed even deeper.
"I remember that kid Ariel mainly uses Dark-type, right? Gym Leader Brawly is the Fighting-type Gym Leader of Dewford Town. Tsk, his luck really isn't great."
Katsuya's mouth curled into an arc, as if he had discovered some interesting prey:
"Old man, dare to make a bet with me?"
"Bet on what?"
"Let's bet on whether Ariel wins or loses."
...
At the same time, inside the massive stadium of the Ever Grande Conference, the tsunami-like cheers almost threatened to blow the roof off.
In the contestant preparation area, the avatars of Ariel and Gym Leader Brawly were projected onto every giant screen, clearly displayed to the tens of thousands of spectators in the stadium.
A little girl with a cute bun hairstyle ran to Ariel's side, panting, her little face flushed red.
"Brother Ariel!"
It was Shauna, Gym Leader Brawly's younger sister.
"Brother has already gone to the waiting area, I snuck out!"
She tilted her head up, her eyes sparkling,
"You must defeat Brother!"
Ariel looked at her earnest little face, and the pre-match nervousness in his heart was diluted quite a bit by this sudden innocence.
He crouched down, reached out, and gently rubbed Shauna's head.
"I will."
He did not brush her off; his answer was simple and solemn.
A figure suddenly loomed over them. Cynthia had walked over at some point and scooped the cute little Shauna into her arms.
"Little sister, running around alone is very dangerous. Come, come to Big Sister."
Shauna blinked her innocent big eyes in Cynthia's arms, sized up the unbelievably beautiful big sister, and then said something shocking:
"Sister, you are so pretty, are you Brother Ariel's boyfriend?"
"Cough! Cough, cough..."
Even Cynthia, who was used to big scenes, was choked by this blunt, childish, straightforward question, coughing repeatedly. A rare look of embarrassment appeared on her perfect face.
"Little sister, no, you got it backwards."
"Oh..." Shauna seemed to half-understand.
Beside them, Steven, who had been watching the show, could no longer hold it in and let out an undisguised, loud laugh, drawing curious gazes from many staff members around them.
He even felt it wasn't chaotic enough, leaned over, and added fuel to the fire, winking at Ariel:
"Ariel, not bad! When did this happen? You even kept it from us?"
Ariel only felt a headache coming on, looking helplessly at Steven, who was laughing until he was bent over, and the embarrassed-looking Cynthia.
At this moment, in the VIP seats at the highest point of the stadium, in the Elite seats.
The atmosphere was completely different from the noise below.
"Ariel?"
Dark-type Elite Sidney narrowed his eyes, looking at that familiar name on the big screen.
"Isn't this my semi-underling? He's going to fight a Fighting-type Gym Leader? Isn't he done for?"
His voice carried a hint of playfulness, but also a trace of genuine concern.
Type advantage is a chasm that can determine the outcome of a match in high-level play.
"He is not your semi-underling."
An aged and steady voice interrupted him.
Elite Drake sat in the main seat, his hands folded in front of him, eyes closed as if he were asleep.
But every word he had just spoken was clearly transmitted to the ears of everyone present.
"He is my apprentice."
As soon as these words were spoken, the air seemed to solidify.
Sidney, Glacia, and Phoebe, the three Elites, all looked at Drake in unison, their expressions colorful.
Dragon-type Elite Drake, the most senior and unfathomably powerful pillar of the Hoenn League, had actually taken an apprentice?
This news was even more explosive than a Legendary Pokémon appearing at the Ever Grande Conference!
"Old fogey!"
Sidney was the first to react. He stood up directly from his seat and pointed at Drake's nose.
"You don't play fair! When did you make your move? How were you so fast!!"
"Oh my! I should have made my move faster back then!"
Sidney was so angry that he beat his chest and stamped his feet, extremely regretful.
Phoebe, sitting to the side, clapped her hands. She seemed to have an impression of a Trainer named Ariel as well.
Glacia was even more curious; it seemed she was the only one present who didn't know this Trainer named Ariel.
Seeing Glacia's confusion, Phoebe spoke up.
"Sister Glacia, I think I saw this Trainer last time at Mt. Pyre."
"Is it that time with the out-of-control Elite Four Level Banette?"
This incident was almost known by everyone.
After all, that Banette had killed too many high-level Trainers, and the losses caused to the entire Hoenn League were inestimable.
Phoebe nodded,
"He seemed to be with Steven at the time, both of them escaped from that Banette."
With these words, even Glacia, the ice beauty who was usually dignified and seemed uninterested in anything, felt a strong curiosity about Ariel.
Sidney was still complaining, complaining about Drake's lack of fair play.
Drake couldn't even be bothered to lift his eyelids, turning a deaf ear to Sidney's clamor.
He just continued calmly, in a tone of stating a fact:
"As for Ariel, a mere type disadvantage is not enough to make him lose the match."
Drake's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty and confidence.
The remaining three Elites looked at each other, seeing strong anticipation in each other's eyes.
Elite Drake's apprentice.
Facing a Fighting-type Gym Leader with a complete type advantage.
This battle seemed to be much more interesting than imagined.
***************************
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