The preliminaries had ended, and as soon as Eddie left the venue, he found himself surrounded by countless reporters.
This time, Eddie decided not to use Teleport to escape. He planned to answer the reporters' questions. The conference had already begun, so there was no need to hide anything anymore. Avoiding them now would be inconsistent with the confident image he had just displayed at the venue.
However, some of the reporters' questions were too trivial, or even downright stupid, which made Eddie respond with growing impatience. At the same time, he began to understand why celebrities often complained that reporters could be so annoying.
"Hmm? That's quite a boring question. If not to win, why would anyone come here to compete? Do you think I'm here for a picnic or vacation?"
Though, to be honest, Eddie did feel fairly relaxed during these battles, even if his body and mind felt slightly strained.
This was what Eddie thought privately. He felt this kind of "relaxation" might be a bit excessive.
"Lose? There are certainly people stronger than me in the world, but at this Quartz Conference, I'm afraid there aren't many trainers who can match me. Perhaps you should be asking me how I could possibly lose?"
"What do I think of Ash, Gary, and Green, who are also trainers from Pallet Town? They are indeed opponents I recognize, but recognition only means I'll fight them with everything I have. As for winning or losing, you should ask them directly what they think their chances are against me."
"Why did Moltres bring me here? Whether the Pokémon League Champion has already been decided? After seeing my strength, you still have such ridiculous thoughts? Listen, I think your colleague here is hopelessly foolish. You'd better leave now. I have no interest in answering questions from a reporter who threw away his brain just to get sensational news."
"As for Moltres, I once saved it, and it gave me a ride simply to repay that kindness."
Faced with these absurd questions, Eddie responded with blunt, straightforward words. In the process, he managed to get rid of one particularly dim-witted individual.
Word later spread that this particular reporter was fired when he returned to his news agency. Apparently, they agreed with Eddie's assessment. While exaggerating facts for news stories was normal, they felt that someone who abandoned all common sense for sensational headlines had no place in their company.
Of course, these were all later developments. Either way, Eddie couldn't care less about what happened to that reporter.
After leaving behind a series of extremely confident, almost arrogant statements and providing these reporters with plenty of news material, Eddie was finally able to leave.
As for whether his words would anger certain people, Eddie figured that if they were angry, they could come challenge him. If they won, then they could be just as arrogant.
In the Pokémon world, strength couldn't determine everything, but it could determine many, many things.
Eddie had kept a low profile before, but after defeating Team Rocket, he no longer needed to hide his abilities.
He would show his strongest side and let everyone know what the consequences would be if they provoked him.
As for how the Elite Four or the Masked Man would react when they saw him acting like this, Eddie didn't care. They would inevitably become his enemies anyway. It would be even better if they underestimated him because of his apparent arrogance.
As Eddie walked along, he subconsciously headed in the direction of the Alliance Hotel, but fortunately caught himself in time.
Touching the three or four room keys in his pocket, Eddie selected the one for his actual room and headed there instead.
When he opened the door to his room, he found that Green had arrived before him.
"By the way, don't you have your own room? Shouldn't you be resting and preparing for your battles?"
Looking at Green acting as if this were her room, Eddie couldn't help but feel his eye twitch.
"I can get the best rest here with you. Or are you actually tired of me already, dear, and planning to kick me out now?"
Green responded to Eddie with her usual playful smile.
Eddie found it difficult to predict what this clever person, whose acting skills exceeded even his own, might do next. He could only shake his head helplessly, silently accepting the situation.
"Green, you should plan your next moves. I'm going to take a shower and rest for a while. An actual rest. From your expression, I can tell you're thinking something inappropriate again, you little troublemaker."
"Hehe, I'm a little troublemaker, dear. Don't you like me that way? You really say one thing and mean another."
Looking at Green's flushed face but mocking expression, Eddie said nothing and went into the bathroom to shower.
When he emerged from the bathroom, he found that Green had already fallen asleep. It seemed Eddie wasn't the only one who was exhausted.
Well, tired in every sense of the word.
Eddie quietly lay down beside Green without doing anything else. He stretched out one arm, pulled her into his embrace, and fell asleep together with her.
Several hours later, Eddie and Green opened their eyes drowsily. Seeing that it was nearly dark outside, they left the hotel and headed to a famous restaurant for dinner.
On the way, they encountered Ash and Gary, who appeared to be arguing again. Eddie couldn't help but smile and invited them to have dinner at the restaurant together.
However, when the four of them walked into the famous restaurant together, the restaurant owner could barely contain his excitement.
After all, the appearance of renowned trainers like Eddie and the others was a tremendous honor for the restaurant owner. He could take photos and get autographs. If Eddie and the others became Gym Leaders or Elite four in the future, these photos and signatures could be considered treasures and displayed on the wall of fame.
With the warm hospitality of the restaurant staff and owner, Eddie and the others sat at a table in a prime location.
"So, when you answered those reporters' questions earlier, you sounded pretty arrogant, Eddie. It's fine to be confident, but don't underestimate us."
As soon as they sat down, Ash spoke first. When those reporters had interviewed Eddie, it was broadcast live, and Eddie's responses were displayed directly to everyone watching on screens.
Ash and Gary had naturally watched the replays after their own matches and knew exactly how Eddie had responded to the reporters.
"Hmph, Ash, in this world, it's normal for powerful people to be a little bold. You could respond to reporters the same way Eddie did. After all, you have the ability to back it up."
Compared to Ash's excitement, Gary remained very calm. Although he also felt Eddie's words were somewhat arrogant, as Eddie had said, the strong could afford to be willful.
Besides, he and Ash possessed similar abilities. However, Gary was more calm and composed, so he normally wouldn't say such things. While Ash was more passionate and might say the same things as Eddie, he would get nervous in front of reporters and couldn't speak that confidently in such situations.
"Haha, Ash, with our strength, it's okay to be a little arrogant. Anyway, as long as we keep winning, these so-called arrogant words will only make others think we're just being appropriately confident."
"But I'm not wrong, am I? We're all strong, but if we actually fought, you know who would have the better chance of winning."
"Hmph! Win rate doesn't mean everything. I'll do my absolute best to defeat you!"
Eddie smiled calmly while Ash responded without backing down.
However, they weren't children anymore. The strongest competitor at this Quartz Conference was Eddie, followed by Ash and Gary, with Green coming in last.
Green didn't particularly care whether she won the Pokémon League Championship or not. She had come here to participate in the competition for various reasons, so she didn't say much. She simply watched Eddie and the others debate with an amused smile.
However, although it seemed like an argument, they were actually just chatting casually. After all, everyone understood each other's strength quite well.
In this way, everyone chatted and laughed. After finishing dinner, they returned to their respective rooms to rest.
Of course, Green stated openly that her room was right next to Eddie's room, so it was only natural for her to accompany him back.
As for what Green said, it didn't really matter whether Ash and Gary believed it or not.