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There was no opening ceremony, speeches, or elaborate buildup for the preliminary rounds of the Lily of the Valley Conference. At precisely 9:00 a.m., the computer had already randomly selected battle opponents for all Pokémon trainers.
Luther, who arrived at the nearby Battle Arena promptly to await his assignment, quickly obtained the battle schedule.
His first opponent was Haruto Kisaragi, a fifteen-year-old boy with light brown hair and a hint of youthful awkwardness from Oreburgh City.
Their battle was scheduled for just an hour later.
The battle schedules for Etorre, Ash, and Dakota were also set, but their matches were all after Luther's and were arranged for midday.
Luther had initially planned to visit the Pokémon League's information center to research Haruto's background, but, upon seeing the swarm of people inside, decided against it.
"At this stage, whether you understand or not doesn't matter. I'll settle it in an instant," Dakota declared, his attitude as straightforward and brutal as ever. Given his performance in the anime, he clearly meant what he said.
The four of them bought some snacks and entered the Competitor's Passage ahead of time, adopting an observational and learning attitude.
Mai and Candice had already gone to the stadium's seating area.
Candice had pulled strings to secure premium all-access passes to the entire tournament with excellent seats. This benefit extended to Mai and the others, who abandoned the family and friends' seats arranged by the Pokémon League in favor of sitting with Candice.
In the Competitor's Lounge, Luther observed the strength of most of the competitors in the preliminary rounds.
Maylene had been right. Although most trainers earned eight badges, they usually ended up as one-round wonders at the Lily of the Valley Conference. For many, simply making it through the first round was their only ambition.
The brutal competition format forced them to fight tooth and nail, squeezing every last second for victory and striving to showcase their skills before the cameras.
While countless Pokémon trainers set out from their hometowns, only a handful ever made it to the Conference stage.
Behind each trainer shouting desperately on the monitor, perhaps an entire town was cheering them on.
Throughout his journey, Luther had passed through many small towns. In these places, a trainer who made it to the preliminary rounds was considered an enormous honor and celebrated repeatedly.
The battles moved swiftly, some lasting six or seven minutes and others barely two or three, as Luther had anticipated.
With such a large pool of competitors, many matches were mismatches between strong and weak trainers rather than clashes between powerhouses.
Ash, munching on cookies with Marill, watched with keen interest. Etorre sighed wearily while watching, and Dakota wore an expression of disdain.
It's understandable. Dakota has always been like this. If you can't impress him, he'll never give you the time of day. Besides, this battle really does feel bland and uninspired.
Ash was completely absorbed in the battle, seeing everything through the lens of his passion. Luther was used to it by now. To spare Ash embarrassment, the three of them joined in, cheering "Encore!" whenever Ash shouted his approval.
As they watched, Luther suddenly noticed that many people around them were staring and whispering among themselves.
Several Pokémon Trainers were checking their phones. After a moment, they all leaned closer, their eyes fixed on Luther and his companions.
"That's them," one trainer announced. "Luther from Sandgem Town, Etorre from Kalos, and Ash from Pallet Town."
Seeing the trainers' complex looks, Dakota glanced up, snorted dismissively, and went back to scrolling through his forum.
Ash stood up, his curiosity piqued.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Are you three the Pokémon Trainers Cynthia has her eye on?"
"Pikachu, Marill, and Infernape. The first two haven't even evolved yet. They don't look very impressive..."
"Why would Cynthia pay special attention to them? I just don't get it."
"Is this the Marill that ate a whole dining car's worth of food? Besides eating, can it do anything else worth showing off?"
"Pikachu is kind of cute, but wouldn't it be stronger if it evolved into a Raichu? Is it not strong enough to evolve yet?"
Dakota sighed. Cynthia's simple act of sitting down in public instantly drew the attention of jealous rivals and disgruntled Pokémon trainers to Luther and his companions.
As the main tournament phase began, the competition reached its peak. No one was willing to yield to anyone else; everyone was determined to prove their superiority.
The best course of action would have been to ignore the commotion, but lacking experience in handling such situations, Ash actually tried to reason with the crowd.
"What's there to argue about? Most of you will go home and wait two years to be humiliated again for another badge. You, on the other hand, will advance to the main tournament, where the whole world will recognize you."
"Your battles will be broadcast live and replayed endlessly. Your team lineups and data will be scrutinized and mimicked by countless others, all striving to reach your level."
Dakota's words detonated the Competitor's Lounge. Though he had qualified his statement with "most," in that tense atmosphere, no one believed they were part of the "minority" he alluded to.
The words stung, but they were true nonetheless. Dakota had always been cold when speaking to strangers, especially a hostile crowd.
"What did you say? Who's going home?"
The surrounding Pokémon Trainers grew increasingly agitated.
This single-elimination format was grueling indeed. Compared to the slow death of a points-based system, direct elimination was sudden and violent.
Every trainer desperately hoped for good luck, praying to be matched against an easier opponent and advance to the next round.
Several rational Pokémon trainers positioned themselves between Luther's group and the increasingly agitated crowd.
Dakota's words shattered the fragile calm of the Competitor's Lounge, unleashing a torrent of anxiety and restlessness.
Not every trainer could remain composed and accept defeat as a sign of their own inadequacy. Most stubbornly clung to the belief that they were superior and blamed their misfortune on bad luck.
Luther understood why Dakota had said that. Seeing his friends surrounded and pointed at, he felt irritated.
In his view, rookie trainers simply lacked the qualifications to compete at this level.
This was especially true when the target of this scorn was someone he had known and worked with for quite some time.
Dakota tapped the Poké Ball, causing it to enlarge. He immediately released Darkrai.
The moment the jet-black form appeared in the Competitor's Lounge, all sound vanished, leaving only stunned faces.
Dakota surveyed the previously agitated Pokémon trainers and calmly said, "I wonder if any of you are worthy opponents. I look forward to meeting you on the battlefield."
Darkrai stood protectively before the group of four. Dakota calmly sat down and resumed browsing the forum.
Meanwhile, Luther, Ash, and Etorre repeatedly thanked the Pokémon Trainer who had helped them defuse the situation earlier. Glancing at the flickering glances around them, they sighed.
"Ash, remember this: don't argue with them. You're exceptional, and your strength lies in battle, not words. Subdue them with your prowess in battle. Arguing is just a waste of time."
""Admit it openly, Cynthia sees your potential. That's why she came to talk to you."
"No one would think a Pokémon Trainer without strength or talent could easily earn the Champion's favor, right? If they do, they're either stupid or malicious," Dakota said without looking up from his phone.
"I understand. Thank you," Ash replied gratefully.
"Sandgem Town: Luther."
"Oreburgh City: Haruto Kisaragi."
"Contestants, please prepare for battle. The match will begin in ten minutes."
The announcement echoed through the Competitor's Lounge. Luther picked up Marill, who was still nibbling on a cookie that Ash had given him. He fist-bumped Etorre, Ash, and Dakota in turn.
"Show them your strength," Dakota said.
"You got it," Luther replied with a wave as he headed toward the competitor's passageway leading to the arena.
His first battle in the tournament was about to begin.
(End of Chapter)