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"Victory has been decided! From the distant Pallet Town — contestant Delia, using Wartortle, has achieved a beautiful win over her opponent and advances to the next round! Let's give her a big round of applause!"
"Waaaargh!"
"Thank you, everyone~ Thank you so much~!"
"War~ Wartortle~!"
With the announcer's voice echoing through the arena, Delia and Wartortle waved cheerfully to the audience, smiling brightly. Afterward, Delia returned Wartortle to its PokeBall and headed toward the tunnel leading to the waiting area, preparing to rest before her next battle.
Up in the stands, Kim — who had recognized Delia — raised an eyebrow slightly before turning to Yasha beside her.
"Yasha, I just spotted someone I know down there. I'm going to say hi — you stay here and keep watch, alright~?"
Before Yasha could even respond, Kim leapt gracefully from the wall. In midair, she released a gorgeous Togekiss, which caught her effortlessly and glided her down toward the ground, leaving Yasha staring speechlessly from the wall.
"...Heh."
Watching Kim disappear into the ancient tournament grounds below, Yasha could only give a helpless smile.
...….
A few minutes later, in the official contestants' lounge of the Whirl Cup, an excited voice echoed through the room.
"Delia! Delia~ Haha, it really is you!"
Kim ran inside with a big grin, seeing Delia seated comfortably and watching the ongoing match on the monitor.
"Eh? You're—? Gym Leader Kim! What are you doing here?!"
Hearing her name called, Delia turned around in surprise. It took her a moment to recognize the familiar face approaching her before she finally remembered.
"Hehe, why can't I be here? Of course, I came to have some fun—with my boyfriend, no less~"
Kim crossed her arms, grinning proudly.
"That sounds... so nice. I'm kind of jealous," Delia admitted with a small laugh.
"It's not that great! That idiot tricked me into coming here and then ran off on his mission, completely ignoring me. Ugh, he's so annoying... Oh right, where's your fiancé, Delia? I don't see him around. Is he in the audience?"
Kim glanced around the lounge, frowning slightly when she didn't spot Liam anywhere.
The moment Liam's name came up, Delia's lips curved into a soft smile, her eyes filled with tenderness. She turned her head slightly toward the window and spoke quietly.
"He's... doing something important. We had to part ways for a while because of it. I'm traveling on my own for now. I just happened to pass through and saw the Whirl Cup, so I thought—why not join in?"
Delia didn't go into details about Liam's mission, keeping her answer vague.
"Mhm. Don't worry, Delia! Your fiancé cares so much about you. I'm sure wherever he is, he's giving it his all. Once he finishes what he's doing, he'll definitely come find you again!"
Kim clenched her fists in encouragement, smiling brightly.
"Oh—by the way, Delia, if you've made it here, does that mean you've already been to Ecruteak City and Olivine City? They both have League Gyms — did you challenge them?"
After cheering Delia up, Kim quickly changed the subject, realizing it was best not to linger on the previous topic.
"Thank you, Gym Leader Kim. I believe in Liam. When he's done, he'll come find me right away. As for the Gyms you mentioned, hehe, take a look at this!"
Delia chuckled softly, appreciating Kim's kindness. She reached into her bag and pulled out a badge case, opening it in front of her.
Inside lay six gleaming Gym Badges, each one neatly arranged and polished to a shine.
"Wow! Six badges already? That's amazing, Delia! Come to think of it, it hasn't even been that long since you earned my Zephyr Badge! You've really made progress — I'm impressed!"
Kim stared at the badges, her expression a mix of surprise and admiration.
Embarrassed by the praise, Delia blushed slightly, sticking out her tongue playfully as she carefully returned the badge case to her bag. Just as she was about to respond, the loudspeaker in the lounge suddenly came to life.
"What a spectacular battle! Many thanks to our contestant Fongqi from the Hoenn region for that wonderful match! With this match, the first preliminary round of the Whirl Cup has officially concluded! The second round will begin this afternoon — the eight advancing trainers will face off again to determine the four who move on to tomorrow's semifinals and finals! Now, let's welcome back our eight victorious trainers to the stage!"
"Go for it, Delia! You can do this!"
Kim cheered enthusiastically, giving Delia an energetic wave.
Delia smiled warmly, nodding in thanks before hurrying out of the lounge toward the arena.
...…
Meanwhile, on Silver Rock Isle, adjacent to Red Rock Isle...
A loud sneeze suddenly echoed across the seaside cliff.
"Ah-choo! Huh? Someone must be talking about me... Weird."
Liam, dressed in a windproof cloak, sat cross-legged at the edge of the cliff, gazing out at the endless ocean. He rubbed his nose absentmindedly.
Just then, a crisp sound of footsteps approached from behind. Turning around, Liam saw a tall, striking woman standing there. Her golden hair gleamed in the sunlight, her skin slightly tanned, and she wore a form-fitting white battle uniform.
"Hmm? Harribel? What's the matter?" Liam asked, frowning slightly.
Harribel — one of Johto's Elite Four. Said to be the strongest among them, she had been assigned by the League to assist Liam in dealing with the Masked Man incident. Her station was Silver Rock Isle, acting as his direct contact and support.
To be honest, Liam was quite satisfied with his assistant. Sure, Harribel was a bit stern, her eyes sharp, her tone icy—but she was competent. Extremely competent. In the professional sense, of course.
"Champion, this is the latest intelligence report. As per your instructions, we allowed a number of suspicious individuals to move freely and tracked their activity. Most of them have now gathered on Red Rock Isle. It seems they're preparing for a large-scale operation. Should we act preemptively? Also, since the Whirl Cup is being held there, should we inform the Sea Folk first?"
Her words were brief and direct, her expression as unreadable as ever.
"I see... gathering on Red Rock Isle, huh? Looks like they're finally making their move." Liam thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Harribel, keep your position here on Silver Rock Isle. It's important — don't let anything slip. I'll handle Red Rock Isle myself."
After giving his orders, Liam patted the dust from his cloak, stood up, and took out a PokeBall.
"Let's go, Aerodactyl."
With a flash of light, Aerodactyl appeared and let out a powerful roar. Liam vaulted onto its back, and with a sweep of its massive wings, the ancient dragon soared into the skies, carrying him swiftly toward Red Rock Isle.