Since it was still early, the two didn't rest at the hotel. Instead, they decided to check out the venue first to get familiar with the situation ahead of time.
This tournament was divided into preliminaries and the main competition. Participants needed to compete in the preliminaries tomorrow, passing through three rounds to determine the 64 contestants for the main event. From there, they would go through several elimination rounds to decide the final winner.
This rule didn't sound any different from the Indigo Conference.
However, because there was no badge requirement, the number of people who signed up was surprisingly high, even though it was just a local tournament held solely on the Whirl Islands!
Just now, when Natsui was in line, there were already fifty or sixty trainers ahead of him. It wasn't just local trainers from the Whirl Islands participating enthusiastically; people from farther away had also come after hearing the news, showing just how popular the event was.
But precisely because no badges were needed and anyone could join just by signing up, the skill level of the trainers in this cup was uneven, to say the least. In terms of age, there was everyone from men in their sixties and seventies down to seven or eight-year-old kids!
For these people, what result they achieved wasn't important; what mattered was participating!
Besides, what if they won?
Wouldn't they become famous overnight?
The two followed the street toward the venue.
This time, the preliminaries would be held simultaneously in sixteen arenas. After registering, Natsui had been informed that he was assigned to Arena F.
He also received a map to prevent trainers from getting lost. It clearly marked the location of each venue, which was a very thoughtful touch.
When they arrived at the venue area, before Natsui could find his arena, he suddenly heard someone call their names.
"Natsui! Miss Erika!"
Turning around, they saw Ash and the others at the entrance of the arena!
At that moment, Ash, Misty, and Brock were waving at him and Erika while eating popsicles.
Those guys had sharp eyes. Almost every time they met, they were the ones who spotted him first!
Walking closer, Natsui laughed as he looked at them. "I knew it! You guys definitely wouldn't miss a competition like this! I was sure you'd come!"
Speaking of which, Natsui felt a bit emotional.
The last time they parted, they all had a feeling they would meet again in the near future, but he hadn't expected it to be this soon!
It was as if Ash were the chosen one of this world; perhaps it was fated that wherever there was excitement, Ash would be there.
After they greeted each other, Natsui turned to look at Misty.
"Did you sign up too?"
"Of course!" Misty puffed out her small chest. "I'm a Water Pokémon trainer! How could I miss something like this?"
Then, Misty suddenly remembered something and quickly asked, "By the way, Natsui, which arena were you assigned to?"
"Arena F."
"That's great! We avoided each other!" Misty patted her chest, looking happy.
Although she was a Gym Leader whose goal was to become an outstanding Water Pokémon trainer, she was self-aware enough to know she definitely couldn't beat Natsui.
Before seeing Natsui, Misty had wanted to compete with Ash to see who could win the championship. But now that she saw Natsui, she almost immediately changed her goal.
Well... being the runner-up is pretty good too!
Seeing his relieved expression, Natsui chuckled. "Don't worry, there are so many people registered in this league that the chances of us facing each other in the preliminaries are slim."
Just as Natsui said, if it took three matches to determine 64 contestants, it meant the number of participants had clearly surpassed five hundred!
That was a lot, almost on the same scale as the Indigo Conference!
And to run into each other in the preliminaries with so many people was definitely a low-probability event.
However, Ash had a different opinion on the matter. He shot Misty a disdainful glance. "Misty, you have no ambition! How can you give up so easily?"
After saying that, he turned to Natsui, clenched his fists, and his fighting spirit seemed to be burning brightly.
"Natsui! It doesn't matter where we meet, whether it's the preliminaries or the main event, my goal is to defeat you and win the championship!"
"Oh? That's some spirit!" Seeing Ash like this, Natsui laughed. "Then I'll be looking forward to it!"
...
In the afternoon, Natsui treated everyone to a delicious seafood feast at a nearby restaurant.
It had to be said that Ash and Misty were lucky to have snagged beds at the Pokémon Center. Although it was crowded and chaotic there, they could receive all sorts of information, get the latest updates, and adjust their lineups accordingly.
Compared to them, although Natsui's accommodations were more comfortable, he felt less involved.
After a satisfying meal, they said goodbye to Ash and his friends. When Natsui and Erika returned to the hotel that evening, the atmosphere became strange again.
The suite had two bedrooms and a living room and was very luxuriously decorated, so there were no privacy concerns. However, since there was only one bathroom, the two had to take turns showering, and this hazy feeling was just like living with someone of the opposite sex!
Natsui gallantly offered the master bedroom to Erika. After a few failed attempts to refuse, she had no choice but to take it.
Perhaps realizing the atmosphere was too ambiguous, her face flushed slightly, and she didn't say a word the whole time. After being the first to shower, she returned to her room early.
The used bathroom was filled with steam. When Natsui entered, he could almost still sense Erika's presence.
He also felt that the relationship between them had changed, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.
After his shower, he lay in bed, his mind completely focused on tomorrow's matches, and drifted off to sleep before he knew it.
The night passed without incident, and without a night raid.
At eight in the morning, after breakfast, Natsui and Erika arrived early at the preliminary venue and met up with Ash and the others.
The audience had already taken their seats, and the surrounding stands were full. Even though it was just the preliminaries, because it was only held once every three years, it was still incredibly lively.
Erika and Brock sat in the audience. One was a Grass-type expert, the other a Rock- and Ground-type expert, so they had nothing to do with this competition and could only act as cheerleaders.
Ceremonial cannons boomed in the sky, creating a festive but chaotic scene.
Natsui and the other two went through the contestant channel and waited in the lounge, watching the tournament's opening ceremony on a TV screen.
As time ticked by and nine o'clock approached, it meant the preliminaries were about to officially begin.
Inside the lounge, when the announcement for the contestants came on, Natsui, Ash, and Misty stacked their hands together and raised them high.
"Let's do our best!"
As they lowered their arms, the three of them chuckled lightly and then headed to their respective arenas.
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