"By the way, Eichi, you probably know what those electronic screens in the Pokémon Center are for, right?" Ryuichi asked.
"Mhm, I know. They announce tournament opponents and broadcast the matches," Eichi replied.
"Since you already know, I won't bother explaining it then," Ryuichi said.
Ryuichi led Eichi to the Athletes' Village. They passed through a massive stone gate into an area filled with greenery, with lush lawns covering the surrounding ground. Only a five-meter-wide dirt path in the center remained clear of grass. Rows of small houses were built on both sides of the path, looking quite similar to houses seen on Japanese television. Each apartment could accommodate four participants.
Eichi took out his magnetic card, which had his room assignment written on it. Every apartment building had a number on the outside. Eichi's was S2—3, and he quickly located his building.
He opened the door and stepped inside. The first floor was a lobby, while the rooms were on the second floor. Eichi and Ryuichi went upstairs, where there were only four rooms. Eichi found his room and swiped his magnetic card against the sensor. With a beep, the door opened.
Looking inside, a bed stood across from the door. He could see a bathroom, a desk, two chairs, and a television. It felt just like checking into a hotel in his previous life; it was small but had everything one might need.
Ryuichi plopped down on the bed. "No need to look around; every room here is exactly the same," he said.
Eichi inspected every corner. It wasn't bad.
"Eichi, come on, let's go out for a stroll. We might even run into a few friends," Ryuichi said, suddenly standing up.
Eichi thought about it for a moment. Staying in the room was indeed boring, so going for a walk sounded like a good idea. The two went downstairs and wandered around the vicinity. This was the Athletes' Village, and since the opening ceremony was tomorrow, almost all the participants had arrived at the Indigo Plateau today. Aside from those who couldn't make it for some reason, nearly every trainer was currently in the village.
As they walked along the path, they noticed that every apartment was surrounded by colorful, beautiful flowers and plants. The scenery alone made the trip worthwhile. Other people were out on the road as well, and some would occasionally run into acquaintances, stopping to gather and chat to relax. After all, the competition started tomorrow. No one knew how far they would make it, and the pressure was beginning to mount.
As they were walking, a person suddenly passed by them. This man had brown hair, a burly build, and was dressed very simply. Logically, someone like this should have been easy to overlook, but after the man brushed past them, Eichi turned his head to glance back at him. Eichi didn't know why, but this person gave him a strange feeling—he wasn't as simple as he looked.
"Eichi, what's wrong?" Ryuichi asked, a bit confused. He turned to look at the man and asked, "That guy looks pretty ordinary, what's there to see?"
Eichi snapped out of it. "It's nothing," he replied.
Eichi turned back and continued walking. After a full lap, he did encounter several people he had met during his journey, but they weren't participants; they had just come to watch the matches. He recognized two of them, but they weren't very close, so they parted ways after a brief chat.
Next, Ryuichi and Eichi went to the market area. It was bustling with people coming and going. Eichi looked at the snack stalls along the street, the aromas wafting toward them. It smelled delicious, and he felt like getting something to eat.
"It's really lively here! It only gets this crowded during the Indigo League," Ryuichi remarked.
Eichi didn't hear Ryuichi's words. Instead, he walked to a snack stall and ordered some food. Seeing this, Ryuichi ran over and ordered a portion for himself as well. It turned out he was just as much of a foodie as Eichi.
As they walked, they suddenly noticed a commotion up ahead. The angry voice of a man rang out.
"Don't you have eyes when you walk, you brat? These clothes are very expensive! You've completely ruined them!"
Then, the aggrieved voice of a young girl followed. "I didn't! You were clearly the one who bumped into me!"
A crowd had gathered in front of them. Eichi and Ryuichi glanced at each other.
"Come on, let's go check it out," Ryuichi said decisively.
Eichi nodded; he was thinking the same thing. The two quickened their pace and ran over. Eichi secretly mobilized his Bug Force, using it to nudge people aside and create a gap. Those in front only felt as if someone was pushing them to the side before turning to see Eichi and Ryuichi.
The two squeezed in easily. Looking at the center of the crowd, they saw an eighteen-year-old man with gray hair, a hooked nose, small eyes, and glasses. A blob of ice cream was splattered across the white suit he was wearing.
The man with glasses screamed at the little girl, "Do you have any idea how much this suit costs? Pay up right now!"
"No! You were the one who bumped into me!" the girl replied, her eyes red as she stared at the man stubbornly.
Eichi already had a clear idea of what was happening. It was basically a situation where the girl had bumped into the man, causing the ice cream in her hand to splatter on his clothes. The man wanted compensation, but the girl insisted he was the one who ran into her. As for who was telling the truth, Eichi was inclined to believe the girl.
It wasn't because she was the weaker party, but because Eichi's amazing observational skills noticed that while the man seemed dominant on the surface, his eyes were darting around the surroundings. Furthermore, his tone was a bit anxious. Conversely, the girl's eyes were fixed on the man, and anyone could hear the genuine grievance in her voice.
Ryuichi was also observing and likely sensed the same thing. Just as he was about to step out, someone else beat him to it.
A girl walked out and said to the man, "Hey, aren't you going too far? She's just a child."
Eichi and Ryuichi looked at each other. They happened to know this person—it was Mumu!
Seeing someone stand up for the child, the man became a bit defensive. "Little girl, do you even know what happened? She bumped into me and splattered ice cream on me. Is it too much to ask for compensation?"
With red eyes and a miserable expression, the little girl tugged at Mumu's sleeve. "Big sister, he was the one who bumped into me," she said, looking like she was about to burst into tears.
At this point, Ryuichi stepped out directly, and Eichi followed. Although Ryuichi was only fourteen, he was quite tall, around 165cm, while Eichi had been growing rapidly lately and was now 160cm. The man with glasses was only about 168cm at most, so he wasn't very tall either.
When the two of them stepped forward, they were quite imposing. Eichi's presence in particular was very powerful; one look was enough to tell he was no ordinary person. The crowd's attention was immediately drawn to them.
Mumu was delighted to see Eichi and Ryuichi. At the same time, she felt a wave of relief, feeling much more secure now that they were there.
"Eichi! Ryuichi!"