All three are Pokémon that have battled before, but apparently none of them hold a grudge.
Elma was also dragged into the conversation by a few people, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the enthusiastic Liuqia and others.
"So that's how it is, Elma is a student from the Alola Region studying in the Carlos Region…"
Xiaoguang suddenly realized, then paused, "Huh?"
Something doesn't seem quite right?
Xiaogang curiously asked, "Has Elma already participated in the Lumiose Conference in the Carlos Region?"
Elma nodded, helplessly saying, "I lost in the semifinals last year, and didn't even make it past the first round of the Ever Grande Conference's championship this year."
Kid, you've still got it tough.
When the Alola League Manaro Conference begins, you'll still lose early to Guzma.
Baimu muttered inwardly, looking at Alice who was warming up nearby, "Your match is in the afternoon, right?"
"Hmph, I'm just getting ready in advance! You better wait, we might meet in the semifinals!"
Alice confidently put her hands on her hips.
Despite watching the matches of the two, she still didn't think she would lose.
Baimu nodded, "Alright, I'm waiting."
Noon.
Everyone, including Elma, had a meal together, which he surprisingly didn't refuse.
And upon learning that Mann Chong was the winner of this year's Silver Conference, Xiaogang was a former Gym Leader, and Liuqia and Xiaoguang were well-known Coordinator Trainers.
He was left utterly amazed.
"I didn't expect Baimu's companions to be so outstanding." Elma kept glancing at Mann Chong, who looked particularly frail compared to his usual demeanor and physical strength.
Didn't quite seem like a powerful trainer.
Looks can be deceiving.
Elma recalled the criticism his peach eyes attracted, and apologetically said to Mann Chong, "Sorry about that."
"…It's fine."
Mann Chong was a bit at a loss.
——
Afternoon.
Alice's match began.
Baimu deliberately brought his Altered-color Gengar to the stands to watch, "Watch carefully, you'll get another chance to compete if possible."
"Heh~"
Gengar mumbled something, its mouth full of popcorn.
Baimu: "..."
This guy, realizing he wouldn't be bullied like by Jarvis, was starting to show its true colors?
Recalling the resolute stance Gengar took in the preparation room in the morning about not wanting to compete, he couldn't help but tug at the corner of his mouth.
When it first arrived, Gengar wouldn't have dared to make demands.
…Not necessarily a bad thing either.
How could a Pokémon suppressed by its nature exhibit its full strength?
Noticing the trainer watching it, Gengar turned its head with a big smile, every tooth sticking with a piece of popcorn, looking a bit creepy.
Baimu smacked its head lightly in exasperation, "Eat properly! Don't waste food!"
"Heh!"
Gengar stuck out its long red tongue and circled it around its mouth, then gulped all the popcorn at once.
Looking at the arena, it began to adopt a more serious expression.
It knew how to separate play and seriousness.
Baimu turned back to watch, just as Alice's Haxorus knocked the opponent's Seviper out of the field with its tail, defeating the opponent cleanly.
"Seviper is unable to battle! Haxorus wins!"
The referee's voice echoed through the speaker.
Discussions erupted around them.
"It's not even a minute since the start, and she's already taken down the first one?"
"Baimu wasn't as fast as she was!"
"What are you saying! Can this person's skill compare with Elma?"
"Why not? I think he's quite strong!"
The discussion was quite clear.
He turned his head to look at Elma beside him, who was barely keeping his bitter smile from cracking, as he was being compared so unfavorably as the loser by the audience.
What kind of torture is this?
Baimu patted Elma on the shoulder as a gesture of comfort.
Alice's abilities were unquestionable, belonging to the first tier of trainers both now and in the future.
Reimagining the Pokémon World Championship's Eight Masters, she was the only one without an additional system to assist her, indicating the strength of her overall abilities.
After all, Super Evolution, Z-Move, and Gigantification were never exclusive to the Eight Masters; competing against those with systems without using any system, she rightfully earned her title as the Unova Champion.
The match below continued.
It didn't take long.
Alice successfully took down her opponent's three Pokémon, reaching the halftime break.
Baimu and others stood up, heading towards the preparation room to discuss the match process with her.
"Don't worry! I'm in great condition today!"
Alice planned to keep the momentum going, having Dragonite directly take down the remaining three of her opponent's Pokémon, finishing the match.
However.
Things didn't go as smoothly as she imagined.
In the first half, the opponent played passively, but in the second half, they changed their strategy, shifting from direct attacks to slowing down Dragonite's rhythm, constantly creating various troubles.
The Pokémon from both sides began a prolonged entanglement, neither able to overcome the other.
The originally brisk battle seemed to be stuck in the mud.
The entertainment value decreased significantly.
Many in the audience began to complain.
Baimu squinted his eyes. Based on previous experiences with Dragonite, such battling would undoubtedly drive the latter into berserk mode.
If it lost its sanity, it would be easy to seize the opportunity to counterattack.
Did Alice's opponent find out about this somehow?
He remained silent, although he believed Alice would ultimately win. The overly convoluted battle process would inevitably cast doubt on her strength.
Huh?
No berserk mode?
Baimu checked his watch; Dragonite had been entangled with the opponent for over three minutes! Yet there were no signs of it going berserk!
Has its temperament been honed?
Clap!
He instinctively clapped for Dragonite's "transformation" of character, just as the opponent found an opportunity, landing a punch into the rock field, creating a cloud of dust.
The taunt strategy aimed at Pokémon's temperament was effortlessly cracked!
"Haha, as expected of Alice!"
Baimu beamed, this girl could replace Adaike as the Unova Champion in the first year she joined Unova, she indeed had something!
There was no suspense in the subsequent match, and Alice successfully defeated her opponent.
After another match.
Ever Grande Conference Championship First Round—the quarterfinals concluded.
Tomorrow, the semifinals would unfold.
The current four contestants were two men and two women; the chance of Baimu encountering Alice was still quite high.
Night.
Everyone waited in the Pokémon Center for the announcement of the next round.
Beep!
The battle chart appeared on the big screen.
"Baimu and—oh! It's not Alice," Xiaoguang softly spoke, looking at the unfamiliar trainer beside Baimu's avatar.
Alice said, "Looks like we're destined to meet in the finals!"
"That would be perfect."
Baimu nodded calmly, noting the stark contrast between his luck and Ash Ketchum's, the latter often encountering acquaintances or formidable opponents in positions like the top 16, top 8, or top 4.
He, on the other hand, would only encounter them in the finals.
Not a bad thing.
He glanced at his opponent, a slightly dark-skinned man with a flat haircut, possibly a bit older than him, maybe in his twenties.
"Leon… this person doesn't seem to be a local trainer from the Hoenn Region."
Baimu's expression was peculiar.
Counting him, Alice, and this Leon, three of the top four in the Hoenn Region's tournament were outsiders, which was somewhat absurd.
Are the locals of Hoenn that weak?
No.
Mainly, many players from other regions have tournament experience, while local trainers from the Hoenn Region often participate in a major tournament for the first time.
There was a gap in experience between the two sides.
Not every trainer is like Shinji, who challenges other regions before returning home to Sinnoh for the tournament.
Poor Shinji didn't achieve great results even in the Sinnoh tournament, being blocked in the top eight by Ash Ketchum. Of course, even if he beat Ash, he might not have been a match for the Divine Beast Man Tobias.
Thinking this way, modern Pokémon tournaments are practically a "pond for outsiders."