As usual, the battle ended with Dragon Tail. Despite being an official match, the outcome was unsurprising. While the opponent was strong, they still couldn't match Gabriel. Under Dratini's precise moves, the battle concluded quickly as the opponent was knocked out by Dragon Tail, losing their ability to fight.
"Unbelievable… so this is the strength of a seeded contender?"
The opposing trainer was clearly stunned. Throughout the match, Dratini had moved effortlessly, making it evident that it hadn't even used its full power.
"Well, I guess it wasn't too bad. Your Pokémon is strong too!"
Since the opponent was being so sportsmanlike, Gabriel didn't mind giving them some praise in return.
"Th-thank you."
Pokémon?
Just as the opponent was still puzzling over the unfamiliar term, the referee interrupted their conversation.
"Alright, Dratini wins! Contestant #666 advances to the next round!"
Gabriel left the battlefield with Dratini. The next match was scheduled for the afternoon, but the moment they stepped out of the arena, a swarm of reporters surrounded them.
"Contestant Gabriel! How did you train your Dratini?"
"I'd like to ask—how does it feel to be selected as a seeded contender? What are your thoughts on the other seeded contestants?"
A beautiful female reporter pushed her way to the front, brandishing her business card.
"I represent our newspaper, and we'd love to arrange an exclusive interview with you, Mr. Gabriel. If you have time, please call this number. We're available anytime—even in the evening."
The overwhelming enthusiasm of the reporters startled Gabriel. Were journalists always this intense?
Looking down at the business card in their hand, Gabriel hesitated. After all, they were still just a kid. Would something like this even get approved?
Just as they were still contemplating, a familiar figure outside the crowd caught their attention—Elle. The sight of a familiar face instantly sobered Gabriel up. With acquaintances watching, maybe keeping the business card wasn't the best idea.
Slipping the card into their pocket, Gabriel struggled to break free from the swarm of reporters.
Once they finally managed to shake off the journalists, they turned to greet Elle.
"What are you doing here? You didn't even tell me you were coming—I nearly jumped out of my skin!"
Elle didn't answer. Instead, he silently stepped beside Gabriel, took out the business card from their pocket, and tore it into pieces.
"The Master wouldn't approve of such things. You should keep yourself out of trouble, Young Master."
"As if I'd actually go through with it! I was planning to throw it away anyway… I just… uh… couldn't find a trash can! Yeah, that's it—I'm just being environmentally conscious!"
Despite feeling a little disappointed, Gabriel kept their expression casual and unconcerned.
"Enough about that—when did you even get here? Weren't you supposed to stay at the hotel?"
Elle had accompanied Gabriel to Jindu, but since registering for the competition had to be done in person, they had left Elle waiting at the hotel.
"The Master wanted to see how you perform in battle, so he sent me to record it."
Elle shook the camera in his hand.
"Oh, I see! Well, show me then—I need to see how cool I looked!"
Elle's photography skills were impressive. He had captured all of Gabriel's best moments, making them feel excited just watching the footage.
With an exasperated sigh, Elle shook his head.
"Young Master, if you're serious about becoming a Monster Tamer, I suggest you aim for a higher ranking in this tournament."
"Of course! I'm going to be the Champion!"
"Young Master, I'm not joking."
Elle's stern expression showed he was truly concerned.
"Alright, alright, I'm listening. See? I'm all ears."
Gabriel quickly reassured him.
"I mean it, Young Master. If you truly want to grow stronger, you must secure a high ranking in this tournament. The top 50 competitors will be admitted into the Academy. All the strongest Monster Tamers graduate from there, so if you want to improve, you must at least make it into the top 50."
"This tournament leads to Academy admission? I thought once we got our Monster Tamer license, we'd just go on a journey, collect Gym Badges, and—"
"Why do we have to join the Academy?"
Elle looked at Gabriel like they had grown a second head.
"All advanced Monster Taming techniques are documented in the Academy. Only by enrolling can you learn these training methods. How else do you expect to raise powerful Pokémon?"
That… actually made sense.
Trying to figure things out alone wouldn't compare to learning established techniques from a structured system.
"Plus, the higher your ranking in the tournament, the more resources the Academy will allocate to you. The Monster Tamer Exam is also one of their ways to recruit promising talent."
Oh, so that's how it works!
Still, Gabriel furrowed their brow in thought.
"Then why can't I just join later? Wouldn't older trainers be better at raising Pokémon?"
"That's true, but the Academy has an age limit for applicants."
"Huh? Why?"
Elle sighed, clearly exasperated by how little Gabriel knew about these things.
"The maximum age for a Champion contender is 40. Anyone older than that can't enter the selection process."
So it was because of the Champion age restriction. The younger you started as a Monster Tamer, the better your chances of reaching the top. Naturally, the Academy wanted to recruit talent as early as possible.
"It's fine! With Little Mu's strength, making it through this tournament won't be a problem. We're aiming for the Championship, after all!"
Gabriel patted the Poké Ball in their hand. All their training had been for this moment—of course, they would give it their all.
"Young Master, I've reviewed all your past matches. Your opponents so far haven't been anything special, but your upcoming battles won't be that easy."
As he spoke, Elle took out a thick stack of documents and spread them out in front of Gabriel.
T-this is… opponent data?!
"Isn't this considered cheating?"
Gabriel stared at Elle in shock. Was this even allowed?
Elle scoffed, glancing at the papers.
"Gathering intel on your opponents is part of battle strategy. Besides, as a seeded contender, your own information has already been leaked. How else do you think those reporters knew your name?"
Gabriel scratched their head sheepishly. That… was true. Ever since becoming a seeded contender, everyone seemed to know who they were. Their information had already been exposed.
"Young Master, I strongly recommend you review your opponent's data carefully. This next challenger is in a different league from your previous ones. If there were room for one more seeded contender, it would definitely be them."
Elle was being deadly serious. That meant Gabriel had to take this upcoming battle seriously.
Grabbing the documents, they began studying them carefully. After a long while, they finally set them down.
This opponent… was no joke.
For the next match, they would have to start revealing some of their true strength.
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