The spotlights on the arena remained intense, illuminating every corner.
At the commentary desk, the host's passionate voice echoed throughout the arena through the loudspeakers, and the screen timely switched to the commentating area where the Elite Four were seated.
"Ariel's battle this time can be called a textbook example of overcoming type disadvantages!"
Phoebe's evaluation always carried a bit of tropical flair, "His train of thought completely broke away from the norm, yet it was tightly linked, leaving others unable to defend against it."
"Indeed," Glacia added, "His ability to read the battle and his subtle control over his Pokémon's condition is already beyond the level of an average Trainer."
Old man Drake stroked his long beard and said concisely, "The younger generation is formidable."
The high recognition from the Elite Four undoubtedly added a heavy stroke of affirmation to Ariel's already dazzling performance.
Ariel himself had long since returned to the contestants' rest area, where the metal walls shut out the outside clamor, leaving only the faint hum of the ventilation ducts overhead.
He leaned against the cold wall, closing his eyes to rest, his mind still reviewing the battle just now.
The afternoon schedule was intense.
When it was his turn to take the stage, his opponent was a fairly strong Gym Leader Level Trainer, but facing the current Ariel, they still couldn't last through three Pokémon.
It was a clean and decisive victory, without much turbulence.
What really perked him up was the match that followed between Lance and Wallace.
The atmosphere of the entire arena was almost completely ignited by one dragon.
Lance used only one Dragonite from start to finish.
That Dragonite was slightly larger than usual, and its eyes held a composure forged by long battles.
Whether it was Wallace's proud Milotic or his Ludicolo, known for its speed, both were as fragile as paper before this Dragonite.
Hyper Beam, Dragon Rush, Extreme Speed...
Simple, brutal, unreasonable.
Wallace couldn't even force the Dragonite to its limit before being swept out of the competition.
"Terrifying!"
Ariel, sitting in the contestant area, couldn't help but feel alarmed by that overwhelming power.
This was Lance, the future dual Champion of Kanto and Johto, his strength truly lived up to his reputation.
On the big screen, the defeated Wallace didn't seem too dejected; instead, he flashed his signature elegant smile at the camera and waved gently.
For him, being able to battle a powerhouse like Lance and make it to the Top 8 was already a satisfactory answer.
Morning was the Round of 16 to 8, afternoon was the Round of 8 to 4.
Within a day, the flames of war burned out, and the dust settled.
On the giant electronic screen, the portraits of the four people were enlarged and hung side-by-side above the stadium, receiving the cheers and admiration of tens of thousands of spectators.
Ariel, Steven, Cynthia, Lance.
The Top Four of this Ever Grande Conference were officially born!
The host began live interviews one by one, pushing the atmosphere to a new climax.
"Contestant Steven! As the future pillar of the Hoenn region, what are your prospects for the Ever Grande Conference Champion title?"
Steven, in a crisp suit, was composed before the camera: "The Champion trophy, I will keep it in Hoenn."
As soon as he finished speaking, the screen cut to the pearl of the Sinnoh region.
"Contestant Cynthia! You have cut through the obstacles all the way, showing unparalleled strength. Is the Champion title already in your pocket?"
Cynthia had a faint smile on her lips, her golden hair shining under the lights: "Until the last moment of the match, no one can say for sure. But I will give it my all; I came for the championship."
Her voice was gentle, yet it carried unquestionable confidence.
Next, the camera aimed at Ariel.
"Contestant Ariel! As the biggest dark horse of this conference, you have already created a miracle! Now, do you still have thoughts on the championship?"
Ariel looked at the camera and said calmly: "Having come this far, no one wants to give up. The championship, of course, I want to contend for it too."
Neither humble nor pushy, calm and direct.
Finally, it was the highly anticipated Lance.
"Mr. Lance! Your strength is obvious to all. Who do you think will be the biggest opponent on your road to the championship?"
Lance's signature red hair was particularly striking in front of the camera. He didn't even look at the portraits of the other three contestants, just spoke to the camera in a tone stating a fact: "The championship will only be mine."
Arrogant! Extremely arrogant!
But the audience at the scene erupted into the most enthusiastic cheers for this.
Because he had the capital for it; he had proven it with one indisputable crushing victory after another.
The interview session ended, and a Champion prediction poll for the audience immediately popped up on the screen.
The data bars scrolled rapidly, and the gap quickly widened.
Lance, with over 50% of the votes, was in first place by a wide margin.
Cynthia followed closely behind with 25%.
Steven was in third place with 20%.
And Ariel had a pathetic 5%.
Ariel was not surprised by this result at all.
Lance's strength was deeply rooted in people's hearts, the undisputed number one.
Cynthia and Steven were similar in strength, but in terms of popularity and personal charm, Cynthia was clearly superior.
As for himself, although he had been advancing triumphantly and even defeated Gym Leader Brawly, he was ultimately an unknown Newcomer.
In front of these already famous prodigies, the audience's trust votes would naturally go to those who were more familiar and had more glorious records.
The match ended, and the crowd began to disperse.
Ariel was just about to leave when a voice came from behind.
"Wait a moment."
Ariel turned back and saw that signature cape and red hair.
Lance.
He walked over alone, with no entourage around him, the dim lights of the contestant tunnel casting a long shadow over him.
"I keep feeling like you look familiar."
Lance's gaze was direct, examining Ariel like a hawk.
Ariel's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface, even making a joke:
"Is this some new way of picking people up? I'm not interested in men."
Lance ignored his teasing, his brows slightly furrowed, as if trying hard to recall something.
"It's not your looks," he said in a deep voice, "It's the aura about you, it has a... criminal feeling."
This sentence made the air in the tunnel feel a bit colder.
Ariel's heart skipped a beat.
This guy's intuition was scarily sharp.
"Hey, hey, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you want." Ariel spread his hands, looking innocent, "I am a law-abiding citizen, certified by the League."
Lance stared at him for a long time, then finally shook his head: "Perhaps it was just my imagination."
He paused, changed the subject, and fighting spirit reignited in his eyes: "I hope to face you on the field in the finals."
"Oh?" Ariel raised an eyebrow, "Are you so sure you can beat Steven or Cynthia?"
Lance's answer was simple and powerful.
"That's not difficult."
Ariel clicked his tongue internally.
This guy really was boundless in his arrogance.
However, he also knew that what Lance said was a fact.
Currently, his strength was Quasi-Elite level, a dimension-reduction strike.
He was participating in the Ever Grande Conference by lowering his own strength.
And Steven and Cynthia were currently still at the level of top Gym Leaders, even if the Pokémon they used were similar in strength.
But compared to an Quasi-Elite, there was indeed an insurmountable gap between a Gym Leader and an Quasi-Elite in terms of both combat experience and command technique.
Ariel looked at Lance and suddenly said softly.
"Perhaps a few years from now, you guys will all be rivals standing on the same level."
Lance heard this and showed a trace of confusion.
Ariel smiled without explaining.
He couldn't exactly say, I know that you guys will all become Champions of your respective regions in the future, monsters standing at the peak of this world, right?
You monsters just have different times for breaking out of your shells, some earlier and some later.
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