Monday, November 10th
Capital University was exceptionally lively today.
The reason was simple: Capital University's school team would be holding expansion selection trials today.
Although the national college league had long been in the embarrassing situation of having only "League" and "Central" competing for the championship while other schools merely tagged along, this didn't diminish the enthusiasm of the major school teams. If you couldn't win the championship, the runner-up position, semi-finals, or even quarter-finals would do.
As long as teams performed well in competition, even without winning the championship, they would still receive official support. Moreover, the experience of participating in this level of competition and facing strong opponents was a precious achievement in itself.
— Pokémon Arena —
"There are so many people..."
Holding two bottles of milk tea, Reece squeezed through the crowd and finally found his sister in the auditorium.
"You're so slow," Serena complained.
"The time is up, and there were suddenly more people. I couldn't help it!" Reece quickly explained, handing over the milk tea.
Serena took the milk tea, but her eyes kept scanning around, as if searching for someone.
"There's still no news from Roy," Reece said, taking out his phone to check his messages. The screen was full of notifications, hundreds of them...
Though only three messages actually belonged to him. The rest? Naturally, the little princess beside him had confiscated his phone to send messages.
Among male friends, as long as you knew they weren't dead, it didn't matter if you didn't reply to messages, or just replied with a '1'. Why be so clingy?
"Don't worry. Although I don't know where this guy went, Professor Christian has repeatedly assured us that he's perfectly safe," Reece said reassuringly.
"I know." Serena rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not worried about his safety, but I'm concerned about whether he can register for the trials in time..."
Reece didn't take it seriously. "Students with principal recommendations qualify to directly challenge the school team's main selection without playing these knockout rounds. As long as he can come back before the end of the selection round, it doesn't matter if he's late."
But the problem was that Roy wasn't usually a person who would be late. Since he was late, something must have delayed him. Who knew how long the delay would last?
Serena sighed with a headache but didn't voice these thoughts. If she did, Reece would probably think she was overthinking everything.
Perhaps this was the difference in thinking between men and women.
Since they couldn't contact Roy, worrying was useless. Serena turned her attention back to the match.
The commentator's voice echoed throughout the arena.
"Unfortunately, contestant Callan has been eliminated in the quarter-finals of the selection competition..."
On the court, Bulbasaur was being beaten repeatedly.
Callan's opponent was a disciple of the Gym Leader. It wasn't surprising that he lost.
Almost all first-year recommended students participated in the school team selection. Of course, they were self-aware enough not to aim at being selected, but rather to accumulate experience.
In everyone's mind, the only ones truly qualified to compete for the main positions were juniors or seniors. As for the sophomore with principal recommendation, he had used his privilege early that morning to challenge for a main position but unfortunately failed...
The accumulation of time was too difficult to overcome. Those who became official members of the school team were all geniuses, starting as recommended students at minimum. They had more time than newcomers, and they weren't wasting that time—they were all making progress.
As the matches continued one after another, the time for school team expansion was about to end, but Roy still didn't appear.
This time, not only Serena and Reece couldn't sit still; others also found it strange.
"The principal's student doesn't want to join in the fun?"
"The school team expansion happens only once a year. It's rare to have such a chance to compete with masters of the same generation. Why wouldn't he come?"
"Senior, our Principal's pick Roy has been gone for two months. I heard he went somewhere for special training!"
"What? A two-month vacation? The school approved this? I'm so jealous..."
In the auditorium, some fans who were impressed with Roy were also disappointed.
Callan, who had finished his match, walked back to the player room and saw the members of the mahjong quartet... no, it should be a five-player team now. Cade had finally returned to school some time ago.
Although some people on the forum teased him about "laughing in arithmetic sequence" and "if you don't get beaten in seconds, you'll be caught in seconds," Cade felt his mood had transcended such mockery...
There was no shame in being defeated by Roy!
That guy was an anomaly that even his father couldn't understand.
That's what he said, but Cade always felt his classmates looked at him strangely, as if they were all imagining him laughing wildly.
Fortunately, Cade had finally found a small group called the Mahjong Four. Good grief, everyone in this small group had been beaten by Roy...
They all had dark histories that couldn't be recalled.
They were all recommended students of similar level.
Family, they were all family!
Seeing that Roy still wasn't in the player room, Callan muttered, "What's going on with Roy? Is he really not coming?"
Cade suddenly said, "He probably won't come..."
"What's the situation?"
"I'll tell you, but please don't spread it outside. It won't do you any good."
Cade looked serious, and only after the members of the mahjong group made repeated assurances did he explain: "Recently, a notorious international poaching gang has infiltrated our territory. No fewer than three small Pokémon habitats have been brutally attacked by that gang's murderous hands."
"Don't worry, it's not the habitat where Roy is."
"Although he went to a small Pokémon habitat, no poaching gang would be stupid enough to target that one..."
Of course, Cade knew of Latias's existence.
If poaching gangs dared to go there, the officials would be happy to pay for their coffins.
"To arrest this group, both Mr. Frances and my father who are in the region joined the search operation, and they can't leave..."
"What does this have to do with Roy?" Chloe interjected.
"Of course there's a connection," Cade explained. "The Pokémon habitat where Roy is located, to prevent infiltration by outsiders, doesn't even have a door and can only be entered by breaking the space barrier. Only Pokémon above the Elite level can enter and exit freely."
The closing of the 'passage' to the habitat was naturally Latias's doing.
To prevent Latios's power from being stolen, Latias had to make this difficult decision.
The remaining three Elite Four members were on overseas business trips and wouldn't return for a while.
Naturally, there weren't only four Elite trainers in China, but those others didn't know Roy, so there was no reason for them to pick him up.
"It's a pity," Axel showed a regretful expression. "I still wanted to see how much he'd grown in the past two months..."
Jordan sneered and said, "I think you want to see him lose. Hypocrite!"
Axel chuckled and didn't deny it.
This was actually the long-cherished wish of all members of the mahjong group—they all wanted to see someone teach Roy a lesson.
That's why they had been waiting eagerly for Roy's return.
However, at that moment, a wave of screams erupted from the auditorium outside the player room.
Soon, the mahjong team heard shocking cries.
"It's Principal's pick Roy! The person riding it is Principal's pick Roy!"
"How did he manage to ride a Salamance?"
"This... Did he tame a pseudo-legendary Pokémon?"
The members of the mahjong group looked at each other, then collectively turned to Cade, who instantly looked confused and embarrassed, clearly caught in his lie.
What's going on, little brother?
How could your information be so wrong?
Son of an Elite trainer, and that's all you know?