Kyosuke shared his experience with Malva, who grew even more intrigued.
As a Kalos Elite Four mber, she understood all too well what trainers competing in the League aid for—fa and fortune.
They hoped to make a na for themselves through the Indigo League and, in turn, reap the rewards of their renown.
Except for certain dark organizations using the League as a smokescreen for their sches, no one had ever broken free from this pattern.
Yet Luo Yuan had rejected every single interview request from reporters.
Did this Luo Yuan really have no interest in fa or fortune?
Could soone like that truly exist in this world?
Or was there a deeper purpose behind his actions?
Malva found herself lost in thought.
Since it would take so ti to establish contact with the interdiaries who could connect her to Team Rocket, why not kill two birds with one stone?
As a news anchor, she could temporarily play the role of a journalist and interview the Indigo League's top-seeded contender. Not only would it satisfy her curiosity, but it could also serve to conceal her true mission.
With this plan in mind, Malva lost interest in continuing her comntary.
After one last glance at Ash, who had just entered the arena and was looking in her direction, she adjusted her sunglasses and handed the microphone back to Kyosuke.
"I have sothing to take care of. Apologies to the audience," she said before leaving the comntary booth.
Kyosuke watched Malva walk away with an air of confidence and couldn't help but feel envious.
Elite Four mbers truly lived life on their own terms. They could do whatever they pleased, whenever they pleased, while he was stuck under the blazing sun, providing comntary.
"Sigh... all for the sake of making a living." Picking up the microphone, he began explaining Malva's departure to the audience.
---
Dragonite soared through the sky, but Luo Yuan didn't fly far.
Ash's match was scheduled imdiately after his, so Luo Yuan stopped in a secluded spot, pulled a pair of sunglasses from his bag, and put them on.
After circling around, he returned to the Indigo League arena, this ti blending into the crowd.
Spotting Gary, Luo Yuan slid into the seat beside him and casually grabbed the popcorn from Gary's hands, placing it in front of himself.
"How's Ash's match going?" Luo Yuan asked, his gaze fixed on the field where the battle had already begun.
Gary reached out to grab so popcorn, only to find his hand coming up empty. Without missing a beat, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and replied,
"You're just in ti. The match only started a little while ago. Thanks to you wrecking the field earlier, they had to spend extra ti fixing it."
"Then I'd say I did the right thing," Luo Yuan quipped, smirking as he turned his attention to the battlefield.
Ash's current Pokémon was his newly evolved Kingler, which had risen from a background player to a mainstay of his team.
His opponent, a trainer nad Kaoru, had sent out a Beedrill.
Judging by Beedrill's confident deanor and the sheen of its wings, it was evident this Beedrill had been well-trained.
"What do you think? Can Ash win?" Gary asked, watching the intense clash between Kingler and Beedrill.
If Ash won this match, Gary would face him in the next round—a prospect he welcod.
In Gary's mind, battling Ash was practically a guaranteed ticket to the semifinals.
Luo Yuan studied the field briefly before answering,
"For now, Ash has the upper hand, but... it's hard to say."
Ash's performance was notoriously inconsistent.
Whether he won often depended on whether Charizard decided to listen to him or if Pikachu suddenly decided to indulge in theatrics.
In other words, Ash's potential ceiling was incredibly high, but his floor was just as low.
No victory was out of reach for Ash, but no loss was impossible either.
Gary nodded thoughtfully, though it was unclear how much he understood.
Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden shift on the battlefield.
Kingler exploited a gap in Beedrill's defense, landing a direct hit to its abdon with a powerful Crabhamr.
"Kingler's Crabhamr lands a devastating blow on Beedrill! With its low stamina and weak defenses, this is bad news for Kaoru's Beedrill!" Kyosuke's voice rang out over the speakers.
Beedrill's face twisted in visible pain, its usual stoic expression giving way to one of agony.
"That looks like it hurt," Gary comnted.
Seizing the mont, he snatched the popcorn back from Luo Yuan.
Just as he reached in to grab so, a small, furry head popped out of the box.
Bits of popcorn clung to Eevee's head as it blinked up at Gary, tilting its head in confusion.
"Eevee?"
Eevee seed puzzled. It had only wanted a snack, so why did its owner suddenly look so different?
Gary's eye twitched, and he wordlessly handed the popcorn back to Luo Yuan.
While Luo Yuan fished Eevee out of the box and brushed the popcorn off its fur, the battle on the field ca to an end.
Kingler finished Beedrill off with a Water Gun, forcing Kaoru to send out her second Pokémon.
"Oh? A Scyther?"
As the trainer of a Scyther himself, Gary felt a twinge of familiarity as Kaoru's Scyther entered the field.
"This doesn't look good for Ash," Gary remarked.
As soone who knew the power of Scyther firsthand, Gary could tell that Kaoru's Scyther had been excellently trained.
Unless Ash pulled off a miracle, Gary felt confident Scyther would secure the win.
"Oh?"
Luo Yuan popped the last piece of popcorn into Eevee's mouth, chuckling at its satisfied expression as he rubbed its head.
Hearing Gary's comnt, he glanced at the field and discreetly scanned both Pokémon with his psychic abilities.
A knowing smile spread across Luo Yuan's face.
"I wouldn't be so sure. How about we make a bet?"
"A bet?"
"That's right. Let's wager on who will win—Scyther or Kingler."
Gary hesitated.
Past experience had taught him to avoid betting against Luo Yuan, but his confidence in Scyther's capabilities, combined with his knowledge of Kaoru's skill, gave him pause.
Plus, this wasn't a match involving Luo Yuan himself, so there was no way Luo Yuan could influence the outco.
Bolstered by these thoughts, Gary nodded. "Alright, I'm in. What's the wager?"
"Loser covers the winner's accommodation costs for the duration of the Indigo League," Luo Yuan proposed with a sly smile.
"Are you sure about that?"
Gary perked up at the prospect. "I'm here with my girlfriends, you know."
As soone with multiple girlfriends, Gary naturally stayed in luxurious suites. Considering how long the Indigo League would last, this could turn out to be quite expensive.
---
T/N: forgot to schedule chapts
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