After meeting up with Koharu and the others, the group went to the Ice Field to watch Ash's match together.
As the tournament progressed and the number of matches dwindled, the attendance in the stadiums continued to rise. Since the third round began, every field—Grass, Rock, Water, and Ice—had been almost completely full.
They finally found a few empty seats, and just as Natsui's group sat down, Ash's battle began.
Unexpectedly, however, Ash lost the first round right at the start!
His Squirtle, perhaps not in top form or affected by the cold air of the Ice Field, was rendered helpless by his opponent's Pokémon.
Fortunately, Ash adjusted quickly, using his Kingler to defeat two Pokémon in a row before finally sending out Pikachu to take down the opponent's Arcanine, securing the victory.
Watching the whole battle, Ash's skills were clearly superior, and his performance was much more stable than in the previous round.
When Ash left the stadium and saw Natsui, they exchanged a smile, both having successfully advanced. It seemed everything was understood without a word.
To treat himself, Natsui skipped the athlete's village cafeteria in the afternoon and instead found a high-end restaurant for a big meal.
After lunch, as they returned to the dormitory area, they saw from a distance a large crowd of people milling around outside Natsui's building.
Before they could figure out what was happening, the crowd spotted Natsui and swarmed him like sharks smelling blood!
"Natsui! I'm a reporter from Saffron City TV, I have a few questions for you!"
"I'm from Celadon TV, Natsui! Could you share your feelings on defeating one of the top contenders for the championship?"
"Natsui, I'm from Vermilion TV…"
"Natsui… Natsui…"
The chaotic crowd pushed Ash and the others aside, leaving them completely bewildered.
Looking at the ignored Ash beside him, Brock was utterly confused. "What's going on? Why are there suddenly so many people wanting to interview Natsui?"
Because they had been watching the match live, they were the last to find out about the ratings spike from the Rock Field battle. They had no idea that Natsui's popularity had already surpassed that of all the other competitors.
These reporters, relying on their extensive experience, had all rushed here, hoping to be the first to interview him and get an exclusive story.
"Excuse me, everyone." The flashing cameras were nearly blinding him. Facing the microphones shoved in his face, Natsui, though equally confused about why these reporters had suddenly appeared, politely declined. "Please, go back. I won't be accepting any interviews at this time!"
The reporter from Saffron City TV was clearly stunned by this response. "Eh? Why would you want to refuse?"
Natsui replied, "Until I achieve a higher rank, I don't want to make any comments about myself or any other opponents. I ask for your understanding."
He was well aware of the principle that the higher you are praised, the harder you fall. Besides, he wasn't one to crave vanity or fame; otherwise, he wouldn't have worn a mask to hide his face when he fought off the giant Tentacruel.
"This…"
As professionals in the news industry, these reporters had seen all sorts of people and wouldn't be dismissed by a few words. Just as they were about to press on and force Natsui into an interview, a dozen fierce-looking bikers strode over from the side!
The bikers approached and, without a word, began pushing all the reporters away.
"Move it, move it! Didn't you hear our boss say he doesn't need an interview!? Stop bothering his rest!"
The reporters might have been pushy with ordinary people or celebrities, but faced with this biker gang, they could only grumble a few complaints before reluctantly leaving.
Opening the door, Natsui went back into his dorm, calling Misa and Masa inside as well. It was from them that he finally learned the whole story.
"I didn't expect to get this much attention. This is really… unexpected…"
To Natsui, it had just been a very ordinary battle. Aside from his opponent, Giselle, being slightly more popular and a bit stronger, it was no different from his previous matches.
In fact, if he had known the ratings would be so high, he would have deliberately lost two rounds just to avoid attracting so much attention.
After all, being exposed so early would surely make other competitors see him as their biggest rival and start studying his lineup and strength.
Outside the dorm, the bikers stood guard, preventing anyone from getting close.
They were thrilled about Natsui's fame. The greater his reputation became, the more it proved that their decision to follow him as their boss was a wise one!
Inside, while they were talking, one of the bikers ran in from outside.
"Boss, there's another reporter who says she wants to see you!"
Before Natsui could speak, Masa slammed the table and shouted, "What's wrong with you! Didn't I tell you that no reporters are allowed near here and that you should turn them all away!"
"But…" the biker hesitated, "this reporter said she already has an appointment with the boss. She's here to keep it!"
"Huh?" Masa froze and quickly turned to look at Natsui.
An appointment?
Natsui frowned as well. He couldn't remember making an appointment with anyone, but after a moment's thought, he realized it must be Alexa!
After all, she was the only reporter he had ever dealt with.
But the fact that even Alexa had shown up again proved that the impact of his match had indeed been far-reaching.
On second thought, Natsui knew he had to tell these reporters something.
Otherwise, they would keep hounding him, and the bikers couldn't guard him forever.
"Let her in."
The biker took his leave, and a short while later, Alexa walked in.
This time, she only brought her Helioptile; her Gogoat was left outside due to its large size.
"My, my," Alexa said dramatically upon seeing Natsui. "It's not easy to get a moment with you now. You even have people standing guard outside."
"You're joking, Miss Alexa," Natsui said with a shake of his head. "These are my friends. they just helped me get rid of those annoying people."
"Oh?" Alexa said with a wry smile. "The 'annoying people' you're referring to must be my colleagues, right? I just wonder if I'm included in that group?"
"How could that be possible?" Natsui quickly shook his head. "A beautiful reporter like you? I couldn't be happier to welcome you. How could I possibly be annoyed?"
Hearing this, the smile on Alexa's face widened. She hadn't expected to be flirted with by the young man in front of her.
Meanwhile, Koharu and Misty, who were standing nearby, pursed their lips expressionlessly as they heard Natsui praise another woman right in front of them.
Hmph, sweet talk. Truly a man's nature!
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