As they entered the lobby of the Orange League headquarters, a male staff member who looked to be in his sixties, with short, silver-gray hair and a small mustache, walked up to them.
"Good morning. How may I help you two? Are you here for a tour, or to buy souvenirs?"
Natsui took a step forward and said politely, "Hello, I'm here to challenge the Orange League. Please register me."
Hearing that Natsui was here to challenge for the Winner's Cup, the staff member's attitude immediately became much more enthusiastic.
"Welcome, welcome! It's been almost a month since we last held a match. It's truly a cause for celebration to finally have a new challenger. But before that, as per the regulations, please show me your proof."
Proof?
That must mean the four Southern Cross badges from the Orange League gyms.
But for no one to have challenged the Winner's Cup for so long showed that the skill level in the Orange League had virtually stagnated. For its development, that was not a good thing.
As he thought this, Natsui took the badge case from his backpack, opened it, and presented the four shell badges of various shapes to the staff member.
The staff member took out a small scanner and passed it over the four badges. The next second, Natsui's personal profile appeared on the computer screen beside them.
So thorough, they even have anti-counterfeiting certification.
Natsui marveled to himself, then glanced at the computer. He saw that besides his own handsome photo, the screen also showed that he was from the Kalos region and had won the Indigo Conference.
"Huh? Are you the trainer who just won the Indigo Conference? No wonder you looked so familiar when I first saw you!"
After learning Natsui's identity, the staff member's face lit up with joy.
In fact, professionals like them paid more attention to this kind of news than the average person. They had heard a little about who had won which regional championship, who the top-seeded contenders were, who was more famous, and who was the most popular.
Although these major regions produced a champion every year, and the cumulative number was now quite large, never before had a champion come to challenge their Orange League.
"Champion or not, that's all in the past," Natsui said, waving his hand dismissively. "Right now, I'm just an ordinary challenger, no different from anyone else. We're all at the same starting line, so please don't put me on a pedestal."
Although Natsui said this, how could the staff member take such polite words seriously?
He wasn't a fool. How could he possibly treat someone like Natsui as an ordinary challenger?
After all, the Orange League was just a minor league. Not only was it geographically remote, but its population was also relatively sparse. Compared to other leagues, its influence and viewership had always been a notch below.
Now, with an Indigo Conference champion here to challenge, it was undoubtedly a major event worth publicizing.
If Natsui won, he would naturally live up to the reputation of the Indigo League, a deserving champion. But if he were to lose by some chance, wouldn't that mean the Orange League's strength was on par with the major leagues?
So, regardless of whether he won or lost, it would boost the Orange League's fame.
No matter how you looked at it, it was a win-win situation.
With this thought, his smile grew even wider.
"How rude of me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Karl, and I am the vice-president of the Orange League."
Vice-president!?
Natsui was taken aback. He never expected the man before him to be such a big shot.
To be honest, when he first entered and saw this staff member, he had found it a bit strange.
After all, other places used young, beautiful women as receptionists, but the Orange League was using an old man in his fifties. It was truly unexpected.
But now that he knew his identity, it all made sense.
"To be received by the vice-president himself, I'm truly flattered," Natsui said, extending his hand.
"Not at all, not at all!" Karl shook his hand firmly and smiled. "Because we have so few challengers in the Orange League, I can manage everything by myself, so there's no need for so many people to be here."
At this point, he added, "It must have been a long journey. But the sunshine in our Orange Archipelago is warm and bright, and the scenery is beautiful. If you have the time, Mr. Natsui, you must experience it properly."
Natsui nodded. "I already have. I've seen many rare sights here and caught a few powerful Pokémon. I must say, the Orange Archipelago is a truly relaxing place."
Hearing this, Karl's mood brightened. He smiled, then turned his gaze to Sabrina. "By the way, I haven't had the pleasure of asking, who is this young lady with you…?"
"Oh, she's my traveling companion, not a challenger."
Natsui introduced Sabrina, but as he turned his head, he saw her staring intently at a Dragonite-shaped statue to the side.
The Dragonite statue seemed to be cast from iron, with a metallic, dark-green hue. The overall craftsmanship was quite exquisite. As for its pose, the Dragonite had its wings spread, its two claws extended to the sides, and its eyes were fixed seriously ahead, as if it were guarding something.
Seeing that both of them were interested in the statue, Karl smiled. "As the guardian of this island, Dragonite has always been revered by the people here. Speaking of which, our current Orange League Head Trainer has a powerful Dragonite of his own! And ever since he became the Head Trainer, no one has ever defeated him in the Winner's Cup."
Whether it was about the Dragonite or the Head Trainer, Natsui could feel the pride in his voice.
However…
Never been defeated?
What a coincidence. Me neither.
Just then, Karl typed a few things on the keyboard, entered the information into the computer, and then said to Natsui, "Alright, the registration is complete. According to the regulations, the match is scheduled for ten o'clock tomorrow morning. Before that, please allow me to show you the venue."
"Then I'll be in your care."
Natsui naturally had no objections. But seeing Karl simply walk out from behind the reception desk and head straight for the door, he couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Is it really okay for us to just leave like this? What if someone else comes to challenge? Won't there be no one to receive them?"
"Don't worry," Karl said with a light smile, his tone confident yet tinged with a bit of helplessness. "As I just said, it's been a long time since anyone has come to challenge. It will be perfectly fine even if we're gone for a few hours."
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