It was over.
The battle had finally ended with Drake's defeat.
The referee raised the green flag, signaling Natsui's victory, and on the scoreboard above, all of Drake's Pokémon icons had dimmed.
The announcer first let out a long sigh, then said with sincerity, "Let's congratulate Natsui for defeating Drake and winning the latest Winner's Cup! I have to say, Natsui's Pokémon have all performed perfectly throughout these six battles. Each one of them can be described as stunning. For him to earn the title of Honored Trainer is well-deserved in every respect! Now, let's give him our warmest applause and cheers!"
After a few battles, the announcer was completely won over by Natsui.
Firstly, the man was handsome, making a good first impression. Secondly, the skill gap between him and Drake was obvious; it wasn't a victory won by a fluke, leaving no room for criticism.
It could only be said that outstanding people always attract more fans.
The audience stood up and applauded, cheering for the two contestants who had brought them such an exciting battle. After this Winner's Cup, it was certain that many people would become fans of Natsui.
On the battlefield, Drake managed to recall his Dragonite just before the fire could reach it.
Similarly, Natsui recalled his own Charizard.
If Gyarados had undergone a metamorphosis at the Lake of Birth and Evolution, then after this battle, Charizard had also grown tremendously.
Just then, many staff members rushed forward. They released their Squirtle, and in an instant, seven or eight of them shot Water Guns, quickly extinguishing the large fire.
After such a commotion, once the flames and smoke had cleared, the grass field was a complete mess, muddy everywhere, completely unrecognizable from its original state. Beneath the black and gray residue, only a few scattered sparks still glowed faintly red.
Drake walked up to Natsui and, just as before the battle, extended his hand again.
"That was a thrilling battle. Congratulations on becoming an Honored Trainer of the Orange League and entering the Palace of Victory!"
Under the gaze of the entire audience, Natsui shook his hand lightly.
"Thank you, and… I'm sorry. In a few of those rounds, my Pokémon were a bit too rough."
"It's fine. It's a competition, after all. To win, one naturally has to use any means necessary," Drake said, shaking his head dismissively. But at this point, he looked at Natsui, seemingly wanting to say something more. After a moment of hesitation, he asked tentatively, "By the way… I have a question I'd like to ask you."
"A question?" Natsui looked at him in surprise. "I wouldn't dare say I can teach you anything, but feel free to ask. We can have a discussion."
Hearing him say this, Drake let out a quiet sigh of relief and asked, "Your Pokémon are all so strong. I want to know, how do you train them?"
"Well… it's just a very ordinary training method, nothing special," Natsui said, scratching his head and choosing to be honest. Seeing Drake's slight disappointment, he changed the subject. "But I can give you a suggestion. If you want your Pokémon to become stronger, don't just stay here. Being complacent won't work. The world is a big place. Go out and see more, battle with other strong trainers. That can quickly improve their strength!"
"Go out and see more…"
Drake shook his head helplessly. He had thought Natsui might have some special method, but it turned out to be just traveling.
In the past, he had traveled extensively, and it was only after feeling he had hit a ceiling in his growth that he had returned here and become the Head Trainer. For him, ordinary travel could no longer make him stronger.
Seeing his expression, Natsui knew what he was thinking and couldn't help but smile. "Speaking of strong trainers, have you ever heard of Lorelei?"
"The Elite Four member from the Kanto and Johto regions?" Drake nodded. "Of course, I've heard of her. I'd say, in Kanto, Johto, and the Orange Archipelago, from eighty-year-old elders to five-year-old children, who doesn't know of her?"
"That's good," Natsui grinned, then instigated, "I know she's coming to the Orange Archipelago soon. If you want to improve further, you should go challenge her."
"Challenge her?"
"That's right, that's right," Natsui smiled. "Lorelei is very strong. Battling her will definitely be great training. And I have a bit of a connection with her. When you meet her, just mention my name. I'm sure she'll 'treat' you even better!"
After a moment of serious thought, Drake finally nodded.
"I understand. I will go and challenge her."
Seeing him agree, Natsui smiled again. "Before that, don't be in a hurry to leave. I think in a few days, a certain boy might come to challenge you. I hope you'll defeat him first."
"A boy?" Drake was taken aback, not understanding why a little boy would be worth noting.
Natsui confirmed, "Yes, just a boy. He's about ten years old, but don't underestimate him because of his age. He's very strong."
"I see." Hearing Natsui say this, out of respect, Drake committed the words to memory. "Is he a friend of yours? Does he have any distinguishing features?"
Natsui said without thinking, "He wears a cap and has a Pikachu that follows him around. He's easy to recognize. Although he looks a bit silly, he's surprisingly strong."
"I understand. I will do my best to defeat him! And I swear, the next time we meet, I will be stronger than I am now. At that time, it will be my turn to challenge you!"
Natsui had heard such words too many times to count and no longer paid them much mind.
"Good luck. I'll be waiting."
In a friendly atmosphere, the two exchanged contact numbers and added each other as friends.
Just then, Karl walked over with the trophy.
Drake took the trophy from Karl's hands, held it with both of his, and presented it solemnly to Natsui.
"Congratulations again. You've earned this."
Natsui happily accepted the trophy and held it high. At the same time, countless confetti streamers shot out from the surroundings, and camera flashes flickered nonstop, capturing this moment forever.
For Natsui, although the Orange League didn't have a 'champion' title, this trophy was just as significant.
Regardless of the skill level, this was already his second trophy.
And seeing Natsui in his moment of glory, Karl smiled and clapped lightly. "Congratulations on becoming the newest Honored Trainer of our Orange League!"
In truth, for Karl, today brought one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.
The good news was that, through their prior efforts, the viewership for this Winner's Cup had reached an all-time high.
Countless viewers had learned more about the Orange League through television.
The bad news was that their Orange League had lost the match.
Now, other regions knew that their strongest trainer had been cleanly defeated 6-0, losing to a champion from a major region like the Indigo League, once again confirming their status as a minor, second-rate league.
What was worse was that this unfortunate image would likely persist for a very, very long time, and would be impossible to wash away…
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