Was It All for Nothing in the End?

President Damalanchi gave his usual brief opening, signaling that the Eight-to-Four matches of the Pseudo-Elite Four Tournament were officially about to begin.

Before that, however, what everyone cared about most was today's drawing of lots.

Of the eight finalists, five were Newly Promoted Pseudo-Elite Four, while three were Veteran Pseudo-Elite Four. If the Pokémon League truly wanted to protect Sato and the others, it could have continued pairing them against one another, allowing three of them to advance with ease.

Of course, the Pokémon League was not that foolish. Everything had its limits. From here on out, it would truly depend on Sato and the others themselves.

The eight contestants' portraits spun wildly on the big screen. It looked quite convincing, but everything had actually been arranged long ago.

The groups were decided quickly, and all three Veteran Pseudo-Elite Four had been matched against newcomers.

But to everyone's surprise, Wallace's opponent was Flint! "My luck... isn't too good." Flint, who had been high-spirited just moments ago, could only force a bitter smile.

He instinctively looked at his opponent, Wallace, who then winked at him.

Flint: "..."

Naturally, Sato, Phoebe, and Ryoko were all matched against Veteran Pseudo-Elite Four this time. At a glance, there was clearly no favoritism involved.

The matches began soon afterward. Phoebe was the first to enter the field today, smiling as brightly as ever and brimming with confidence.

Her opponent was a Veteran Pseudo-Elite Four skilled at using Flying-type Pokemon, whose strength spoke for itself.

Just as the two sides were battling in full swing, Damalanchi sat in the Head Seat of the VIP Room in the stands, watching the others arguing fiercely.

"Why did Flint get matched against Wallace? He's our Sinnoh Region's only remaining contestant!"

The Sinnoh Alliance Representative angrily slapped the table, his