Su Hao and Alain, who had never met before, naturally did not exchange glances.
After checking in, Alain turned and headed in one direction.
A girl was waiting for him there.
She was barely over five feet tall and probably still middle-school age, yet she wore a green knit cap in the height of summer.
Her name was Mairin, one of the characters who had appeared in the anime.
"Alain!"
Mairin happily waved at Alain, as though afraid he might miss her.
"Mm."
Maintaining his cool-guy persona outside of battle, Alain walked over to Mairin with a cold expression and gave a reserved nod.
Mairin was completely undeterred by Alain's indifference. Like a chirping sparrow, she circled around the man she loved, who had just gotten out of prison, and kept talking.
Alain's replies were basically "Mm," "Oh," and "Right." Even his longest response was no more than three words.
But when Mairin asked whether he was confident about today's battles, Alain's expression and entire aura instantly changed.
He clenched his fists, as though swearing an oath to someone, and declared firmly, "I'll win all the way to the end, because I'm going to become the strongest!"
"Mm! I believe in you too, Alain!"
Mairin nodded hard, her face full of anticipation.
The two chatted as they walked into the Battle Hall. Su Hao naturally withdrew his gaze and checked in after being reminded by a staff member.
While checking in, Su Hao recalled the way Alain and Mairin interacted.
How should he put it... it felt like Alain would end up back in prison sooner or later.
What?
You said it was legal at ten years old in the Pokémon world?
Bold of you!
After checking in, Su Hao entered the Battle Hall.
As soon as he stepped