"This kid is incredible. I never expected him to come this far," Grandpa A Yi said in surprise. He had thought Drake was merely a clown put on display, but he had quietly grown to this point.
"Charizard was his starter Pokémon, wasn't it?" Hao Er's grandfather was equally surprised. Citrus Island was not far from Kumquat Island, yet they had never noticed the Chief Trainer of Citrus Island.
"This child is good," Chairman Damalanchi murmured, nodding to himself. He had still been troubled over the choice of Champion for the Orange Islands. Whether they brought someone in from elsewhere or promoted a local, neither side would have been fully satisfied.
Now that Drake had shown such strength, there was no need to worry about it anymore. After Drake tempered himself in the Elite Four position for a while, he could be nominated.
"It seems these old bones of mine can finally go home," Champion Kikuko said, leaning on her cane with a relaxed smile. She and Lance had come here, along with several Elite Four members, to watch the matches.
They had come to keep the four old guys of the Four Gyms, as well as the middle generation of the Four Gyms, in check, preventing anyone from causing trouble when the League moved to strip away their power.
Since everything had gone smoothly, and they had even found a strong candidate for the Champion position, they could finally relax. As the League's public face in the Orange Islands and Chief Trainer for so long, Drake was a trustworthy Trainer.
Most importantly, both the League and the Orange Islands trusted this Trainer. There would be no issue with his promotion.
On the ice platform across from them, Dunmei's Father was slightly startled by the sight. He had not expected