Interception

When Yu Hai arrived at the battlefields outside Citrus Stadium, the place was packed with people, and he spotted plenty of familiar faces.

They were acquaintances from last night's dinner—Xiao Shun, Hao Er, Ash, and the others. There were also people he had not met last night, such as A Man, Guita, and Xiao Ming, all here for the Preliminary Round.

A Ping had come as well. The two merely exchanged a distant glance before looking away. Staring for too long would only arouse suspicion.

There was also a little girl beside A Ping, with a Wooloo following her. It was probably the one he had given them. That girl was likely A Ping's younger sister. So he really was a sister-loving fool.

Shingo, whom he had met in Johto, was here too, along with that girl who had been chased down...

When familiar people met, they only greeted each other and chatted briefly before going their separate ways to choose battlefields. There were many battlefields here, each equipped with a referee and staff responsible for verifying trainers' identities.

Yu Hai wandered around several battlefields and spotted Ai and Blaine. They were both outside the field, guiding Ai through her battle. When Ai's match ended, he shouted encouragement through the protective netting.

"Brother Hai, Brother Hai, I won!" After winning, Ai happily spun in circles while holding Pikachu, then turned back and smiled at Yu Hai.

With a click, the door opened. Ai's Mother lowered her camera and turned to greet Yu Hai with a smile. "Xiao Hai, this photo is for you. Good luck in your match..."

"I will, Sister Ame," Yu Hai replied, accepting the photo from Ai's Mother. In it, Ai was smiling brightly beside Pikachu, who had just won its match.

"Xiao Hai, are you confident?