Unable to Compete?

"You two can sit in the middle. I'll prepare two cups of tea for you."

The middle-aged man named Xiao Hai eagerly pointed toward the judges' seats.

"Supervisor Hai! This is bad, there's an emergency!"

The man looked at the female staff member rushing over in a panic with utter disdain.

"What kind of behavior is this, running around in such a fluster? Can't you be like me and remain calm even if a mountain collapses before you?"

The female staff member panted heavily, staring speechlessly at her immediate superior. She hoped he could still remain calm after hearing what she had to say.

Just as Agatha was about to lead Professor Oak toward the judges' seats, she heard the female staff member speak in broken gasps from running too fast:

"There's... there's a boy here with a Gh... Ghost-type Pokémon."

"I thought it was something seri... Wait, what type did you say!?"

Their conversation reached both Agatha and Professor Oak's ears.

Agatha halted, stopping her walk toward the judges' seats.

The female staff member told the man that Roy had come to compete with a Litwick. More importantly, their competition registration page had never restricted Pokémon types.

The man was immediately at a loss as well. His earlier claim of remaining calm before a collapsing mountain had become a joke. In the end, he even tentatively asked the female staff member:

"How about... giving him a month's worth of Pokéblocks as compensation?"

"But we don't have any Pokéblocks suitable for Ghost-type Pokémon."

It seemed there were no Pokéblocks for Ghost-type Pokémon on the market at all. The man sank into thought, mainly worried that a Ghost-type Pokémon's appearance would disrupt the order of the competition.

After all, since the Pokémon Contest in Rustboro City had been established, this was the first time a Trainer with a Ghost-type Pokémon had come to participate.

"Then... what should we do?"

The female staff member looked at her supervisor with contempt. He was actually asking her about something like this? Was that something she could decide?

"Wait...

"Why can't Ghost-type Pokémon participate in Pokémon Contests?"

A cool voice came from behind the man. When he turned around, he found it was Agatha, who had remained silent beside Professor Oak.

Damn it. He had forgotten that the woman before him was an Elite Four-level Trainer specializing in Ghost types. Just as he was about to explain his reasons, he was interrupted by the Pressure emanating from an Elite Four-level Trainer.

"Don't you keep claiming that this is a stage for every newcomer who wants to become a Coordinator to show their abilities?

Why won't you let Ghost-type Trainers compete?"

Agatha's voice was as cold as the wind blowing from Mt. Coronet in the Sinnoh Region. It was not merely frigid—it struck fear into people's hearts.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to look down on Ghost-type Trainers at all..."

The middle-aged man hurriedly apologized. If he offended an Elite Four-level Trainer, he could forget about running this event, and his position as supervisor would be finished too.

Professor Oak nudged Agatha, signaling for her to rein in her aura a little, but Agatha ignored him and continued staring at the man with icy eyes.

What she hated most was seeing people prejudiced against Ghost-type Pokémon. She declared that if that Ghost-type Trainer was not allowed to compete, she would also refuse to watch from the judges' seats.

"Professor Oak, look, this..."

Professor Oak spread his hands and gave him a helpless look. He knew Agatha's temper better than anyone—once she made up her mind, there was no changing it. If she said she would not go, then she would not go.

He could not persuade her at all.

"Fine, then..."

With only one hour of preparation time left before the afternoon's competition, the man gritted his teeth and made his decision.

Roy, who was waiting, had no idea he had nearly lost his chance to compete. He was casually chatting with Wallace.

During that time, Roy also met Wallace's mentor, Adam, whose attire made him look like a European nobleman from the Middle Ages.

At this point, Adam had not yet handed the position of Sootopolis Gym Leader over to Wallace.

He had come to watch Wallace perform. Seeing that there was still time, he bought each of them a bottle of Moomoo Milk from a vending machine outside.

Second by second, time passed, but the female staff member still had not returned.

"Will all contestants please enter the venue now."

Even after the last contestant at the end of the line entered the competition venue, the female staff member still had not returned.

Seeing that it was already time, Roy urged Wallace and Adam to enter the venue so they would not miss the competition.

He waited alone on a bench outside.

Another ten minutes passed.

The female staff member still had not returned, while the other contestants had all more or less received their contestant number badges and entered the Pokémon Contest venue.

Only Roy and Litwick remained, their lonely shadows stretched long by the sunlight.

So it really wasn't possible after all?

Were people's prejudices against Ghost-type Pokémon really this deep?

He had wanted to earn some Popularity Points through this competition, yet now he could not even enter the venue.

Litwick looked at the dejected Roy. Sensing his low spirits, the small blue flame atop its head burned more fiercely, trying to warm Roy's heart.

How could he be discouraged by such a minor setback?

How else was he supposed to change people's views of Ghost-type Pokémon and earn Popularity Points?

"Thanks, Litwick. Let's go! If this place won't have us, another one will. At worst, we'll start with the academy first!"

Just as Roy stood up, ready to ride off on his old bicycle with Litwick, the female staff member returned. Holding a contestant badge numbered 256, she called out Roy's name.

"Little Roy, sorry for keeping you waiting. Here's your contestant number badge."

She had not expected the supervisor to agree to let Roy compete in the end. Of course, they had that woman with such overwhelming Pressure to thank for it. Even standing beside the man, she had found it hard to breathe.

With his qualification secured, Roy successfully entered the contestants' preparation room backstage.

"Roy! Over here!"

Wallace froze for two seconds when he saw Roy enter, then immediately called out to him.

He had been regretting that Roy could not compete. After all, whether it was Litwick's appearance or its natural bearing, it was an advantage in itself.

"Thanks."

"Why are you thanking me?"

Wallace looked at Roy in confusion.

"Wasn't it you...

Roy had assumed Wallace had pulled some strings to get him into the Pokémon Contest venue, but judging by his clueless expression, it seemed Wallace had nothing to do with it.

"How could that be? This Rookie Cup is officially organized by the Pokémon Contest authorities, an institution under the Pokémon League. Even my mentor couldn't pull strings like that."

Then who had that kind of influence?

The key was that he did not know anyone important in Rustboro City.

Could it be that the organizers, like him, were doing it for the gimmick?