The conference room on the top floor of the Silver Battle Arena.
After Xia Yan and Norman's battle ended, the place fell quiet once more.
Quite a while passed.
Before someone finally spoke.
"What a pity."
There was regret in the voice, but upon closer listening, there was also a faint hint of schadenfreude.
However, everyone in the room knew what he meant by "pity."
Norman had originally been from Johto Region. For reasons unknown, he had gone to Hoenn to become a Gym Leader, then brought his wife and children over.
If Norman were still in Johto Region now, an Elite Four seat would have been his for certain.
In Hoenn, perhaps because Norman cared too much about his family to fully fulfill an Elite Four member's duties, he had repeatedly declined the position.
But if it were Johto Region, plenty of people would have loved an Elite Four member who did not meddle in affairs.
They could simply give him the Elite Four title and let him stay wherever he pleased.
The former vice president of the Kanto League, now the president of Johto Region, merely shrugged indifferently.
"We aren't the only ones who lost out."
Wasn't Xia Yan, who had originally been from the Kanto Region, now serving as an Elite Four member in Sinnoh?
Based on the strength Xia Yan had displayed in this battle, it was not something a young man who had only recently become an Elite Four member should possess.
Besides.
During the battle just now.
Xia Yan's Dragapult had successfully entered the Champion-level with the help of the Absolute Focus state. They had all sensed it.
An Elite Four member with a pseudo-four-Core team and a Champion-level Pokémon.
He could already rank among the best of all Elite Four members.
Other than