The dishes arrived quickly, and the two chatted as they ate. Their conversation moved from training plans to recent League news, then to last year's Ever Grande Conference top eight.
Roxanne set down her chopsticks and propped her chin on the back of her hand, her gaze falling on the darkening sky beyond the window. "This year's conference may be more complicated than usual."
"How so?" Xinhai picked up a piece of richly seasoned grilled meat and put it into his mouth. The juices spread across his tongue. It really did taste quite good.
"The League just went through an incident where a Gym Leader was killed. You know about that, right?" Roxanne lowered her voice slightly, drawing her gaze back from the window to his face.
"After that, the League higher-ups started taking the major regional conferences much more seriously. They'll be investing more resources this year—prize money, training resources, and even Pokémon Eggs with four Egg Moves."
Xinhai's chopsticks paused slightly as he reached for more food.
"More resources mean more attention," Roxanne continued. "Many children from families who used to look down on the Ever Grande Conference will most likely participate this year too. After all, for those families, getting noticed by influential people is worth more than anything."
She lifted her glass and took a sip, her tone calm yet weighty. "In previous years, most Trainers in the conference's top eight had teams with at least six Pokémon at Gym level. This year—the bar will only be higher."
Xinhai fell silent for a moment. His chopsticks lightly tapped the rim of his bowl before he resumed picking up food. "Mm, I understand."
He ate at a slower pace than before. The excitement kindled by the day's training was slightly dampened by Roxanne's words, replaced by a