Drake.
Hoenn's Dragon-type master, the foremost of the Elite Four.
A legendary captain of the Pokémon World, an upright conqueror of the seas.
This was the legendary figure Shan Ren had heard about while studying abroad—and he had just lost to Shan Ren's friend, a rookie Trainer who had been traveling for less than a year!
What was happening to the world?
Was there no justice anymore?
Who in their right mind took on an Elite Four member after less than a year on the road?
Thinking of all the Regional League Conferences he had entered without even taking second place, Shan Ren felt despair fill his office.
On the receiving end of the scolding, Baimu felt thoroughly wronged. He had beaten Drake fair and square. How did that make him some kind of inhuman monster?
It wasn't as if he had an extra arm or two extra legs.
"Why are you swearing at me? Too much overtime getting to you?"
Shan Ren shot back without a trace of shame. "Swearing? I want to hit you! Just you wait—no, I'll wait until you get back!"
"...So do you want the video or not?"
Baimu held up his phone like an old man squinting at a subway screen. Once he confirmed he hadn't mistyped anything, he figured the guy really had been working too much overtime.
Shan Ren gave a cold laugh. "Send it! Of course you should! But don't release it yet. Wait until the Champion League is over. That'll shut up the people questioning the caliber of Orre's future Champion!"
Mystery solved.
Too much overtime, plus a hefty dose of frustration from public criticism.
"All right. I'll send it once I have Drake's permission... Don't work yourself into the ground. Rest when you need to," Baimu said softly.
Shan