"New here?"
A slightly hoarse voice rang out, and Baimu and Hydreigon turned their heads together.
A lean, middle-aged man with tan skin and a cowboy hat stood nearby. Behind him was a slender, red-eyed, red-furred ground squirrel Pokémon that looked as though it wore a fluorescent vest.
Watchog, the Lookout Pokémon—one you could no longer find on the Switch.
Plenty of players joked that it existed just to fill out the Pokédex, but it had no shortage of admirers in the Pokémon World. Whether surveying burrows, lighting up to keep watch, or clearing farmland, it was an excellent helper.
The man gave him a hearty smile. "I saw you looking a little lost over there. Did you get separated from your friends?"
Lost?
Baimu and Hydreigon exchanged a glance. Had he really looked that lost?
He shook his head. "No, I came alone."
"Alone? Are you a tourist?" The man glanced in surprise at the enormous, intimidating Hydreigon. Anyone with a Pokémon like that at his side was probably a Trainer.
Baimu shook his head again. "No, I have a membership card that lets me compete, but this is my first time here. If you don't mind, is there a special requirement for getting on the rankings?"
The man seemed both familiar with the place and eager to help, so Baimu laid out his situation and question.
The man's smile grew brighter. "There is. Anyone can enter the ranked matches, but you need at least ten wins to make the rankings."
"Ten wins... I see. Thanks for explaining." Baimu nodded, then politely held out a hand. "And you are?"
"Zack. I'm from Driftveil City in Unova Region, where I own a small mine. I came to Orre to see if I could buy mining rights."
Zack shook his hand.