The next day.
Kenta, Marina, and Junichi took the competitors' cable car to the third main stadium.
The boundless sea of clouds beyond the glass walkway filled them with wonder.
How many regional Pokémon Leagues held their conferences on a mountaintop? Even without an active volcano, the setting was unique enough.
Before they reached the arena,
Marina and Junichi wished Kenta luck.
"Do your best, Kenta!"
"Take your opponent down in one go!"
"Just watch me from the stands!" he said with a confident grin and a wave, as he always did.
His opponent was the monster of the preliminaries, but Kenta didn't think victory was out of reach.
Once he stepped into the arena, even if he couldn't believe in himself, he would believe in the Pokémon partners who had supported him all this way.
Battles weren't contests where the one who could cause more destruction automatically won!
Kenta walked into the competitor's tunnel with his head held high. Marina watched him go, unable to hide the worry in her eyes.
After seeing the matchups last night, they had stayed up gathering information on Baimu, hoping to pin down his team before the match. What they found only shocked them more.
Winner of the Hoenn League's Ever Grande Conference?
Wasn't he a Champion somewhere?
Then again.
The first Orre League Conference was being held to crown a Champion! He had gone away to train, then come home to claim the title!
Anyone who saw Baimu's record would think he was following the classic hero's path.
Starting from nothing, heading out to hone his skills, then returning home undefeated and covered in glory to win the inaugural conference!
What a classic storyline!
By comparison, almost every other competitor seemed destined to become a supporting character.
But.
Lately, stories that turned