That night, Dian stretched. He could think about Tobias when the finals came around. For now, he might as well rest and enjoy this rare moment of peace.
After the preliminary round came the preliminary tournament. Previous Hoenn League Ever Grande Conferences had used both two-on-two matches and Double Battles.
He wondered how they would arrange things this year.
Sooner or later, though, the details would be announced tomorrow. Another round of Pokémon registration would follow, and then, on the third day, the main event of the Ever Grande Conference would begin.
As he mulled it over, a brown figure suddenly flashed before his eyes. "Vee?" An Eevee with a bow tied around one ear stopped in its tracks. First, it tilted its head and studied him curiously, then sniffed. "Vee!"
The adorably dressed Eevee sat down and rolled its eyes at him. That familiar look made Dian recognize it at once. "Rongrong?"
This was Alina's Pokémon. If she had come, that meant Haya and Rolf were probably here too.
At the thought, a smile tugged at Dian's lips. He wondered how Rolf's timid Poochyena was doing. And Haya hadn't entered the Ever Grande Conference, either—he had been certain she would.
"Don't tell me you actually got lost, Rongrong?"
Dian crouched to meet the haughty Eevee's eyes, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Vee—!"
Rongrong turned its head sharply to the right, its big, round black eyes half-closed. It really did look rather dignified, but the growling from its stomach gave it away.
"Let me hold you, and you can have this." Without wasting words, Dian took out the new pineapple bun the cake shop had given him. He refused to believe there was an Eevee these days that would turn down a handout out of pride.
Smack!
"Vee!" Rongrong