"Thanks for your hard work, Golurk!"
Riding Golurk, Bai Shi arrived at his destination right on time.
At the headquarters of the Unova League, he met his opponent as he had hoped—the Fighting-type Elite Four member, Marshal.
He was a burly man with dark skin and short-cropped yellow hair, wearing a sleeveless martial arts uniform and yellow trousers.
"Hello, challenger Bai Shi. My name is Marshal."
"I heard your name mentioned when I spoke with Master Alder!"
"He had nothing but praise for you, saying that you possessed exceptional talent and were among the best Pokémon Trainers of your generation."
"As Master Alder's prized disciple, I have a duty to test your strength and see whether it lives up to his praise!"
"I hope you can unleash your utmost power in this battle!"
Marshal scrutinized Bai Shi several times before speaking with a solemn expression.
Although Alder's actions in recent years had seemed somewhat absurd and unrestrained, he still had a sharp eye for judging people.
Otherwise, he would never have become Alder's disciple.
For Bai Shi to have earned such high praise from Alder, he must have had something extraordinary about him.
He would treat Bai Shi as he would any trainer of equal standing and fight him for victory.
"Elite Four Marshal, it's an honor to battle you. I'll give it my all!"
"At the same time, I'd like to thank Mr. Alder for his praise. Please send him my regards."
Bai Shi bowed slightly and replied with due courtesy.
He had made thorough preparations for today's battle, and this was the perfect moment to test the results.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the battle officially began.
"Manectric, I'm counting on you!"
Following his planned strategy, Bai Shi sent Manectric into battle.
"Throh, come on out!"
Marshal