The Lumiose Conference finals arrived as scheduled the next day.
The Lumiose Stadium was already packed, the crowd roaring.
Diantha, champion of the Kalos Region, had dressed for the occasion. As a special guest, she would present the trophy to the winner.
Lysandre had come to "supervise" in person, taking Mairin to the VIP seats.
Even Malva, one of the Elite Four and a secret member of Team Flare, was there as a news reporter, broadcasting the spectacle live.
"Lysandre and Malva are both here. The remaining Team Flare officers and members shouldn't pose much of a threat to me!"
"That means I have a very good chance of success if I strike Prism Tower now."
Seeing Lysandre and Malva, Bai Shi broke into a delighted smile. His confidence surged as he began considering when to act.
Under the crowd's eager gaze, Alain and Ash slowly entered the arena.
Once they had taken their places, both sent out their Pokémon.
With that, the curtain rose on the Lumiose Conference finals.
"Serena, I have something to take care of. Please keep cheering Ash on for me!"
The match had barely begun when Bai Shi made an excuse to leave the stands and headed straight for Prism Tower.
Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were almost entirely focused on Ash.
They did not know Bai Shi particularly well, so they paid little attention to his departure.
But Squishy, tucked in Bonnie's shoulder bag, used Telepathy to sense the joy Bai Shi could barely contain, along with a trace of unease.
Squishy was not in the habit of meddling, so it let Bai Shi go.
As for Lysandre and Malva, there was no chance they would notice an "unknown nobody" like Bai Shi suddenly leaving his seat.
And so Bai Shi raced all the way