The group from Alola had also come to compete in the Junior Cup. With so few entrants in the Alola Region qualifiers, nearly all of Professor Kukui's students had advanced.
It had been a long time, but Akari, Carmine, and Kieran still recognized everyone. They had looked after the group at Summer Camp. Somehow, that had already become a distant memory.
Mingyou greeted Professor Kukui, then turned to the students with a smile. "You all entered? Weren't they still rookie Trainers back at Summer Camp?"
"Yeah... But the standard of Trainers in Alola really isn't that high. Not one of them made it through their matches this morning."
Professor Kukui shook his head. He wasn't trying to embarrass his students. They had all accepted that reality and were working hard to change it.
Mingyou noticed that the eliminated students showed no regret or resentment. If anything, they looked determined not to give up.
Seeing that, he nodded. "In that case, Professor, could you speak to whoever's in charge on the Alola side? Tell them the Manor is open to working with Alola."
"Huh? Really?"
"Of course. You've helped me plenty before. Besides, the Aether Foundation invested in the Manor's development too."
As he spoke, his gaze settled on a pretty blonde girl in a white dress. Lillie had long since overcome her fear of being around Pokémon. She held a Clefairy in her arms, and her sweet face now carried a resolve he hadn't seen before.
Noticing his gaze, Lillie nodded politely. She placed a hand against her chest and asked, "Is your Lat... Is your sister not here?"
She had already looked around and found no sign of Latias. She knew Latias's identity now, but had promised not to tell anyone, so she still called her Mingyou's sister.
The