"Mom, aren't you coming with me to the Johto League this time?" More than a week after Moe and Aji left, the Johto League was about to begin. During that time, Liu Qing had eased off his Pokémon's battles and focused on getting them into peak condition. He also spoke often over the phone with Cynthia, who would soon be competing in the Sinnoh League, exchanging their insights on battling. By that morning, only one day remained before the competition. Beside the private helicopter, Liu Qing immediately asked when he learned that Mili would not be going to Johto.
"That's right, Liu Qing. Things have been a little busy at the company lately, so I won't be able to attend your competition. But I'll be cheering you on from home," Mili said apologetically.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll definitely bring home the championship trophy again this time." After saying goodbye to Mili, Liu Qing boarded the helicopter with Liu Yuan and flew toward Silver Town.
Although Silver Town was called a "town," it covered a larger area than most cities. With the Silver Conference approaching, not only competing Pokémon Trainers but also spectators from every region were flocking there, making the entire town bustle with activity.
After getting off the helicopter, Liu Qing took Liu Yuan to the Pokémon Center to register for the competition. Perhaps because the tournament was drawing near and the registration rush had already passed, few people were still signing up, and his turn came quickly. The registration process was almost identical to that of the Indigo League Conference, with one clear difference: a new rule required competitors to register the Pokémon they would use before each match began. Otherwise, those Pokémon would not be allowed to take the field.
The tournament format also differed noticeably from