"Everyone, let's battle! Let's battle!" As they approached the venue, a wildly exuberant voice rang out through the loudspeakers. A short, stout old man with a protruding belly, a blue top hat, a blue formal suit, and white gloves stood on a chair on the dais beneath the large screen directly opposite the entrance. He worked the entire audience into a frenzy, driving the excitement to one peak after another!
"Why is the host such a little stump?" Lusana pouted. "Standing that high up, isn't he afraid of falling?"
"He's with the League-Mr. Yuantai, the mayor of Hearthome City!" Cynthia gave Lusana a helpless smile. He certainly was short and squat, but she shouldn't say it like that.
"Then who's sitting beside the mayor?" Liu Yuan asked, pointing at the middle-aged man in a coffee-colored suit.
"Zhuguang, a famous host from the Unova Region!" Elesa explained. "Since this tournament is between Unova and the Eastern Hemisphere, it makes sense that he'd come!"
"Nana, I'm heading to the preparation room. Take Liu Yuan and Lusana to their seats!" Liu Qing checked the time and was about to leave when he caught sight of Elesa's aggrieved expression. Somehow, another sentence slipped out. "Elesa, you go with them too!" The moment he said it, he knew he was in trouble. Without lingering, he took to his heels and vanished in the blink of an eye. With no one left to vent her anger on, Cynthia could only shoot a resentful look at the smiling Elesa to express her displeasure.
"Hello to everyone here at the venue and everyone watching at home! I'm Zhuguang from the Unova Region. The mayor of Hearthome City and I will be your live announcers for this Friendship Tournament between the five regions of Unova, Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and