"...It is now time for the second round of judging at the Pokémon Contest Grand Festival. Next, we will announce the matchups for the first round of the second stage. Please look at the screen. The first round of Contest Battles will be held across four brackets. First, here are the matchups for bracket A..."
"Judging by these brackets, none of the six who came together from Johto, including Liu Yuan and Lusana, will face each other before the quarterfinals!" In the spectator stands, Liu Qing studied the matchups on the big screen and said with a faint smile, "If there aren't any other strong contestants, Lusana in bracket A and May in bracket B should have no trouble reaching the semifinals. But Harley and Liu Yuan in bracket C, and Drew and Saori in bracket D, are bound to have some fierce battles!"
"Now, it is time for the long-awaited second stage: the Contest Battles! The Pokémon will compete in dazzling Double Battles. First up is the opening match of bracket A. On that side is Kengo, and on this side is Lusana. The time limit is five minutes. Begin!"
According to the information Liu Qing had found online about the Pokémon Trainers who had advanced, Lusana's opponent, Kengo, had competed in the previous Sinnoh Region Pokémon Contest Grand Festival, but a mistake during his Double Performance had eliminated him in the first round of judging. This would be his second time competing in an international League-level Tournament of this kind. It was also Lusana's second appearance, but she had reached the quarterfinals on her first attempt. Her experience, level, and talent all surpassed Kengo's, which was why Liu Qing had said that, barring any surprises, Lusana would certainly reach the semifinals.
"Empoleon, Breloom, go!" Kengo threw his Poké