November 12, afternoon.
While Li Wei was giving Dragonite care,
The Master League's Round of 16 had already begun.
Galar Region, Wyndon Stadium.
The rounds of 128, 64, and 32 had all been held at Hammerlocke Stadium.
Starting with the round of sixteen, however, the competition moved to Wyndon Stadium.
This year's Round of 16 came with a format change, making the competition even fiercer.
The head referee began announcing the rules for the Round of 16.
"The sixteen competitors will be divided into four groups!"
The draw for the four groups had already taken place, leaving some delighted and others worried.
After all, there were six Champions: Leon, Cynthia, Diantha, Wallace, Lance, and Steven.
That meant two groups would inevitably contain two Champions each.
Those would undoubtedly be the groups of death.
The first of those was Group B.
Group B's lineup truly deserved the label: Leon, Steven, Raihan, and Drake.
In other words, Drake might well fail to win a single match in this group and make a disappointing exit from the competition...
But Group A was hardly any better: Cynthia, Lorelei, Wallace, and Caitlin.
The competition between Lorelei and Wallace would be particularly fierce.
Last year's Round of 16 had consisted of straightforward full-team six-on-six matches, and Lorelei had narrowly lost to Wallace.
This year, Lorelei had returned in force, showing even greater strength than the year before.
The outcome between Lorelei and Wallace would therefore be crucial in determining who advanced.
The double round-robin format would also test the Trainers' and Pokémon's ability to handle pressure, and even their logistical support.
That meant Li Wei was about to become very busy.
With Li Wei around, they not only had the Pokémon Center and Nurse Joy to heal injuries, but could also receive a full range of