"Sand Bite!"
Garchomp circled down to land. The reporters and judges were already in place, and the moment they saw Ye Qing appear, they began taking pictures like mad.
The Dragon King stood in the judges' area and nodded to Ye Qing in greeting.
Watching the Dragon Tamer approach, Ye Qing asked quietly, "What are the rules?"
"One 1v1 match, one 2v2 match, and one 3v3 match."
"You can't reuse any Pokémon across the matches, and Mythical or Legendary Pokémon aren't allowed."
Ye Qing nodded, committing that to memory. "Got it. Where's my opponent?"
"He'll be here soon. Be careful. This guy isn't quite right in the head."
The Dragon Tamer pointed to his own head, then patted Ye Qing on the shoulder.
Ye Qing didn't take it to heart. How bad could someone who had become an Elite Four-level Trainer possibly be?
"Oh, right. Any news about Gardevoir's Mega Stone?"
"Don't worry. I'll give it to you after the competition."
With that, the Dragon Tamer returned to the judges' area.
On the other side of the Imperial Capital, a lavish wedding was taking place at a manor.
Dressed in formal attire, Old Master Zhang was chatting animatedly with several senior Pokémon League officials.
The Ice Elite Four, Zhang Sisi, was in the dressing room, adjusting Zhang Siyu's wedding gown.
On the courtyard lawn, Li Zifan and the others had gathered to talk quietly. They all knew the Elite Four Challenge was taking place today, but because of the competition's special nature, they hadn't been able to attend in person.
Wangchen, whom they hadn't seen in a long time, had already become the chief captain of the Imperial Capital Forestry Bureau's Action Squad.
Long Zinuo and Li Zifan had also taken over their families' Gyms and were preparing to work