The meal ended amid laughter, and everyone soon returned to the Silver Conference Hall.
When Chen Shi checked the matchups for the second round of the main tournament, he was genuinely startled.
Cynthia's opponent was Volkner, the future strongest Gym Leader in Sinnoh.
Steven's opponent was an old acquaintance: Wallace's insecure girlfriend, Winona.
Pheobe's opponent was Wusong, Sinnoh's future Psychic-type Elite King.
Chen Shi's own matchup was even more fucked up. His opponent was actually Yuko, and their match was the first to begin.
One in the afternoon, on Field One.
What the hell were the odds?
They had just shared a happy lunch together.
Who would have thought they would face each other that very afternoon?
"Sigh!"
Hearing his friend sigh, Steven smacked his lips and said wistfully, "Life really is unpredictable."
Chen Shi fell silent for a while, then suddenly made his peace with it.
They were already down to the final sixty-four in the main tournament. Almost everyone left would become a major powerhouse in the future, so facing any of them was hardly surprising.
He could only blame Yuko's bad luck.
"Old Chen, it's almost time. You should head over."
Chen Shi nodded slightly, slowly left the lounge, and followed the signs to Field One.
After entering the passage, he stopped in front of the metal doors.
He waited a little while. When the clock struck one, the metal doors slowly opened, and Chen Shi walked straight in without hesitation.
"Next to enter is-Chen Shi!"
"In his previous match, his Swampert left quite an impression on us."
"What surprises will he bring us in this match?"
"Let's wait and see!"
As he walked into the Battle Arena, the announcer's spirited voice rang out, and quite a few fans in the stands cheered him on.
On the