Yong and Yuanzhi's little exchange did not escape everyone's notice.
Near the central area, a boy frowned.
"That damn fatty is stirring up trouble again!"
Muttering under his breath, he turned and headed farther toward the center.
Lapis lazuli lay exposed all over the ground here, its metallic-looking surfaces covered in all kinds of marks.
Farther in, a Nidoking and a Quagsire stood before a massive chunk of lapis lazuli, striking it over and over.
Several other Pokémon nearby were busy with their own training.
A sturdy boy with a crew cut sat on the ground, watching his partners train with a serious expression, until the other boy approached him.
"Ahe, why aren't you training? What brings you over here?"
The boy named Ahe gave a wry smile and casually sat down beside him.
"Huchen! I think we've got trouble again!"
Ahe pursed his lips and gestured toward Yong.
"There's a newcomer. That fatty must be up to something again!"
Following Ahe's gaze, Huchen looked over. Then a calm smile spread across his face, and he let out a hearty laugh.
"Isn't that a good thing? What's the point of doing nothing but training? Nobody here can beat me! Now that someone new has come, maybe he'll be really strong! Getting beaten in a battle would be great! Hahahaha!"
"But if you lose, the central area..."
Ahe sounded anxious, but Huchen waved a hand and spoke calmly.
"It doesn't matter. Even if I lose, I can win it back. Apart from the central area, the training benefits are about the same everywhere around here!"
His eyes brightened slightly, his expression full of anticipation.
"But having an opponent I can keep sparring with-that's what matters most to me!"
Huchen looked at Ahe.
"You need to understand that there's a huge gap