The first day of the competition ended.
The representatives of the various factions invited to watch were all accommodated in the rest area temporarily opened by the Pokémon League, which had plenty of guest rooms.
Once all of Cynthia's Pokémon had recovered, Yong and the others ate dinner together, then went their separate ways.
Cynthia needed to review the mistakes she had made in that day's battles and prepare for tomorrow's challenge, while Caitlin had been invited to discuss something with a representative of Fighting type Marshal's Family from Unova's First District.
That left only Yong and Qingcao.
Telling Qingcao that children needed proper rest, Yong sent him back to his room, then left the castle to take a stroll around the area.
With the athletes' village closed and the crowds absent from Lily of the Valley Island, some of the bustle of a Pokémon League Conference was missing. Those attending this time were all representatives of major factions who naturally considered themselves a cut above everyone else. They constantly minded their image, unlike ordinary people who openly showed their delight and let their enthusiasm run free.
After nightfall, the surroundings were just as quiet as Yong had imagined. The breeze, the trees, the sea of flowers, the waves-nature's rich and varied whispers echoed in his ears...
He crossed a field of flowers and reached the cliff's edge.
Yong sat on a rock beneath the bright moon hanging high overhead. Its light cast a faint silvery sheen over the sea before him.
He could no longer remember when he had started enjoying sitting somewhere alone like this, savoring the quiet, watching the tides rise and fall, then slowly clearing his mind in the stillness.
Honestly, although Cynthia's performance that day had been what he expected, deep down, Yong no longer