When Xia You emerged from the competitors' tunnel, thunderous applause and cheers greeted him. The response was far more enthusiastic than during Misty and Gaomei's battle, showing that he truly deserved to be called the most popular competitor in this tournament!
Since he had been held up in the tunnel for a while, his opponent was already standing in the Pokémon Trainer's Battle Area at the other end, waiting for him at ease.
He walked unhurriedly to his position and first looked his opponent over.
The middle-aged man wore a tasteful casual suit. Judging by its material and cut, it was probably custom-made and clearly expensive. His hair was slicked back with wax, and his neatly trimmed beard, which extended to his chin, made him look particularly masculine.
Although that sort of bearing would not attract fans who cared only about looks, it still held considerable appeal for certain spectators with distinctive tastes.
To Xia You, however, someone like this belonged in an office, watching the sunset with a glass of red wine and a cigar, rather than appearing here.
All he could say was that, in this world, Pokémon battles really had become something everyone loved. People of every background liked to get involved.
Looking at it another way, if the Whirl Islands Cup had not been open to everyone, someone like him certainly would not have entered.
They were too far apart to exchange greetings, so at the referee's signal, they simply sent out their respective Pokémon.
The middle-aged man's first Pokémon was a Clawitzer. This Pokémon was common in the Kalos Region, but differences in waters, climate, and other factors meant it had no habitat in Johto or Kanto.
Since Xia You had watched footage of his earlier matches and knew something about his Pokémon, he was