December 18, Castelia City.
Over a week had passed since the world-shaking Team Plasma incident had come to an end.
In Castelia City, a metropolis that never lacked for energy, people still eagerly discussed it over meals and idle conversation.
But most people had already turned their attention to another approaching spectacle.
The eagerly anticipated Dark-type Specialist Tournament!
Among the eighteen types, the Dark type might not have been the most celebrated. It was even frequently associated with negative words like "underhanded" and "devious."
Yet there was no denying that the top Trainers who specialized in it were all formidable opponents, combining immense strength with tricky tactics.
Karen of the Indigo League's Elite Four, Sidney of the Hoenn Region's Elite Four, and Grimsley, one of the Unova Region's own Elite Four-all these illustrious names appeared on this tournament's star-studded roster.
However, the contestant attracting the most attention, and the overwhelming favorite to win, was none of these established powerhouses.
It was Xia Chi, the hottest name of the moment, who had practically resolved Unova's crisis single-handedly.
When the official roster was released with Xia Chi's name prominently listed, it certainly caused quite a stir online.
People weren't surprised that a "rookie" who had debuted only a little over a year ago qualified for such a prestigious specialist tournament-
His past accomplishments were so staggering that the spectators were already well prepared for that.
What truly surprised them was that Xia Chi was actually a Dark-type specialist.
But on closer inspection, there were Meowscarada, Tyranitar, and Urshifu.
With three powerful Dark-type mainstays, Xia Chi certainly met all the entry requirements for the Dark-type Specialist Tournament.
Some also pointed out that Xia Chi seemed to have even more Dragon-type Pokémon. Shouldn't he enter the Dragon-type Experts Tournament instead?
But when people listed