The day of the finals arrived...
"We're here. That building is Team Flare's base." The Middle-Aged Man pointed toward a towering building with a distinctly high-tech look.
"Since Xiao Yan's in there, let's hurry in and find him!" Gary was about to rush inside when the Middle-Aged Man grabbed him from behind.
"Don't be rash, young man. Go in and sign up for the entrance exam. You all have Pokémon, so you only need to take the written test," the Middle-Aged Man said.
"You want us to join those bad guys?!" Xiao Lan cut in.
"This may only be one of Team Flare's branch bases, but there are over a thousand members inside. Charging in like that would be like throwing an egg against a rock. You'd just be throwing your lives away," the Middle-Aged Man said.
"Let's do what he says!" Serena said. Xiao Lan and Gary then agreed to the plan.
"Good! I'll leave the rest to you, then. I have other things to take care of." With that, the Middle-Aged Man headed back the way he had come.
"Let's go! Time to find Xiao Yan."
Meanwhile, the Dueling Room inside Team Flare's base was bustling. The place was packed, every seat in the stands occupied. Everyone else stood to watch the match about to begin in the central arena.
"Sceptile, sorry for the trouble again today!" Xiao Yan stood at one end of the arena, holding an Ultra Ball as he waited for the referee's signal.
"We are now holding the Group B final, with Xiao Yan on the red side versus Meng Tingting on the blue side. Each competitor may use only one Pokémon. The winner of this match will qualify for promotion to squad leader. Let the match begin!"
The instant the referee finished