As Marshal explained, Sato and the others gradually came to understand what kind of competition it was.
The final "honors" were awarded individually, but that didn't mean everyone had to fight alone. Alliances and cooperation were quite common.
After all, whenever a new mission flag was discovered, if you couldn't take out the guardian Pokémon in a single blow, any noise it made would inevitably attract other participants nearby.
Normal combat wasn't restricted at all, even "ganging up" on someone wasn't considered against the rules. In the end, the only thing that mattered was who obtained the flag.
The tournament's entry slots were allocated based on a combination of factors: organizational power, family influence, group scale, and so on.
If it weren't for the fact that Drake was representing the Kanto League headquarters this time, there's no way he could've easily secured five slots.
"Thanks for this, Drake~ We definitely won't let you down!" Phoebe waved her fist at Greno with determined eyes.
Ryoko and the others didn't back down either. All of them nodded confidently, including Joseph and Mark.
While those two might not match Sato's group in overall strength, their roles in a trial like this could be extremely impactful.
"May I ask when the tournament begins, and how long it will last?" Sato continued.
"It starts in a week. During that time, all participants will be arriving in Vertress City. The tournament itself lasts three days. Unless something major happens, it won't be interrupted."
"And what counts as 'something major'?"
"For example, if a wild Pokémon appears that none of the contestants can handle, or if more than a third of the participants are injured before the tournament ends," Greno said with a serious tone.
Everyone looked at each other in silence, each lost in thought.
"Also, I only mentioned half of it earlier. We came here this time hoping we could all watch each other's backs. Form a temporary alliance and help each other out if needed."
After a few seconds, Marshal, who was carrying the task, forced himself to continue.
Sato and his group kept polite smiles, but none of them really believed it deep down.
Even if the obstacles they faced before arriving in Vertress weren't caused by them, the intense battle from yesterday alone made it hard to fully trust each other.
Take Sato's match against Skyla, for instance, he hadn't held back at all. In order to secure victory for their team, he had fought as ruthlessly as necessary.
Judging by the state Swanna and the others were in, it would take at least two or three days for them to fully recover. That level of damage was already quite serious for a Pokémon.
Skyla had been so reserved at first today precisely because of that. The way she looked at Sato -cautious, even fearful- said it all.
Weak, pitiful, and helpless…
After the surface-level alliance was formed, Marshal and the others didn't linger. They politely took their leave, giving Greno space to speak privately with Sato's team.
"This tournament only allows you to carry six Pokémon. So any newly caught or extra ones you brought along will need to be stored here temporarily."
Everyone nodded, expressing no objections. That was a standard rule.
Since they weren't registered Trainers in the Unova Region, there were no restrictions on how many Pokémon they could carry. That's why Greno had specifically brought it up.
"Also, same as before, go for the highest 'honor'. This will be the League Headquarters' first public appearance in Unova."
"That's… kind of sudden, isn't it?" Mark couldn't help but say. He clearly didn't have much confidence in his own strength.
"Well, plans never keep up with changes. Originally, we thought this would just be a first contact. But it turns out Unova had already been thinking about an alliance. So we skipped straight to negotiations," Greno said, a little proud and a little exasperated.
"Besides, Sato, Phoebe, and Ryoko… you three are among the youngest rising stars of the League. You're more than qualified. No need for false modesty.
Joseph, we've seen your support skills too. Honestly, your Pokémon lineup is stronger than most Nurse Joys."
"Mark, uh… you agree, right?"
"Yeah, totally!" Mark replied through gritted teeth, on the verge of tears. 'What about me? What about me?! How could you just skip me like that? Are you looking down on me, Mark?!'
"Over the next week, we'll gather as much information on Vertress Cave as possible for you. We'll try not to let you fall behind too much," Greno continued, dodging Mark's tearful gaze.
"Thanks, Greno," Sato said.
"No trouble at all. Actually, you guys were just here for a casual trip to Unova, and yet our Captain has dragged you into hard labor again and again.
He told me that he's been too busy to see you these last couple of days, but once you head back, he'll make sure you're well rewarded," Greno said with a laugh.
The five, who hadn't really minded in the first place, were even happier now. After all, a reward from an Elite Four wasn't likely to be anything small.
"One last thing, the Captain arranged for you to have a private training room at the branch. That's where you'll be training from now on. It's fine for now, but soon the other participants will be arriving. When that happens, the Pokémon Center will be full of people. If a conflict breaks out, it'll be a headache."
"That's awesome~ This way, the five of us can work on coordination and tactics too," Phoebe said, clapping happily.
You had to admit, Drake's experience showed in how thoroughly everything had been considered and arranged. All they had to do now was give it their all.
It felt great.
They checked out the new training room, trained for a bit longer, then dispersed and returned to their rooms. They had more important things to do today.
"Everyone, come out!" Sato threw all his Poké Balls into the air. After a dazzling burst of red light, and adding in Pichu and Ralts, a total of ten Pokémon appeared in the room.
Ralts and Pichu were usually outside their Poké Balls: one perched on Sato's shoulder, the other sleeping in his backpack.
Zweilous and Sandile, both newly catch, quietly stood to the side, watching the "boss circle" in the center with admiration.
The six core Pokémon Sato had brought to Unova were: Zoroark, Gengar, Sharpedo, Weavile, Umbreon, and Ariados.
"Everyone, listen up. In a week, I'll be participating in […]" Sato gave a quick explanation of the Vertress Cave Trial Tournament.
The most important part: he could only bring six Pokémon. The rest would have to be temporarily stored with Greno.
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150 Power Stones = Extra chap
Patreo-n/Romeloff