Semi-finals.
The highly anticipated Lily Youth Competition has finally reached the semi-final stage.
For every spectator following the competition, this is definitely an exhilarating event.
This year's Lily Youth Competition is undoubtedly the highest-quality youth competition in recent years.
Whether it's the strength of the contestants' Pokémon or each contestant's grasp of tactics and tempo, it all speaks to the high "quality" of the participants this time.
Without a doubt, those who have made it to the final four in such a high-quality competition are definitely the outstanding figures among the younger generation today, and the future hope of the Alliance.
The attention this competition has attracted is also the highest in recent years.
The popular contestants like Lance, Flint, and Hilona naturally need no further mention; this competition has only increased their popularity.
The most unexpected surprise is the dark horse, Natsuhiko, who "broke through the ranks."
This has skyrocketed his attention, with many people watching the competition primarily to see how far he can go and if he can repeatedly break the doubts people have about him.
Of course, regardless of how far he gets, his current position has already far exceeded people's expectations.
And those who are most delighted are naturally the ones who have supported Natsuhiko since the group stages.
They have become loyal supporters of Natsuhiko.
Some people were initially attracted by the unique Pokémon like Togekiss, Beedrill, Alakazam, and Doublade, and then gradually started to support Natsuhiko.
But no matter what, the cheers for him, even before the match has started, are already almost as loud as those for Lance.
Don't doubt it.
After all, this is Sinnoh.
Even some passersby would choose Natsuhiko, representing the Sinnoh Region, over Lance.
However, the first to appear in the semi-finals are not Natsuhiko and Lance, but Flint and Hilona.
This is arranged by the organizers, with Lance and Natsuhiko's match scheduled later.
The popularity of both of them speaks for itself; they are surely this competition's top influencers. Their names alone represent everything.
Sitting in the waiting room, Natsuhiko watched Lance, who was nervously rubbing his hands beside him, and patted him on the shoulder with an odd expression.
"What's making you nervous?"
Lance glared at him, "It's because of you."
"I told you, I'll be going on stage." Natsuhiko reassured him.
"Are you sure? You don't even have six Pokémon; how will you fight?" Lance hesitated.
Natsuhiko glanced at him, "Who says I can't fight without six Pokémon?"
Seeing Lance looking afraid that he might back out, Natsuhiko couldn't help but laugh.
Clearly, he should be the one more worried about losing on stage, yet now Lance was more nervous.
You can't blame him.
Even when facing sinister forces like the Rocket Team, Lance doesn't get nervous, but the long-awaited battle with a close friend is finally about to begin, making him a bit apprehensive.
"Don't think about it; the match between Hilona and Flint is about to start."
Natsuhiko looked at the screen.
Even through the screen, they could hear the surging cheers of the audience.
"Senior Natsuhiko, who do you think will win?" Kona propped her head, slightly tilted, and asked.
"Definitely Senior Flint!" Du Juan immediately expressed her stance for once.
"I don't think so."
Suddenly, several figures walked in from outside.
Leading them was a man with his hands in his pockets, sporting a fro hairstyle, swaggering as he walked.
Da Ye!
Two others followed behind him.
One of them was Denji, with an expressionless face that revealed no emotion. Their personalities were completely opposite, creating a perfect balance.
The other two were the ones that surprised Natsuhiko slightly.
One wore a black vest and sported green hair, with a particularly prominent "ahoge" on top.
Aliu!
The future Insect-type Elite of the Sinnoh Region.
He was just unlucky to encounter a Fire Type specialist and got eliminated.
In truth, Aliu's strength was not weak; he was one of the few Trainers specializing in Insect-type Pokémon.
His experience was somewhat similar to Natsuhiko's, as Insect-type Pokémon have been underestimated, but Aliu managed to leverage them to the position of the future Elite Four.
He would become the only Insect-type Elite Four in the future.
This alone demonstrates his exceptional abilities.
The other wore a crimson suit with sunglasses, sporting long purple hair, giving off a scholarly vibe.
It was none other than the future Psychic-type Elite Four of Sinnoh, Wusong!
This was Hilona's fan club.
Though Aliu was following behind Da Ye, his eyes kept glancing forward, seemingly looking for something.
When he saw Natsuhiko, his eyes instantly lit up.
He hurriedly rushed forward, "Master Natsuhiko! I'm your fan!"
As he spoke, he attempted to grab Natsuhiko's hand, but fortunately, Natsuhiko dodged.
Master Natsuhiko...
Natsuhiko's eye twitched.
"Master" has never been a good term in his dictionary.
Master = Big Wet.
"Master Natsuhiko, I..."
Before he could say much, Natsuhiko interrupted, "Just call me Natsuhiko."
"Eh? Is that okay?" Aliu was quite surprised.
Natsuhiko nodded.
"Oh, alright, so Natsuhiko, I want to ask how you train your Beedrill, how to maintain the 'Leader's Aura' of an Insect-type Pokémon, and why your Beedrill has an electric attribute?"