"I've already boarded the train. Yeah, don't worry, this is the second time I've been there, nothing will happen."
"Just wait for my good news."
Owen hung up the phone with his mother and let out a long yawn.
He was on a maglev train, having caught an early morning departure for Shanghai. The Young Ho-Oh Cup Rookie Trainer Tournament was kicking off tomorrow with three days of qualifiers, and the entire event, including the main bracket, would last a full week.
This meant Owen and Eevee would be staying in Shanghai for seven days.
Owen wasn't worried about the competition, but the hotel costs were genuinely painful... it looked like he'd have to deduct the expenses from Eevee's snack fund.
"Tsk..."
"Good thing I was smart enough to book a room in advance. If I were looking for a place to stay now, I'd definitely be sleeping on the streets."
"Man... the trip is so boring..."
The maglev train sped forward. Sitting by the window, Owen felt a sense of emptiness. He cast a sleepy gaze at the passing scenery, wishing to arrive at his destination as quickly as possible.
The Eastern Pearl Arena
In eastern Shanghai, Owen stepped off the train in the city bordering the East China Sea. This was the host city for the Young Ho-Oh Cup.
"Whether in fire, water, grass, or forest... in the earth, in the clouds, or under that girl's skirt..."
Muttering the theme song "Aim to Be a Pokémon Master" under his breath, Owen stepped into the unfamiliar city. After leaving the train station, he immediately released Eevee from her Poké Ball.
Perhaps because Owen had raised her "off-track" from the start, Eevee now hated staying inside her ball.
"Vee..."
As soon as she popped out, Eevee critiqued Owen's singing with a dry look. If you're tone-deaf, don't sing.
"No way. You're the only one who has to listen."
Owen pressed a hand onto her head and continued humming, making the Eevee perched on his shoulder feel a sudden urge to cry.
"Oriental Pearl Arena... let's see, which way is it..."
"Actually, forget it. Let's drop our luggage off at the hotel first, then go register."
"Vee!"
Since they were staying for a week, Owen hadn't picked a budget motel. Even if the price made his heart bleed, he wanted a decent environment so they could sleep comfortably. However, the hotel wasn't exactly close to the arena; starting tomorrow, they'd have to be early birds.
After checking in, Owen sent a "safe arrival" text to his parents and then started browsing the official Young Ho-Oh Cup forum.
"The posts are refreshing so fast..."
"Eevee, look at this! Someone already posted a 'Championship Declaration.' Talk about chuunibyou..."
"Vee?"
"Should we post one too?"
"Vee!" Eevee shook her head violently.
The forum was filled with people showing off their Pokémon, flaunting wealth, bragging, or spreading gossip. Owen scanned through and realized some of the contestants were actually quite formidable.
Scyther... Pinsir...Onix... Mr. Mime...Tauros... Torkoal...Zangoose... Seviper...
Looking at the photos of these Pokémon, Owen realized he and Eevee didn't have much of a natural advantage. As the tournament drew near, all sorts of powerhouses were emerging.
"No, I can't keep looking, or I'll psych myself out." Owen put his phone down immediately. "Come on, Eevee, let's go register for the qualifiers."
Registration and the Unlucky Number
Owen had signed up the moment registration opened, as there was a cap on participants. People like Owen—non-locals traveling for the tournament—were common.
China was a land of many people; any competition would be packed with both participants and spectators.
Oriental Pearl Arena, Registration Desk.
Owen took a taxi there and waited in a long queue for thirty minutes before it was finally his turn. When the young lady behind the computer reached out, Owen knew the drill.
"ID card."
"Here."
Owen handed it over. His ID was linked to his Trainer ID; one swipe showed all his registration data.
"Owen. School: Fairview No. 1 High. Registration Location: Fairview Pokémon Center. Starter Pokémon: Eevee..."
After a quick verification, the registrar nodded. "Here is your contestant information card. Important notes are on the back. Don't lose it."
"If you do, you can check your info on the official website using your Trainer ID."
"Thank you."
Owen took the palm-sized card and his ID and stepped out of the line.
His contestant number was... 444?
"Crap, that's unlucky." Owen was stunned. What was this? Where was his '666'?! (Note: 4 sounds like 'death' in Chinese culture).
"Whatever. Pulling 444 is a type of luck in itself. Good luck, I guess."
After forcing himself to feel better, Owen looked at the back of the card for his qualifier match info.
Section E, Field 7. Time: Tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM...Opponent's Contestant Number: 587.
"I can see the opponent's number, which means the tournament encourages gathering intel. Information warfare is a vital part of battling. But having only a number..."
Owen frowned. He didn't have any connections to dig up info. At the very least, he needed to know the species of his opponent's Pokémon.
"Wait, I think I saw something about this."
Leaving the registration area, Owen quickly pulled up the official forum on his phone. He immediately spotted a post tagged with a "Hot" icon.
[Still worried because you don't have info on your opponent? Click here, you won't regret it!]
Owen found that this post, which smelled strongly of a sketchy advertisement, was actually a service for gathering data on opponents. The sheer audacity of the operation made his scalp tingle.
"You only need the contestant number, and the price is dirt cheap... let's give it a try." Owen's mouth twitched.
Back at the hotel, Owen contacted the source via the information in the post. He paid a small fee to buy the data, finally feeling a bit more at ease. Meanwhile, Eevee was also waiting expectantly; she wanted to know who her first opponent would be.
Ding...
In less than a minute, a reply came. The info was sparse—no name, no photo—but it had the essential bit.
Contestant No. 587. Pokémon: Lotad.
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