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"That's not quite the case," Carl shook his head. "The Palace of Victors was actually built just over a decade ago, so it only records recent honorary Trainers and does not include the champions from earlier years. And do you remember what I mentioned just now?"
"What you said just now?" Kai raised an eyebrow.
For a moment, he wasn't sure what Carl was referring to after all, Carl had been talking nonstop during their tour, introducing a vast amount of information.
But since Carl specifically asked, it must have been something important.
Thinking carefully, Kai asked, "Does it have something to do with the Chief Trainer?"
"That's right!" Carl laughed heartily. "Our current Chief Trainer of the Orange League, Drake, is so powerful that no one has been able to defeat him since he took the position! That's the main reason why so few new statues have been added here in recent years!"
So the Chief Trainer's name was Drake...
Kai vaguely recalled the name, but he didn't have much of an impression of Drake's true strength. He only knew that Ash eventually defeated him and won the Winner's Cup.
But then again, Ash's battles were notoriously unpredictable one moment, he could take down Legendary Pokémon, and the next, he might lose to a rookie Trainer. His track record was too inconsistent to serve as a reliable reference.
However, since Carl spoke so highly of Drake, and considering he had held onto his title for so long, Drake was clearly no ordinary opponent. Kai couldn't afford to take him lightly.
They continued their tour around the Palace of Victors, and by now, Kai had gained a general understanding of the history and current state of the Orange League.
The Orange League had once enjoyed brief moments of glory, but due to its remote geography, limited number of Trainers, and the economic and population constraints of the Orange Archipelago, it had never been able to grow.
As a result, it remained stuck in stagnation, popular only within its own region but holding little influence beyond it.
It was a vicious cycle one that seemed impossible to break.
From Carl's tone, Kai could sense a hint of helplessness and frustration regarding this reality.
Yet, despite these challenges, the local Trainers still deeply loved the Orange League and remained dedicated to it!
After finishing their tour, Kai and Sabrina retraced their steps down the hill and returned to the Orange League headquarters.
Just as Carl had predicted, despite their absence for over an hour, not a single person had come to challenge the League during that time.
Standing at the entrance of the headquarters, Carl smiled. "Mr. Kai, I'll have to excuse myself now. That's enough sightseeing for today. We still need to promote tomorrow's match, and time is a bit tight, so I can't afford any more delays."
Then, he gestured toward a part of the town and kindly asked, "If you don't mind me asking have you two found a place to stay tonight? If not, there's a Pokémon Center in that direction that offers free lodging and meals. Most Trainers who come here to challenge the League stay there. It's quite comfortable."
"Thanks for your concern, Mr. Carl," Kai waved a hand. "I've already found a place it's a small inn in the town centre. It has a hot spring, which is perfect for relaxing, and most importantly, the food there is delicious. It really suits my taste."
Hearing this, Carl's gaze flickered meaningfully between Kai and Sabrina.
As someone with life experience, he could tell at a glance that the two were a couple. He also knew that staying at a Pokémon Center wasn't exactly convenient for a couple, which was likely why they had chosen to stay elsewhere.
Realizing this, Carl didn't say anything further and simply smiled. "Very well, then. I'll be waiting for you tomorrow at the entrance of Pummelo Stadium!"
"Thanks, I appreciate it," Kai nodded and extended his hand.
Carl shook it firmly one last time and said, "I won't keep you any longer. Good luck with your match tomorrow I hope you perform well and claim victory!"
"Thank you. I'll take that as a blessing," Kai replied with a confident smile. "I hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow as well!"
After parting ways with Carl, Kai and Sabrina strolled through the streets toward the town centre. Once the Orange League headquarters was out of sight, Sabrina suddenly scoffed, "That Carl guy is such a hypocrite!"
"Hm?" Kai glanced at her in surprise. "Why do you say that?"
Sabrina explained, "Deep down, he's clearly hoping that Drake wins the match tomorrow. And yet, he still pretends to wish you luck. Isn't that hypocritical?"
Kai took her hand and chuckled. "That's not hypocrisy that's politeness. It's called social etiquette. That's just how the world works. What, do you expect him to outright say, 'I hope our Chief Trainer stays undefeated' right in front of a challenger like me? If he did that, the Orange League would be one step closer to shutting down!"
Sabrina shot him a glance and said coolly, "I just wish this world were simpler. If people could communicate through telepathy, expressing their true desires and emotions directly, there would be no lies or deception."
Kai couldn't help but laugh and shake his head.
Sabrina's perspective was too idealistic if the world worked that way, it would be total chaos.
After entering the town centre, Kai basked in the warm sunlight overhead. Instead of heading straight back to the inn, he and Sabrina took a leisurely walk toward Pummelo Beach.
There, they stood by the sea for a while, watching the waves.
Then, they rented a large parasol and two lounge chairs and lay back comfortably, enjoying the ocean breeze.
Kai released a few of his smaller Pokémon, letting them play freely on the beach, while he pulled out his phone and started researching information on the Winner's Cup.
He examined Drake's commonly used Pokémon, read up on his battle history, and even looked into his reputation as a Trainer.
It was then that he noticed a particular rule about Winner's Cup battles that was unusual compared to other leagues.
In the Winner's Cup, the Chief Trainer the defending champion was not allowed to freely switch Pokémon during the match!
He could only send out his next Pokémon after the previous one had been defeated!
This meant that Kai would be able to switch Pokémon strategically based on the battle situation, whereas Drake would be forced to fight under restrictive conditions.
"Strange," Sabrina muttered, also looking up from her phone. She frowned and said, "This rule is incredibly unfair to the Chief Trainer. I don't get it if the Orange League wants to keep its champion undefeated, why would they create such a disadvantageous rule?"
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