Chapter 17: Internet Celebrity Check-In
A few days later, Arthur took the high-speed rail to the capital of Ming Province to participate in the competition.
On this journey, he once again felt the close connection between Pokémon and human life in the new era.
High-speed rail station security was equipped with Psychic-type Pokémon to assist in checking passengers' luggage. If help was needed, there were also Machamp and other strong Pokémon in the station to help carry things.
Vendors pushing carts on the high-speed rail carried an Bergmite. If you bought a drink that needed to be chilled, they could cool it on the spot.
After getting off the high-speed rail, Arthur also encountered a salesperson who enthusiastically promoted Dodrio rental services to him.
This rental business was like the past city car rentals, but more convenient than car rentals. You didn't need to refuel, you didn't need to find parking, and you didn't need to return the car to a designated place after you were done. These captured Dodrio knew how to go back on their own.
These similar services didn't exist in the era Arthur lived in.
At that time, the number of Pokémon in the human world was still very limited, and they were prioritized for combat personnel and heavy industry factories.
Therefore, every business he saw along the way was unfamiliar and novel.
Finally, out of a desire to try, he rented a Dodrio for 80 yuan.
Dodrio were ostrich-like, three-headed land bird Pokémon. Because of their wide backs that could carry people, they had been one of the most common vehicle Pokémon in the Eastern Continent since Arthur's era.
When the salesperson brought the Dodrio and handed it over to him, he carefully explained, "These Dodrio can't understand human language. Directing them is mainly by patting them. Patting their body once means stop, twice means go forward, and patting their middle head left or right means turn left or right. Be careful not to pat them too hard, or they will peck you.
They basically understand traffic rules and usually consciously walk in the slow lane, so you can rest assured about that.
Finally, your rental period is 24 hours. Around this time tomorrow, its owner will notify it to return through the psychic link of the Poké Ball, so please be sure not to restrain or block it, otherwise, we will not be responsible for any accidental injury it causes.
If there are no problems, sign here."
After explaining, the salesperson took out a tablet, opened an electronic agreement, and asked Arthur to sign at the bottom.
Arthur signed on the tablet and paid by scanning a code.
Everything was new and convenient.
After that, this Dodrio temporarily belonged to Arthur.
He opened the phone navigation, searched for the hotel location that Eleanor Vance had booked for him, and then gently patted Dodrio's neck to teach it how to adjust direction. After the direction was okay, he patted its butt twice.
Whoosh.
The giant land bird strode out, running swiftly, and deftly made way for the pedestrians in front.
After running out of the station square, it leaped six or seven meters, jumped over the roadside flower bed, merged into the slow lane on the road ahead, and then steadily advanced at a speed of about 30 km/h.
In the end, it took him less than half an hour to arrive at the hotel that Eleanor Vance had booked in advance.
Eleanor Vance had already checked into two rooms when he arrived.
This "Golden Autumn Cup" event had now been turned into a local specialty festival by the locals. From the preliminary selection to the main competition, it would take more than half a month.
Arthur was still only a fifteen-year-old boy on the surface, and the brokerage company couldn't do something as outrageous as letting a child like him come to participate in the competition alone.
So Eleanor Vance also came, but she didn't take the same high-speed rail as him.
After meeting, Eleanor Vance was first a little surprised, "You arrived pretty early."
Then she asked, "By the way, did you bring the selfie stick?"
"Huh?"
Arthur was stunned.
Eleanor Vance covered her forehead, showing a helpless expression that said, "I knew it would be like this."
"You should at least have some self-awareness as an internet celebrity. 'Golden Autumn Cup' is a competition with good attention in this province. Other internet celebrities, even if they don't participate, will specifically come to check in. Since you are participating, don't you think about posting some records?"
"Uh...Emmm...is that so?"
Arthur asked innocently.
Although he had many fans now, he really didn't have the self-awareness of an internet celebrity...
Froakie, squatting at Arthur's feet, secretly covered his mouth and chuckled.
Opportunities to see his owner being speechless weren't many, and he cherished every one, never holding back a laugh.
Fortunately, Eleanor Vance was very experienced and had long guessed it would be like this. She had prepared a selfie stick and a SLR camera for Arthur, with all the equipment.
The next morning, Arthur rode a Dodrio that he had not yet returned to the registration location for the preliminary selection.
This was a very large open-air stadium.
As soon as you arrived outside the stadium, you could feel a festive atmosphere.
There were many people and many Pokémon on the street.
There were many handcart stalls selling snacks and souvenirs, and there were many Pokémon-related consumption items, most of which were related to the upcoming Golden Autumn Cup.
Just as Eleanor Vance said, this competition had now been turned into a local specialty festival project, and many tour groups had specially designed several-day tour itineraries during the competition period to attract tourists from other places to participate.
However, today was only registration and drawing lots for the preliminary selection, and the preliminary selection would not start until the afternoon, and the main competition would have to wait at least a week, so the peak of the crowd had not yet arrived.
Today Eleanor Vance had something to do, so Arthur came alone for registration and drawing lots in the morning. So he could only hold the selfie stick himself, turn on the phone live stream, and walk into the noisy stadium corridor.
After registering, the organizer's staff checked his registration information and handed him a number plate, the number on it was 28.
A relatively early number.
In contrast, his first preliminary selection match would come very early, starting this afternoon.
After thinking about it, he simply didn't return to the hotel and found a nearby place to let Froakie warm up and prepare, then returned to the competition stadium after lunch.
During this period, he mostly held up the selfie stick for live streaming.
Because as a live streaming novice, he didn't know what the audience liked to watch, so he simply streamed the whole time, compensating for lack of quality with length.
This move naturally attracted the attention of others in the stadium.
Some of the participating players were pointing and laughing at him not far away.
"Hey, look over there, the one holding the phone, he's probably another internet celebrity coming to check in. I saw him register for the competition this morning."
"Tsk, aren't there people like this every year? Internet celebrities are just here to ride the hype. They're not here to compete at all. They're probably just here to take some photos before the competition. You're lucky if you encounter them, it's a first-round bye."
One person suddenly asked, "Did anyone notice what number he drew?"
Everyone else shook their heads, "Who can see that?"
As the afternoon came, the preliminary selection soon began.
Because it was the preliminary selection, all procedures were simplified, and competitions were held simultaneously in six venues within the stadium. The numbers were called out quickly.
Before long, it was Arthur's turn.
At this time, he was still holding up the selfie stick.
And at the same time as he stood up, one of the small groups who had been pointing at him also stood up.
He happened to be called to the number as well.
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