Who was Souta? Cain didn’t know. Probably just a regular participant.
From the order of the battles, it was evident that the Sinnoh Tournament’s matchmaking system could definitely be manipulated.
Because, right after the battle of Cynthia, the leader of the Sinnoh team, came Lorelei from the Kanto region (Kanto and Johto were considered a single region at this time). Then it was Steven’s turn from Hoenn, followed by the representatives of Unova and Kalos, in that order.
However, this competition format had advantages for people like Cain and the others.
Once their battles were over, they could go back to continue restoring their Pokémon’s condition or train them further.
As expected, in Cynthia’s match, the bitterness on her opponent’s face was noticeable.
In this first round, if you weren’t incredibly strong and had to face someone who appeared at the opening ceremony, you would probably lose.
However, Cynthia’s opponent showed the professionalism expected of a Pokémon Trainer and sent out his two best Pokémon.
But against Cynthia’s Milotic, he didn’t stand a chance. Milotic even managed to defeat a type-disadvantaged Magneton.
Moreover, the appearance of Cynthia’s Milotic sparked a massive cheer from the audience.
Cynthia’s battle videos online were the most numerous among all participants, making the spectators more familiar with her.
Although this also meant that most people knew which Pokémon Cynthia had. Milotic was the most popular in her team.
Milotic wasn’t Cynthia’s strongest Pokémon, but due to its appearance, it was the most beloved among all her Pokémon.
Using this Pokémon as the first to open the Sinnoh Tournament was undoubtedly a fitting choice.
Cynthia won convincingly, marking a strong start to the tournament.
In fact, the representatives who battled after her also won with ease. The difference in strength was evident: they were at least advanced-level, while their opponents barely reached that level.
Lorelei used her Jynx and also achieved a "one versus two" without any effort.
However, the Pokémon that Steven sent out surprised Cain: Armaldo!
The wealthy truly lived on another level. The Anorith that Steven had when he was in Hoenn’s desert, which was at a similar level to Cain’s Marshtomp, had already evolved into Armaldo.
Although Cain’s Marshtomp had also evolved into Swampert, it wasn’t the same. Marshtomp evolves into Swampert at level 36, whereas Anorith needs to reach level 40 to evolve into Armaldo.
Moreover, upon evolution, Armaldo instantly reaches the advanced level.
Steven’s popularity was also considerable. The Devon Corporation, with a presence throughout the Pokémon world, had already designated him as the next president. His distinguished family, handsome appearance, and elegant demeanor made him the "prince charming" of all the female spectators, while Cynthia was the "goddess" of all the male spectators.
Armaldo’s debut drew a lot of attention.
This Pokémon, unfamiliar to the general public, had an imposing appearance and an impressive battle style, making it very captivating.
The spectator area where Cain and the others were was different from that of ordinary spectators.
The entire Hoenn team shared a large private lounge where they could observe the stadium through windows, along with multiple giant screens displaying the battles in great detail.
Since the first round had the highest number of participants, battles were being held on multiple fields simultaneously. However, as the representatives of each region were opening the competition, the first battles were conducted one by one.
Once all the initial representatives had competed, the matches would then take place simultaneously across multiple fields.
Sitting on the lounge’s sofa, watching the battles on the giant screen, Cain couldn’t help but sigh: having privileges was really comfortable.
However, for Cain, there was a downside. Due to the distance, his system couldn’t scan the data of the opponent’s Pokémon. He could only gather information from their performances in battle and analyze the moves they used.
Steven’s battle ended quickly. His opponent wasn’t even at the advanced level, while Armaldo, being at the advanced level, had no trouble at all.
The leader of the Unova region was Shauntal, a future member of Unova’s Elite Four specializing in Ghost types. A slender woman with glasses who was also a writer.
Among Unova’s participants, there were some that Cain considered dangerous, and Shauntal was one of them.
On the other hand, Kalos’s leader was Diantha, the future champion of the region. Her strength didn’t seem inferior to that of Steven or Cynthia, and since many people weren’t familiar with Kalos Pokémon, this gave her a certain strategic advantage.
In this first round, the representatives of each region showcased the quality of the Sinnoh Tournament to the audience. The reactions, whether in the stadium, at home in front of the TV, or online, were very positive.
Then came the turn of the second representatives of each region. Cain, being Hoenn’s second representative, was soon called.
As he left the private lounge, he crossed paths with Steven, who was returning from his match.
They exchanged looks, smiled, and bumped fists in mutual support.
They didn’t say much. If they needed encouragement to face a first-round opponent, they might as well go home. It wasn’t worth staying and embarrassing the Hoenn League.
Cain’s opponent was a trainer named Aji, from Olivine City in the Johto region.
On the giant screen, their portraits appeared, along with basic information such as their home region and status.
Cain slowly walked out of the participants’ tunnel, wearing the official League researcher uniform. In a competition , casual trainer clothes weren’t appropriate, as he wasn’t just representing himself, but also the entire Hoenn League.
Although Cain would have preferred to wear normal trainer attire, the League officials didn’t allow it.
As he stepped onto the field, a massive cheer filled the stadium, especially from the Hoenn spectator section.
He was one of Hoenn’s "star twins"; of course, he deserved enthusiastic support.
Although it was Cain’s first time in such a large competition, he wasn’t nervous—instead, he felt an intriguing excitement.
No wonder some people kept participating despite losing every time. That feeling of being the center of attention was truly unique.
But while Cain was feeling great, his opponent looked far less comfortable.
Aji was clearly resigned.
Following the referee’s instructions, both took their positions on the field.
As one of the main representatives of the tournament, Cain was the first to send out his Pokémon.
He tossed a Luxury Ball onto the field.
To represent the Hoenn region, this Pokémon was, without a doubt, the most fitting choice.