Pokémon: Starting with a Bound Entry System

Chapter 114: No Way? A Girl Sticking Up for You?

"Whoosh, whoosh~"

Ninetales walked over, brushing against Hikaru's leg before licking his hand.

"Your Ninetales looks so much more graceful after evolving," Hikaru complimented, patting its head.

"You've changed so much, senpai! I almost didn't recognize you," Hikaru said in amazement.

Before, Yuki had always seemed aloof outwardly but was actually quite approachable.

Now, however, her cool demeanor radiated from within, making her seem like a completely different person.

"Hello, senpai~"

A soft, lively voice chimed in from the side.

Turning to look, Hikaru saw Sakura playfully winking at him before focusing her gaze on Yuki.

At that moment, their eyes met, and it felt as though sparks were flying between them.

This senpai sure is persistent, Sakura thought to herself.

She was well aware of how exceptional she was compared to her peers.

But...

The last time she had seen Yuki's Ninetales, it had still been a Vulpix and only at a standard level.

Now it had reached the Gym-tier?

She and Ninetales must have worked incredibly hard to keep up with Hikaru.

"Hello," Yuki greeted, her gaze complex.

The two girls didn't seem to say much, yet it felt as though they had exchanged a thousand words.

"Hey, Hikaru!"

Misty waved at Hikaru from a distance but didn't come over.

The two girls turned their attention to Hikaru simultaneously.

For some reason, Hikaru felt a chill run down his spine.

Luckily, the drawing of lots concluded, and the trainers were directed to the spectator seats.

"Let's watch the match!" Hikaru said quickly, breaking the tension.

"Hmm~"

Sakura pursed her lips and unabashedly sat to Hikaru's left.

Not to be outdone, Yuki moved over and took the seat to his right.

As competitors, they were seated in the front row of the spectator area.

A commentator riding a Pidgeot soared overhead, their voice resonating throughout the stadium.

"The first match features Kei Hoshino, the champion of Guangdong Province, versus Qi Yue, who was selected from millions in the capital!"

"Let's see which battlefield they'll draw!"

"Grasslands!"

As the commentator's voice echoed, a massive Venusaur lumbered onto the field.

"Veeenuuu!"

With a deep roar, vibrant green vines spread across the arena, transforming it into a lush grassy battlefield.

Using a near-Elite-tier Pokémon to set up the battlefield—this truly showcased the capital's deep resources.

To Hikaru's relief, the two girls beside him shifted their attention to the match.

However, because of the large crowd, Hikaru hadn't activated his Aura ability, leaving him unaware of a pair of dim eyes watching him from behind.

The influence of the Hayashi family in the capital was undeniable.

As a family closely tied to Dragon Island and known for possessing Pokémon like Metagross, their strength was unassailable.

Rumors even claimed that three years ago, the eldest daughter of the Hayashi family, who had returned from abroad, was the most talented in wielding dragon-type power in the family's history—and she was a girl.

This created quite a buzz among Pokémon families.

It wasn't uncommon for such families to encourage their children to pursue connections with the Hayashi family. After all, gaining favor might even earn them a Beldum in the future.

Despite their efforts, none of her peers—or even older, accomplished youth—could catch Sakura Hayashi's attention.

Out of Huaguo's 32 provinces, each had one guaranteed slot for the National League, totaling 32 competitors.

However, selecting the remaining slots was far from straightforward.

Rather than simply choosing the runner-ups from each province, the slots accounted for variations in secret realms and the differing strength of trainers across regions.

For instance, the runner-up from one province might be a senior professional trainer, while the champion of another province might just be an ordinary professional trainer.

As a result, many of the additional slots were filled by trainers from the capital and prominent Pokémon families.

One such competitor was Kei Hama, the grandson of the principal of Zhongqing University.

Currently attending the capital's best high school, Kei Hama was a renowned trainer who often battled and mentored his juniors.

Naturally, his family encouraged him to pursue Sakura Hayashi, seeing her as a high-value connection.

Although Kei Hama had been momentarily captivated by Sakura's beauty when he first met her, he quickly composed himself.

After hearing about her reputation as an unattainable "ice queen," he half-heartedly joined the pursuit, mostly to placate his family.

But now, seeing Sakura sitting next to a boy, Kei Hama's expression turned to one of surprise.

So, there is a guy she likes?

Soon after, his surprise gave way to amusement.

"If that boy doesn't have the strength to back it up, things won't go well for him," Kei Hama thought to himself.

Among Sakura's many admirers, Kei Hama was just one of many, though all of them were known for their arrogance.

"Things are about to get interesting," he murmured, watching as another trainer walked over to Hikaru.

"Hm?"

On the battlefield below, Kei Hoshino sent out his Arcanine, which promptly snapped David Jones's Marowak's bone club in two.

Hikaru frowned.

As expected, Kei's Arcanine had Elite-tier potential and was already at Gym-tier strength.

What kind of slate could produce results like this?

Kei's aggressive tactics were nothing short of brutal.

As Hikaru focused on the match, a figure stepped in front of him.

"Huh? Excuse me, you're blocking my view," Hikaru said politely.

"Hey, Sakura, care to introduce me to this guy?"

The boy ignored Hikaru and addressed Sakura directly.

"Huh?"

Hikaru blinked in confusion.

Beside him, Sakura furrowed her brow, her voice cold and annoyed. "First of all, don't call me Sakura—we're not close. Secondly, you're blocking our view. Please leave immediately!"

"But—"

"Mu!"

Before the boy could finish, a blue-and-white dragon emerged from its Poké Ball. Its usually gentle eyes now gleamed with menace.

"If you don't leave, don't blame me for what happens next," Sakura warned icily.

The boy hesitated, surprised that she would summon a Pokémon in the spectator stands. But her tone left no room for doubt, and he quickly backed off, embarrassed.

"Huh?"

From a distance, Kei Hama watched the scene unfold, his eyes wide with shock.

So, it was the girl sticking up for the guy?

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