Chapter 198: The Banquet
It was the seventh day of the Indigo Conference. The tournament had reached the semifinals—the 4-into-2 round. The matches were now full 6v6 battles.
At this moment, Rio was commanding Charizard against a Level 58 Blastoise. A deep claw mark was visible on Blastoise’s shell. Despite the type disadvantage, Charizard had only sustained minor injuries.
"Charizard—Dragon Breath!"
"Blastoise—Hydro Pump!"
"Roaar~"
"Blastoise~"
The two moves collided midair, sending a cloud of scalding steam across the battlefield, obscuring the action. When the steam finally cleared, everyone could see Charizard standing proudly on the field—while Blastoise lay defeated.
The crowd erupted in cheers. The announcer exclaimed excitedly:
"Oh—contestant Rio’s strength continues to dominate! Another victory secured! Let’s congratulate him on advancing to the finals!"
"And what a run it’s been—not a single one of his Pokémon has been defeated so far. Every match has been a clean sweep. Before the tournament began, we speculated whether Rio might lose at least one or two Pokémon. But we were all wrong—except, of course, for our Elite Four Lance."
"Rio hasn’t lost a single Pokémon, and we’ve only seen four of his team in action: Charizard, Red Gyarados, Annihilase, and Aerodactyl. No one has managed to force out his fifth or sixth Pokémon."
"Now we look ahead to tomorrow’s final. Will contestant Brook be able to push Rio to his limits and claim victory? Or will Rio complete the entire tournament without a single loss? We’ll find out soon enough!"
In the stands, Aria Thornwick, who had been tense throughout the match, finally let out a breath of relief.
"It looks like nothing’s going to happen today. If there’s an attack, it’ll probably be tomorrow," she murmured.
She had been scanning the venue every day for suspicious individuals. Whoever they were, they were well-hidden—she hadn’t spotted anything unusual yet.
Aria turned to Saurion beside her. "Still—don’t let your guard down. Have the police keep a close watch around Rio’s accommodation. They might strike while he’s resting."
"Got it," Saurion nodded.
Meanwhile, in the guest booth, Lance watched Rio walk off the stage. "So they’re planning to make their move during the final," he thought.
Over the past two days, he had deployed members of the Dragon Tamer Clan to lie in wait around the venue, ready to respond in case of an emergency. He was curious to see who would dare to target a contestant during the Indigo Conference.
Nothing had happened the day before yesterday, nothing yesterday, and nothing so far today—so the final was the most likely stage.
"Mr. Lance—my lady, Madame Ishimiya, is hosting a pre-final banquet tonight for her boyfriend, Brook. She would be honored if you could attend." A middle-aged man in a tailcoat approached Lance and handed him an invitation.
Lance’s expression flickered with mild surprise. He’d heard rumors about a contestant being sponsored by a wealthy older woman—and that woman was from the Ishimiya family, which had some ties to his own Dragon Tamer Clan. He’d met Madame Ishimiya before—a seventy-year-old woman. He hadn’t expected her boyfriend to be the finalist.
Brook must be desperate to make a name for himself, Lance thought, not without a trace of disdain. Still, he accepted the invitation. "I understand."
On the other side of the venue, Rio had just stepped off the battlefield when he received an invitation of his own.
"You’re inviting me—your opponent—to your pre-final banquet?" Rio looked at the young man before him with a bemused expression. Are they trying to mess with me? Or is this a genuine invitation? Or do they just want me to watch them pop champagne and make out before the match?
"Yes—my lady and her boyfriend Brook specifically asked that you attend," the young man said.
"Alright—I’ll be there." Rio took the invitation.
Free food—why not? I’ll bring Munchlax along. Save some money tonight. At worst, I’ll lose a little face—no big deal. My face is thick enough to handle it. And if they’re planning to humiliate me, we’ll call it even.
Night fell. Rio walked into the banquet hall with Munchlax waddling beside him. The moment he entered, he nearly bumped into Lance, who instinctively started to greet him—then seemed to think better of it and quickly moved away, like a mouse avoiding a cat.
Rio found it amusing. A simple hello wouldn’t hurt. But it did show that the Benjamin Franklin Effect was working on Lance—and working well.
Then he remembered something and turned to Munchlax: "Munchlax—when you eat, don’t clean out every plate. Leave a little on each one. Basic etiquette, you know—"
Before he could finish, Munchlax was already charging toward the food table. Rio shrugged helplessly. Just as he was about to follow, a man stepped in front of him.
Brook—the protagonist of tonight’s banquet.
"Rio—I’m so glad you could make it. I’m really looking forward to our match tomorrow," Brook said, extending his hand.
"Same here," Rio replied with a smile. Politeness costs nothing.
"Enjoy yourself—I’ll have something to discuss with you later." Brook patted Rio’s shoulder after the handshake and walked away.
Something to discuss? Rio watched his retreating figure with mild curiosity, then shrugged it off and headed for the food.
About half an hour later, the banquet officially began. Amid cheers from the crowd, Brook and a heavily wrinkled elderly woman locked lips. The sight made Rio marvel at the sheer willpower and courage it took to live that kind of life. He had the looks, sure—but he definitely didn’t have the stomach for that.
Ah well—not everyone is cut out for it.
Just as he was lost in thought, Brook suddenly called out to him in front of everyone:
"Besides our Champion Lance, we also have my opponent for tomorrow, Mr. Rio, here tonight. There’s something personal I’ve been hoping Mr. Rio could clarify for me. I’d be grateful if he could come up here and shed some light on it."