Chapter 12: A Touch of Envy from Hilda

Several days later, Hakurei High School.

This joint event was a collaborative tournament between the local Nichiyo City Hakurei High and the Unova Region’s Pokémon Academy. In a sense, it was an exchange program, but both sides were eager to showcase their students' prowess, and perhaps deliver a satisfying reality check to their rivals.

Due to the high volume of participants, the competition was split into four blocks for the preliminary rounds. The winners of each block would advance directly to the semi-finals.

"I didn't expect there to be so many people..."

Crowds began to swell around the stadium. It wasn't just the competitors; ordinary students from across the academy had flocked to the scene, clogging the walkways just to get a glimpse of the action.

Hilda pursed her lips, shielding her eyes from the blistering sun with one hand. Despite her rigorous training leading up to today, standing in the official arena made it impossible to suppress the fluttering nerves in her stomach.

She was scheduled for the fourth set of matches on Court 3. Since her turn hadn't come yet, she was free to wander the grounds.

"But that idiot N! Why isn't he here yet?! I'm pretty sure he’s in the first set on Court 1... The opening matches should be starting any second now!"

"Honestly! How can someone be this laid back at a time like this?!"

Realizing the situation, Hilda felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead. Most of the trainers were already in the staging areas. If he didn't show up by the time the match was officially called, he would be disqualified on the spot.

Still, even N wouldn't be that late, would he? Maybe he was already at his station and just hadn't bothered to find her.

As it turned out, her hunch was wrong.

"For the first match... Participant N? Is Participant N not present?"

The referee’s confused voice prompted a wave of whispers from the spectating students. Most people at Hakurei High had heard of N. He was the "theory monster" who consistently took the top rank in his year for academics, even if he was rarely seen in person.

"That. Absolute. Jerk!"

Hilda’s expression was thunderous. Her hands gripped the chain-link fence bordering the court as she stared death-stares into the arena. If another five minutes passed without a sign of him, he was out, and his opponent would win by default.

"Tch, I knew it. These bookworms who do nothing but study are useless when things get real. He’s probably losing his mind at the thought of an actual battle, huh? Scared to even show his face."

Standing on the red side of the battlefield was Yuto, a student from Hakurei High’s Battle Class 2.

He spoke loudly, clearly playing to the gallery. Yuto was considered one of the elites in his own class, and his arrogance was well-known. Before the match even began, all the attention and hype had been centered on this "pretty boy" with the big reputation, leaving Yuto feeling ignored. He wasn't about to miss the chance to twist the knife.  

"Wow, he really just said that..."

Hilda’s jaw tightened. She clutched the Poké Balls at her waist, her knuckles white. Hearing someone insult N to her face made her want to jump onto the field herself and battle that guy until he developed a permanent fear of Poké Balls.

"Um, you should probably try to stay calm... There are still a few minutes left. It's better not to worry too much."

"Huh?"

The sudden voice from beside her caught Hilda off guard. She turned her head, and her expression momentarily froze.

Standing next to her was a girl who looked to be about her age. However, despite being peers, this girl possessed a figure that felt far more mature than her years. She was lithe and slender at the waist, but possessed curves that made Hilda do a double-take.

The girl wore an athletic outfit, likely for ease of movement: a light blue sleeveless jacket over a black top accented with pink ribbons, paired with a ruffled miniskirt and incredibly stylish black tights.

"That is just cheating..." Hilda muttered under her breath, a hint of saltiness and genuine envy lacing her tone.

The girl blinked her beautiful sapphire eyes, looking puzzled. She clearly hadn't caught the context. "Eh? What's cheating?"

"No, nothing... Are you a competitor too?"

"Yes... I’m Rosa, from the Unova region. I’m participating in the tournament as well. I heard there was a really famous trainer competing here today, so I got curious and came to check it out..."

The girl named Rosa gave a slightly embarrassed tug at her long, silky brown hair, which was styled into elaborate, bun-like pigtails. Between her cute, youthful face and her striking figure, Hilda couldn't help but keep glancing her way.

"I’m—"

Before Hilda could introduce herself, a commotion broke out on the field.

A green-haired youth wearing a black-and-white cap climbed unhurriedly over the railing. He stepped onto the battlefield, offering a polite apology to both the referee and his opponent.

He wore a gentle smile, and combined with his devastatingly good looks, it was the kind of sunny expression that made it nearly impossible to stay angry at him. The referee simply cleared his throat and, without further complaint, announced the official start of the match.