Arrival

Yuga and his team departed for Castelia City shortly after the competition venue was announced. Apart from the need to save time, they wanted to become familiar with the competition environment as soon as possible.

This time, not only were some officials from the Verdanturf Town government accompanying them, but Mayor Ishida and Liliana were also personally escorting Yuga to Castelia City. This shows the significance they attached to this competition.

Yuga brought all ten of his main battling Pokémon this time. Just to be safe, he also registered his Gengar and Mismagius in his own name, which means they could also be used as Yuga's Pokémon in official matches.

It's not that Yuga lacked confidence in his abilities, but this was his first time participating in an official League competition, and one of this grandeur, so he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

Apart from the Alola region, which doesn't have Gym Leaders, there are a total of six regions participating in this event. There are countless towns in these regions that don't have Gym Leaders, so standing out from this crowd won't be easy. These contestants have been carefully selected elites from various towns.

Furthermore, Chatot is also traveling with them.

Originally, Yuga didn't plan to bring it along, but Chatot is just too lively. It has been diligently training during this period and, being naturally fond of excitement, it had been getting restless. When it learned Yuga was heading to the Unova Regions, it insisted on coming along to see the world.

The Unova Regions are located in the western hemisphere of the Pokémon world, quite far from the Hoenn Regions in the eastern hemisphere. This was Yuga's first time venturing so far, and it took them three whole days by plane to reach Castelia City.

As the host of this competition, the Unova League had arranged uniform accommodations for all participating towns from different regions. It's similar to the athlete village in League tournaments, where teams from the same region stay close to each other.

When Yuga and his team arrived, many contestants from the Hoenn Regions were already there, looking confident and eager.

However, Yuga didn't know most of these people and couldn't strike up a conversation with them, so he stayed back.

But among them, there was one person Yuga remembered - Brawly from the Dewford Town. He was one of the Trainers from the original series' Hoenn League Eight Official Gym Leaders. Yuga didn't expect to encounter him here since it seemed that the Dewford Gym had not been established yet.

Although the Hoenn Regions in the original series only had eight Gyms, in reality, there were far more Gyms in the Hoenn Regions. However, usually, only the top eight stood out and were easily remembered and passed down among Trainers.

Yuga recalled that Brawly was a Trainer skilled in Fighting-type Pokémon, and if he made it to the top eight Gym Leaders in the original series, he must have been quite formidable.

Since Yuga and his team arrived in Castelia City several days before the competition, they took the opportunity to gather information about the event. While the overall structure of the competition is similar to past League tournaments, the finer details can differ, making it important to have any advantageous information.

The main venue for this competition is the Battle Company Building owned by the Battle Company in Castelia City.

The Battle Company is a large private enterprise with a strong focus on researching battle items. They are renowned for their impressive Battle Company Building, specifically designed for Trainers to engage in battles. The facility boasts state-of-the-art equipment and is considered one of the most advanced in the Pokémon world.

The Battle Company generously offered this venue to the Unova League for the competition, and they happen to be the largest sponsor for this event.

The Unova League was more than happy to accept such an offer, saving them a substantial amount of money. They didn't need to worry about any logistical aspects, as the Battle Company provided comprehensive services for the competition.

However, the Battle Company is clearly not naïve. While this sponsorship did cost them, they also took advantage of the League's reach to broadcast their company's name and reputation through televised broadcasts, reaching every household in the Pokémon world. For them, this was a profitable deal.

However, the Battle Company's battle facility won't be used until the latter part of the competition. At the beginning of the tournament, it's not about Pokémon battles; the elimination rounds typically take place in different locations each time.

With so many towns from various regions participating in the competition, it's necessary to narrow down the contestants through the elimination rounds before the remaining ones can enter the Battle Company's Building for the final Pokémon battles.

The specifics of the elimination rounds are usually only revealed on the day of the competition, so contestants can't gather much information beforehand.

The leader for the Hoenn Regions this time, as Mayor Ishida mentioned, is Phoebe, one of the Elite Four Member who recently took office. However, as of now, this Ghost-type Elite Four member has not made an appearance, and it's unclear if she has arrived in Castelia City.

In reality, this competition is also a form of regional rivalry.

Among the official League competitions, there are few that are conducted on a regional basis. In other words, Trainers from different regions rarely interact. Events like the League Championships, where Trainers from various regions occasionally participate, are considered minor by the League's higher-ups.

Therefore, this Gym Leader spot competition, organized by region, serves as a grand stage for each region to showcase the strength of their Trainers. The leaders chosen to represent each region are individuals with significant influence within the League, such as Phoebe representing the Hoenn Regions.

In this competition, the better a region's Trainers perform, the more prestige that region gains, thus demonstrating their strength.

After exchanging greetings with Mayor Ishida and the others, Yuga wandered through the residential area with Chatot, attempting to gather information about the other contestants.

Through these inquiries, Yuga managed to learn quite a bit of useful information.

For instance, in the Sinnoh Regions, there's Gardenia, a Grass-type Trainer from Eterna City, Roxie, a Poison-type Trainer from Virbank City in the Unova Regions, Marlon, a Water-type Trainer representing Humilau City, Grant, a Rock-type Trainer from Cyllage City in the Kalos region, and Viola, a Bug-type Trainer from Santalune City, among others. These Trainers have garnered high praise in their respective regions.

Furthermore, Yuga encountered a familiar face: Sora.

Although Yuga had never battled Sora, he had watched Sora's battle against Robert in the Pokémon Contest. Sora is undeniably strong.

He came to compete on behalf of the Cypress Town in the Johto region, a place Yuga had never heard of before. It's likely quite remote, possibly even less developed than Yuga's Verdanturf Town.

From the Pokémon Sora used and his previous performances, Yuga could tell that he's a genuinely self-made Trainer. His journey from humble beginnings to his current strength is truly admirable, a testament to the rise of the grassroots.