Steven and Flannery returned to the waiting room together.
Flannery wore a relaxed expression, as though the defeat hadn't bothered her much at all.
Alex could understand that feeling. He had felt something similar after losing to Koga during the Kanto Champion Tournament. When a loss was expected, it was difficult to be too upset about it.
Flannery dropped into the seat beside him and smiled. "I'm going to watch your match, and then I'll head home."
Alex immediately ignored the subtle hint behind her words and replied, "You'll be surprised by how easily I win this match."
Flannery rolled her eyes. "Your confidence somehow gets worse every time I see you."
Alex shrugged. "Maybe."
Flannery laughed.
As she did, Alex found himself briefly noticing something he usually tried not to think about.
Flannery was undeniably beautiful. Her long red hair fell down her back like flowing flames and contrasted sharply with her fair skin.
Her bright green eyes were lively and expressive, making it easy to tell what she was feeling even when she wasn't speaking.
Combined with her athletic figure and the natural confidence she carried as a Gym Leader, she tended to attract attention wherever she went.
Alex was well aware that many young trainers in Hoenn had a crush on her.
He also wasn't oblivious to the fact that she seemed to be interested in him. Unfortunately for her, Alex had no intention of cheating on his partner.
Because of that, he deliberately pretended not to notice many of the hints she occasionally dropped.
Like any man, Alex had briefly entertained the idea of building a harem at some point. The thought lasted only a few moments before he dismissed it entirely.
He didn't want to deal with all the problems that came with a harem just to satisfy his lust.
The constant drama, the lack of privacy, the endless need to balance relationships—it sounded exhausting.
Besides, he barely had enough time as it was. Even without those complications, he often felt that he didn't spend enough time with Maria.
Between training Pokémon, traveling and managing his business ventures, his schedule was already packed.
Adding even more relationships to that mess sounded less like a dream and more like a nightmare.
As Alex was quietly reflecting on the many disadvantages of a harem, a staff member walked past him.
In moments like these, Alex was very glad he wasn't in the habit of thinking out loud.
The staff member stopped in front of him and said, "Participant Number 3, it's time."
Alex stood up from his seat. The staff member then led him through the corridors beneath the stadium until they arrived at another waiting area.
There, Alex saw a young man who looked a few years older than himself.
Leonardo appeared to be in his early twenties and stood slightly taller than Alex. He had short dark-brown hair, a lean build, and sharp features that gave him an intelligent appearance.
Unlike many trainers who wore flashy clothing to stand out, Leonardo's outfit was surprisingly practical—a simple dark jacket, comfortable trousers, and sturdy boots that looked like they had seen plenty of travel.
When Leonardo noticed Alex approaching, he gave a small nod and said, "Looks like we're up."
Alex nodded back. "Looks that way."
Leonardo studied him for a moment before smiling faintly. "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to fight you."
Alex looked at him and replied, "But that doesn't seem to bother you much."
Leonardo laughed softly. "Haha, just because I respect you doesn't mean I'm afraid of you.."
Then his smile disappeared, and he added, "That doesn't mean I plan on losing."
Alex felt a little more interested in his opponent after hearing that. At least Leonardo didn't seem like the type to surrender the moment things became difficult.
Alex returned the smile and said, "Good. That would be boring."
The two trainers exchanged a brief glance before falling silent. A few moments later, the staff member received a signal through his headset.
He looked at both trainers and said, "The arena is ready. Participant Number 6 enters first."
Leonardo nodded and began walking toward the entrance.
Alex remained behind, listening as the distant cheers of the audience gradually grew louder. The quarterfinals were about to begin.
A few moments later, Leonardo stepped out of the tunnel and entered the arena.
The audience applauded politely. There were even a few cheers here and there from spectators who recognized him.
But compared to the reception received by trainers like Alex, Steven, Winona, or Amber, the difference was obvious.
The applause was respectable, not enthusiastic.
Alex was a bit surprised that so few spectators knew Leonardo or were cheering for him.
As a Late Elite trainer who had reached the quarterfinals of the Hoenn Champion Tournament, Leonardo should have at least a decent number of supporters.
Even if he had somehow gained a bad reputation, there should have been people booing him. Yet there was almost nothing.
The crowd's reaction could best be described as polite indifference.
They applauded because a Top 8 participant deserved respect, but very few people seemed emotionally invested in him.
Leonardo seemed completely unaffected by it. He walked calmly toward his side of the battlefield without even glancing at the crowd.
Alex watched the large screen showing the arena and couldn't help but respect that attitude.
Many trainers would feel disappointed receiving such a modest reception after reaching the quarterfinals.
Leonardo didn't appear to care in the slightest.
A few seconds later, the staff member looked at Alex and nodded. "Participant Number 3. You're up."
Alex walked toward the arena entrance. The moment he stepped out of the tunnel, the reaction was completely different.
A loud wave of applause swept through the stadium, accompanied by countless cheers from the spectators.
Many people stood up from their seats, and Alex could even hear several people shouting his name.
Compared to Leonardo's entrance, the difference was almost embarrassing.
Alex briefly glanced toward his opponent.
Leonardo simply shrugged as if to say, 'What can you do?'
Alex couldn't help but smile. He looked at Leonardo again and could somewhat understand why he was so uninteresting to the spectators.
Leonardo is not good-looking and had nothing special about him, aside from his "Late Elite" status. His personality didn't seem particularly interesting, either.
Alex could understand a bit why most viewers considered him boring.
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