Starting from Natsuhiko, then Hilona, Lance, Flint, and so on.
But someone like Morden, who is at the level of the King of Islands, wouldn't care about any rewards or so-called rankings.
Even Kukui, the Royal Masked Man, disappeared after the competition, the organizers couldn't reach him.
However, according to what Natsuhiko knows.
"UB Countermeasures Department" had another important figure arrive yesterday, and Lira mentioned that once Natsuhiko's affairs were settled, she would introduce the two of them.
It seems Kukui simply returned to his original identity.
So, talking about the top sixteen, there weren't actually sixteen people on stage.
Natsuhiko and Hilona exchanged a simple glance, respecting the organizers by not chatting casually onstage.
Regarding what Agatha and Natsuhiko discussed yesterday, the so-called point system, these people all have a decent background in the alliance, so they more or less know a bit about it.
Although Flint and Kona did not accumulate enough points to qualify for the Master Tournament.
They were in no hurry either.
With their capabilities and connections, it's just a matter of time.
After all, even if they could enter the Master Tournament now, they wouldn't go.
Going would just be asking for trouble.
It's better to refine their skills further.
Before stepping on stage, they did have a bit of a chat about what prize to choose.
Mainly, they wanted to ask Natsuhiko's opinion.
Natsuhiko's unrestricted battling skills are the strongest among them, which has become almost indisputable.
So they all wanted Natsuhiko to help give some advice.
The tournament prizes were very plentiful.
There were not only various rare Pokémon but also various items, secret manuals, etc., from which they could choose based on their ranking.
So they were all somewhat indecisive.
Given their status, acquiring some rare Pokémon isn't too difficult.
But this time, the alliance valued it enough that the Pokémon offered as prizes were high-quality breeds carefully cultivated by the alliance, the kinds that even money couldn't easily procure.
For example, Kona clearly expressed that she wanted Natsuhiko to give some constructive advice.
Because there was a Pokémon among the prizes she fancied.
The Sandshrew from the Alola Region.
Natsuhiko took a quick look at the prize list and knew the Ice Sandshrew would definitely catch Kona's attention.
It's a pity there wasn't a Frost Six-Tails, otherwise, Natsuhiko would definitely recommend she choose the Frost Six-Tails.
The combination of Ice Type and Fairy Type, whether Lance becomes the Dragon-type Elite or the Flying-type Elite in the future, would be utterly countered.
However, a Frost Six-Tails is even rarer than an Ice Sandshrew, and the alliance probably doesn't have many, let alone any cultivated of high quality.
Even the appearance of an Ice Sandshrew was a bit surprising to Natsuhiko.
"Actually, I would recommend you choose this Vanillite."
After careful consideration, Natsuhiko still made this suggestion.
"Why?"
Kona said although Vanillite isn't very common, it's not extremely rare either.
"Because when you have nothing to do, you can make shaved ice with it," Natsuhiko joked with a smile.
Kona: "..."
She raised her fist, pretending she wanted to hit Natsuhiko.
Natsuhiko playfully took a defensive stance while "quietly" muttering, "What is the world coming to, just a second ago I was Senior Natsuhiko, now I'm about to get hit."
This caused Lance and the others nearby to burst into laughter.
This is one of their usual interaction modes.
They take things seriously occasionally, but most of the time it's rather casual, and teasing is quite normal.
This really is how true friendship ought to be.
Being too formal in one's interactions would feel distant instead.
Of course, most of the teasing is initiated by Natsuhiko.
They've gotten used to it, though.
Stuff like "Dodo" or "Diamond King Lao Wu," these are all names Natsuhiko came up with in his "spare time."
They act like they dislike it, but their reactions show otherwise.
Each is a favored child of heaven, with few people they can truly connect with; letting down their guard and fooling around is even more unlikely.
So, they all cherish the friendship between them.
After some playful banter with Kona, Natsuhiko earnestly explained:
"This Vanillite's trait is 'Snow Concealment.' When it evolves into Vanilluxe, the trait would become 'Snowfall.' Isn't this kind of weather Pokémon perfect for you?"
"'Snowfall', you say?"
Kona showed a thoughtful expression.
"I know you're still undecided on what Pokémon to use as your core, so why not use 'Hail' weather as the core? Of course, the decision is yours; I'm just offering a suggestion since ultimately you'll be the one raising the Pokémon."
Natsuhiko shrugged his shoulders and continued, "Moreover, the Vanillite the alliance provides in this tournament isn't ordinary. Who knows, it might even know 'Absolute Zero.'"
This wasn't just a wild guess.
And he did truly consider things from Kona's perspective, to construct a team with the fewest Pokémon.
While some Pokémon might not be optimal for 'Hail' weather, once the core is set, replacing the rest of the Pokémon becomes relatively simpler.
Besides, a hail-based Song of Destruction isn't an impossible strategy.
Besides Kona, there's also Flint.
For his Pokémon, Natsuhiko had already advised him to go for a Cradily with the "Water Diversion" trait.
Flint is more or less set on proceeding with a "Sandstorm Team."
He's more interested in the tools and materials among this round's prizes.