The top 32 had finally converged on the Xianzhou Luofu.
Thirteen of the finalists were locals, representing nearly half the bracket. Predictably, the IPC began flooding the interstellar networks with rumors of "home-field advantage" and "bracket manipulation." However, the fans weren't as gullible as the Corporation hoped. Julian had been meticulous, releasing the raw encrypted data from every elimination match on the Arceus website. For the players, the IPC's constant bashing of Pokémon had become background noise; they had become immune to the propaganda.
Still, the smear campaign had its effect. For the "un-gamed"—those citizens in IPC sectors who had never touched a virtual device—the negative press was enough to keep them from ever downloading the app. That was the Corporation's home turf, and Julian knew he couldn't win them over with ads. He had to rely on the "Wall-Climbers" to spread the word.
"Welcome to the Luofu," Julian announced, standing before the gathered finalists in the hotel's main conference room. "For the grand finals, we are leaving the handheld screens behind. The stage is the Liuyundu Stadium."
He scanned the room, noting the heavyweights. Guinaifen, Fu Xuan, and Silver Wolf were already icons of the community. But the new faces added a weight to the room that Julian hadn't expected.
Arlan and Asta had traveled all the way from the Herta Space Station, though only Arlan had qualified; Asta was there to act as his "Sponsor" (and likely his chief financier). Then there was the Astral Express crew. Welt Yang sat with a calm, scholarly air, flanked by a high-energy March 7th and a smiling Himeko. Dan Heng, apparently feeling the Luofu held too many ghosts for a simple game tournament, had stayed behind on the train.
But the real shock was Topaz.
As a Senior Manager of the IPC, her presence was a walking contradiction to the company's official stance. Julian watched her exchange a smile with him and realized the internal rift at Pier Point must be massive. Her participation was a silent endorsement that no amount of corporate bashing could erase.
"We have upgraded the battlefield," Julian continued, drawing their attention to the holographic displays. "We've deployed holographic battle stages across the Luofu. These units utilize a localized AI 'Helping Hand' to bridge the gap between your commands and the Pokémon's reactions. To practice, simply use your phone to scan the stage. It will pull your team data directly from the cloud."
The room buzzed. These were pro players; they knew the limitations of the current AI. The promise of a "smarter" battle system was the ultimate reward.
"Contestants have priority access to these stages," Julian added. "I hope you all find your rhythm before the opening ceremony."
As the meeting adjourned, the room dissolved into a flurry of activity.
"Uncle Yang! Let's go!" March 7th dragged Welt toward the door. "I've studied the type-charts all the way from the last star system. I'm going to be your toughest sparring partner!"
"Arlan, we need to calibrate your team for the new AI immediately," Asta said, already pulling Arlan toward the nearest practice hub.
Topaz lingered for a moment, her eyes fixed on Silver Wolf. "I never expected a Stellaron Hunter to walk into a public tournament without a mask. Bold, even for you."
"This is the Luofu, not an IPC pier," Silver Wolf replied, popping a bubble of digital gum. "Here, I'm just a gamer."
She then turned toward a peculiar figure: a player using a 2D cartoon avatar to hide their identity—the "Fruit Shop Part-timer." Silver Wolf had investigated everyone else, but this player's digital trail was a black hole.
"Part-timer," Silver Wolf said, her voice dropping. "I lost to you in that war-game simulation last month. I'm winning this time. Don't you dare lose before you face me."
The 2D avatar's eyes bugged out in a classic [Astonish] animation. A digital pillar appeared out of nowhere, and the avatar dove behind it, shivering with visible social anxiety. The "Fruit Shop Part-timer" then panicked, turned off their projector, and scrambled out of the room in a comical blur.
"That guy would be a legend in comedy animation," Topaz laughed, shaking her head. "Come on, Numby. We have a tournament to win."
Meanwhile, Fu Xuan slipped out through a side exit.
She hadn't originally wanted to participate, citing her heavy workload at the Divination Commission. But Jing Yuan had personally granted her a vacation, telling her to "show the world the style of the Xianzhou."
She was annoyed, yes. But as she looked at her high-level team on her jade-abacus, a cold, competitive fire lit in her eyes. Since the General had forced her onto the stage, she was determined to leave as the Champion.
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