Who needs a girlfriend when you have Pokémon?

As for Luo Wei, he also hoped that familiar family members would be present in the midst of this most important match.

In this way, no matter the final outcome, he will definitely be able to perform at a level that he won't regret!

So, after having lunch prepared by their mother, the group immediately headed towards Orange City. Sure enough, Orange City was already bustling with activity.

Because Rukia's tour happened to be here, the city was packed with tourists who came for the performance... which was originally quite quiet.

However, this had nothing to do with Luo Wei. He wasn't particularly interested in idol performances anyway, and headed straight for his father's dojo.

This was something they were very familiar with, but the dojo was closed at the moment. Logically, it should have been open by now, but once they arrived at the door, they understood what was going on.

"Uh, Dad lent the dojo to Rukia Adam as a performance venue?"

Well, that makes sense, since there aren't many large buildings in Petalburg City. It's a very idyllic little city. The only building that can be considered somewhat large is the Gym, since it was funded and planned by the League, so it's definitely big enough.

It seems that this gym is the only one in the entire city that meets the requirements for the performance, so Ryukia went to Senri to discuss it. Although Senri is a very serious person and seems unapproachable, he will most likely agree if you ask him for help as long as you have a reasonable reason.

Just like when Manch's father asked Senri to catch a partner Pokémon for Manch, Senri readily agreed.

Although he has a somewhat strong personality, his character is absolutely impeccable, and he is genuinely happy to help those in need.

Because the dojo was temporarily converted into a performance venue, the opening hours were naturally adjusted. However, that only applies to other challengers; for Rowe, it is definitely not affected at all.

Soon, a phone call brought Luo Wei to the door...

"Haha, welcome, welcome..." The young trainer who had been guarding the gate before also came out to greet them warmly. "You've come at the right time, the gym leader just finished seeing his guests..."

"guest?"

The dojos here are all temporarily closed, so where are the customers coming from?

Considering the current functions of the dojo, the answer seems obvious.

Sure enough, as soon as he entered, Luo Wei heard a cheerful greeting.

"Wow, what a coincidence to meet you here, Rowe!"

"Uh, Miss Rukia..."

For a moment, Luo Wei didn't know what expression to make, since the other party was now considered an acquaintance of his.

Behind Rukia, a dignified male voice came.

"Here you are, Rowe. Looks like you were prepared..."

Upon hearing this, Luo Wei immediately perked up...

"...Hehe, of course, I've been waiting for this day for far too long!"

Chapter 192 Grand Contest Advanced Ribbon Ranking Match?

"Of course, I've waited far too long for this day..."

Luo Wei raised his head and met the man who had appeared without fear.

Just as he remembered, the image of his father in Luo Wei's mind seemed to have never changed with the passage of time.

It's as if my father hasn't changed much in appearance or physical condition over the past ten years, always maintaining that serious, unsmiling look.

At all times, he was shrouded in an invisible aura that people could subconsciously sense.

This man is very strong!

It's not just about sheer strength, but an impeccable power encompassing all aspects, including temperament!

Luo Wei took a deep breath, pulled down his collar to reveal four badges underneath...

Although Senri knew his son would never lie about this, and besides, the gym leader was his colleague, he was the first to know that Rowe had obtained several badges.

He knew all about the major battles and events that Rowe had experienced along the way. However, no matter what, when Rowe proudly displayed the four badges, representing his achievements and efforts along the way, Qianli nodded in affirmation.

"it is good!"

There was only one simple word, but it seemed to speak louder than a thousand words. After all, they were father and son, blood relatives. There was no need for further words. Their fighting spirit was clearly conveyed to each other through their eyes.

"So……"

Luo Wei stepped forward, about to challenge her to a duel, when Liu Qiya suddenly spoke up.

"By the way, Rowe hasn't participated in any advanced ribbon competitions yet, right?"

"?"

Luo Wei stopped what he was doing and looked at him with some curiosity. "Indeed, why did you suddenly ask that?"

"Haha, because this place is about to be converted into a temporary venue for the Grand Contest, and an extra ranking match will be added. So, if Rowe thinks it's okay, let's finish this ranking match as well. If it's Rowe, he can definitely put on a great show~"

"...So sudden?"

Originally, Orange Blossom City did not have a venue for the Grand Contest, but because Rukia was touring here and had applied to the contest organizing committee in advance, the contest organizers considered this a good opportunity for publicity.

Therefore, it was decided that during Rukia's participation in the show, an additional ranking competition would be held in each city she visited, with Rukia serving as a special guest judge and also as the final performance after the main competition.

In a sense, this can be seen as creating hype for both the competition and the performance. Since a performance venue was temporarily set up here in order to let Rukia take the stage, it would be a waste to use it only for a performance. It would be better to use it as the venue for the Grand Contest, which would be making the most of the space.

Indeed, this would allow for more efficient use of venue resources and also boost the popularity of the tournament, since the scale of the Pokémon Showdown is far smaller than that of the Grand Contest.

Putting aside other things, a region has eight gyms, but the main venue for the Grand Contest only has four, which is half the size. Moreover, League gyms are standard in every region, but the Grand Contest is not available in every region.

Although both belong to the Pokémon League, the gyms and the Contests are clearly two separate divisions. The members of the Contests division are also working to make the Contests more accessible to the general public and attract more trainers to participate.

This is partly to enhance the influence of Pokémon Contests, and partly to promote this alternative way of showcasing Pokémon's charm to a wider audience.

So far, the results have been good. In the past two years, many regions have gradually opened Pokémon Contest venues, and many promising Contest Coordinators have emerged...

As a Master-level Ribbon holder, Rukia is naturally an official member of the Grand Contest and is therefore very enthusiastic about promoting the Grand Contest, never missing any such opportunity.

"Hmm, isn't this great?"

At this moment, his mother spoke up. She stepped forward, leaned close to Luo Wei, and winked with a smile, "Now there's a chance to fulfill the promise you made with Mom?"

"Eh?"

Unexpectedly, when Rukia saw Luo Wei's mother, she instantly became excited after recognizing her face.

"Could it be that great, great senior?!"

She excitedly hopped over in a few steps, showing absolutely no trace of the composure expected of a top idol; instead, she seemed like a fervent fan who had just met her idol.

"Hey, people still recognize me after all these years!"

The woman uttered these thoughtless remarks, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she had caused the Grand Contest to revise its rules and the entire industry to add several new rules, both overt and covert, all because that once-shining, fleeting genius idol still has a large following even today, despite the passage of so many years.

"It's more than just knowing each other! I've always hoped to meet you like this, it's wonderful, I'm so lucky today!"

"Haha, I've been watching Rukia's performances all along, they're excellent... I'm so touched~"

Luo Wei admired his mother greatly. She could come up with a business model on the spot. It seemed that even after so many years, she had not lost any of her "business skills". Whenever she wanted, she could instantly transform from an ordinary full-time housewife into the dazzling genius idol she once was...

"Alright, let me think about this..."

After all, Rowe had come here with the intention of challenging his father to a duel, and hadn't really considered the Grand Contest. Being suddenly invited to participate in the ranking matches was indeed a bit unexpected.

However, it was precisely because of this unexpected turn of events that Luo Wei suddenly had an idea.

"Hmm, the Grand Contest... Since it's a high-class ribbon competition, we'll have to come up with something new..."

After careful consideration, Luo Wei chose the theme "love" for the first competition. As one of the most popular themes, he presented his feelings for his first partner, Masked Cat, and won the beginner-level ribbon. After all, it was a beginner-level ribbon, so there were no major mistakes. His performance was on topic and he could basically win it.

Then came the Super Ribbon, where Lowell chose the theme "Growth and Bonds," and with a performance that was full of buffs—"Evolving the audience's favorability into a completely new species of Pokémon"—he instantly won the match.

It can be said that this is a rare piece that cannot be replicated twice. In that case, the competition for high-grade ribbons cannot be worse than these two.

What should I do?

At that moment, Luo Wei made a decision in his heart...

Chapter 193 Father and Son Chat

Lowe originally came just to compete against his father, but he didn't expect to be invited to participate in the advanced ribbon qualifying tournament, which was an unexpected situation.

However, after a little thought, Luo Wei had already made up his mind.

“In that case, I have an idea…” As he said this, Luo Wei turned to his father, “However, I might need Dad's help.”

Qianli readily agreed without hesitation. After all, he believed his son wouldn't cause any trouble, so as a father, he naturally supported his son's decision.

"Very well, then... how about this?"

Luo Wei shared his thoughts, which genuinely surprised both Rukia and Senri. However, after a moment of stunned silence, Rukia was the first to react.

"Wow, this is unprecedented, but it sounds really interesting! No problem, I'll go and apply to the organizing committee right away!"

"Ahem, if it doesn't work out, then forget it. There's no need to make an exception..."

Luo Wei was also a little unsure about his idea. After all, it was unprecedented for him to ask the organizing committee to revise the competition rules for his sudden idea, which was indeed a bit far-fetched.

However, Ryukia didn't take it to heart and even strongly supported Rowe's idea.

"The purpose of the Pokémon Contest is to allow more people to experience the charm of Pokémon. I think Rowe's idea is excellent; it's a great idea that can expand the contest's influence. The contest organizing committee should approve it."

After all, as long as the original intention is to promote the influence of Pokémon Contests and let more people experience the charm of Pokémon, and this main purpose remains unchanged, then there is no need to be so critical of the format.

The Pokémon Contests themselves don't have as long a history as Pokémon Battles, and they don't have as many unchanging "ancestral rules"...

After all, even Pokémon battles, 6V6, 4V4, roulette battles, two-player battles and other rules are constantly being updated. Even the big brother (the Pokémon game) has not stuck to the old ways, so the Grand Contest is naturally even more open-minded.

In order to expand its influence in different regions, it had made many changes based on the local characteristics, so Rukia felt that Luo Wei's suggestion was very valuable.

As soon as she finished speaking, Rukia ran off and promptly applied...

Meanwhile, Luo Wei and his father, who had originally planned to start fighting on the spot, paused to wait for a response. During that time, Luo Wei naturally chatted with his father about their experiences along the way.

"That's all there is to it. Team Magma and Team Aqua, I wonder what kind of trouble these guys will cause next. For now, we're pretty evenly matched..."

At least several times when Team Lava and Team Ocean caused trouble, Lowe managed to thwart them. The only time they succeeded, Lowe also managed to retrieve the stolen meteorite.

Moreover, judging from the current situation, it was also Higana who deliberately let the other side steal the meteorite, and then let Rowe take it back, in order to control the progress of the two gods breaking the seal.

It's all thanks to her hard work. The last of the Meteor People, carrying the long-cherished wish of the Meteor People for thousands of years, are determined to resolve the issue of the two gods here.