While waiting for the venue to be prepared, spectators kept arriving at the Battle Arcade one after another.
They had all come after hearing that a Battle Frontier match was about to take place. Some had come simply to watch, while others had come hoping to make a fortune.
"I don't know who the challenger is. I hope he's strong."
"Yeah, I need to score a win. I'm betting on the challenger winning the first round."
"I'm betting the challenger takes the third round!"
"You're being too greedy. The Roulette battle rules are unique. Challengers usually take a beating in the first round. I'm putting my money on the Roulette Goddess."
The crowd was full of anticipation for the challenger.
Betting outside had already closed. Everyone was eagerly waiting to see who the challenger would be. Those who bet on the challenger naturally hoped he'd be strong.
After all, there had been famous Trainers who suited the role of challenger, such as members of the Sinnoh Elite Four and even the Champion, all of whom had challenged the Battle Tower.
For example, Aaron had challenged before, and even Cynthia was reportedly planning to challenge the Battle Tower in the near future. If a well-known Trainer showed up here today...
Those who had bet on the challenger side had clearly thought this through.
"The venue is ready. Everyone, let's see who today's challenger is!"
"Now, let's welcome the challenger!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fireworks burst overhead. Colorful ribbons drifted through the sky, and a slender figure walked out of the entrance passage.
As the figure stepped forward, everyone got a clear look at the challenger's appearance. He was a young man with a handsome face and an impressive presence.
"This young man comes from the distant Kanto region, having dominated the Alliance Conferences of Indigo Plateau, Silver, and Ever Grande. Now, he's challenging the Battle Frontier and has already conquered the Kanto Battle Frontier. Since his debut, he has never lost a single major tournament. Please welcome—Gary!"
The Host briefly introduced Gary's best-known achievements from the open tournaments.
"No way, it's Gary!"
"Gary is in the Sinnoh region... could he be competing in this year's Lily of the Valley Conference?!"
"Damn it, Gary saved me!"
"It's a lock! It's a lock!"
Veilstone City allowed casinos and game centers to operate, so it naturally attracted plenty of gamblers. Pokémon battles caught the attention of these gamblers as well. They didn't just follow their own region's Trainers—they kept an eye on Trainers from every region.
Gary had won the Alliance Conference in three different regions in a row, so he had naturally caught the attention of these gamblers.
"Alright! Next, let's welcome our Roulette Goddess!"
Bang!
Fireworks erupted into the sky.
Right after that, a beautiful figure appeared on the passage opposite Gary. Dynamic music began to play, and a beam of light shone down on her.
Dahlia began to dance as she moved toward the battlefield.
She danced beautifully—sexy and elegant. Unfortunately, Dahlia's appearance didn't quite match Gary's taste, so all he really noticed was her form.
Dahlia jumped into the command area and called out, "Welcome to the Battle Frontier! I'll be putting on an exciting show for you today."
After the warm cheers, the Host announced, "The battle between challenger Gary and Roulette Goddess Dahlia is about to begin."
"This match will be a round-based competition, with a total of three rounds. The winner will be determined by the number of remaining Pokémon on each side. If both sides have one win and one loss, the winning Pokémon will continue to fight to determine the overall winner."
The Battle Arcade's rules were round-based, meaning that in one round, whichever Pokémon fainted first was the loser. Both sides would then recall their Pokémon and send out new ones for the next round. Before each round began, the roulette wheels would spin.
The roulette wheels were positioned beside the battlefield—two of them, one red and one blue. Gary was on the blue side, so the blue wheel represented him, while the red wheel represented Dahlia.
Each roulette had seven sections, with each section marked in a different color: Poison, Paralysis, Burn, Confusion, Weather, Pokémon Switch, and Field.
Gary thought to himself—if Dahlia landed on Weather while his side landed on a Status Condition, that would be a huge disadvantage.
Gary remembered that Dahlia's Pokémon lineup was chaotic, with many types and no unified theme.
[Ding! Obtain the Roulette Print. Reward: Advanced Rare Candy ×3, Ability Enhancement Stone ×1, Silver Crown ×1, Self-selected permanent move learner ×1!]
Hearing the system release the mission, Gary knew that Dahlia's Pokémon weren't very high-level. Her three Pokémon were between levels 60 and 64. A Pokémon above level 65 would have added 2 advanced Rare Candies to the reward.
Since her three Pokémon only rewarded 3 advanced Rare Candies, it meant Dahlia's Pokémon wouldn't exceed level 64.
"Now, will both sides please send out their Pokémon at the same time."
At those words, the two Trainers sent out their Pokémon simultaneously.
"Dance with me, Ludicolo!"
Ludicolo appeared—entirely green with a cheerful face.
[Lv. 60 Ludicolo / Elite]
"Go, Togetic!"
[Lv. 70 Togetic / Quasi-Legendary]
"Oh! It's Togetic!"
"Why not Togekiss?"
"What is Gary thinking? Is he training it?"
"Maybe."
Seeing that Gary sent out Togetic, those who had bet on him winning the first round nearly rushed down from the stands to start a fight.
"Alright! Now let's begin spinning the roulette."
After the referee finished speaking, the two roulette wheels—one red and one blue—began spinning. After more than ten seconds, the wheels began to slow down.
The red roulette's pointer stopped in the red section, indicating Burn.
The blue roulette's pointer stopped in the yellow section, indicating Paralysis.
Gary was slightly taken aback. Why paralysis? Although paralysis wouldn't directly harm the Pokémon, it would affect its actions.
Ludicolo was a special attacker, so a burn wouldn't affect its offensive capabilities.
At the next moment, the floors on either side of the battlefield opened outward. Two lifts rose up from below, revealing a Ninetales and a Magnemite.
Ninetales used Will-O-Wisp on Ludicolo. A ball of blue Will-O-Wisp flew toward Ludicolo, inflicting a burn.
Magnemite also launched Thunder Wave, putting Togetic into a paralyzed state.
"Toge."
Togetic glared at Magnemite. It didn't understand what was going on—why a Pokémon off the field could still attack, and how it was even weaker than itself.
"Togetic, that's the rules of the match. Don't think too much about it." Gary saw what was on Togetic's mind and quickly reminded it.
"Toge."
Togetic looked over at Ludicolo, saw that it too had been burned, and no longer cared.
"Alright! I now officially declare the start of the first round!"
"Ludicolo, use Rain Dance." Dahlia ordered.