"Sorry about how it turned out Brock." Consoled Ash.
"It was a great battle." Said Tyler.
"Right! I'd expect nothing less from a Kanto gym leader." Misty praised. Misty and the others had gone to see Brock in the locker room after the battle. They went with the intention of cheering up their friend after his loss, but since he was not really upset that made their job a lot easier.
"Thanks you guys, but I'm fine. I never entered this tournament expecting to win. The challenge and the experience has done enough for me. I'm going to take what I've learned and put it to use in order to reach my own goals." He said confidently.
"You mean becoming a pokemon doctor right?" Asked May.
"Don't forget getting some points with nurse joy! I mean how can she resist a guy who is smart, handsome and strong enough to get into the top 64!" Brock said with hearts in his eyes. One of his pokeballs opened up and he was poison jabbed by Toxicroak who had regained consciousness by now. As he was dragged away the others just laughed nervously.
"You know I'm starting to think that Brock only entered to impress nurse joy." Dawn thought aloud.
"I would not put it past him." Misty said next to her.
"Well since Brock is fine…. Ish. Why don't we go get some pizza or something." Suggested Tyler.
"Sure. I'd be up for that." Said Ash.
"Me too!" Said Iris.
"No thanks. Wallace is battling next and I don't want to miss it." Max told them.
"Really? Then I'll come with you." Said Dawn.
"Same here." Said Misty excited to see some water pokemon.
"Then let's go." Said May excitedly.
As May, Max, Dawn and Misty went to go see the water type contest master, Ash, Tyler, Tracey and Iris left to get some chow. While searching through the stadium the 4 of them spotted an old friend of their's.
"Hey is that?... Virgil!" Exclaimed Ash.
The pokemon rescue squad member turned around to see some familiar faces. As usual he had an Eevee on his shoulder. "Hey Ash. Good to see you. Hey it's you again." Virgil said as he recognized Tyler.
"Yeah my name is Tyler. Thanks for the help yesterday." He said.
"And I'm Tracey, nice to meet ya." Said the sketcher.
"No trouble. My name is Virgil and I'm a friend of Ash and Iris. He said to them.
"We met him during our travels in Unova. He trains with the evolved forms of Eevee and even won the Unova league." Iris told Tyler and Tracey.
"You train with Eeveeloutions? That's pretty cool." Said Tyler.
"I would love a chance to sketch them all together at once." Tracey said.
"Are you in the tournament too?" Ash asked him.
"Of course. Team Eevee was just looking for another challenge to prove their skills." Virgil said as he rubbed the head of the Eevee on his left shoulder.
"Oh I just remembered, aren't you battling today?" Asked Iris.
"I am. In fact I'm up against that same guy we met yesterday." Virgil said as he gestured to Tyler.
"Oh yeah. That guy." Tyler remembered.
"Who?" Asked Ash.
"His name is Seth. He's a really powerful trainer from a foreign region that does not have its own league." Virgil told them.
"I've never heard of a region with no league." Said Ash.
"He's from Orre. It's a region that is mostly covered by desert so there's not much demand for a league there anyways." Explained the Eevee trainer.
"I've seen him with an Espeon and an Umbreon. Both of them looked well trained, and powerful to." Tyler said.
"So he trains evolutions of Eevee as well." Said Iris.
"He sounds really strong for a trainer who doesn't have a league to compete in." Said Tyler.
"Maybe, but I've heard of a facility in the Orre region that is dedicated solely to battling. If such a place exists, then it's safe to assume that Seth must've been training there before." Said the rescue squad member.
"You hear that Ash? Sounds like that place would be perfect for you." Tracey said.
"Yeah, sounds like an amazing place. I should definitely check it out." Ash agreed.
"Okay, so how do you know Seth, Tyler?" Iris asked him.
"Oh ahaha, long story." Tyler said sheepishly as he remembered the events of the day before. He had no idea how to explain that one.
"We ran into him yesterday. But it wasn't on the best terms." Virgil explained.
"Why's that?" Asked Ash.
"Well team Rocket was involved for one." Tyler told them.
"They always seem to show up at thee worst times." Said Iris.
"Wait, he wasn't working with them was he?" Asked Tracey.
"No. In fact he was very opposed to them." Tyler answered.
"Well if he's anti-team Rocket then he can't be a bad guy." Ash nodded to himself.
"Well if we see him maybe we should thank him for whooping team Rocket." Iris laughed.
Virgil looked up past the 4 of them. "Well now's your chance." He said. Ash, Tyler, Tracey and Iris turned around to see Virgil's opponent looking up at a monitor on the wall. He caught their gaze and walked over to them with a neutral look on his face.
"So you're Seth?" Asked Ash.
"I am." He said. He looked behind him and recognized Virgil as his next opponent. "So you're Virgil."
"We meet again." Virgil said to him.
"I must apologise for my earlier actions. I'm not at my best when dealing with those who have ill intent such as them." He explained.
"I see. Nether the less I really appreciate the help." Virgil said with a smile.
"There is no need to thank me. I've dealt with those kind of criminals before. I know what they are capable with the technology they create and the greed that drives them to such horrid actions. It doesn't sit well with me to just stand by and let it happen." Seth told them.
"Even still, it's great that you stand up for people and pokemon like that." Ash said with admiration.
"Glad I could help… You're competing aren't you?" He said as he looked at Ash. "And you as well." He said to Tyler.
"That's right." Said Tyler.
"I'm in it to win it." Said Ash.
"Well I hope to have a good battle against either of you in the future. As for you Virgil…" Seth said half turning away and looking at Virgil with one visible eye. "I'll see you on the battlefield." He said and walked away.
"Good luck Virgil." Ash said turning to his Unova rival.
"I just know you're going to win." Cheered Iris.
"We'll be rooting for you." Tyler told him.
"Thank you, We'll do our best. Right Eevee?" Virgil asked his trusted partner.
"Ee, Eevee!" It cheered.