Chapter 171: The reaction
[holy shit! Karlo is taking part in the Kanto league? Kalos support you man, much love, good luck!]
[guy above, shut up, Simon is the only one qualified to take on lance the dragon master. That nobody Karlo whatever can suck my d***]
[I dare you to say that again f***er!]
[both of you uncultured swine should go hump in the corner. Obviously, it is Fiona who is going to succeed. Only a respectable and admired woman like her is able to take the win. It's about time a woman became a champion in Kanto anyway.
[What's gender got to do with it!]
[What's gender got to do with it!]
Both of the previous commentators yelled angrily.
[Keep your feminist sh*t to yourself. Don't mix gender into this. it has no place on the battlefield. If she is qualified she will take it. but since she's just some useless idol who hasn't ever participated in a league before, she has no chance. And it's Alex for me. he has a strong chance of getting into the finals at least.] said another.
Dozens of similar disputes blurred the screen. Never once stopping. But suddenly one comment shone through the same repetitive bunch.
[aren't we forgetting something? The gym leaders, including Giovanni mind you, have agreed that everyone you guys have just mentioned is still fighting to compete with this mysterious black horse. Wait never mind, if we go by their words, they don't have the ability to compete. Why is no one asking more questions about this?]
The message didn't catch traction immediately due to the sheer amount of comments, but due to the moderates of the video wanting to advertise this, they pushed the comment to the top of the list instantly catching the eyes of thousands.
There was a visible pause as comments stopped with the repetitive spamming as if contemplating her words.
[that is true, but maybe they are simply overhyping this. Sure, they might be strong, but why keep it under wraps when they have the chance to be famous with the backing of all the gym leaders? Can someone answer that?]
The commentator who initially asked the question responded quickly.
[it is precisely because we don't know who it is, that it brings an air of mystery to it. that, subsequently draws people in. this boosts the ratings of the Livestream top 16 that this supposedly black horse will reach at the bare minimum. Secondly, maybe this person doesn't want so much attention pre-league. They must still be training incredibly hard, and interruptions might be a hindrance.]
Rex paused at this person's words before looking up and around him. Boundless blue skies, a small peak he was sitting on and infinite land as far as his eyes could see in every direction. The soothing hum of insects bathing in the light of the sun, the gentle embrace of the wind caressing his face.
"Training you say" he chuckled before returning his gaze to the screen where dozens of messages had already been sent. What surprised him the most was how civilised it was compared to before. It was like they were seriously deliberating this. he closed the phone soon after.
"Gaia, why was my name obscured from the public?" he asked while laying down and closing his eyes.
[Giovanni thought it would be better this way. it would also serve to boost our sales.]
Rex creases an eyebrow with doubt.
"How will that happen?"
[Your popularity will rise the more you battle, you have already guaranteed your place as champion, but by allowing the public to guess that it's you, they will feel a sense of achievement. 'I discovered him myself before anyone else' type of mindset. This will build a friendly relationship between you and your fans as well as a sort of attachment after investing their time into finding who you are.
When the company is open to the public, there will be a much bigger reaction than before. This is a simplified version of things. Giovanni and I are still in the process of constructing the plan for the marketing of the company. It will be something they are influenced by without knowing.]
Rex contemplated Gaia's words and found them to be sound ones. He didn't really care since he didn't mind having his name known to the world. It was a matter of time before it happened anyway. As he thought of this he drifted off into a light sleep. There was still a couple of hours before the challenge was over.
***
4 people were staring at the screen in different locations with different emotions coursing through them. Karlo was intrigued. He loved competition, but he loathed people who were cowardly. So, he didn't appreciate this so-called 'black horse' being so discreet. As for the words of the gym leaders, he didn't really care, they weren't much to talk about besides Blain and Giovanni. He was still using his Kalos team and yet these two gym leaders still posed a threat to him.
Since he respected the strong and hated the weak, he took their words seriously and trained his team harder and harder. He could only hope that their words weren't empty when the time came.
Contrastingly, Simon was a bit pissed off. He didn't know if he was being underestimated or if they were pumping up the tires of this loser, but he wasn't having any of it. he was tired of losing over and over. He had brought a trump card with him from Alola which would guarantee a place in the finals.
He would crush this black horse of theirs and finally achieve his dream.
Fiona was surprised and very curious, she was an idol, so she knew that this was a marketing strategy done by the league. But whether this trainer was cowardly, discreet, shy or simply didn't care and went along with it with a promise of the profit she would soon find out. she sipped on her tea in her hotel room and continued to watch the commentators battle for who the best trainer was.
She was on the newer side when it came to professional battling. She knew her chances of winning the league against the other 4 were on the lower side, but she still wanted to give it a shot.
Alex watched the stream silently; he had won the Johto league but got demolished by the fourth elite 4. His ego took a massive hit. He previously thought he would be crowned champion only to be 6-0 without an ounce of strength to retaliate. He vowed to train and train until he bled. And he was finally ready. It was only time was keeping him from his destiny as champion.
The convergence of trainers was simply a month and a half away.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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