Chapter 223: The Rising Crowd

"It looks so familiar... it almost feels like I've returned home."

Staring at the scene before her, Cynthia couldn't help but marvel aloud.

Hearing her words, Ryo glanced over and saw the nostalgia on her face. He stepped closer and gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. "Alright, that's enough reminiscing. Didn't you say we should check if anything's still unprepared? Let's go take a look."

Cynthia nodded. "Right, let's go."

Without delay, she dashed toward the battle arena and began inspecting the surroundings with a sharp eye.

"Ryo, what's with Cynthia?" Konan approached with a puzzled expression. It was the first time she'd seen Cynthia look like that.

"It's nothing," Ryo replied, shaking his head. "She was just feeling a little sentimental. Come on, let's check everything again while we still have time."

Even though they'd already done multiple checks, a final pass offered some peace of mind.

"Morning, Boss!"

"Morning!"

"Morning to you all," Ryo replied with a smile. "Thank you for your hard work."

Together, they reviewed all the critical areas. With the arena able to hold up to 20,000 people, there was no way they could inspect everything by themselves. Even with the help of staff already on-site, checking every corner was impossible—so they focused on the essentials.

Once the inspection wrapped up, they made their way to the entrance of the stadium—where Ryo spotted a familiar figure waiting.

"Might Guy? What are you doing here?"

Guy turned, surprised but happy. "Boss? You guys came from inside? Don't tell me you slept in there!"

"Uhh…" Ryo's mouth twitched. He didn't even know how to respond to that, so he just sighed and said, "Forget it. Just tell me what you're doing here. And who are these people with you?"

Guy wasn't alone—several unknown shinobi stood with him, alongside members of a Pokémon training squad.

"We were sent by the Hokage to help oversee the event," Guy explained. "There's going to be a huge crowd today, and the Hokage wanted us here just in case anything goes wrong."

Ryo nodded. "Makes sense."

More people meant more potential problems. It was smart to have extra hands stationed here—and honestly, with how short-staffed he'd been, he was grateful for the help.

"Boss! Cynthia! Konan!" a voice called from nearby.

Turning to look, they saw Eliza leading a massive group—likely the new hires she'd been training for the stadium.

"Alright, Guy, I'll leave you to it," Ryo said before walking toward his crew.

"Morning, Boss!" the crowd chimed.

"Morning," Ryo waved. "Eliza, is everyone here?"

"All present," she confirmed.

"Good. Head inside and get prepped."

All of these people had been recruited by Eliza over the past few weeks. Their job was to manage operations within the stadium—and in a venue this large, manpower was essential.

"We'll get right on it," Eliza said, then led the group into the arena to begin setup.

With the essentials under control, Ryo and the others returned to the Pokémon House to gather a few more things for the day ahead.

Time passed quickly. By the time they set off again for the stadium, the streets outside had grown noticeably livelier. Groups of excited people streamed in from every direction, making their way toward the arena.

"Ryo, let's get going," Cynthia urged. "The spectators and even some competitors are already arriving—we should be there too."

Her face was glowing with excitement. Back in her world, Pokémon battles were iconic. Seeing them catch on in this one filled her with joy. The popularity was overwhelming—if she could've flown to the stadium that instant, she would've.

Ryo understood how she felt. After all, seeing your home culture embraced by others was deeply gratifying. With a faint smile, he nodded. "Alright, let's go. We've got nothing left to prepare anyway."

As soon as they stepped out the door, they were swarmed by curious passersby.

"Boss Ryo, good morning! How's the competition looking? Any top-tier challengers?"

"Yeah, what about the prizes? Can you tell us now?"

Ryo just grinned mysteriously. "That's all classified for now. But yes—there will be some powerful contenders. Now, excuse us—we've got to get going."

They moved quickly through the crowd, though similar questions continued to follow them. Ryo could only smile helplessly as more and more people tried to fish for information.

"Thanks for all your help, Guy," Ryo said sincerely once they reached the stadium entrance again.

He looked out at the growing number of attendees and knew full well how chaotic it would've become without proper crowd control.

"We're just doing our job," Guy replied, nodding. "The Hokage gave us this mission."

"Even so, I really appreciate it," Ryo said. "Now then—let's head inside."

They didn't return to the battle arena this time. Instead, they made their way toward the backstage area to finish final preparations.

Meanwhile, outside, the crowd continued to grow. What once felt spacious now began to feel cramped. And as the noise of chattering voices filled the air, one thing was certain:

The competition was about to begin.

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