That's why many trainers from different regions gather here. The reward system here is so special that it's unique in the entire Pokémon world.
Not only are the rewards generous, but many trainers use the level they've reached in this arena as a standard to brag about.
Maybe it's not as evident elsewhere, but in Mauville City, many trainers, when meeting friends, will say, "Today I reached level such and such in the arena, and after winning several rounds, I was finally defeated."
This is very similar to a level-based game that Cain used to play when he was on Earth; basically, it works like a ranking system.
Winning eight rounds at the first level of the arena would be equivalent to earning a certain amount of points on a specific leaderboard.
Moreover, not all trainers here are from the League. Many of them belong to underground organizations or other groups.
Although the tournament rules follow those established by the League, where the battle ends when a Pokémon can no longer fight, occasionally, some Pokémon end up dead in battle.
After all, moves don't differentiate between targets; injuries and death are inevitable.
But for some spectators, this is extremely bloody and exciting, so many come to watch the battles as a way to relax after work.
The arena organizers don't earn mainly from the participants' entry fees but from the spectators' tickets.
Tickets for the first two arenas are quite affordable, as the battles are simpler, but since there are many, it balances out.
At higher levels, the battles are much more thrilling, and ticket prices are also much higher.
It's said that it's almost impossible to see a battle at the seventh or eighth level in a year.
But when there's a battle at levels seven or eight, ticket prices are so high that not everyone can afford them, and yet, it's always packed.
This shows just how profitable it is for the arena organizers.
Cain doesn't know who organizes these battles, but he's sure it's not the League or Team Rocket.
If it were the League, these arenas would be in Kanto or Johto. The League doesn't have enough control in the Hoenn region, so if someone were to cause trouble, they couldn't handle it immediately.
It also couldn't be Team Rocket.
If Team Rocket could build this kind of arena here, they wouldn't need to look for another way to enter other regions; they could start dominating Hoenn's underground operations.
So it can't be the League or Team Rocket. Maybe it's some faction that Cain doesn't even know about or a combination of several.
In any case, this doesn't affect Cain at the moment. What he wants is to take advantage of this place to train his Pokémon.
Since it's not run by the League, it's not mandatory to use real names for tournament registration. Many well-known trainers use aliases.
Cain likes this idea since he has multiple identities, and each one can only use certain Pokémon. If he wants all his Pokémon to have a chance to battle, one identity won't be enough.
When he enters the massive battle building, the first thing he hears is deafening shouts.
This is the first-level arena, the most crowded. There are not only many spectators but also many competitors.
The arena organizers have also set up a betting system for each battle, assigning winning odds.
No matter how it's played, the organizers never lose money.
At most, they just transfer money from one side to the other.
Cain first buys a spectator ticket and watches for a while from the stands, trying to gauge the level of competitors in the first arena before signing up.
It's not that he's unsure about winning in the first arena; he simply wants to decide which of his Pokémon to use after evaluating the participants.
He finds that the Pokémon of the competitors in the first arena are usually between levels 20 and 25. It's rare to see Pokémon below level 20 or above level 25.
A Pokémon below level 20 probably wouldn't last even one round, while one above level 25 would likely have already advanced to the second level of the arena.
Cain registers directly, and the staff guides him to fill out a registration form. He chose the nickname "Joker" for his first identity.
In his vague memory, it seems to be the name of a fairly well-known person, but he doesn't remember exactly who. Anyway, as long as it has "Joker" in the name, Cain doesn't mind much.
Fortunately, he arrived early today, so he doesn't have to wait many rounds to participate.
Cain patiently waits in the competitor's lounge.
There are many other competitors besides Cain, most of whom wear masks or strange costumes to avoid being recognized.
So his all-black attire doesn't stand out at all.
In the lounge, there's a large television screen showing the ongoing battle.
"Trainer Joker, please prepare; your match is next." The announcement sounds three times in the lounge before stopping.
Cain immediately stands up and heads to the counter where competitors can place bets. He takes out a bank card and bets the 150,000 Pokédollars he has.
He glances at the odds: three to one.
The other competitor has already won three consecutive times, while Cain is a complete unknown, so the organizers estimate his chances of winning at less than 30%.
The maximum bet in the first arena is 200,000 Pokédollars, and Cain's 150,000 is already a considerable sum.
The staff look at him in surprise; few have that much confidence in themselves, and they quickly record the information.
There's a betting limit at each level of the arena. If two competitors agreed to make a massive bet, the organizers would lose a lot of money.
Of course, the organizers wouldn't allow this to happen. If a fixed match is discovered, someone will intervene.
So far, those who have been caught have never appeared in public again.
So the result is clear.
After placing his bet, Cain leaves the lounge.
"What a pity that the odds are only three to one! If I could bet more, a few million would win a lot." Cain complains silently.
These organizers really don't let anyone take advantage of any loophole.
Although it's called an arena, it actually looks more like a coliseum; all around are seats for spectators, and only in the center is there a sunken area for combat.
For convenience, the organizers have set the battlefield as rocky terrain, no matter what type of Pokémon is used.
If you're a Water-type Pokémon trainer...
Good luck!
(End of chapter)