The fifth day of special training—the final day.
As usual, Xinhai and his partners arrived at the training room early and completed their warm-up exercises.
At 9:58, there was a punctual knock on the training room door, and Yamamoto Xianren pushed it open and entered.
Today, he wore a black athletic jacket over a dark gray T-shirt, looking more sharp and capable than he had over the past few days.
He carried no documents, with only six Poké Balls clipped to his waist.
"Today is the last day." He walked to the center of the field and looked at Xinhai with a faint smile. "No more gradual exercises today. We're going straight into a full four-on-four Double Battle."
Xinhai paused slightly, then nodded.
A four-on-four Double Battle—this was what Xinhai would be facing at Mossdeep Gym.
The practice battles over the past few days had all been two-on-two. While they had helped train coordination, they were still vastly different from a full Gym battle.
"Perfect. I also want my partners to experience what a real Gym battle feels like." Xinhai took the Poké Balls from his waist and recalled the partners who would be battling.
After fastening two Poké Balls at his waist, Xinhai took a deep breath and stepped into the trainer's area.
Yamamoto Xianren walked to the trainer's area opposite him, and their gazes met for a moment.
"The rules are the same as Mossdeep Gym's—four-on-four Double Battles. The challenger may freely switch Pokémon, while the Gym side may not." His voice was calm and clear. "Are you ready?"
"I'm ready." Xinhai nodded.
"Then let's begin!"
They threw out two Poké Balls at the same time.
Four flashes of red light streaked across the field. Krookodile and Gardevoir stood side by side, facing Lunatone and Solrock. The yellow