"Thanks for the battle. Your Pokémon were really tough to deal with."
Knowing no one else could hear, Diantha held out her hand and quietly complained to Baimu.
Endure.
A Normal-type Status Move.
It left a Pokémon with at least a sliver of strength.
She had never considered teaching Gardevoir that move. Since becoming a Trainer, she had never faced a situation where Gardevoir needed Endure to turn a battle around.
Unless a Pokémon learned a move naturally, its Trainer usually had a specific purpose in mind when teaching it one.
Take Imprison, for example.
It had taken her ages to teach Gardevoir that move.
Baimu might be the only Trainer in the world who could teach his Pokémon a vast range of moves without worrying about the time or effort involved.
Baimu chuckled. He steadied Blissey, then shook Diantha's hand. "You're too kind. Gardevoir's Imprison was pretty unfair too."
"I'll take that as a compliment!"
Diantha winked playfully.
She had lost badly, but she recovered her composure quickly. Or perhaps her years of acting experience simply kept her from showing her frustration.
As it happened, Diantha had begun studying the other Champions' strategies long ago.
She had tailored Imprison specifically for Baimu.
She had planned to use it in a Master Class match. Who would have thought she would face him so soon?
And just like Cynthia, he had knocked her out of the Master Class!
Diantha almost laughed in exasperation, but there was nothing she could do. She had been outmatched.
"Happy..."
"...Garde."
The newly awakened Blissey gave a weak cry. Gardevoir, barely steady on her feet, nodded to her.
The long, grueling battle had given the two Pokémon a mutual respect.
You're a worthy opponent!
On the big screen, Baimu's and Diantha's rankings appeared. The Great Ball