Ayana wanted to say she had always had faith in her Pokémon.
But looking at Baimu's expression, then at the sleeping Machamp, she could tell they had different ideas about what that meant.
She fell silent.
The Arena trainers were silent too. As Silver Ape's deputy, Kendall was so strong that even the former boss of the Quicksand Team had treated him with respect.
Yet his Pokémon hadn't lasted a single turn.
The terrifying gap left them bewildered.
How could this happen?
Only the visiting trainers were excited. They gazed wistfully at Shiny Milotic as it raised itself to look down on Machamp. Pokémon this powerful were rare even in the mainstream regions.
And Pyrite Town had one?
They'd never heard a thing about it!
They couldn't help asking the Arena trainers for its trainer's name and background.
When they heard the name Baimu, someone cried out.
"So it's him! The League Conference winner who withdrew from the Hoenn Champion League and then defeated Drake of the Elite Four!"
"Huh? Defeated Drake? Hoenn's Dragon-type Elite Four member, Drake? You've got to be joking!"
"What joke? Don't you read PokéBlog?"
The visiting trainers talked over one another, leaving the Arena trainers with odd expressions.
It was no secret that Baimu was famous outside Pyrite Town. Silver Horse, who was always talking about following his example and traveling, had told them all sorts of stories.
But judging by how excited these visitors were, his two championship victories and defeat of an Elite Four member were even more impressive than they had thought.
The League Conference... the Elite Four...
Those unfamiliar terms made it hard for them to judge just how much the achievements meant.
In the field,
Shiny Milotic looked toward its trainer. It had been quite a while since his last