At the stadium.
Kenta recalled Jumpluff and stared at the three Poké Balls in his hand, his face clouded with disappointment.
"Sorry... everyone..."
"That was some excellent tactical planning. Your Pokémon put on a great show, too."
The unexpected voice made him look up in surprise. Baimu had appeared in front of him without his noticing and was smiling as he held out a hand.
"I'm glad I got to battle such an outstanding trainer."
"Oh, you're too kind."
Kenta composed himself and laughed as though nothing was wrong. "I'm the one who learned a lot. Thank you!"
His words were gracious.
But when they shook hands, Baimu could feel a slight tremor running through Kenta's body.
It had nothing to do with nerves or fear. He simply hated losing.
Kenta had not challenged the Orre League on a whim or just for fun. He and his two friends had begun climbing the Arena rankings at Orpiment Tower half a year earlier.
And now, at the year-end Orre Tournament, this was the result.
"..."
Baimu gave a slight nod and said nothing more.
When he saw Marina and Junichi hurry onto the field, he stepped aside to give them room.
Sometimes, praise from the winner offered no comfort. It only made defeat sting more.
That was especially true for someone as fiercely competitive as Kenta.
Baimu left through the competitors' tunnel. Wally, Otsuka, Silver Horse, and the other friends who had failed to advance past the preliminaries were waiting for him.
Those who still had matches were mostly in the records room, preparing in earnest. None dared let up.
The previous day's preliminaries had shown them that even without Baimu, the Orre Tournament was packed with strong trainers.
Mega Evolution, a rare sight in most regions, seemed as common as