"Mawile leveled up?"
That was the first thing Batlthas asked when he met Baimu.
The reason was simple.
A move being ineffective and a move missing were two different things.
One-Hit KO moves only became ineffective when the opposing Pokémon was at a higher level than the user.
He wanted to know whether his defeat had been fate or something Baimu had brought about.
Baimu smiled. "I got lucky."
"...Luck is part of strength, too." Batlthas fell silent for a long while before adding, "Your strength is impressive."
"Thank you," Baimu said.
A crushing defeat could certainly cast a shadow over someone's heart.
But pressure could also forge new drive, especially in someone like Batlthas, who had remained in one place while yearning to climb higher.
They shook hands on friendly terms and left the arena amid thousands of cheers.
The event's maintenance crew hurried in and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that none of the equipment was damaged.
The fierce battle between Hydreigon and Entei was still fresh in their minds.
Mawile, with her even more outrageous power, could easily have wrecked the arena again, despite the extra support pillars installed afterward.
Fortunately, the foundations were intact.
Had Mawile held back?
The thought startled one of the crew members. Why was he almost disappointed that there was less work to do?
Outside the venue.
A crowd of supporters greeted Batlthas.
Though his defeat had been beyond dispute, it had not shattered their admiration. If anything, they were more determined to follow him.
They would regroup and fight again!
Batlthas calmly accepted their encouragement, then looked toward Leo at the back of the crowd.
The supporters immediately parted, letting the two contenders once considered most likely to win draw close enough to talk.
"Here to mock me?" Batlthas