"I am a Gym Leader!"
Dian's gaze deepened. He clenched his fist sharply. "Shadow Ball!"
"Misdreavus!"
Misdreavus stretched out her little hands, and three small, pitch-black spheres of pulsing energy appeared in the air.
Crackle, crackle, crackle!
Twisting strands of ghostly light, like lightning, linked the three small Shadow Balls together, forming a spiraling Tri-Body Shadow Ball.
"Banette, dodge!"
Zhen You's pupils contracted, and cold sweat poured down his body.
Banette immediately flickered out of sight, hiding somewhere beyond perception.
A wasted effort... Dian watched in silence. The two consecutive attacks had already allowed Misdreavus to pinpoint her opponent.
"Misdreavus."
Misdreavus flicked the pink tips of her hair, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
Bang!
The Tri-Body Shadow Ball instantly pierced through space, vanishing from everyone's sight and traveling straight to Banette's location.
Boom—
"Banette—"
Banette's vision blurred, and a violent storm of Ghost-type energy came rushing in...
"Banette is unable to battle..."
Kengo stared at Banette, who lay motionless on the battlefield. For a moment, he felt lost, but a surge of determination soon followed.
"Mr. Dian is amazing..."
Dawn jumped up in delight. Then, noticing the looks from those around her, she immediately covered her reddening cheeks and stuck out her tongue.
"So this is a Gym Leader."
Admiration shone in Tang Hong's eyes. She felt as though she had found her goal.
Seeing the change in the young people around the arena, Ayako and Palmer nodded to themselves. In an ordinary battle, winning or losing was not what mattered. What mattered was finding a way forward.
"Banette..."
Zhen You clenched his hands, his sharp nails digging deep into his palms. That slight pain was nothing compared to the gulf that had suddenly opened in his heart.
Silently, he took out a Poké Ball and recalled