The raging energy cut everything off. Neither Trainer could sense what was happening inside through Energy Resonance anymore. They could only gaze anxiously into the battlefield, hoping their Pokémon were safe.
Xiao Ran was not the only one worried. Big Bust, the girl across from him, was just as anxious. Torkoal was a Fire-type Pokémon, but that did not mean it could withstand high temperatures indefinitely, especially heat filled with steam. Such an environment was unbearable for Water- and Fire-type Pokémon alike.
Xiao Ran and the girl opposite him kept reaching out with their Hidden Power, trying to reconnect with their Pokémon inside. Neither the referee nor the surrounding safety officers had intervened, which meant the situation was still under control. All that remained was to see who would survive until the end!
A full minute passed before the white mist on the field gradually dispersed, finally allowing both Trainers to reconnect with their Pokémon. Xiao Ran did not know how Torkoal was doing, but he could sense how weak Milotic was. Clearly, that exchange had dealt it a devastating blow.
The good news, however, was that through repeated injuries and uses of Recover, Milotic had finally broken through that last bottleneck, becoming Xiao Ran's second Pokémon to reach Gym Leader Class. Once its injuries healed, it would possess genuine Gym Leader Class fighting strength.
"Thanks for your hard work!" Xiao Ran wasted no words, nor did he dwell on Milotic's inability to continue fighting. He quickly took out its Poké Ball, recalled it, and handed it to the assistant beside him to be taken for treatment.
Burns from such extreme heat were particularly deadly to Water-type Pokémon. Although they normally had little to fear from fire, once flames seriously injured them, recovery was harder for them than for other