About ten seconds later, Slowpoke suddenly cried out in pain, swayed unsteadily, and collapsed.
Slowpoke's reactions were so sluggish that it had taken a while to fall after losing the ability to battle.
That had left both of them with their hearts in their throats. Neither had expected Slowpoke to pull something like that.
After defeating Slowpoke, Mareep reached level 11 and learned a new move, Cotton Spore.
Slowpoke's collapse marked the end of the match. Both men brought out their Pokémon and used Healing Spray to treat their injuries.
"You're really strong. I thought I was already one of the best among people my age, but there's always someone better out there," Xie Wen said with a sigh.
Hearing this, Zhang Cheng replied, "Don't sell yourself short. You're already one of the strongest people your age."
For a young man from a small town like Xie Wen, who couldn't afford to attend a Pokémon university, having such strength at the same age as Zhang Cheng was genuinely impressive.
Xie Wen nodded at Zhang Cheng's praise and continued spraying Tauros with Healing Spray.
After getting their Pokémon settled, the two returned to town together.
Their Pokémon hadn't fully recovered from the injuries they had suffered in the battle, so they couldn't continue training.
Once they were back in town, Xie Wen insisted on treating Zhang Cheng to a meal. Zhang Cheng hadn't wanted to go, but Xie Wen was so enthusiastic that he finally agreed.
They went to a large restaurant and ate and drank their fill, only leaving when evening was drawing near.
After returning to the Inn, Zhang Cheng flopped straight onto the bed to ease the day's exhaustion.
Early the next morning, Zhang Cheng brought his Pokémon back to the clearing to train.
As expected, he