"There was nothing you could do in that situation... His types completely countered yours, after all... Losing was only to be expected..."
"Yeah, exactly. Don't take it too hard. That guy's a freak, after all."
Cao Min watched his teammates comfort him with a wry smile and nodded gently.
"Don't worry. I'm not that mentally fragile."
"The gap is plain to see. There's definitely no beating that guy anytime soon."
Before long, the doctor handed Serperior's Poké Ball to Cao Min and spoke in halting Chinese.
"Keep battles to a minimum..."
Cheng Tian sat in a chair near the entrance, staring blankly at the floor before him. The battle from half an hour ago was still vivid in his mind.
After being strengthened by Fiery Dance and Quiver Dance, Volcarona had truly seemed like a fire god descending to earth, ready to scorch and destroy everything on the ground.
Cao Min had been steamrolled from start to finish, without even a chance to fight back.
When his last Pokémon's portrait went completely dark, Cao Min's journey through this Pokémon League had come to an end.
"What a freak... He has both the tenacity to persevere and incredible talent..."
Something cold suddenly touched his cheek, making Cheng Tian jump. He looked up to find Su Han pressing a can of iced coffee against his face.
She pushed the coffee into his hand and sat down beside him with a smile.
"What are you thinking about?"
"You."
"Liar."
Cheng Tian chuckled. "Well, nothing much. Gamino really is formidable. And after today, my impression of him has changed quite a bit."
Su Han nodded. "Yeah. Before this, I always thought he was a ridiculously strong bastard with a terrible personality. Now it looks like that aloof guy really does have something to back