Yong did not switch out Steelix. He quietly watched his opponent's last Pokémon.
Luxray...
An Electric-type...
Perhaps Kofu had already given up on this match the moment Hydreigon fell!
Or was this the only Pokémon he had left?
There was no way to know!
Watching Steelix slam Luxray into the ground with a single Iron Tail, Yong shook his head and left the battlefield as the referee announced the result.
Behind him, Kofu called out,
"Yong! We'll meet again!"
Without looking back, the boy waved and headed straight into the competitors' passage.
"Let's congratulate the eight competitors advancing to the next round! They are..."
"We look forward to seeing how you all perform tomorrow!"
The announcer's voice rang out behind him, but all Yong wanted now was a good night's sleep. The mental exhaustion caused by Swampert's bond phenomenon far outweighed his physical fatigue.
The remaining matches would take place tomorrow, the final day of the conference, so nothing mattered more right now than sleep...
After handing all his Pokémon Balls to Nurse Joy, Yong hurried back to his room. He could not even be bothered to change his clothes, collapsing onto the bed and falling fast asleep.
Aboard an airship moored amid the sea of flowers in Ever Grande City, Kofu quietly leaned back in his seat, resting with his eyes closed.
Tap! Tap!
Accompanied by the sound of footsteps, a middle-aged man in a black suit approached him, bent forward slightly, and asked respectfully,
"Young master! Shall we return to Unova now?"
Kofu said nothing, and the middle-aged man patiently remained in that position, waiting.
After a long while, Kofu opened his eyes, gazed at the sea of flowers outside the window, and said softly,
"No! Go to Kalos..."
"...Yes, sir..."
As sunlight crossed the horizon over