"Then keep working hard. I'll look forward to your next challenge."
Qingyu managed a smile as he looked at Nemona.
He suddenly wondered whether he should have held back a little earlier...
Still, while his improvised strategy revolving around Substitute had been a little risky, and Sylveon might have taken a hit if Nemona had been more single-minded, he had accounted for that.
He had actually prepared a backup plan, too.
"Vee..."
After nestling in Qingyu's arms and having her head stroked for a while, Sylveon's "King Engine" finally shut down, and she wore an expression of pure contentment.
At the same time, a soft white glow began to appear around her body in the sunlight, seemingly restoring the stamina she had spent during the battle.
Moonlight had quietly activated.
Qingyu had been a little unsure when he first saw the move, but Moonlight was indeed among the moves Sylveon had learned after evolving.
Normally, only Umbreon should have been able to learn Moonlight. Like Espeon's Morning Sun, it was a way to rapidly restore stamina.
But he honestly had no idea how Sylveon had naturally learned it overnight...
In any case, even if Sylveon hadn't understood his intentions, or Nemona hadn't thought that extra step ahead and had actually hit Sylveon's real body, he was confident that she could recover with Moonlight and keep fighting.
After this simple test, Qingyu had gained a rough understanding of Sylveon's current combat strength.
He had also gotten a general sense of Nemona's abilities.
"Mm-hmm! Teacher Qingyu, I'll keep challenging you once we're back in Paldea!"
Nemona nodded repeatedly, tightly gripping the Tera Orb in her hand, which had already lost its glow.
If all her current Pokémon hadn't already fainted, she might have demanded a rematch right then and there.
Once