January 17, Saturday.
Just as they had over the past few days, the students of Naranja Academy lined up in Cabo Poco, ready to challenge the Gym with their latest tricks.
Then they noticed a handwritten notice posted on the Sunshine Gym's front door.
"Out gathering material. Come back next Monday after the Gym lineup gets updated!"
???
After reading it, countless students felt as though the sky had fallen.
They had spent a whole week researching and finally felt close to clearing the Gym, and now he was telling them he was changing his lineup?
This week had definitely been their best chance to clear the Sunshine Gym.
Sableye barely had any fighting power and was easy to counter, while Riolu was clearly holding back, as though Qingyu had given strict orders not to knock opponents out in one hit...
If they couldn't win under those conditions, wouldn't a different lineup be even harder?
Having missed their golden opportunity, the students could only share this "exciting" news on the school forum, too miserable even to cry.
[Forget about those Prankster Pokémon of yours. Teacher Yu's changing his lineup!]
[Out gathering material... don't tell me Teacher Yu's thought up another ridiculous strategy and gone out to catch the Pokémon for it?]
[No, anything but that! Can't Teacher Yu just use Sableye forever?]
[Teacher Yu, have some humanity!]
In short, the school forum was filled with wails that day, and a palpable cloud of resentment hung over Mesagoza.
As for Qingyu, the culprit behind this "anomaly," he was currently aboard a ferry bound for the Isle of Armor in the Galar Region.
"Just what you'd expect from a Battle Legend's retirement retreat. It really is something."
Gazing at the large island in the distance, its terrain distinctly divided into several different-colored