As both Land Dragons fell together, the first Poké Ball beneath each Trainer's portrait on either side of the screen dimmed at the same time.
The score reached 1-1.
On the surface, both sides had lost a mainstay, an acceptable outcome for either of them.
But in reality-
Most of the viewers could tell that Teacher Yu had definitely come out slightly ahead.
Even Cynthia, on the other side of the screen, instinctively furrowed her brow and lightly bit her thumbnail.
Garchomp was renowned for its ferocious fighting prowess, and it had used Outrage, the undisputed ultimate Dragon-type move, which posed an enormous threat to Dragon Pokémon.
Yet who could have imagined...
Qingyu's Garchomp would have a defensive build?
Late-blooming Pokémon generally possessed tremendous fighting power, so people usually assumed they were their teams' primary damage dealers.
This time, however, Qingyu had done the exact opposite, and it had paid off nicely.
His Garchomp had not only endured her attack without going down, but had also used its Rough Skin and held item to bring its opponent's health into KO range.
By now, not only Cynthia but the viewers could also deduce its held item from how the battle had played out.
A Rocky Helmet!
The Rocky Helmet appeared fairly often in Pokémon battles and counted as a relatively popular item.
Its effect suited tanks perfectly, dealing some damage back to opponents whenever they struck with contact moves.
Combined with Garchomp's Rough Skin Ability, a single punch from an opponent could cost that opponent more than a quarter of its health.
It was a very unusual build, yet it fit the viewers' stereotypical impression of Teacher Yu.
Sure enough, Teacher Yu was still best at those torturous stall teams. He could even give Garchomp his own distinctive flavor...
Wasn't that