After the effortless victory, the Pokémon Dome fell silent for a few seconds before erupting into a tsunami of cheers.
"That's Teacher Yu for you! A clean sweep in the very first round! Let the other regions see what Paldea can do!"
"Why do I get the feeling... the Masters Tournament isn't all that? This looks no different from Teacher Yu schooling his students."
"His opponent really does seem to be a fan. He smiled like he'd made peace with it right after losing, and he even shook Teacher Yu's hand! Sob, I'm so jealous he got to touch him!"
"??? There's something wrong with you!"
"So Teacher Yu's been hiding this much strength! Wait... does that mean we'll have to fight this thing in our Champion assessment?"
"I'm going to cry. A Lucario that Protect can't stop is terrifying! It's scarier than a whole herd of Tauros charging at you!"
The fans in the stands had clearly been won over by the strength Qingyu had displayed.
"S-so strong!"
After the battle, the black-haired boy who had been watching intently looked astonished and offered his heartfelt praise.
"So Pokémon battles are just a simple game where you knock one out with every punch?"
Scratching his head, the black-haired boy slapped his thigh and shouted:
"I've decided! I'm going to become a Trainer that strong someday! I'll stand on the big stage with my partners!"
Quite a few older spectators around him gave knowing smiles at his reaction.
Setting out to become a Trainer after witnessing someone powerful was, after all, the most classic dream in the Pokémon world.
Some even grew nostalgic, recalling their carefree selves when they first set out on their journeys with their first partners.
"What's your name, young man?"
A kindly middle-aged man sitting nearby