"Nice battle."
After the battle ended, the two Trainers on the field walked toward each other as usual, shaking hands and leaving the outcome of their match on the battlefield.
Qingyu politely held out his hand to Will, whose head hung low in apparent disappointment, then smiled and spoke softly.
Although those words always sounded a little sarcastic, Qingyu genuinely meant them.
After all, Will hadn't performed badly. His Minimize strategy had certainly been unexpected, and against a slightly weaker opponent, he might well have made the Top Eight.
Unfortunately, he had run into Qingyu, along with Mewtwo and Lucario taking things seriously.
Minimize strategies were mostly for fun, with far too many ways to counter them in high-level battles. Besides, Qingyu had pioneered this particular setup himself. Even without Mewtwo overpowering everything through sheer strength, he had other answers, such as Aura Sphere.
Losing was only natural.
"Teacher Yu, thank you for your guidance!"
But contrary to Qingyu's expectations, Will immediately lifted his head at the encouragement, excitement plainly evident on the face beneath his mask.
Although he seemed to have recovered from the theatrical state he'd slipped into while immersing himself in the battle, his voice was still full of passion.
"I may have lost miserably this time, but this opportunity showed me the gap between myself and a truly powerful Trainer. I'll keep working hard with you as my goal!"
"Uh... good luck."
Qingyu didn't know what else to say. He sighed inwardly and reached out to pat Will's shoulder.
"You'll definitely become very strong one day."
How could he not? He was a future member of Johto's Elite Four, after all.
Still, Qingyu seemed to know quite a few fans who were at the Elite Four level already...
After chatting a little longer with the