Ash naturally wasn't about to let a single defeat go.
After Pikachu, he sent out Gliscor and Buizel to challenge Xia You. Both Pokémon had originally been part of the lineup he planned to use at this Conference, so his purpose in sending them out was clear: to train them through practice battles with Xia You.
Xia You continued to use Monferno against them.
This time, however, he didn't deal another blow to Ash's confidence.
Through the battle just now, Ash had gained a rough understanding of Monferno's strength and abilities. Even so, Xia You still gave no commands, letting Monferno continue battling Ash entirely on its own.
Everyone present except Ash could clearly see just how much he was holding back.
Yet even so, Ash still lost one and won one, only managing to defeat Monferno with a Water-type advantage when he sent Buizel out last.
Across all three matches, Ash had two losses and one win.
For Ash, who had been brimming with confidence and eager to show what he could do at the Lily of the Valley Conference, this was undoubtedly a cold shower.
Seeing the results, Dawn waved a hand. "That's why I said you picked the wrong practice partner, Ash. Aren't you just asking for trouble by battling Xia You? If you want to build your confidence, you could battle other people like before!"
Ash lifted his chin. "Quit nagging!"
Still, these battles really had given Ash quite a jolt.
Originally, he had wanted to get a feel for the gap between himself and Xia You, and had only intended to field the Pokémon he had caught in Sinnoh. But after these practice battles, he felt that this lineup alone probably wouldn't take him very far in this Lily of the Valley Conference.
That was