The referee slowly raised his flag, his voice echoing throughout the arena. "Zebstrika is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is the challenger-Xia You!"
The silence lasted only an instant before applause broke out.
The girls in the stands rose to their feet in unison. Some clapped, some cheered, and a few had reddened eyes, sniffling as they applauded.
They felt bad for Elesa, but more than anything, they were cheering for this spectacular battle.
Six to zero.
Their idol hadn't won a single match.
But they weren't ashamed. They had watched from beginning to end. Every match had been a tough fight, and every Pokémon had fought until the very last moment.
Ampharos's Thunder Wave net, Luxray's Wild Charge rush, Galvantula, Stunfisk, and Emolga taking the field in turn, and finally Zebstrika's Thunderbolt that lit up the entire arena-Elesa hadn't gone easy or held anything back. She had played every card she had. Her opponent had simply been too strong.
"He's so amazing..." a girl with twin ponytails in the front row whispered, her eyes still fixed on the figure recalling Greninja in the center of the field. "Every one of his Pokémon is different, and every one is so strong."
"And he's so calm," her companion added. "From start to finish, no matter how Elesa attacked, he never seemed flustered."
"He's pretty good-looking, too..." A third girl spoke even more quietly, but everyone around her heard and burst into giggles.
The laughter eased the earlier heaviness, and the mood in the stands gradually relaxed. Some began packing up their cheering signs, some took out their phones for photos, and others were already loudly discussing where to eat that evening. The battle was over, and life went on.
Elesa stood in the center of the field, watching Xia You