After leaving the viewing platform, Xia You returned to the competitors' Rest Room at the arena.
Erika, Ash, and the others had been waiting there for some time. When they saw him, another round of congratulations was inevitable. Even Gaomei, whom he had just defeated, had not left and was there with them!
Pop! Pop!
Brock and Ash held party poppers, spraying streamers and glittering confetti all over Xia You, while Misty slipped a brightly colored garland around his neck. They all wore smiles, clearly happy about his victory.
Erika stood there clapping softly as well. Beside her, Gaomei walked up to Xia You with a complicated expression and said sincerely, "Congratulations. Your Pokémon really were incredible. I wholeheartedly accept my defeat in this match."
Xia You felt deeply guilty that Gaomei had come to congratulate him instead of leaving outright, despite having been beaten so badly.
Ah, if I'd known, I would have switched Gyarados out halfway through. At least then she wouldn't have lost so badly...
The good news was that, judging by her expression, Gaomei had no urge to seek revenge against him the way Aya had back then, just as Xia You had hoped before the match.
Clearly, after that battle, she had truly been beaten into submission-and frightened, too!
"I'm sorry I hurt your Pokémon so badly, but please don't take it to heart. That's just how my Gyarados fights. Even if I wanted it to hold back, it simply couldn't..."
Xia You sounded so sincere that the last trace of resentment in Gaomei's heart vanished in that instant.
She smiled. "You can't take all the blame. Pokémon battles aren't children playing house, after all. They're dangerous and brutal by nature, and injuries are unavoidable. If you'd gone easy on me out of sympathy, it