There was no time to mourn Floragato's defeat. Next onto the battlefield was Misdreavus!
Because [Lord of the Underworld] grew stronger the longer a battle went on, Misdreavus, whose battle ended early, didn't give quite as dazzling a performance as Floragato.
Still, Misdreavus earned the approval of its "master," Spiritomb, as well as high praise from Cynthia.
After the battles, naturally, came the review.
Cynthia didn't ask questions like, "Where did your Floragato learn [Shift Gear]?"
Although rare, things like this weren't unheard of in the thousand-plus years of Pokémon battling.
An individual Pokémon learning a move that shouldn't exist in its movepool, for instance.
The world was full of wonders. Were genetic mutations not allowed or something?
It was just that [Shift Gear] was an extremely rare move, and far too perfect a fit for Floragato-
It not only filled the gap in Floragato's Steel-type moves, but also greatly boosted the two stats Floragato took such pride in: physical attack and speed.
That was why Cynthia had been so stunned during their battle.
There was no point asking about it. Other Pokémon couldn't replicate it.
Even if they could, it would be a Trainer's secret, not something they would readily share.
So Cynthia skipped that question entirely and instead analyzed the strengths and weaknesses Floragato and Misdreavus had shown during their battles.
She also offered her own ideas for raising and training the two Pokémon going forward.
"What impressed me most about Floragato was its unparalleled speed, both in executing moves and in its movements. So I recommend keeping its weight below 40 kilograms until it evolves, to preserve its flexibility and agility. For its diet, use Pokéblocks made primarily from Salac Berries, Ganlon Berries, and Liechi Berries."
Naturally, Xia Chi listened carefully to Champion Cynthia's tailored advice.
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