On the beach in Slateport City, Brendan and Kimarō gazed excitedly at the opponents before them.
Compared with the minor scuffles at the academy, or the rigor and pressure of official Gym battles...
This was their first time experiencing such high-level battles between peers.
Facing Shū's Roselia, Kimarō's Dusclops displayed almost completely one-sided dominance.
Just Will-O-Wisp and Psychic were enough to leave Roselia seriously injured.
However talented Shū might be, he was still only a rising Coordinator who had debuted a little earlier than May.
Against an opponent with abundant practical combat experience like Kimarō, Shū inevitably found the intensity overwhelming and was caught off guard.
"Teacher, I won!" Having won the match, Kimarō took off his mask and excitedly approached Gary.
"Well done. Next, find somewhere to practice performance routines with Dusclops.
"As for the battling side of things, I think you've experienced that firsthand now," Young Master Mao said with a smile and a nod.
"Yes, thank you, Teacher!" Kimarō bowed solemnly before leading Dusclops away to find a quiet place to train.
Through the battle, Kimarō had truly felt the effects of Young Master Mao's training.
That feeling of commanding his Pokémon as naturally as moving his own limbs in battle was precisely the result of all his hard training over these past days.
The facts proved that he had already left ordinary Pokémon Coordinators behind.
Kimarō's heart burned with enthusiasm. Sure enough, his teacher's training was right!
"Kimarō, the Masked Messenger... I'll remember you." With a complicated expression, Shū recalled Roselia, then turned and left.
Given Roselia's injuries, he would be unable to participate in this Slateport Contest.
Moreover, his opponent's swift yet dazzling fighting style had filled Shū with deep apprehension.
Until he was certain of victory, tactical avoidance was also a form of wisdom.