Milotic followed close behind; with a graceful flick of its tail, countless green "Drops of Life" materialized once more, raining down densely upon Metagross to heal its wounds.
The Drops of Life seeped into Metagross's body, causing its trembling frame to gradually steady.
After a long moment, it finally managed to push itself up, letting out a low, resonant cry directed at Lionel—its eyes burning with fierce determination.
Then, struggling all the while, it clambered back to its feet. Step by step, it returned to the battle arena and planted itself firmly on the ground once more.
Its metallic body was now riddled with scratches and dents, yet the fighting spirit blazing within its crimson-red eyes remained undimmed. Slaking gazed at the Metagross that had once again taken its stance before it. A smile spread across its face as it extended a palm—no longer in the manner of the taunting gestures seen before the match began—
but rather to give Metagross a thumbs-up.
Gym Leader Norman stood at the edge of the battlefield, watching this scene unfold with an expression of deep approval:
"Lionel, your Metagross is truly impressive. Let's call an end to today's battle right here!"
Norman's voice carried a gentle, smiling tone:
"Metagross has already done an excellent job; to have held out this long against my old partner is a remarkable feat in itself."
Lionel paused for a moment, then immediately realized—Gym Leader Norman was voluntarily bringing the battle to a close.
He looked out at the battlefield, where Metagross stood battered and scarred yet still stubbornly holding its ground; a complex mix of emotions welled up within him.
This marked his very first defeat on the battlefield. So *this* is just how terrifying the power of an Elite Four-level trainer truly is.
Just then, Slaking slowly took a step forward, ambling leisurely toward Metagross.
"Buruburu!"
Upon seeing this, Larvesta—mistakenly believing Slaking intended to continue the fight—suddenly panicked.
The little creature shook its head vigorously, tossing aside the small "flame-cap" it wore atop its head, then dashed out from behind Lionel to plant itself squarely in front of Metagross.
The five tentacles encircling its head erupted with fierce flames as it let out a warning cry directed at Slaking.
Its stance suggested it was ready to use its own small body to shield the partner standing behind it.
Slaking lowered its gaze to the Larvesta blocking its path, its smile widening even further.
It extended its right hand and, with a gentle touch of its fingers, scooped Larvesta up—lifting it as effortlessly as one might pick up a kitten.
Suspended in mid-air, Larvesta frantically flailed its six tiny legs, crying out in distress as the flames atop its head flared up even higher.
Then, spewing a torrent of fire from its mouth, it unleashed a *Flamethrower* attack directly at Slaking.
This sudden fiery assault caused Slaking to frown slightly. With its free hand, it delivered a light tap to Larvesta's head, instantly interrupting the little Pokémon's *Flamethrower* attack. Subsequently, it paid no further heed to Larvesta and continued walking forward.
It extended its left hand and gently patted Metagross's body—a gesture imbued with a sense of approval.
It was as if it were offering a silent word of praise.
After the pat, Slaking even gave Metagross a solemn nod; the message in its eyes was unmistakable:
*You are impressive; you are worthy of recognition.*
By this time, Slaking had already set Larvesta down.
Seeing that Slaking had not launched a second attack against Metagross, Larvesta breathed a sigh of relief.
It quickly scurried over to Lionel's side, retrieved the little "Fireball" hat it had dropped earlier, and gazed at the dust-stained headwear with eyes filled with tender concern.
Upon witnessing this, Milotic felt a mix of exasperation and amusement, regarding Larvesta with a fond, doting gaze.
Then, swaying its tail fins gracefully, it swiftly manipulated the moisture in the air to help Larvesta clean its hat.
Seeing its little hat restored to cleanliness, Larvesta happily floated into the air to nuzzle affectionately against Milotic. [So he lost—but seriously, Metagross really carried him.
[What an embarrassment!]
[Why do I suddenly find Slaking a little cute?
The way it held Larvesta was just so gentle!]
[Larvesta was incredible! I have to tip—
I absolutely have to tip to show my support!]
At that moment, Lionel walked up to Gym Leader Norman and bowed deeply:
"Thank you, Gym Leader Norman. Today's battle has shown me what it truly means to be a Trainer."
Norman smiled and waved his hand dismissively:
"You are already excellent, and you still have a long road ahead of you. Your Metagross has immense potential; given time, it will surely surpass mine. Keep up the hard work!"
He paused, then looked out at the audience:
"Alright, that concludes today's proceedings. Lionel has successfully earned the Petalburg Badge—let's give him a round of applause!"
The arena once again erupted with enthusiastic applause.
Gym Leader Norman signaled to his staff to guide the next challenger to the preparation area, then walked over to Lionel and patted him on the shoulder:
"There are still other Trainers waiting for their Gym battles, so I won't keep you any longer. Tell you what—are you free tomorrow? I happen to have some free time myself. Come over to my home; let's sit down and have a good chat."
Lionel's eyes lit up. Receiving a personal invitation from Gym Leader Norman was undoubtedly a rare learning opportunity; he immediately nodded:
"Thank you for the invitation! I would be delighted!"
"Then it's settled."
As the battle concluded, Lionel headed toward the Gym exit, only to be immediately swarmed by a crowd of fans.
Among them were his regular supporters, as well as spectators who had been won over by the battle they had just witnessed; everyone held up their phones, clamoring for a group photo.
"Streamer! Streamer! Can we get a group photo?"
"Metagross was amazing! Even though it lost, in my heart, it's the true champion!"
"Larvesta is super cute, too! Can I pet it?"
Lionel smiled and happily agreed, patiently posing for photos and signing autographs for everyone.
Larvesta frolicked excitedly by his side, the nervousness it had felt earlier upon seeing Slaking now completely forgotten. It deliberately adjusted its little "fireball hat," responding to the crowds of people asking for photos by striking various playful poses to accommodate their group shots.
After all, it had gone to the trouble of sprucing itself up today for this very moment.
The viewers in the livestream chat were also captivated by Larvesta's current demeanor:
[Larvesta is just too cute!]
[Haha! Larvesta is seriously adorable!]
The Metagross had remained inside its Poké Ball the entire time; the fans, knowing it was in low spirits after losing the match, didn't force the issue or demand that it join them for photos.
Instead, they simply asked Lionel to convey their concern, telling Metagross that everyone still thought it was amazing.
Lionel nodded in acknowledgment.
It wasn't until he had finally seen off the last group of fans that Lionel—accompanied by Larvesta and Milotic—left the Gym and returned to their hotel.
The moment they entered the room, Larvesta couldn't wait to curl up and fall asleep.
Lionel then opened his video call app and connected with Cynthia.
As the screen lit up, Garchomp's massive head—brimming with sharp fangs—filled the entire frame; it roared excitedly, eager to ask Larvesta about today's Gym battle.
Larvesta immediately hopped up to the screen, its little arms gesturing wildly.
One moment it was mimicking Slaking, and the next it was acting out the moment Metagross got sent flying through the air; all the while, it chattered away incessantly in its squeaky voice, recounting the details of the battle in vivid, animated fashion.
Especially when describing just how powerful Slaking was, Larvesta would deliberately lower its voice, its tiny face contorting into an expression of exaggerated awe.
Upon seeing this, Garchomp immediately puffed out its chest and—using its stubby little claws to thump its own chest—signaled that once it returned, it would give that Slaking a proper piece of its mind.
After all, it had already learned a great many skills from Garchomp—it had even mastered several advanced "Reverse" techniques!
When the time came, it would be there to help Metagross get its revenge.
While Larvesta and Garchomp were chatting away, Lionel and Milotic were busy trying to comfort Metagross. Lionel walked over, sat down beside Metagross, picked up a piece of ore, and held it out in front of the Pokémon:
"Still feeling down?"
Metagross didn't turn around; it merely let out a soft, low hum.
"You did a fantastic job today."
Lionel brought the ore up to its mouth, his voice gentle and soothing:
"How many years has Slaking been with Gym Leader Norman? At least a dozen, wouldn't you say? The battles it has fought and the experience it has accumulated far exceed yours.
You've only been with me for a short while. The fact that you managed to hold your own against it for as long as you did has already surpassed everyone's expectations.
Battles have winners and losers.
Losing today isn't a sign that you aren't strong enough; rather, it shows that we still have room to grow.
As long as we keep working hard, the day will come when you can reach—or even surpass—its level. A momentary win or loss means nothing in the grand scheme of things..."
Metagross's body stirred slightly; it seemed to be taking his words to heart.
Just then, Larvesta dragged the mobile phone over to where they were. Seeing that Metagross was looking glum, the Tyrantrum visible on the screen began to chime in:
[Don't be sad! Once I get back, I'll avenge you! Let me tell you, I'm super powerful now. Even Garchomp said I was amazing!]
Metagross turned its head to look at the Tyrantrum on the screen, conveying a silent message: *You wouldn't be able to beat it either.*
Tyrantrum retorted:
[What do you mean I couldn't beat it?]
Tyrantrum grew agitated instantly, spinning in circles in frustration.
[I haven't been slacking off lately! I've been training constantly with Garchomp. I've even mastered a new move—Sandstorm! And Dragon Dance! I...]
Meanwhile, Garchomp—who had been listening in beside Tyrantrum—suddenly sensed that something was amiss. She immediately demanded to know what exactly Tyrantrum had just blurted out.
Tyrantrum's eyes went wide as it scrambled to come up with an explanation for Garchomp.
Larvesta, watching through the screen, also tried to help Tyrantrum out by telling Garchomp that she must have misheard.
Watching Tyrantrum's indignant demeanor in this moment, Metagross finally broke into a smile; suppressing its own feelings of sadness, it hurriedly began to offer an explanation to Garchomp.
Metagross insisted to Garchomp that it had simply misheard.
Since Metagross—the one actually tasked with looking after Sewaddle—was saying as much, Garchomp's attitude shifted; it began to feel—well, maybe, just possibly—that it really *had* misheard after all.
Watching from the sidelines as these Pokémon worked together to hoodwink Garchomp, Cynthia could barely contain her amusement; she covered her mouth, stifling her laughter.
Meanwhile, even as Lionel and Cynthia were chatting via video call, Elite Four Drake—currently in the Alola region—was locked in a grueling and desperate battle.