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Wallace was feeling a bit beaten to the point of questioning his own life.
Inside the Gym, it was dead silent.
The dust stirred up by the previous battle was floating and spinning lazily in the beams of light streaming through the skylight in the dome before silently settling back to the ground.
The air still held the peculiar scent of water vapor, reminding everyone present of just how perception-shattering the battle that had just occurred was.
Crawdaunt's massive body lay there quietly; on its side, the web-like cracks on its shell were clear and jarring, like a piece of exquisite porcelain ruthlessly smashed to pieces.
That was a Level 57 Crawdaunt.
With the potential of an Quasi-Elite, it had been personally raised by his master, the League Elite Juan, and lent to him as a powerful trump card to guard the Gym.
And the one that defeated it was a Malamar that had just evolved, its level barely stepping into Level 50.
On the other side, his Level 56 Vaporeon, also a powerful Pokémon with outstanding potential, had similarly fallen at the hands of that Krookodile, which had also just evolved to Level 50.
Level suppression? Type advantage?
In the battle just now, these all seemed to have become a joke.
Wallace looked at the youth opposite him who was calmly recalling his Pokémon. The other's movements were unhurried; he even lowered his head, gently stroking the surfaces of the two Poké Balls with his fingers as if comforting his heroes.
That kind of composure, that sense of taking it for granted, made Wallace's heart feel as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, causing waves of stifling pressure.
He, Juan's top disciple and the acknowledged strongest genius of Sootopolis City, had lost.
And it was a total defeat.
Had he lost from the moment those two Pokémon both evolved in a desperate situation, their light breaking through the water curtain?
No.
Wallace shook his head bitterly in his heart.
Perhaps he had already lost from the moment Ariel chose to send out Krokorok and Malamar, two Pokémon whose types were perfectly countered by his own.
He thought this was a guaranteed crushing victory, but the opponent had viewed him as a whetstone from the very beginning.
And what about himself?
He had merely relied on the levels and potential of his Pokémon, commanding by the book, thinking victory was within easy reach.
He had even been distracted during the battle, thinking about how to win more elegantly and more in the style of the Sootopolis Gym.
How ridiculous.
In the hands of his master Juan, the strength these two Pokémon could display was incredibly powerful.
But in his, Wallace's hands, they were both instant-killed by two Pokémon several levels lower.
So this was where the gap lay.
"Heh..."
A very light laugh escaped Wallace's lips, carrying a bit of self-deprecation and a bit of relief.
He straightened his spine, which had been somewhat stiff from shock. The elegance and poise belonging to the Sootopolis Gym Leader, after having been shattered, actually reconsolidated in a more steady manner.
"I lost."
He admitted it frankly, his voice not loud, yet it echoed clearly in everyone's ears.
"Ariel, you are very strong. This Rain Badge is yours."
As he spoke, he took out an exquisite water-drop-shaped badge from his robe; the blue badge reflected shimmering light under the illumination.
Ariel looked up and took the badge.
The cool sensation traveled from his fingertips. Looking at this future Champion before him who had adjusted so quickly from his loss, he couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration in his heart.
"Your strength is also excellent,"
Ariel's words were very calm, lacking the arrogance of a victor.
"It's just that, sometimes, relying too much on inherent strength can instead become a shackle. You still have a vast space for improvement. Keep it up."
These words left the surrounding observing apprentices completely stunned.
They looked at each other, their eyes full of question marks.
What was the situation?
Why did it sound like the challenger was teaching their Gym Leader?
Was the script flipped?
However, Wallace nodded seriously, as if he had received some precious guidance.
He took Ariel's words to heart, chewing over every single word.
"A shackle, huh..."
He murmured to himself, then broke into a smile.
"You're right, I indeed still have much to learn. Thank you for your guidance."
He looked at Ariel, a hint of pure curiosity and inquiry appearing in his gaze.
"Honestly, with your strength and understanding of Pokémon abilities, you will surely become a very remarkable Gym Leader in the future. At that time, it should be a Dark-type Gym, right?"
After all, that Krookodile and Malamar had both displayed astonishing Dark-type talent.
The apprentices on the side listened until their eyes almost popped out.
Their Gym Leader, the genius of Sootopolis City, was actually inviting someone who defeated him to open a Gym?
What kind of crazy development was this?
"Gym Leader?"
Ariel shook his head.
"I haven't thought that far ahead. My current goal is still the upcoming Ever Grande Conference."
"Ever Grande Conference?"
Wallace seemed to have been triggered by some switch, and his face instantly filled with interest, the gloom from his recent defeat swept away.
"I've signed up to participate too! Just as well, perhaps we can have another battle at the conference!"
He leaned in a step closer and lowered his voice, carrying a hint of mystery.
"However, you might need to hurry with your timing. This conference has been moved forward. It will officially start in one month in Ever Grande City."
Hearing this, Ariel's brow furrowed imperceptibly.
One month?
That's not right.
He clearly remembered that according to the intelligence he had obtained and the League's past conventions, the Ever Grande Conference should be in two months.
To move it forward by a month—for such a major change, the League's official website hadn't posted any announcements?
There must be something fishy going on.
As if seeing through Ariel's doubt, Wallace glanced left and right to confirm those apprentices were far enough away before saying in a whisper that only the two of them could hear:
"I expect the officials will release a notice soon."
"Did you know? I heard it's because of Team Rockets."