"Ash and Pikachu are amazing to be able to battle Mr. Steven for so long," May said, looking at Ash inside the field holding Pikachu. The match had already concluded, and the outcome was naturally without suspense—Ash was defeated.
"Could it be that Ash's true strength has already reached the Elite level? But Ash has only been traveling through two regions!" Natsuki said, finding it a bit hard to believe. Although she knew Ash's current strength was extraordinary, she honestly hadn't expected him to go toe-to-toe with a Champion and look evenly matched.
"I haven't seen Ash for only a short while, and he's already grown to this extent? This boy is terrifying," Brock said. Out in the arena, Mr. Steven recalled Metagross, walked over to Ash, and said, "That was a really good battle, Ash. What you need right now is composure. You've only been traveling for a few years, and given time, I might even lose to you." Seeing Ash stand there in silence, Mr. Steven assumed he had been knocked out of spirits by the defeat.
Chapter 63