Kumiko wanted to chase after Zhira and play with the meowth, but he could feel Ai's eyes burning a pair of holes into the back of his skull, so he remained on his best behavior. He hoped to catch up with his opponent backstage, though!

Kumiko bowed again, Ai bowing right along with him, while the crowd clapped. Then they followed Hatch and Zhira back behind the curtains while the shattered Reflect dust winked out of existence.

When they were safely out of sight, Ai allowed her beaming smile to vanish, and instead she bit her lip and frowned. Kumiko had done fairly well in that battle, but he'd also made mistakes. If they were to finally win the contest, they couldn't allow even the smallest error. It was too late to completely rethink their strategy, though; she would just have to get Kumiko rested up and hope for the best. With any luck, he would be easier to keep on-task during the second battle, now that the initial excitement of it all was over.

She absentmindedly returned Kumiko back to his masterball as she walked back to the green room. She spared a glance back to the stage, the crowd now completely out of sight, though she could still hear them. Until next time.