@plasmadazzle asked: "...Is the spectacle worth it? Do your pokemon truly enjoy it?"
❝ If they didn't, do you think they'd go along with it? ❞
It's an interview question like any other, and yet, something about the way it's asked seizes Leon's attention. It's not the first time he's faced pushback like this; well-meaning but sorely misinformed tourists frequently step on Galarian toes and insist that surely their stadiums are somehow unpleasant for the Pokémon battling within them. This line of inquiry had gotten old years ago, truth be told, and Leon had long since lost his willingness to sit and have a reasoned debate about it.
❝ Make no mistake: I'm very well aware that the credit for my victories lies with my Pokémon. I'm there to guide and train them, of course, but it's their strength and endurance that's allowed us to soar this high. If they didn't want to participate in these stadium matches and put on the shows they do, they're more than capable of communicating that, and it would be my responsibility as their Trainer to listen. ❞
❝ So, if you'll allow me, I'd like to redirect the question onto you. Do you think, if this spectacle was unwanted, that I'd force my team into being a part of it? ❞