Instead of the flamethrower hitting the Totom, it hit Ryu instead as he quickly moved to protect Mike who was in Front of the Totom, the attack hurt Ryu a lot since he was a steel type but he held off his pain long enough to get Mike to safety before winching as he had been burned.
Mike quickly used a full restore on his friend as he said worried to Ryu "That was far too close for comfort, but thanks for protecting me my friend". Ryu nodded to his trainer with a confident smirk, it was clear just how strong their bond was.