Stealth Rocks were scattered all across the battlefield like mines ready to detonate at any moment.
"Stone Edge!"
Cynthia's calm but firm command rang out again.
Her Mega Garchomp slammed both arms down with tremendous force.
Massive blue stones erupted skyward, streaking straight toward the Mega Gardevoir before it!
"Mega Gardevoir, counter with Dazzling Gleam! "
"Sha~!"
Kalos Champion Diantha quickly sensed danger. Cynthia's attitude—it was as if she'd already lost patience with the battle.
Had she… lost interest in continuing?
No, something was off. Diantha's mind began to race through every moment of the fight.
She was the Champion of Kalos, after all.
And indeed—Cynthia had lost interest in continuing. Diantha's Mega Gardevoir was strong, undeniably so.
But compared to Cynthia's Mega Garchomp, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Once their bond transformation was complete, Cynthia and her Garchomp were practically one being.
Every ounce of the dragon's power was under her perfect control—she didn't even need to speak her commands aloud.
Just a thought was enough for her Mega Garchomp to move with flawless precision.
Before the bond transformation, their gap wasn't huge.
But once it was complete, Diantha's Mega Gardevoir could no longer stand on the same stage.
Even Champions had a difference in level.
The rising blue stones rushed at the shining fairy-type energy radiating around Mega Gardevoir.
Though Rock-type moves weren't Garchomp's specialty, a Mega Garchomp's raw might made up for it.
Those glowing blue stones looked almost molten—like Precipice Blades, the signature move of the mighty Groudon itself!
"Maximum power, Dazzling Gleam!"
Diantha's expression turned grave. The gap between them had never been clearer.
Even a non-STAB attack from Mega Garchomp carried overwhelming force.
And before the Stone Edge even launched, Cynthia had Garchomp seed the field with Stealth Rocks.
Even as Gardevoir was surrounded by her shining magic light, one wrong move could trigger the hidden traps—
leaving her caught between Stealth Rocks and Stone Edge, a double assault she could not withstand.
There was no choice but to push forward head-on.
"Sha~!"
Mega Gardevoir lifted her hands high, pink radiance bursting forth.
Her magic clashed against the incoming blue stones, dazzling pink meeting cold azure.
The collision shattered the air itself.
For a moment, Diantha exhaled in relief—
But then—
"Mega Garchomp, Earthquake!"
That single command made the Palace Gate Arena's defense system activate automatically.
A honeycomb-patterned barrier enveloped the entire spectator area.
Then, with a thunderous roar, Garchomp stomped down.
Even through the barriers, the entire arena trembled.
And the audience… only became more thrilled.
This was what a Champion-level battle was supposed to feel like.
From Garchomp's front claw forward, the ground split open in a spiderweb of fissures.
Raw, immense power rippled across the battlefield.
Diantha's pupils contracted.
Restricting her Gardevoir's mobility before using Earthquake to deliver a pinpoint kill—
Of course!
No wonder the earlier Stone Edge seemed oddly powered.
It had all been a setup for this moment!
The traps, the sequencing—everything was preparation for the final strike.
Cynthia, the Sinnoh Champion.
The strongest woman in the world of Pokémon battles.
"Mega Gardevoir, Hyper Beam! "
Diantha knew victory was beyond reach.
The Stealth Rock–Stone Edge combo had one goal: to ground her Gardevoir.
Cynthia had gambled that Diantha would use Dazzling Gleam to push back Stone Edge—
thus keeping the Stealth Rocks perfectly intact.
Rocks, unlike Spikes, also punished flying or levitating opponents.
That meant even Psychic-type levitation tactics couldn't save Gardevoir from the Earthquake.
What a brilliant plan.
Diantha couldn't help but smile.
Even if she couldn't win, she could still try to go down swinging.
Mega Gardevoir's Fairy Skin ability transformed Normal-type moves into Fairy-type and boosted their power.
And Hyper Beam, the strongest Special move of them all—
with Fairy Skin and same-type bonuses stacked together, it became devastating.
If it hit, Diantha could at least take Cynthia's Garchomp down with her.
But—
"This match is already decided. Cynthia's won," Ash said excitedly beside Chloe.
Years of experience had sharpened his instincts. He could see Cynthia's combo now.
Everything she'd done—every move—was to ensure the Earthquake landed cleanly.
From the early Dragon Claw baiting Diantha's guard, to the Rock-Stealth trap restricting her escape—
it was all perfect tactical layering.
The Sinnoh League truly was the world's most strategy-oriented region,
and Cynthia—the Queen atop that pinnacle.
[Aaron]: Big Sis Cynthia is incredible! I was wondering why she didn't use Spikes, but now it makes sense! No wonder I always lose to Lucian's Psychic types—I forgot about their levitation tricks!
[Sabrina]: Don't blame Psychic-types for your lack of foresight. Against us, you always prepare for telekinetic flight. Isn't that common sense?
[Caitlin]: Exactly. Lifting themselves with Psychic power to dodge ground moves—it's basic knowledge! Can't believe the Kalos Champion overlooked it. Didn't you see Gardevoir's eyes glowing blue the whole time?
[Drayden]: That's the brilliance of Cynthia. She used Diantha's own expectations against her. I know you'll fear my Earthquake. You know I know. So I act against your logic—and make the Earthquake inescapable.
[Lance]: Truly masterful. Against another trainer, Diantha might have forced her way through.
But against Cynthia's Mega Garchomp? Forget it. If she levitated, she'd trigger the rocks—and the follow-up would strike like a storm.
[Ash]: So awesome! Honestly, I didn't even think that far ahead…
[Brock]: Rock and Ground types often overlap, but how they're used in tactics differs greatly. Cynthia's understanding of synergy is on another level.
[Steven]: Hard to believe—it's been five years, and Cynthia's even stronger now.
Makes me wonder what I'll be like in another five years.
[Wallace]: You? Probably still digging up rocks.
As the battle neared its end, the outcome was inevitable.
Diantha had played perfectly from her own perspective—
(except maybe opening with Shadow Ball)—
but she had still fallen neatly into Cynthia's trap.
Even if Gardevoir had tried to float away with Psychic power, the Stealth Rocks would have exploded, and there was no way to tell how long she could withstand both assaults.
Her only option was to risk everything.
On-screen—
Mega Gardevoir gathered energy before her chest, the pink light of Fairy-typed Hyper Beam coalescing.
The earth kept cracking closer and closer beneath her.
Just before the tremor reached, Gardevoir unleashed her attack.
A brilliant pink beam tore across the battlefield like a shooting arrow—
aimed straight for Mega Garchomp.
But when Diantha saw the faint, knowing smile on Cynthia's lips—she realized it was over.
"Dig."
The audience: ???
Wait—what?!
At Cynthia's command, Mega Garchomp vanished beneath the arena floor in an instant.
The Hyper Beam struck where it had stood,
slamming directly into the Palace Gate Arena's protective barrier.
Thankfully, the arena's defenses were built to withstand even Gigantamax battles,
so the barrier held firm.
When the pink glow faded, the barrier dissolved.
The battle was over.
"Let's congratulate Champion Cynthia for defending her second-place ranking in the Masters Eight!"
As the announcer's voice rang out, the entire Palace Gate Arena erupted in cheers.
Everyone shouted Cynthia's and Garchomp's names.
For this moment,
the entire arena belonged to her—
to the proud Champion of Sinnoh.
Even Ash and Chloe were swept up in the energy, shouting along.
"That was incredible! Cynthia won!" Chloe said, clutching her chest in relief.
As a studious trainer, she felt like her brain's CPU had nearly fried.
Real Pokémon battles were far more complex than any textbook.
"Of course! That's Cynthia—we're talking about one of my greatest rivals!" Ash grinned.
If there was one person in the world he wanted to defeat most—it was Leon.
But second on that list… was definitely Cynthia.
[Ash]: Cynthia, someday—I'll defeat you!
[Cynthia]: Oh? Then I'll be waiting for that day, Ash. Don't you dare disappoint me.
[[RECURRING] Flint]: …Why do I feel like Cynthia's 'cool distance' is just an act? She's way too gentle with Ash.
[Professor Rowan]: Ahem, I can explain. Since Ash keeps encountering Legendary Pokémon,
Cynthia—being a mythologist—probably sees him as walking research material.
[Aaron]: You mean Big Sis sees him as a research subject? Nah, she's way too professional for that.
[Lance]: I agree. Cynthia's attitude toward Ash… really is different.
[Alder]: Hahaha! Maybe it's that spark between the young and the strong—one touch and the flame ignites!
[Lillie]: You grown-ups and your weird relationships… I can't keep up!
Pallet Town, Kanto.
Cynthia sat beside Ash, watching him with quiet interest.
Her feelings weren't complicated—part admiration, part curiosity.
But after what the others said, she began to notice something.
Ash really was special.
So far, he had met Ho-Oh, Lugia, Mew, and many other Legendary Pokémon—
and not just met them, but bonded with them.
Cynthia had a hunch.
If she stayed close to him,
perhaps she too could witness those legends firsthand.
And for a scholar of mythology like her—
that was irresistible.
Her lips curved into a faint smile.
How interesting… truly interesting.
If her curiosity about Ash had been 30% before—
it was now at least 60%.
"I wonder what kind of Legendary Pokémon I'll get to see with you, Ash…" she murmured.
"Hmm? What was that?"
"Nothing," Cynthia replied with a soft laugh, eyes turning back to the glowing screen.
Ash's oblivious face really was kind of cute.
(If we're calling anyone dense here, Cynthia, it's you! You two are a perfect pair of airheads!)
After Cynthia and Diantha's ranking match,
Ash, Chloe, and Cynthia decided to stay in Hammerlocke City for a while.
Leon's battle with Raihan was only days away—
it wasn't worth flying back and forth.
For once, Cynthia didn't rush home to Sinnoh.
Instead, she stayed with them—occasionally tutoring Chloe on battle theory and Pokémon care.
Of course, that was only because Chloe had begged her, face flushed red.
After all, having the world's strongest female trainer as your teacher—
Who could refuse?
One day, the three of them were out searching for lunch as usual…
when they crossed a bridge and saw several trainers running toward them in panic.
"Run! That guy's insane!"
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