At the far end of the contestant hall.
As the camera panned over, the lens slowly zoomed in on the two mysterious Pokémon, bringing them into sharp focus. Watching from a nearby screen, Champion Leon's eyes widened with intrigue.
As the champion, Leon had an eye for talent, and he could tell immediately that these two Pokémon weren't ordinary. Their intense gazes and calm composure set them apart.
"Naoki… I haven't heard of anyone by that name in Galar," he muttered, his curiosity piqued. "Could he be a trainer from another region?"
On the screen, the match was just about to start, with Vivian's lively voice announcing the beginning of the first battle.
Briar shot a cold look at his opponent, pulling out a Poké Ball with a flourish before tossing it onto the field.
"No matter who you are, we're not losing this match. Go, Torterra!"
With a flash of white light, a massive Torterra appeared, looking steadfast and ready for battle
Naoki smiled slightly. "Confidence is good, but let's see if you can back it up." Then, with a nod to his companion, he said, "Koraidon, you're up!"
"Raao!" With a fierce cry, Koraidon stepped forward.
Almost immediately, a pulse of crimson energy surged from Koraidon's body, spreading across the battlefield. The sunlight overhead intensified, bathing the entire arena in a bright, radiant glow.
Vivian, noticing the change, exclaimed, "In the first match, Briar has chosen Torterra, while Naoki sends out… Koraidon! The sun's intensity seems to have increased—could it be because of Naoki's Pokemon?"
With the match underway, Briar quickly commanded, "Use Leaf Storm!"
Torterra unleashed a swirling mass of leaves charged with energy, hurtling them toward Koraidon.
But Naoki's voice cut through the moment. "Koraidon, counter with Flamethrower!"
Koraidon released a stream of flames, easily overpowering Torterra's Leaf Storm and engulfing the Grass-and-Ground-type Pokémon in the fire. Torterra fell back, unable to continue.
The crowd, stunned by the quick defeat, erupted in whispers.
"What just happened?"
"Briar's Torterra was knocked out in one hit!"
"What kind of Pokémon is that? Its strength is unreal!"
In the stands, Mike was nearly beside himself with excitement. Pumping his fists, he leaned back with a grin and said, "Ha! That's it? Robbie, is this the big-shot trainer you were so proud of?"
Robbie's expression darkened. "Don't get cocky just yet. This match isn't over!"
Mike chuckled, thoroughly enjoying himself. "Fine by me! I'll just sit back and watch you lose."
Back on the field, Vivian tried to keep up with the action. "Incredible! Briar's Torterra was defeated in just one move by Koraidon's incredible strength! Briar is sending out his next Pokémon… Appletun!"
Before Vivian could finish her announcement, Koraidon unleashed a burst of flames, instantly engulfing Appletun. The Grass and Dragon-type Pokémon barely had a chance to react before collapsing from the intense heat.
Vivian, wide-eyed, gasped, "This is… astonishing! The second round has ended just as quickly as it began! Another one-hit knockout!"
The entire arena fell into stunned silence.
"What's happening?! This is supposed to be a high-level regional competition! Why is Briar battling like a beginner?"
"No, no—Briar isn't battling poorly; his opponent is just way too strong! This kind of power... it's champion-level!"
The audience erupted in astonishment, all eyes turning toward the young trainer on the field.
Could it be? A champion from another region competing here in Galar?!
The battle continued.
For the third round, Briar sent out Leafeon.
Five seconds later, Leafeon was on the ground, knocked out cold.
In the fourth round, Shiftry—down in an instant!
In the fifth round, Lilligant—same result!
Briar's face was filled with frustration. It was clear he realized his opponent's strength was far beyond his own.
Even in his matches against Leon, Briar had never felt this kind of power disparity. At least in those battles, his team could hold their own against one or two of Leon's Pokémon.
Now, Vivian and the audience were left speechless, staring in awe.
"What kind of Pokémon is that? Its power is unbelievable!"
"I can't believe the Corviknight Flying Taxi Company found such a skilled trainer!"
Mike looked as if he'd just struck gold, his eyes wide with excitement. "Did I just land the ultimate ace? Talk about luck!"
Meanwhile, back in the contestant hall, Leon watched the match with intensity, his gaze focused on the mysterious, unstoppable Pokémon. In his eyes was a flicker of excitement—this was the kind of opponent he'd been waiting for.
...
Looking across at Briar, who was doubting his life by the battle's course, Naoki felt a pang of sympathy.
"Hey," he called out gently, "I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I'm here for something I need, not to make this personal."
For a moment, Briar looked stunned, but then he gave a determined shake of his head. "No need to apologize. You're strong, and that's on me. Besides, the battle isn't over yet!"
As he spoke, Briar took out his final Poké Ball.
"Are you a trainer from another region?" Briar asked with a grin.
Naoki nodded.
Briar laughed. "In that case, let me show you one of Galar's defining features! Gigantamax, Rillaboom!"
With those words, a stream of radiant purple energy surged from Briar's Dynamax Band. He poured the energy into the Poké Ball, which immediately began to grow in size, expanding before the audience's eyes.
Holding the enormous ball with both hands, Briar threw it forward with force.
With a resounding crash, a towering Rillaboom—several stories tall with an immense aura—landed on the field.
"There it is!" Vivian's voice rang out in awe. "Briar's trump card Pokémon, Gigantamax Rillaboom!"
Naoki gazed up at the colossal Rillaboom, feeling an overwhelming sense of amazement.
'So this is Gigantamax…' he thought, captivated by the sight.
Behind him, Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests, observed the energy around the arena thoughtfully. This power was strikingly familiar—reminiscent of the darkness he had once confronted.
The final showdown had officially begun, and the audience held their breath in anticipation, eager to see which would prevail: the Gigantamaxed Rillaboom or Naoki's fiery Koraidon.
"Rillaboom, use Max Drum Solo!" Briar commanded, his voice filled with determination.
"ROAR!"
Rillaboom let out a powerful bellow, and its energy surged to new heights as an enormous green sphere began forming above the battlefield, charged with intense Grass-type energy.
"Koraidon!" Naoki felt a twinge of excitement and nerves.
But Koraidon simply glanced back at Naoki, as if to reassure him. "Raao~"
Seeing this, Naoki smiled and nodded. "Alright then! Koraidon, give it everything you've got with a full-power Collision Course!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Rillaboom moved, launching the massive sphere of energy toward the ground like a meteor.
Koraidon's eyes locked onto the target, and, timing his move perfectly, he erupted in a fiery blaze. Red flames surged from his body as he charged forward, racing to meet Rillaboom's Max Overgrowth head-on!
Then, Koraidon leaped up, charging straight toward the massive green energy sphere.
At that moment, the entire arena fell silent. Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on the scene. Even Leon watched the screen intently, completely absorbed.
Under the crowd's watchful eyes, Koraidon, cloaked in fiery energy, burst through the enormous green energy sphere and crashed into the towering Rillaboom with unstoppable force.
Rillaboom staggered from the impact, and a powerful surge of energy pulsed outward as it tried to maintain its footing. Its massive form began to shrink rapidly, losing the Gigantamax power it had gathered.
A soft green glow filled the arena as Vivian's voice rose with excitement: "Incredible! Rillaboom has been forced out of its Gigantamax state in just one hit! What a stunning move from Koraidon!"
"It's over," Leon thought, recognizing the outcome the moment Rillaboom started to shrink. He realized then that Naoki and Koraidon were truly a force to be reckoned with, already preparing himself for a future match with them.
In the audience, Mike's face lit up in shock and joy. "Unbelievable!"
Meanwhile, Robbie, his rival, flushed with embarrassment, recalling the pre-game champagne he'd popped, now feeling more than a little regretful. Without a glance back at the battle, he stood up and left the arena, unable to face the defeat.
Seeing Robbie's retreat, Mike felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him. One word summed it up: amazing.
As the energy slowly dissipated from the field, the crowd saw Rillaboom lying on the ground, unable to continue battling.
Koraidon stood by, unscathed and calm.
The referee confirmed Rillaboom's condition and raised his whistle.
"Rillaboom is unable to battle. Naoki is the winner!"
"Too amazing! That Pokémon just pulled off an unbelievable one-on-six victory!" Vivian exclaimed, her excitement barely contained. "Briar's no rookie either—he's competed in the Champions Cup and even made it to the semi-finals!"
"Huh? What is Naoki doing now?" Vivian suddenly noticed something unexpected happening on the battlefield.
The mysterious Pokémon, who had previously floated quietly behind Naoki, drifted forward to approach the unconscious Rillaboom.
Under the audience's puzzled gazes, the Pokémon gently raised one hand. A soft, warm light flowed from it, radiating life-giving energy that enveloped Rillaboom.
A second later, Rillaboom stirred, its eyes blinking open as it regained full strength.
Vivian was quick to catch on: "Incredible! That Pokémon just healed Rillaboom! Such amazing healing power—it restored Rillaboom in an instant!"
On the field, Briar stared at Naoki and Calyrex in shock as they approached him.
"You... what are you doing?"
"Release all your Pokémon," Naoki said kindly. "My Pokemon will heal them too."
Briar, seeing the miraculous recovery of Rillaboom, nodded gratefully and released his other Pokémon.
Calyrex moved gracefully, tending to each one in turn. Once every Pokémon had been healed, Briar looked at Calyrex with deep gratitude. "Thank you."
Calyrex smiled gently and stepped back beside Naoki.
"You're incredibly strong," Briar admitted, his respect evident.
Naoki, feeling a bit bashful, simply replied, "I believe you can reach this level someday, too."
With renewed determination, Briar nodded. "We'll work hard to reach the top!"
"Good luck!"
Naoki had accomplished what he set out to do, and he planned to withdraw from the next match to return to the Paldea region with the Sinistea and Polteageist tea set. But just as he turned to head back to the contestants' hall, Vivian hurried over with a microphone.
"Naoki! Naoki! Could you wait a moment?"
Naoki turned, surprised. "What's wrong?"
Vivian smiled eagerly. "Everyone's so curious about you after watching that match! May I interview you?"
Naoki nodded. "Of course."
"Thank you!" Vivian beamed. "First question: where are you from?"
Facing the camera, Naoki replied, "I'm from the Paldea region."
"The Paldea region!" Vivian echoed, clearly intrigued. "That's quite a distance from Galar! I see. Now, for the second question…"
She glanced toward Koraidon and Calyrex standing proudly behind Naoki. "About these two Pokémon—they don't appear in the Pokédex, and everyone's eager to know about them."
Naoki paused for a moment, looking to Calyrex, who gave him a gentle nod and an encouraging smile.
Understanding, Naoki turned to the camera once more. "This Pokémon here is called Koraidon. Like me, it's also from the Paldea region."
Koraidon chirped happily, "Raao!"
Vivian chuckled. "It seems so friendly! Not as fierce as it first appeared!"
Naoki smiled. "Koraidon's a very kind-hearted Pokémon."
"I see," Vivian said, nodding before turning to the Pokémon beside Koraidon. "And what about this one?"
Naoki looked at Calyrex, who gazed back with calm dignity. Turning back to the camera, Naoki introduced Him with a respectful tone.
"His name is the King of Bountiful Harvests."
...
This is a bonus chapter for reaching 500 Power Stones.
The next bonus chapter will be released at 1000 Power Stones.