Inside the stadium.
"Cloyster, Shell Smash, then Icicle Crash!"
[Shell Smash: Lowers the user's Defense and Special Defense while greatly boosting its Attack, Special Attack, and Speed.]
A true all-or-nothing move.
Lorelei adjusted her glasses, coolly giving the command.
Vulpix, Haunter, and Tinkatink were pressed up against the glass.
At first, Vulpix had hoped to pick up some new Ice-type techniques, but when she saw Cloyster's Shell Smash transformation, she couldn't help but call out.
"Oowu!"
Hey, Big Brother Haunter—isn't that your relative?
"Chu?"
Tinkatink, still young, hadn't yet seen Gastly, so she didn't quite get Vulpix's comment, but her face still showed a look of awe.
Haunter's expression turned complicated, and with a wistful sigh, he replied in a world-weary tone.
"Ka-kah~~"
Don't even bring it up. That was part of my long-gone youth…
Once upon a time, he could transform freely into his own version of "Gastly Cloyster."
Meanwhile, Dragonite, looking tired and worn, steeled herself against the massive icicles forming in the air above.
With a dramatic flourish, Lance swung his cape, his voice ringing with confidence.
"Dragonite, Dragon Rush!"
In the shocked gaze of the crowd, Dragonite, shrouded in a light blue flame, charged headfirst into the enormous, rapidly descending icicles.
Haunter quickly turned to Johan, who was watching from the sidelines, shouting excitedly.
"Ka-kah!!"
Quick, look! Lance is totally cheating again!
Just as Johan and the others came over, Dragonite was facing the full force of a quadruple-weakness Ice-type move from Cloyster, who had boosted with Shell Smash. Despite it all, Dragonite smashed straight through the icicles, scattering them in a flurry of shards before barreling into Cloyster, whose shell was left broken open.
Boom!
Johan's face was a mix of confusion and disbelief.
The whole scene reminded him of an epic, if improbable, martial arts duel. Who would've thought this "Master of Countering Weaknesses" could withstand quadruple weaknesses so recklessly?
"Chu."
Haunter and Vulpix were handling it well, but Tinkatink's big eyes sparkled as she watched.
What a… bold approach to battle!
In the end, Lance's audacious Dragon Rush secured his victory.
It was notable that, throughout the match, Lorelei hadn't used Lapras, and Lance had kept Charizard out of play. The two seemed to have a silent agreement.
"Lance's strength is as remarkable as ever," Steven couldn't help but comment.
"Lorelei's no slouch, either," Wallace agreed, respecting both Trainers' prowess.
Even when facing her type advantage, Lance's sheer skill had the upper hand. But this match also hinted that with Lorelei as an obstacle, his dream of blazing through the Elite Four and winning the Champion title would be nearly impossible.
"If Cloyster had the 'Skill Link' ability and used Icicle Spear, the outcome might have been different," Johan murmured.
"What was that?"
Steven and Wallace didn't catch his words.
Johan shook his head, not elaborating.
At that moment, Cynthia stepped forward.
"It's about time for me to go on."
Her match against Bertha was up next.
"Good luck."
Johan offered his support.
Cynthia gave a soft smile. "Don't worry."
Was it their… ninth or tenth match?
It didn't really matter.
"Go for a three-to-zero win!"
Johan teased.
"Hmm?"
Cynthia blinked and then, passing Wallace on her way to the exit, she added, "Oh, Wallace, by the way—if you're wondering why my Milotic is a bit different from yours, you might want to ask Johan about it."
With that, she exited the VIP box, her voice echoing softly as she moved down the corridor.
"A three-to-zero sweep, huh?"
Meanwhile, somewhere in the other corridor, Bertha shivered unexpectedly.
"Strange…"
"Professor Johan, Miss Cynthia mentioned her Milotic…"
After getting Johan's assurance to help his timid, human-averse Sharpedo, Wallace noticed a difference between his own Milotic and Cynthia's.
Though they looked nearly identical on the surface—and Wallace's Milotic might even seem a little more refined due to different grooming practices—Cynthia's Milotic had an undeniable aura of confidence, radiating from within.
That was something Wallace's Milotic, no matter how polished, couldn't quite match.
Curious, he finally asked.
Johan guessed the question and replied, "Your Milotic evolved with a Prism Scale, right?"
"Wait… did Cynthia's Milotic not evolve using a Prism Scale?"
Wallace's eyes widened, catching the implication.
Both he and his mentor, Adam, had Milotics that evolved using a Prism Scale.
While he knew it was theoretically possible for Feebas to evolve naturally, no one had ever documented a reliable way to do it.
"Yes."
Johan nodded.
That's the difference between a Milotic evolved by external means and one that evolved naturally: an inner self-confidence that flows from the inside out.
"It's not unfixable, but it may take a little more time," Johan added.
Wallace's face lit up with joy.
"Really?"
"Long-term mental exercises would work fine for Milotic, but for Sharpedo, I'd suggest psychological and physical exercises combined for quicker results."
Johan's expertise was clear, and Wallace was happy to follow his advice.
"Rrrawr?"
Sharpedo, sitting in the corner, blinked in surprise.
Was this "physical exercise" the kind of "exercise" it was thinking of?
[Friendliness: 10 (It has concerns about the future...)]
Hmm?
Noticing the change in Sharpedo's status, Johan glanced over.
Sharpedo gave a nervous start, flashing a toothy grin in what it hoped was a friendly smile.
"Rrrawwr~~"
[Friendliness: 20 (It's hopeful about the future!)]
You know, with this attitude alone, Johan thought, Sharpedo was destined for greatness.
"Ka-kah!!"
Johan, come quick—she's about to pull off a three-to-zero sweep!
Haunter suddenly shouted.
Hmm?
Johan and the others looked over at the arena, where they could feel the fierce, fiery energy radiating from the field. Garchomp and Infernape were facing off on the battlefield.
"Is she really going for a three-to-zero?"
Even Steven was taken aback.
In the Pokémon world, bonds and trust weren't just concepts—they were tangible powers.
Take Metagross and Steven, Charizard and Leon, or Garchomp and Cynthia…
In Sinnoh, Cynthia was known as the unparalleled Trainer of her generation, largely thanks to Garchomp.
Not that Bertha and her Infernape were weak, but… even before Garchomp's final evolution, she had consistently bested Bertha's Infernape.
With Garchomp's evolved power and the additional type advantage, Cynthia held a clear edge.
Johan sometimes thought Garchomp might even be able to take on her whole team alone if she wanted to.
"Infernape, we're not giving up yet—get up!" Bertha's voice was charged with intensity, her eyes ablaze.
Infernape's flames roared to life in response.
Its Blaze ability!
This ability is perfect for Trainers who draw out strength through emotion.
But against Cynthia's Garchomp…
"Garchomp, Earthquake to finish!"
"Roooaaarrr!!"
Garchomp threw her arms wide and bellowed skyward, her body glowing with white light and a metallic edge, before stomping down with immense force.
Rumble!
The entire battlefield trembled as if the ground itself was breaking apart. Even though Infernape tried to leap away, it couldn't avoid the rocks shaking loose in the aftermath of Garchomp's attack.
The combo of Swords Dance and Earthquake left a tremendous impact.
"Infernape is unable to battle! The winner is Cynthia from Sinnoh!"
Cheers erupted throughout the stadium.
Bertha felt defeated, close to tears.
She wasn't sure why Cynthia seemed more charged up than usual; it was rare to see her so fired up.
Today felt like…
Everyone else was showing off their skills while Bertha was the one taking the hits.
Still, losing to Cynthia wasn't something that bothered Bertha too much.
Each loss just strengthened her resolve to keep pushing forward.
Haunter, meanwhile, had somehow found three sets of pom-poms and passed them to Vulpix and Tinkatink.
Grabbing Johan, he led his two companions straight for the competitor's exit tunnel.
"Where are you going?"
Johan looked bewildered.
Haunter's face twisted into a look of dismay at Johan's naiveté.
"Ka-kah!"
We're going to congratulate her! Don't you have any common sense?
Johan: "???"
Without waiting for his response, Haunter pushed him forward.
Internally, Haunter sighed, "Why do I even have to remind him? When will Johan ever grow up? I'm just always worrying."
In the tunnel:
"Ka-kah~ Ka-kah~"
"Oowu~ Oowu~"
"Chu~ Chu~"
With Haunter in the lead, Vulpix followed shyly but kept the rhythm, and T
inkatink looked puzzled but amused, swaying along.
Johan, meanwhile, had his face in his hands, leaning against the wall.
The social awkwardness was killing him…
"Ka-kah!!"
Seeing Cynthia approach amid the applause, Haunter led the little group forward, his pom-poms moving in a quick rhythm.
Vulpix breathed a small puff of ice to form a flower, presenting it with pride.
Cynthia blinked, then a warm smile, as radiant as a rainbow, spread across her face.
"Thank you."
When she spotted Johan standing awkwardly to the side, her smile widened.
"Professor Johan, you're such a kind soul. Your Pokémon's love for you shines through, as clear and pure as glass."
Watching as Johan was coaxed away, Wallace couldn't help but marvel.
Johan had only just met Sharpedo, yet it had let him touch its head so soon…
That natural gift for connecting with Pokémon was rare, and Wallace felt his own talents paled in comparison.
"Yes,"
Steven nodded in agreement.
"It's not just Wallace's Pokémon—mine respect him greatly, too."
Metagross, Skarmory… both had accepted Johan without hesitation.
"It's because Professor Johan treats every Pokémon with genuine care. But we mustn't take his help for granted." Steven's tone was serious.
Wallace smiled knowingly.
"Don't worry."
He understood Steven's implicit warning well.
"We'll make sure not to disappoint Professor Johan."
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Powerstones?
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