The Dynamaxed Flutter Mane loomed in the sky, its immense size enough to make one's scalp prickle—especially those wild crimson-gold eyes burning with ferocity.
The pressure was suffocating.
Cynthia hesitated. Should she Dynamax Porygon-Z as well?
Or Terastallize it? But against the overwhelming area-of-effect of Dynamax moves, Terastallization wouldn't help much—her Pokémon wouldn't even be able to dodge.
Her thoughts flickered for only a moment before she made her decision.
Hesitation leads to disaster.
As one of the world's top Trainers, Cynthia acted without wavering.
"Porygon-Z!"
She recalled it into its Poké Ball, and the Dynamax energy surged from her band into the capsule.
Cynthia would Dynamax too!
"That's the right call. Hesitate now, and you lose your chance."
From the viewing room, Leon crossed his arms and nodded in approval.
"Dynamax only lasts for a limited time, but its moves are so massive in range that Protect alone can't hold them back. Whether it's Terastallization or Mega Evolution, neither can reliably deal with it in the short term."
And if anyone had the authority to speak on Dynamax, it was Leon—the one who wielded it best. Though admittedly, he was already studying Mega Evolution too.
The advantages of Dynamax were obvious: doubled endurance, massive AOE attacks with added secondary effects, and moves that pierced Protect.
The drawback? Its duration. It couldn't last forever—unlike Mega Evolution or Terastallization.
That was why Leon had even gone out of his way to obtain a Charizardite. And honestly? He loved it.
"Exactly. To fight Dynamax, the best option is to answer with Dynamax."
Steven agreed wholeheartedly.
Most Dynamax moves covered nearly half the battlefield, unavoidable, unblockable, and guaranteed to hit.
On the field.
The Dynamaxed Porygon-Z faced off against the equally massive Flutter Mane, the two giants hovering above the arena.
Tens of meters tall, their clash made the audience in Kanto roar with excitement, adrenaline pumping through their veins.
For most outside Galar, this was their first time seeing Dynamax Pokémon battle head-to-head. The spectacle was breathtaking.
"Flutter Mane—Max Flare!"
Dylan's lips curved upward, excitement creeping into his voice as he commanded.
Flutter Mane shrieked skyward, its body glowing scarlet as a blazing fireball formed before it.
Mystical Fire, magnified into Max Flare.
"Max Lightning!" Cynthia countered immediately.
Golden arcs surged across Porygon-Z's body. Thunderclouds boiled into existence overhead, lightning writhing within.
Zap Cannon, magnified into Max Lightning.
The fireball shot forth—while a colossal thunderbolt descended from the storm.
Boom!
Max Flare exploded against Porygon-Z's body, flames erupting across the sky as it cried out in pain.
At the same time, Flutter Mane was swallowed in the raging storm of electricity, screeching as lightning ravaged it.
Golden currents crackled across the battlefield—Electric Terrain surged into place.
Above, the clouds parted as harsh sunlight blazed down—Max Flare's side effect: Sunny Day.
Flutter Mane endured the blast, and under the blazing sun, its Protosynthesis triggered—its Special Attack soaring!
"…That didn't hit as hard as I thought."
Cynthia frowned. Porygon-Z's Max Lightning—born from Zap Cannon—should have torn Flutter Mane apart. Yet Flutter Mane still looked lively, even healthier than Porygon-Z after taking Max Flare.
How? Was its special defense really that sturdy?
Truthfully, Cynthia didn't know Flutter Mane all that well. She knew it was a powerhouse of a special attacker, but little else—few outside Dylan himself had even trained one.
Blue had one too, but she never actually battled with it in public.
"Max Starfall." Dylan gave a faint glance at the lingering arcs on the ground.
Flutter Mane glimmered, stars forming above it before crashing down.
Moonblast, magnified into Max Starfall.
"Max Phantasm!" Cynthia shot back instantly.
Dark energy swirled before Porygon-Z, forming teacups, chairs, and other objects that hurled toward Flutter Mane.
Shadow Ball, magnified into Max Phantasm.
Boom-boom-boom!
The battlefield thundered as the two giants clashed again. This time, Flutter Mane clearly took heavier damage—Max Phantasm's Ghost typing hitting super-effectively.
But Porygon-Z wasn't unscathed either. With its lower special defense, Max Starfall hit brutally hard.
The clash left Flutter Mane's defense dropped, while Max Starfall's mist spread—Misty Terrain replacing the Electric Terrain.
"Again! Max Phantasm!"
Cynthia pressed for the kill.
"Max Guard."
But Dylan wasn't foolish.
Flutter Mane raised a translucent shield, Max Guard—the only move capable of blocking Dynamax attacks.
The blow smashed into it, but the shield held firm until the storm of energy dissipated.
And then—the swirling red vortex above them unraveled. Their colossal forms shrank rapidly, returning to normal.
Dynamax was over.
"Cynthia lost big there."
Leon shook his head knowingly.
The audience saw it clearly. Perhaps Cynthia lacked experience with Dynamax, but the aftermath left her at a disadvantage.
"Exactly. Look at the field—Sunny Day and Misty Terrain, both in Flutter Mane's favor."
Iris pursed her lips. Sunny Day fueled its Protosynthesis, raising its already monstrous Special Attack. Misty Terrain, meanwhile, protected it from status.
Cynthia realized it too. Her gaze flicked briefly to the blazing sun overhead, lips pressed together.
Still, her Porygon-Z was in fighting condition. She couldn't give up now.
"Thunder!"
Cynthia ordered. She needed to test Flutter Mane's power in its current state.
"Flutter Mane, Moonblast."
Dylan chuckled.
Lightning split the air—while a glowing sphere of moonlight formed before Flutter Mane.
Boom!
The attacks collided midair, shockwaves bursting across the arena.
"What?!"
Cynthia's eyes widened. Thunder should have overpowered Moonblast easily—yet the clash held even.
Worse, Moonblast gradually pushed Thunder back—until it shattered the lightning bolt entirely, surging toward Porygon-Z.
Porygon-Z dodged just in time, but Cynthia's heart sank.
"Imprison."
Dylan's voice cut in.
Flutter Mane's hair writhed as a glowing red "X" symbol appeared before it, sinking into its body.
Cynthia's pupils contracted.
Psychic-type move: Imprison.
Any move Flutter Mane knew, Porygon-Z could no longer use.
And if Flutter Mane knew Electric moves—which it did—then Porygon-Z was left with nothing but Zap Cannon.
One slow, unreliable shot.
Cynthia's mind raced, but Dylan's eyes told her he'd already guessed her next thought.
"Porygon-Z, retu—"
"Mean Look."
Flutter Mane's eyes gleamed with eerie darkness. Porygon-Z's shadow warped, locking it in place.
The red recall beam from Cynthia's Poké Ball hit—but was swallowed by shadow.
Silence fell.
"…"
Cynthia's chest rose and fell sharply, frustration roiling within.
Again.
First Lucario, now Porygon-Z—blocked from retreat. How could he do this?!
"So cruel…"
"Champion Dylan isn't even human. He even denies his opponent the right to switch out. Absolute monster."
"If that were me on the field, I'd be crying by now."
"Imprison + Mean Look… what grudge does he have against her? This is torture!"
"What are you talking about? Dylan's actually being nice this time! Clearly you've never challenged the Rota Gym!"
Both the stadium and livestream chat went wild. Making Cynthia fail to withdraw twice in one match was outrageous.
"Cynthia's patience is incredible."
Wallace muttered in awe as he watched her silently endure.
He prided himself on his composure, but in his own match against Dylan, he had nearly snapped.
And Cynthia? Blocked twice, yet her face barely twitched. Her mental fortitude was terrifying.
Wallace had to give her his respect.
"You won't be escaping so easily, Cynthia."
Dylan's voice was warm, his smile gentle—almost mocking in contrast.
"…" Cynthia pressed her lips tight, forcing her emotions down.
Calm. Stay calm.
But with most of Porygon-Z's arsenal sealed, there was nothing left it could do against Flutter Mane.
Especially under Sunny Day, with Protosynthesis fueling its overwhelming Special Attack.
"Porygon-Z is unable to battle. Flutter Mane wins."
The referee declared.
Cynthia silently recalled it. Three of her Pokémon were gone now.
And Flutter Mane—how was she supposed to beat it?
At last, she drew her next Poké Ball, tossing it high.
"Take flight—Garchomp!"
Her ace had arrived.
(End of Chapter)