Chapter 563: Inexplicable Tremor
The battle was ultimately won by Cynthia.
But it seemed the victory wasn't easy, possibly because Cynthia was absent-minded during the battle, leading to frequent mistakes.
Charizard defeated Gastrodon despite the type disadvantage.
Sceptile and Spiritomb went down together (mutual knockout).
Fortunately, the big boss Garchomp successfully Mega Evolved, taking out Charizard, Sceptile, and Krookodile, securing a triple kill.
The final Infernape held a strong type advantage, but was defeated by Roserade.
Ash's Greninja was unable to hold the line alone, ultimately falling to Mega Garchomp, Milotic, and Roserade.
Actually, when he saw Infernape fall.
Paul already knew the outcome.
After all.
There was still a full-health Will inside the house.
After the match.
Cynthia fulfilled her duties as a host, inviting Ash and Paul to have dinner at her home.
The two were of course very happy to stay.
After Paul entered the house.
His first priority was to study and analyze Cynthia's second team.
While Ash was pressing Cynthia about his own shortcomings and areas for improvement.
By evening.
Kaoru, who had gone out for a walk, returned home.
And immediately received a battle request from Ash.
Thus, Ash's ace team engaged in a second high-intensity battle.
And the Pokémon Kaoru sent out were also extraordinary.
Apart from Garchomp, Lucario, and Milotic.
Her other three Pokémon already had their own lives and were no longer by Kaoru's side.
Helplessly.
Kaoru could only have Mother Wolf, Big Fool (Druddigon), and Victini come to help out.
So many years had passed.
To say these three Pokémon hadn't made any progress at all would be impossible.
Mother Wolf was already at the peak of the Elite Four level twenty years ago.
Although she hadn't undergone much high-intensity training nowadays, following Kaoru, there were inevitably times when she had to take action.
Today, she also has the strength of the lower-tier Champion level.
Big Fool goes without saying.
After being brought home by Will twenty years ago, he almost immediately became Kaoru's partner, helping her defeat many Totem Pokémon.
Today he is a Lv. 87 Millennium Totem Druddigon.
Victini was at the mid-tier Champion level twenty years ago.
Although the little guy might not take action even once in two or three years, once he does, it's bound to be against super strong enemies, so his level naturally increased as well.
Upper-tier Champion level is there, about the same as Cynthia's Garchomp.
Plus, Kaoru herself is the former Chief of the League, with decades of high-intensity battle experience laid out here.
Ash wanting to win.
Was quite difficult.
The final outcome was as expected.
Ash lost again.
And this battle ended even faster than the one against Cynthia.
Regardless of what is said.
Ash's spirit of bravely challenging the strong is truly commendable.
No wonder Pikachu and the others' levels increased so quickly.
"How was it?"
Paul asked Ash after the battle.
He hadn't battled Kaoru, and was very curious about her strength.
Even though he watched the whole process.
He still wasn't sure in his heart.
Only Ash, who personally battled Kaoru, could clearly know how strong the opponent really was.
"As expected of the former League Champion. Miss Kaoru gave me an even more terrifying pressure than Miss Cynthia!"
Ash clenched his fists and said excitedly.
He couldn't distinguish between Champion and League Chief, only thinking Kaoru was the former Champion.
But actually, Cynthia is the first Champion of the Sinnoh League.
"Pika?"
Pikachu glanced at Ash in confusion.
He felt the pressure when facing Cynthia was much greater than when facing Kaoru!
"? Pikachu, you don't think so?"
Ash scratched his head blankly.
"Pika."
Pikachu nodded seriously.
"It's normal. After all, Pikachu was facing Senior Will; that kind of pressure is not on the same level."
Paul saw through everything and added a sentence,
"Moreover, Senior Cynthia was somewhat absent-minded when battling you, and made many mistakes during the commanding process."
"Right! Miss Cynthia's Lucario is truly super powerful!"
Ash recalled the battle of the Super Djinn two years ago.
It was precisely because he witnessed Will's strength in that battle.
That he chose to challenge the Sinnoh League again this year.
At the dinner table.
Will and Cynthia sat together.
They used the same style of red and blue bowls and chopsticks, and even the baby bibs around their necks had the same pattern, just different colors.
They looked seemingly intimate.
But right now.
They had no communication, just quietly eating their food.
Paul, sitting across from them, was about to break out in a cold sweat on his forehead.
He didn't even have the time to think about why Will, a Pokémon, was eating the exact same food as humans.
Looking again at Ash and Kaoru beside him.
They were chatting enthusiastically about things related to Pokémon.
He didn't know what was going on with these two people, to actually be able to ignore the icy atmosphere exuded by the two opposite them.
"By the way, Miss Cynthia and Lucario met Diancie before, right?"
Ash suddenly spoke at this time.
"Mm, I heard Diancie and N talk about your story."
Cynthia returned to her senses, smiled and nodded.
They of course still kept in touch with Diancie.
Originally, they planned to go to the Kalos region these two years to help Diancie solve the Heart Diamond problem.
But two years ago.
When Ash and N were traveling in the Kalos region, they unexpectedly became friends with Diancie, helped her successfully Mega Evolve, and created a new Heart Diamond.
And the original one seemed to have exhausted its energy and disappeared between heaven and earth.
It is said that night.
Makima cried until she was out of breath, fainting from crying several times.
If one were to say what else in this world was related to that Heart Diamond.
That would only be the Lucarionite and Key Stone that Will 'snatched' from that Heart Diamond back then.
"I also heard about Senior Cynthia and Lucario's story. It was after hearing it that we all went to climb Mt. Lanakila together!"
"Pika pika!"
"Although we didn't manage to climb up in the end..."
"Pika..."
Ash and Pikachu embarrassedly scratched their heads.
Their actions were identical, like a mirror.
"Ash and Pikachu have such a good relationship."
Kaoru said with a smile.
"Haha, of course! Pikachu and I are the best of partners!"
"Pika pi!"
"Hehe."
Kaoru narrowed her eyes, then pointed at the two children of her own family beside her,
"Cynthia and Lucario used to be as close as you guys."
"Used to be?"
Ash and Pikachu looked at each other in confusion.
'Finally noticed it, this idiot.'
Paul sighed, feeling quite mentally tired.
Only now did he have the mood to enjoy a mouthful of delicious food.
He didn't expect.
Senior Cynthia, the Sinnoh Champion, had such powerful culinary skills.
It could simply be compared to his Breeder brother.
You have to know.
Reggie is now an Elite Four-level figure in the breeding world in the Sinnoh region; many young boys and girls aiming to be Breeders rush to visit him.
"Yes, they're having a disagreement."
Kaoru nodded.
She originally thought the conflict between the two children would be resolved very quickly.
After all, she knew very well how good Will and Cynthia's relationship was, and how much they liked each other.
But she didn't expect.
A year and a half had passed in a flash.
They still hadn't resolved the original problem.
They just deliberately forgot about it.
Kaoru felt she needed to intervene a bit.
Only by cutting open the wound and letting out the pus and blood can it heal faster.
First.
She had to make the two children face the problem directly.
Clearly realize that the matter from back then wasn't over.
"Oh~ haha, these are all small problems. Pikachu and I also argue sometimes, but we still make up in the end, right?"
"Pika pi~"
"With the relationship between Miss Cynthia and Lucario, this is not a problem at all."
"Pika!"
Ash and Pikachu exchanged a glance, smiled and nodded.
"That's what they say~"
Kaoru poked her daughter beside her with her elbow.
Cynthia took a bite of rice and stole a glance at Will beside her.
Happening to meet his gaze.
The two withdrew their gazes and continued eating rice.
Rumble rumble...
Suddenly.
The house shook.
"Hm? Is that child Druddigon fooling around with little Victini again?"
Kaoru frowned and prepared to get up and go out.
She wanted to teach a lesson to the silly children who weren't eating properly and were fooling around outside.
"It's not Big Fool."
Will frowned tightly, shaking his head and saying.
"Is it an earthquake?"
Ash asked in confusion.
"Not an earthquake either."
Will shook his head again.
The vibration didn't come from below.
If there was an earthquake.
Then he would notice something was wrong earlier than everyone else.
"What's going on?"
Cynthia's expression was grave, looking at Will.
This sudden situation must be figured out, whether it's an ordinary natural disaster, or a commotion caused by nearby Pokémon.
"I don't know, just a very inexplicable tremor. Let's watch the news tomorrow or the day after."
Will shook his head.
But some speculations popped up in his mind.
Speaking of which.
This hasn't happened in this world yet.
The Battle of Alamos Town (The Rise of Darkrai movie equivalent).
There were no subsequent tremors, as if the tremor just now was only an illusion.
After the small interlude just now.
The atmosphere at the dinner table warmed up quite a bit.
Will and Cynthia no longer remained silent.
"Ash, you can travel to the Alola region this year."
Will offered a recommendation.
In the Alola region, there should still be several companions waiting for Ash.
Although the historical trajectory has changed.
But Will feels Ash will still meet them.
In Cynthia's words:
That is fate.
"Alola region? Haven't heard of it. Yosh! Then let's go to Alola!"
"Pika!"
Ash and Pikachu were full of motivation.
Having found a new goal again, they were now extremely happy, finishing their food in a few minutes.
After dinner.
Ash, Paul, and the others embarked on the final leg of their journey in the Sinnoh region.
And after Will and Cynthia exchanged a glance.
It was as if they hadn't heard anything at the dinner table just now, continuing to live their seemingly ordinary and warm daily life as usual.
Until a month later.
Alamos Town.
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