According to the draw, Cain was the first to summon his Pokémon.
Without hesitation, a Poké Ball appeared in his hand. He held it for a moment and smiled as he said:
"This will be our first true moment to shine. Show all your power... come out, Tyranitar!"
With a firm motion, he threw the Poké Ball, and an imposing three-meter-tall beast with an incredibly strong physique appeared on the field.
"TYYYRRAAANNN!!"
Tyranitar spread its arms wide and let out a thunderous roar toward the sky.
"It's Cain's Tyranitar!!" someone shouted from the stands.
"The Sandstorm Tyranitar!"
"He started with his strongest card! This is going to be an exciting battle!"
The crowd couldn't stop talking.
In the League's promotional campaign about the battle between Cain and Steven, Cain's signature Pokémon had always been Tyranitar—just as Steven's was his Shiny Metagross.
A clash between two pseudo-legendaries was far too attractive to miss.
At this point in his career, owning a Pokémon of that caliber posed no danger to Cain. On the contrary, it had become an essential part of his identity: a young prodigy to whom only a pseudo-legendary could do justice.
Steven looked at Tyranitar without surprise.
It was obvious that this Tyranitar had already reached full maturity; just from feeling the pressure it exuded upon appearing, one could tell it had already stepped into the Elite Four level.
The growth rate was simply terrifying.
Indeed, Cain's Tyranitar had reached level 71, a recent rise following his latest training and battles.
His other Pokémon had also made progress, though to varying degrees.
Steven, for his part, turned his palm upward and released two Poké Balls.
Appearing were his level 74 Shiny Metagross and level 71 Aggron.
Old acquaintances to Cain. Although Steven could rotate several of his Pokémon, those two would never be replaced.
The presence of the Shiny Metagross triggered an even greater wave of cheers and applause from the crowd.
The audience was ecstatic: Tyranitar versus Metagross, pseudo-legendary versus pseudo-legendary—a duel worthy of legend.
It was Cain's turn again.
Two red flashes lit up the stadium.
They were his own Aggron, which had recently risen to level 70, and Blaziken, who had also reached the same level.
Cain's second lineup had finally caught up with his vanguard team. Although a small gap still existed, they had all managed to stabilize within the same range.
Cain's Aggron was visibly taller than Steven's; the physical difference between the two was quite noticeable.
Steven responded by summoning a level 73 Aerodactyl and a level 70 Armaldo.
That showed he hadn't neglected his Armaldo's training either.
Up to that point, the field was dominated by massive giants—true titans whose mere presence commanded respect.
But soon, an unexpected change emerged. Cain released his level 73 Florges and level 74 Gengar.
Steven had known Cain would rely on Tyranitar—and therefore on his sandstorm strategy, perfected at Meteor Falls.
However, upon seeing Florges and Gengar appear, he was taken aback.
Was Cain not planning to use the sandstorm?
The previous choices had been predictable, but this was clearly a deviation from the plan.
Steven hesitated for a few seconds before throwing his two Poké Balls.
Out came a level 70 Claydol... and a level 73 Steelix.
Cain couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Claydol made sense, but he had never seen Steven use an Onix, much less a Steelix.
Where had this level 73 Steelix come from?
"Referee, this is cheating!" Cain thought with a frown.
An Aerodactyl in the Sinnoh Tournament had already been enough, but now a secretly trained Steelix... Clearly, this went beyond normal limits.
"What's this? Just because you're from the Stone family, you can cheat so blatantly? This is outright abuse!"
Cain felt a twitch at the corner of his mouth but couldn't protest aloud.
Still, that Steelix was far too suspicious.
At that point, Cain stopped holding back.
With a firm movement, he released his last Pokémon: a level 74 Slowking.
What should have been a turn-based strategic exchange had become a quick succession of summons without much tactic, because both knew each other's cards too well.
Even so, the appearance of that Steelix was excessive. It was obvious that the Stone family had invested an enormous amount of resources into enhancing it.
In the high-ranking officials' box: "They've all reached Elite Four level... These two grow at a terrifying pace," Juan commented with a smile. "The question is whether their strategic coordination will match such power."
Beside him, Drake smiled silently.
He had already seen it before. When Cain came to him for strategy training, he had been surprised by the level of development of his Pokémon. But what truly shocked him was the dual core system the young man had devised.
Not only did he train with monstrous speed, but he also dedicated time to crafting complex tactics.
He was a real monster.
That was why Drake had absolute confidence in Cain.
Steven was strong, the Stone family powerful, but Cain's talent and potential were being underestimated.
Juan noticed Drake's confident expression and looked at him curiously. Then he turned toward the head of the Stone family, Joseph Stone, who was also smiling.
"Your family's playing hard, huh? How many resources did you pour into that Steelix?"
Joseph Stone chuckled calmly.
"The idea of training a Steelix was Steven's own, a few months ago. He came home and asked me for it insistently. He explained his reasons in detail and finally told me that it was Cain who had suggested it."
Juan's eyes widened in surprise.
"Yes, that boy has a terrifying understanding of Pokémon. Not only of the ones he trains, but even of those he's never used. His insight is profound."
"Steven began training an Onix since then. At first, he planned to take it slowly, but this last month, to prepare for this battle, we poured a significant investment of resources into it."
Joseph Stone didn't reveal exactly how much, but everyone knew that the Stone family, famous for their bond with the Steel-type, possessed unique training methods. That wasn't the kind of information they could disclose.
Juan and Drake didn't press further.
A family's power is also part of an individual's power. No one in their right mind would reject such an advantage.
"But let me tell you something," Drake added with a confident smile. "Cain is still going to surprise you. Get ready, because what you'll see today... will make your jaws drop."
Juan and Joseph Stone stared at him in astonishment.
Where did such confidence come from, at such a crucial moment?
(End of Chapter)