"Alright—when are you two scheduled to battle?"
Back in the lounge, Chen Shi leaned beside Cynthia and casually posed the question.
Steven lifted a brow.
"Still early. My match is right before noon. Cynthia's is scheduled for the afternoon."
"And who are your opponents?" Chen Shi asked.
"Mine's someone named Lt. Surge. Never heard of him. Cynthia is up against Caitlin."
Chen Shi paused mid-breath.
…Huh.
That was unexpected.
Lt. Surge, he naturally knew—
An Electric-type specialist brutal enough to later become Giovanni's right-hand enforcer.
But Cynthia's opponent—Caitlin?
The psychic prodigy whose power bordered on unreasonable?
In the future, Cynthia and Caitlin would be extremely close—nearly best friends.
But here, before those bonds could even form…
they were colliding on the World Championship stage.
Cynthia noticed his expression.
"You seem to know them?"
"A little."
Chen Shi didn't deny it. He gave a short explanation:
"Lt. Surge is strong—very strong—but for Steven, he shouldn't be a problem."
Then, with a glance toward Cynthia:
"As for Caitlin… her psychic power is overwhelming. She can amplify her Pokémon through telepathy alone. Be careful."
Cynthia nodded calmly.
Her confidence never wavered.
The four of them passed the rest of the morning watching the earlier matches.
Lance handled his battle with vicious efficiency.
Lorelei glided through hers like an ice queen, eliminating her opponent with chilling precision.
Both moved into the quarterfinals without suspense.
Then came Steven's turn—the final match of the morning.
"Go get him, Steven!" Phoebe cheered, fists raised like a tiny cheerleader.
Steven gave her a composed smile—
but froze when he saw Chen Shi's half-smirk from the corner.
"…I know, I know."
He muttered like a sulking teenager and trudged out of the room.
Battle: Steven vs. Lt. Surge
When Steven arrived at the arena, Lt. Surge was already waiting.
The man was tall, muscular, and radiated confidence with every breath—
a true battlefield veteran.
As soon as the referee signaled to begin, Steven released his Pokémon without theatrics:
Shiny Metagross.
On the opposite side, Lt. Surge tossed his Poké Ball dramatically—
summoning a Luxray whose fur crackled with electricity.
An Elite-tier threat.
"Battle—begin!"
Luxray launched forward immediately, lightning bursting from its mane like a storm.
Metagross glided sideways with eerie mechanical precision, its limbs shifting angles smoothly.
Then its gem-like eyes flashed.
Psychic exploded outward.
Luxray barely twisted away, the shockwave carving a deep groove across the stadium floor.
It retaliated with rapid bursts of electricity.
Metagross avoided each one with uncanny timing, as though predicting the future.
The audience was practically holding its breath.
Luxray was fast—
but Metagross was a different kind of monster.
Luxray's breathing quickened. Its paws trembled.
Steven narrowed his eyes.
"Metagross—Zen Headbutt."
"GROSS!!"
A psychic-charged meteor of steel blasted across the field.
Luxray widened its eyes—far too late.
BOOM!
It was knocked across the battlefield, crashing hard.
Lt. Surge gritted his teeth.
Before Luxray could even rise—
"Ice Punch!"
Metagross's fist, wrapped in frost, came down like a falling glacier.
Another explosion.
Another crater.
Luxray trembled violently.
Steven paused—acknowledging its tenacity—
but Metagross did not give second chances.
A final Psychic washed across the ground like a cold tide—
Luxray collapsed.
Lt. Surge exhaled and withdrew it.
"You did great, Luxray. Leave the rest to the others."
He pulled out his second Poké Ball.
"Raichu—your turn!"
"Rai!"
Steven chuckled.
"A spirited one. Metagross, how do you feel?"
"Gross."
Metagross clicked its limbs together, signaling readiness.
Raichu unleashed aggressive bursts of electricity—
but Metagross simply absorbed the impact and overwhelmed it.
A brief struggle—
and Raichu fell.
Final Round — Aggron vs. Jolteon
Lt. Surge's final Pokémon was a sleek, razor-fast Jolteon.
Steven returned Metagross and sent out Aggron.
What followed was raw, brutal warfare.
Electric bolts rained down like thunder.
Aggron endured each one with sheer stubborn will.
Jolteon was unbelievably fast—
but Aggron's defense was absolute.
Eventually, the two collided in a devastating exchange—
And when the dust cleared…
Jolteon collapsed.
Aggron stood breathing heavily, armor scorched but unbroken.
Steven had won.
The stadium roared with thunderous applause.
"STEVEN! STEVEN!"
A wave of cheers swept through the audience, shaking the arena.
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