"I've decided!"
"Decided what?"
"I'll just challenge the Champion directly. That way I won't get tricked by that old man."
That was way too underhanded. Silas strongly suspected that Siebold had fallen into the same trap, enthusiastically going off to challenge the Elite Four.
And then… there was no then.
Sigh. At the very least, he would be busy for three years, maybe even longer.
Diantha shook her head with a faint smile. The older generation really had no shame, always setting traps for the younger ones.
Their conversation was interrupted as the battle ahead began. The Champion challenge had officially started.
Cynthia's first opponent was Flint, the Fire-type Elite Four member who had only recently taken the position. His ace was none other than an Infernape.
However, in front of Cynthia's perfectly trained Gastrodon, no matter how fierce Infernape's attacks were, they were like stones sinking into the ocean, unable to stir even the slightest ripple.
With just Gastrodon and Milotic, she achieved the astonishing feat of defeating six Pokémon in a row.
Flint's challenge was completely crushed.
The second Elite Four member was also a young trainer. He specialized in Bug-type Pokémon, which were widely regarded as having the weakest overall potential.
Most Bug-type Pokémon were not considered particularly strong. They only seemed powerful in the early stages because they were easy to train.
But later on, when everyone's strength evened out, Bug-types lost their advantages and were left with numerous weaknesses.
For Aaron to become an Elite Four member using Bug-types, his skill as a trainer was undeniably exceptional.
If he had specialized in another type, he might have gone even further.
Or perhaps not. After all, the bond between a trainer and their Pokémon could not be ignored.
His two aces, Drapion and Heracross, put considerable pressure on Cynthia, forcing her to send out her absolute ace, Garchomp, for the first time.
"Garchomp's strength is terrifying," Silas could not help but remark after witnessing what had just happened.
"Yeah. Cynthia is incredibly strong."
What kind of Garchomp stands still and tanks a Heracross's Megahorn without taking any damage at all?
Instead, Heracross was knocked backward by the recoil, only to be instantly defeated by a single Dragon Rush from Garchomp.
The two were not even in the same league. The gap was simply too vast.
After knocking out Heracross, Garchomp returned to Cynthia's side, but then suddenly raised its head and looked over.
"DRAA!"
Beside Silas, Dragonite let out a responding roar, its eyes filled with intense fighting spirit. It was that unique competitive instinct shared among Dragon-type Pokémon.
Silas placed a hand on Dragonite's arm and gently patted it.
"What do you think of Garchomp?"
"Draa!" (She's very strong!)
It was the first time Dragonite had openly praised another Dragon-type Pokémon. After all, it was the kind of Pokémon that would even dare to compete with Miraidon in speed.
Despite its usual gentle and somewhat goofy appearance, Dragonite was actually very proud.
Especially when facing other Dragon-types, it would display an overwhelming confidence, as if declaring that it stood just below the heavens themselves.
"Well, it is Cynthia's ace. It's only natural."
Silas remained calm.
Although he had several extraordinary Pokémon of his own, that was no reason to underestimate others, especially prodigies like Cynthia, Lance, and Steven.
Sometimes, you could not help but wonder if their ace Pokémon were practically legendary Pokémon disguised as ordinary ones.
Even Pokémon like the Legendary Birds or the Legendary Beasts might not necessarily be able to defeat them.
And besides, they were still young. They had not yet reached their peak.
With Silas's presence acting like a butterfly effect, trainers like Cynthia and Steven would only grow stronger.
And that made things more interesting. Absolute invincibility only led to complacency.
Isn't that right, the legendary strongest trainer, Red?
Back to the present.
Without taking a break, Cynthia immediately began her third battle.
Her third opponent was Lucian, the Psychic-type Elite Four member who had taken the position a few years ago. He was a textbook academy-style trainer.
He made full use of the strengths of Psychic-type Pokémon, calculating every possible move of his opponent and making precise counter decisions.
Psychic-types, much like Ghost-types, were notoriously difficult to deal with.
Lucian had pushed this advantage to its absolute limit, leading with Bronzong.
On Cynthia's side, she sent out Spiritomb, a perfect counter to Psychic-types. With its Ghost and Dark typing, it completely shut them down.
If Cynthia's Spiritomb had been average, Lucian might have had a chance.
But clearly, that was not the case.
Cynthia's Spiritomb possessed a special ability. It could use Psychic power to freeze and suppress the opponent's moves.
This ability likely came from the 108 spirits that formed Spiritomb.
As a Ghost-type, Spiritomb had a very distinctive nature. It was like a spirit bound to a stone, normally appearing as a strange keystone with patterns. Only when it moved would its true form appear, a swirling mass of mysterious energy.
Under absolute suppression, Spiritomb achieved another incredible feat, defeating all six of Lucian's Pokémon by itself.
Now, only the final Elite Four member remained.
The last opponent was Bertha, a veteran trainer from the same era as Professor Oak, specializing in Ground-type Pokémon.
After consecutive battles, Cynthia finally showed a hint of fatigue. Such high intensity battles were also a test of the trainer.
For this round, Cynthia sent out Togekiss first, often nicknamed the flying airplane.
The battle began once more.
As an experienced Elite Four member, Bertha's battle sense far surpassed that of the younger trainers. By sacrificing three of her Pokémon, she forced Cynthia to recall her heavily weakened Togekiss.
Next up was Lucario. With its Steel typing, it was immune to the damage from the sandstorm.
Using Vacuum Wave and Brick Break, guided by its aura, Lucario moved with lightning speed, taking down Hippowdon.
Then it defeated Rhyperior and Nidoking, securing Cynthia's victory over the Elite Four.
In the end, Cynthia entered the final battle against the reigning Sinnoh Champion with five and a half Pokémon remaining.
The Champion's first Pokémon was Tyranitar.
It was clear at a glance that this Tyranitar was aged. Its green armor had taken on a grayish hue, and its body was covered in countless scars, each one a badge of its long battle history.
It looked incredibly ferocious. Simply standing there created an immense sense of pressure.
Among the spectators, Leon's expression turned serious.
Silas and Diantha exchanged a glance. If translated into game terms, this Tyranitar was undoubtedly level 100.
In comparison, Dragonite was still somewhat lacking.
It had lived a long life, yes, but most of that time had been spent sleeping at the bottom of the ocean.
Only after meeting Silas had Dragonite begun to truly grow, gradually learning to understand and control its own power.
Once it fully mastered its strength, it would be able to reach the same level as this Tyranitar.
As the crowd marveled, Tyranitar raised its arms, summoning a massive sandstorm that swept across the battlefield.
Fortunately, this was a specially designed Pokémon League arena. If this had happened outside, it would have been nothing short of a walking natural disaster.
Facing her nominal "teacher," Cynthia sent out Garchomp without hesitation.
She did not dare to hold back in the slightest.
The two pseudo-legendary Pokémon stood facing each other on the field.
As their gazes clashed, both trainers raised their Key Stones.
The final round of the Champion challenge had officially begun, starting with ace versus ace.
(End of Chapter)