Under the night sky, a red figure streaked through the clouds, then flew low across the water.
"Cynthia."
Lucas looked at Cynthia on the screen, "Where are you now?"
Cynthia heard the sound of the wind mixed in with his voice from the screen. "Guess?"
Latias's speed began to slow down.
"Eterna City?"
Cynthia glanced outside the screen and then nodded.
"You reached Eterna City so quickly?"
Sensing something off in Lucas's tone, Cynthia frowned. "What's wrong?"
Lucas patted Latias, and she stopped, floating above the sea.
"Something very dangerous is about to happen in Eterna City."
Lucas's face was full of gravity.
"I know."
Cynthia's tone was full of confidence.
"You know?!"
Lucas was incredibly shocked.
Did Cynthia know what was about to happen in Eterna City?
"The nightmare incident with Darkrai—I'll have it resolved before you arrive in Eterna City. I promise you, Lucas."
Cynthia smiled, looking at the screen with a gentle expression. "The Pokémon Contest will be held as scheduled."
Darkrai's nightmare incident—
Did Eterna City commission Cynthia to solve it?
Cynthia expected to hear Lucas's thanks, but instead, she saw him shake his head on the screen, his voice becoming even more serious.
"It's not about Darkrai."
Cynthia: ?!
"Not Darkrai?"
Lucas nodded, then spoke those two names.
"Palkia and Dialga."
Cynthia's eyes trembled slightly. "The God of Space, Palkia, and the God of Time, Dialga?"
Lucas continued to nod.
"Aren't they legendary Pokémon? Why would they appear in Eterna City?"
Cynthia recalled the incidents involving legendary Pokémon that Lucas had resolved recently, and she believed his words weren't groundless.
At that moment, Cynthia seemed to sense something and looked up.
Her gaze was sharp.
"What's wrong?"
Hearing Lucas's voice, Cynthia looked back down. "A rift has appeared in the sky."
"Are they here?"
Lucas grit his teeth. "Cynthia, leave Eterna City—"
"Lucas, I am the Champion, the Sinnoh Champion."
Cynthia's words interrupted Lucas, leaving him momentarily speechless.
"You know that at a time like this, it's impossible for a Champion to leave."
Right, she was the Champion; how could she leave?
But this wasn't an anime or a game. If an accident happened—
"Lucas."
Cynthia's voice suddenly became gentle.
"Trust me."
Cynthia flashed a smile. "Who do you think I am?"
Lucas didn't speak. The sound of Cynthia's high heels clicking rang out, and her voice became domineering.
"I am the Champion of the Sinnoh region. To this day, I have never been defeated."
Beside her, Garchomp's aura erupted in full force.
It stared intently at the space ahead.
"...—"
Lucas clenched his fist.
"Go back to the Breeding House—"
"Wait for me, Cynthia."
This time, it was Lucas who interrupted Cynthia.
Cynthia looked at the screen in confusion, and Lucas gave her a very familiar smile.
"Who do you think I am?"
The same words.
Both sides had said it more than once.
But they both understood each other perfectly.
"Okay."
Cynthia didn't say much, just a soft "okay."
"Cynthia, listen to me next. We can prevent the situation from getting worse."
Cynthia stopped walking and listened quietly to Lucas's voice coming from the screen.
"Find Ash, if he and his friends are there, and then ask them to go to the Spear Pillar to find the disc for 'oración.' Put it into the Spear Pillar. That melody is said to be able to resolve hatred and anger; it might work on the Space-Time Duo."
"I'll go ask the Lake Trio for help."
"Remember to evacuate the citizens first—"
Lucas went on and on.
He suddenly noticed Cynthia was squinting, looking at him teasingly.
Lucas stopped abruptly.
"How do you know all this, Lucas?"
Cynthia asked.
"About the Spear Pillar, and oración, and the Space-Time Duo—"
"This—"
Lucas thought of something. "Gym Leader Olympia told me; she foresaw the future."
"Gym Leader Olympia?"
Cynthia nodded thoughtfully.
"By the way, Cynthia, don't make things hard for that Darkrai. It's not a bad guy, it's just—"
Recalling the plot, Lucas continued, "It's just keeping a promise to someone. It wants to protect Eterna City and its favorite garden."
"Dark—"
The screen went black.
Lucas looked at the disconnected video and tried to call back, but there was no signal.
"Is it starting?"
Lucas took a deep breath.
"Latias, can you go any faster?"
Lucas looked at Latias beneath him.
Latias felt the anxiety in Lucas's heart.
"I can, but I'm afraid you won't be able to stand the cold—"
"I don't care about that now. Full speed ahead."
"Okay."
Water splashed high as the red figure soared straight into the sky.
On the other side, Cynthia looked at the static on her rotom phone.
"Is the signal being affected?"
Cynthia put her rotom phone away and looked toward the roof opposite her.
A black figure had appeared there while she was on the phone, its crimson eyes staring intently at her and Garchomp.
Cynthia recognized it.
Darkrai.
Darkrai watched the woman finish her call, black energy gathering in its hands.
"Leave this place."
Darkrai shouted at her.
Garchomp stood in front of Cynthia, its powerful Dragon Aura making even Darkrai a bit wary.
What a powerful presence.
Cynthia patted Garchomp's shoulder and stepped out from behind it, looking at Darkrai.
"Darkrai, I know you mean no harm."
Darkrai watched her silently, the Dark Void in its hands ready to be fired.
Beside her, Garchomp was also charging up a powerful wave of energy in its mouth.
"You know Palkia and Dialga are coming, so you want to drive the residents of Eterna City away, right?"
Cynthia repeated the information Lucas had told her to Darkrai. "You want to protect the humans and Pokémon here, and you don't want to hurt them, right?"
"I don't care about them."
Cynthia couldn't help but laugh.
"I'll help you, Darkrai."
Cynthia's tone was calm. "Even if the opponents are Palkia and Dialga."
She spoke the most domineering words with casual ease.
"I will protect this place with you."
But Darkrai shook its head.
"It's too late."
After saying that, Darkrai vanished into the shadows.
Cynthia watched Darkrai's departing figure, then looked up at the sky; the rift was growing larger.
She jumped onto Garchomp's back and flew high, chasing after Darkrai.
Elsewhere, Darkrai appeared before Ash, Baron Alberto, and the others.
"I found you, Darkrai! I'll defeat you and return the town to normal!"
Baron Alberto shouted, "Lickilicky, use Lick!"
Darkrai dodged Lickilicky's attack and looked at the Pokémon surrounding it.
"Everyone, get out of here!"
Darkrai gathered dark energy in its hands, and then countless Dark Voids flew toward the people and Pokémon present.
The people and Pokémon hit by the Dark Voids fell into a deep sleep.
Just as Ash and the others were about to be hit by a Dark Void—
Wearing a trench coat, the blonde Cynthia descended from the sky and stood before Ash and his friends. In front of Cynthia, Garchomp swung its scythes, forcefully slicing through the incoming Dark Void.
"Garch!"
Garchomp let out a roar.
Champion Cynthia.
"Miss Cynthia!"
"Champion Cynthia!"