Compared to Officer Jenny and the other police officers, Cynthia remained calm.
When she saw Dratini, she merely raised an eyebrow, showing little reaction.
As the Sinnoh Champion, she had seen countless rare Pokémon. A Dratini alone was not enough to truly surprise her.
"Then let the battle begin, Sam."
Sam could clearly feel the dramatic change in Cynthia the moment she entered battle mode. If she had seemed like a gentle, mature older sister before, she now felt like a seasoned warrior, radiating a sharp and commanding aura.
After all, his opponent was one of the strongest Trainers in Sinnoh's history. Sam didn't dare let his guard down. He focused completely on the battlefield.
Dratini also sensed the pressure coming from Cynthia and grew slightly uneasy.
"Focus, Dratini. Don't be afraid. We're going to win this!"
Sam's confident voice rang out behind it. Encouraged by its Trainer, Dratini steadied itself and locked eyes with Shellos. It had no intention of losing.
"Dratini, use Twister!"
Against a Trainer of Cynthia's caliber, hesitation meant defeat. They had to go all out from the very start.
At Sam's command, Dratini's eyes glowed blue. Two swirling tornadoes formed instantly under its control and sped toward Shellos.
"A very well-executed Twister," Cynthia commented calmly. "Excellent speed and solid power."
Hearing praise from the Sinnoh Champion made Sam smile slightly.
He had spent countless hours training Dratini to master Twister. Now, that effort was finally being acknowledged.
But Sam celebrated too soon.
Cynthia's tone shifted instantly. "However, if you think that's enough to defeat my Shellos, you're being naive. Shellos, use Water Pulse."
At her command, Shellos shed its earlier cuteness. A powerful aura surged from its body.
A shimmering blue sphere of water formed in front of it almost instantly. The sphere vibrated intensely, packed with compressed energy.
"Fire!"
Shellos launched Water Pulse. The vibrating sphere crashed into the advancing Twister, triggering a violent explosion.
Shockwaves rippled across the field. Under the force of the blast, Dratini's Twister was completely erased.
Sam narrowed his eyes, his expression turning serious. He hadn't expected such overwhelming power from the seemingly harmless Shellos. He had underestimated it.
This battle was far from easy.
The onlookers were stunned. No one had imagined that two adorable Pokémon could unleash such destructive force.
Officer Jenny murmured under her breath, "Is this the strength of a Champion…? And just who is that young Trainer?"
Sam didn't have the luxury of answering.
Cynthia's pressure was immense. While Shellos's raw strength was still within Dratini's range, Cynthia's relentless offensive style was suffocating.
Her attacks were not reckless—they were perfectly chained, one after another, leaving no room to breathe.
Water Gun. Ancient Power. Water Pulse. Muddy Water.
Shellos displayed a dazzling variety of moves, each chosen at precisely the right moment. Cynthia's command showed exactly why she stood at the top of Sinnoh.
Under the relentless bombardment, Dratini struggled to respond. It was the first time it had faced such an overwhelming offensive rhythm.
Then—
Body Slam!
Electric sparks suddenly crackled across Dratini's body. Its face twisted in pain.
Paralysis.
Sam's heart sank. He hadn't expected such terrible luck. The small chance of paralysis had triggered at the worst possible time.
"It's over," Cynthia said calmly, a faint smile appearing. "Shellos, finish it with Ice Beam."
Was it really over?
Of course not.
"Dratini, use Shed Skin!" Sam shouted.
"Shed Skin?"
Dratini was extremely rare, and Cynthia clearly hadn't researched its Ability in depth. She hadn't anticipated that Shed Skin would allow Dratini to remove its paralysis by shedding its outer layer.
Ice Beam struck—
—but it only froze the shed skin Dratini had just discarded.
The momentum had shifted.
Now it was Dratini's turn.
Sam would not waste this opportunity.
"Go all out, Dratini! Dragon Rush!"
After enduring the entire match under pressure, it was finally time to counterattack.
Purple dragon energy erupted from Dratini's body, dazzling and fierce. All its remaining strength condensed into one decisive strike.
Like a cannonball, Dratini launched forward.
Shellos had just unleashed Ice Beam with full force, draining most of its remaining stamina. It had no strength left to dodge.
Boom!
The impact sent Shellos flying backward.
It hit the ground and struggled to rise—but after several attempts, it collapsed.
Shellos had lost the ability to battle.
Cynthia exhaled softly.
She hadn't expected the match to turn around so suddenly. Victory had seemed within reach, yet her unfamiliarity with Dratini's Ability had cost her the battle.
It was a rare and unpleasant oversight.
Still, she had to admit—
Sam had seized the single opportunity available and executed his counterattack flawlessly.
Defeat had been turned into victory.
---------------Author---------------
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