"Whoooosh—"
Sand roared across the battlefield.
Within the storm, Garchomp flickered in and out of sight like a predator beneath turbulent seas. The sandstorm was its ocean.
"Dragon Rush!"
"Graaass!"
The dark-blue figure vanished almost entirely into the swirling sand. A violent draconic aura locked onto Mega Lopunny.
Through their synchronized consciousness, Peter felt his heart tremble.
This was Cynthia's style—decisive, overwhelming, merciless. No wasted motion. No second chances.
Sandstorm secured tempo.
Dragon Rush applied pressure.
The intimidation of raw Champion-tier power sealed the kill route.
Under these conditions—
Lopunny had only one path.
A direct clash.
And clashing head-on with a near-peak Champion Garchomp?
The outcome was obvious.
Peter suddenly laughed.
"As expected of you, Cynthia. A simple combo, yet it becomes a killing move."
He raised his arm and pointed toward the distant silhouette of Mt. Coronet piercing the clouds.
"But Lopunny and I promised—we'd stand on that summit one day."
"Right now we're still far, far away."
"But our bond… our resolve… doesn't change depending on who stands before us!"
Flame ignited in both their eyes.
The suffocating dragon pressure seemed to shatter instantly.
"Take our full power—"
"High Jump Kick!!!"
"Mi-looooo—!!!"
Blue dragon energy tore through the sand. Crimson Fighting aura erupted forward. The two forces collided violently—
For a split second—
Then Lopunny's power collapsed.
Peter's heart sank.
The next moment—
Lopunny was blasted backward. The Mega light faded midair. She reverted and crashed hard at his feet.
Dust rose.
Peter forced a smile.
As expected… even like this, they couldn't withstand even a single clean exchange.
"Mi… lo…"
Lopunny struggled to rise. Her long legs trembled. Blood seeped from torn fur at her knee.
Peter knelt, voice soft.
"Come back. You were incredible."
He recalled her.
The Poké Ball in his hand shook violently.
She wanted to continue.
At that same moment—
Every other Poké Ball at his waist began shaking too.
All of them.
Requesting battle.
Peter inhaled slowly and stood.
He understood.
From the moment they met Cynthia, his team had felt pressure unlike ever before. Sneaking out for midnight training was proof enough.
To outsiders, Peter might be a "bug exploit prodigy," someone who rose thanks to connections, resources, and luck.
But his Pokémon knew.
He was the one who lit their path.
He was the one who believed in dreams without compromise.
And Cynthia—
She was the embodiment of that dream.
Defeating her meant the summit felt closer.
That dream became more tangible.
The pressure.
The clarity of that goal.
It ignited every one of them.
Cynthia watched quietly.
Only she noticed the faint tremor in Garchomp's arm fin.
It had no impact on battle.
But it proved something.
Lopunny's strike had reached at least Gym-tier power.
And—
Peter truly commanded Mega Evolution.
"You…" Cynthia began, then paused.
Peter smiled.
"After this battle, I'll answer your questions."
"But for now—"
"My second Pokémon."
"Go! Vigoroth!"
"RAAAH!"
Vigoroth landed pounding its chest, eyes blazing.
[Vigoroth ♂ Lv.30 (Advanced)]
Thanks to Powerleaf Spinach and relentless training, it had leveled faster than the others.
Cynthia frowned slightly.
"I don't mean to be blunt… but I doubt this child can even land a hit."
Peter grinned.
"Then watch a fist big enough to cover the entire battlefield."
He recalled Vigoroth instantly.
Energy burst from the Dynamax Band on his wrist.
The Poké Ball expanded—
Once.
Twice.
To nearly half a meter in diameter.
"Vigoroth—Dynamax!"
The ball exploded midair.
A colossal Vigoroth emerged, towering dozens of meters high.
Red-violet Dynamax clouds spiraled overhead. A single finger was thicker than a grown man's torso. Its five-meter-wide fist slammed into the earth—
The ground shook.
Even the sandstorm faltered.
Nearby civilians screamed.
"What is that thing?!"
"Is this a disaster?!"
"Mom!!"
Cynthia immediately stepped aside and made a call.
"This is Cynthia. Contact Eterna City police. Seal off the plaza. Evacuate civilians immediately."
She ended the call and turned back to Peter.
"You continue to surprise me. So Lucian was right."
"Lucian?" Peter blinked.
Then he remembered—the calm man with Slowbro in the dream simulation.
He smirked.
He hadn't intended to hide anything.
Because—
The greater the storm,
The pricier the catch.
Stealth growth had its merits.
But it didn't forge a Champion's heart.
And today—
Peter intended to go all out.
"Let's continue," Cynthia said, eyes sharpened.
"I want to see… what a Max Move truly looks like."
"As you wish."
"Vigoroth—Max Knuckle!"
Max Knuckle: A guaranteed-hit Fighting-type Max Move that raises the user's Attack by one stage.
"RAAAAAH!"
Vigoroth roared. Yellow and crimson Fighting energy detonated around its fists. The sky flashed.
A gigantic fist descended from above like divine punishment.
Wind pressure bent trees nearly horizontal. The heat scorched nearby grass brown in seconds.
Cynthia's eyes narrowed.
"Brace!"
Garchomp crossed its arm fins overhead.
Against an attack that consumed the sky—
Even Cynthia had no elegant solution.
BOOOOM—
The enormous fist detonated. Shockwaves erupted outward in violent Fighting-type geysers around Garchomp.
Peter clicked his tongue.
Cynthia hadn't revealed a fourth move.
If she had, he could've adjusted strategy accordingly.
The sandstorm raged on.
But now—
The storm was no longer one-sided.
And the battle was far from over.
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T/N:
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