Inside the lounge area of the battle room.
The air was mild and dry. An air purifier in the corner emitted a faint hum, lending a layer of tranquility to the space.
Steven held a cup of hot cocoa but didn't drink it. He set the cup down heavily on the polished glass tabletop with a dull 'clink'.
"Ariel, that's not cool of you."
Steven's gaze was locked tightly on Ariel, his tone carrying a hint of the resentment one feels when betrayed by a friend.
"You knew someone of this caliber and didn't even mention it to me?"
Ariel leaned back into the soft sofa. Hearing this, he just spread his hands helplessly.
"I only met her a few days ago. We just happened to bump into each other while adventuring in the wild. It's as simple as that."
He really couldn't be bothered to explain too much; the more he tried to clarify, the messier it would get.
However, Cynthia, who had been quiet for a long time, suddenly turned her head. Her eyes were crystal clear, devoid of any impurities, as she looked straight at Ariel.
"Ariel."
Her voice was very calm, as if she were stating a simple fact.
"Is your girlfriend not with you?"
The air seemed to be sucked out of the room in that instant.
The humming of the air purifier now sounded exceptionally piercing.
*Pfft—*
Steven hadn't even taken a sip of his hot cocoa, yet he was so startled by those words that he practically catapulted backward. He kicked the sofa beneath him, causing it to slide back half a meter with a harsh scraping sound.
He steadied himself and pointed a trembling finger at Ariel, his face—usually radiating noble elegance—now filled with profound grief and indignation.
"Ariel... You, you upstanding fellow, this is too underhanded!"
"Since when did this happen?!"
"Were you planning to wait until you had kids before I found out about this!"
The string of questions came like rapid-fire cannonballs, every word carrying the sorrowful indignation of someone abandoned by the world.
After shouting, Steven rushed back in three steps, the grief on his face instantly replaced by the raging fire of gossip, his eyes shining terrifyingly bright.
Ariel was frozen in place.
He was left dizzy and confused by Cynthia's out-of-the-blue question.
Girlfriend?
Who?
When did I stop being single? How come I, the person involved, haven't heard a single whisper about this?
Seeing Ariel's look of pure bewilderment, Cynthia seemed to realize something. She tilted her head and added a very serious explanation, trying to help clear his confusion.
"I mean Yule, that girl you were adventuring with."
Boom!
If Steven had been hit by a small blast earlier, he now felt as if he had been blown into cosmic dust.
The fire of gossip on his face was instantly extinguished, replaced by a look of dead ash.
Steven looked at Ariel, his voice already carrying a sob, his gaze looking exactly like a miner who had been robbed of all his rare ores.
"Why are you so popular with girls?"
"Ariel, I was wondering why you loved running off into the wild so much. After all this time, it turns out you're usually out there with girls on both arms, aren't you?"
His sorrowful appearance made it seem as if Ariel hadn't just gotten a girlfriend, but had committed some unforgivable crime against heaven.
"I'm being framed!"
Ariel finally recovered from his petrified state. Looking at the drama-queen Steven, he felt a massive headache coming on.
This was pure character assassination!
He finally understood where this massive misunderstanding came from and hurriedly explained:
"Yule and I were just temporary travel companions! We didn't know each other before, and she's already gone now. I don't even know where she went!"
Ariel's tone was resolute, filled with the grievance of someone whose innocence was being slandered.
After hearing his explanation, Cynthia nodded thoughtfully, a flash of realization crossing her clear eyes.
She accepted the explanation.
Looking at her slightly slow-to-react yet dead-serious demeanor, a thought uncontrollably popped into Ariel's head.
This Sinnoh Champion...
Could she be... an airhead?
Ariel looked at Steven beside him. This guy still had an unbelieving and heartbroken look, muttering things like "upstanding Ariel" and "girls on both arms."
Ariel was speechless and couldn't help but complain inwardly.
With Steven's looks, personality, and background—any one of those things on their own—how could he not find a girlfriend?
The queue would probably stretch from the Hoenn region all the way to the Johto region!
It wasn't so much that he couldn't find one, but rather that he simply didn't want to; his mind just wasn't on it.
His "heartbroken" performance felt more like he was looking for an excuse for his own status as a "noble bachelor."
While Steven was still sighing to himself, Cynthia's voice rang out at the right time, interrupting his "one-man show."
Her tone was very calm, yet it carried an unquestionable decisiveness.
"So, Steven, can we start? Let me see just how much of a genius this 'Stone-Loving Battle Genius' really is!"
As soon as the words 'Stone-Loving Battle Genius' came out, Steven's entire body stiffened.
Hearing Cynthia call out his online username with such a serious face, the tips of his ears instantly turned red.
He coughed, turning his body slightly toward Ariel, and muttered in a low voice:
"Cynthia, could you not call out my username... it's quite embarrassing."
Ariel watched from the side, feeling his temples throb.
He couldn't help but cover his face with his hand, muttering in his heart.
Good grief, so the reason for the first formal battle between the future Champion of Hoenn and the future Champion of Sinnoh was actually an online challenge?
This vibe... is a bit too bizarre.
He had originally thought it would be some kind of formal challenge or an exchange between Champion-level candidates, but it turned out to be a duel with the feel of an "online friends meeting in person."
Steven's embarrassment didn't last long, and he quickly regained his self-assured posture.
He took a deep breath, his gaze refocusing on Cynthia. His earlier shyness seemed like a mere illusion.
"Since you're in such a hurry, I'll satisfy you!"
Steven's voice returned to its usual steadiness, carrying a hint of excitement for the challenge.
In the center of the battle court, the sensors had already activated. An energy field slowly rose, isolating this space from the outside world.
The lights around the field grew brighter, presenting every detail clearly.
Steven and Cynthia stood in their respective Trainer boxes at either end. The air between them seemed to solidify slightly as an invisible battle aura quietly spread between them.
Ariel retreated to the spectator seats on the side, finding a spot with an excellent view.
He watched the two on the field with great interest, his heart filled with anticipation.
The chance to witness a duel between two genius Trainers was rare.
He wanted to see exactly what kind of high-level battle these two could produce.
"First up, Cradily!"
Steven didn't waste any words and threw his first Poké Ball.
A flash of red light later, a swaying green plant-like Pokémon appeared in the field. It was one of his aces—Cradily.
Its massive petal-like head shook slightly, and its roots dug into the ground as if probing the surrounding environment.
A calm and resilient light flickered in Cradily's eyes, and a powerful vitality combined with a rock-like steady aura filled the air.
Its Superior-level strength was displayed without reservation.
Cynthia's gaze also grew sharp.
She lightly tossed the Poké Ball in her hand with elegant and composed movements.
As the white light dissipated, a pure white Togekiss gracefully flapped its wings, hovering in mid-air.
The crown atop its head shimmered, and its eyes held a look of confidence and composure.
Togekiss let out a crisp cry, its body emitting pure and powerful Fairy energy. It was likewise a powerful Superior-level existence.
Cradily vs. Togekiss.
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