Under the gaze of countless spectators, Cynthia and Steven's battle finally began.
The attention this fight drew was immense, far greater than any previous World Championship match.
The world's No. 3 trainer challenging the world's No. 2—just that headline alone was enough to make waves.
So it could be said without exaggeration: anyone following the World Championships was watching this battle.
For those aspiring to break into the Masters' Eight, this was even more crucial.
Because whether it was Steven or Cynthia, both stood as rivals they would one day need to surpass.
Know your enemy—this truth held across every world.
The match began.
"Stealth Rock!"
As expected, Steven opened with Stealth Rock. Even though his battle against Rota Gym had ended in crushing defeat, he had seen firsthand just how useful entry hazards were.
If not for Stealth Rock saving him several times back then, his situation would've been far worse.
"Taunt!" Cynthia's arm swept forward, her gaze sharp, her aura commanding.
In that moment, she looked every bit the champion who had subdued the entirety of Sinnoh. Though a woman, her presence in battle was nothing short of overwhelming.
Skarmory spread its steel wings with a piercing cry, glowing stones forming around its body.
Spiritomb's eerie face twisted, dark energy swirling as it drifted toward Skarmory.
But Spiritomb was just a step too slow. Skarmory scattered its Stealth Rocks first—shards embedding invisibly across the battlefield.
The Taunt still landed, preventing Skarmory from laying more hazards or using Whirlwind.
"Even with Taunt, he still managed to set up?" Cynthia frowned slightly.
"Come back, Skarmory." Steven immediately recalled it—he wasn't going to pit Skarmory against Spiritomb directly.
"Aggron!"
He hurled out another Poké Ball. The ground shook as the armored titan Aggron landed, bellowing fiercely.
Cynthia's brows furrowed tighter.
"As expected of Steven. Aggron might be 4x weak to Fighting and Ground, but against most others it's terrifyingly tough," Caitlin commented from the viewing room.
"Exactly. Spiritomb won't be able to beat it head-on," Diantha agreed. "She can stall with status moves, but Steven's no fool—he won't give Aggron up so easily."
"Her Taunt just barely missed stopping Stealth Rock at the start. That could be a problem." Leon folded his arms.
Steven, meanwhile, had clearly trained Skarmory's setup speed since his last bout against Dylan. The improvement was obvious.
Back on the field, Aggron and Spiritomb clashed, neither with a direct advantage. Spiritomb tried Will-O-Wisp and Hypnosis, but Aggron dodged.
And then—
"Roar!"
Aggron bellowed, a shockwave forcing Spiritomb back into its ball.
"Was he waiting for this?"
Cynthia watched as another of her Poké Balls popped open. Lucario materialized—and immediately winced as Stealth Rock struck, though the damage was minimal thanks to its resistance.
Still, Cynthia's expression tightened. Lucario facing Aggron was a lopsided matchup—Lucario's Fighting-type moves tore right through Aggron's armor.
Steven recalled Aggron without hesitation and swapped in Claydol instead.
"Steven's playing carefully. That Roar didn't quite go his way, though," Blue observed.
It was clear Steven wasn't giving Cynthia an inch.
"Of course not. This isn't just about rankings—being toppled by a challenger is no small matter. And remember… they're both champions."
Wallace's eyes lingered on Steven, his dearest friend. Steven yearned for strong rivals, yes—but he also yearned for victory.
And no matter what anyone said, the truth remained: Steven was Hoenn's Champion. Cynthia was Sinnoh's. Their fight wasn't only personal—it carried the pride of their regions.
"That's what makes it so hard to call," Iris muttered, her eyes glued to the battlefield.
The clash raged on.
Lucario struck fiercely despite Claydol's advantage, eventually bringing it down—though not unscathed. Cynthia took the first point.
Steven responded with Metagross, Cynthia with Togekiss. Togekiss cleared away the Stealth Rocks with Defog, but Steven Terastalized Metagross and pushed hard.
After fierce back-and-forths, Spiritomb was felled by Metagross, but not before burning it with Will-O-Wisp, leaving it weakened.
The battle only escalated from there, blood-pumping and electrifying.
Both Cynthia and Steven fought with everything they had.
At last, it came down to their aces.
Steven unleashed his Shiny Metagross, Mega Evolving it. Cynthia sent in her Garchomp, which also Mega Evolved.
Mega Shiny Metagross vs. Mega Garchomp—the ultimate showdown.
The crowd roared.
Each strike shook the stadium. Dark claws slashed against comet-like fists. Cynthia's Garchomp drove forward with Shadow Claw, carving through Metagross's Meteor Mash defense.
Even with its steel-hard body, the blow hurt. Garchomp pressed on with Crunch, forcing Steven to hastily command Protect, blocking a devastating Earthquake.
Still, Metagross was bleeding from its wounds.
Steven fought tooth and nail, even landing a punishing Ice Punch—but it wasn't enough.
"Metagross is unable to battle! Mega Garchomp wins!"
"With all six of Steven's Pokémon down, the challenger Cynthia is victorious!"
The referee's voice boomed.
The arena erupted—cheers, cries, gasps mingling in chaos.
Steven exhaled a helpless laugh. Cynthia closed her eyes, relief washing over her.
"Brother, Cynthia won! That means she'll challenge you next!"
"Mm. Then tell me, Lillie…" Dylan tapped his chin, smiling. "What kind of team should I use against her?"