"Paul actually kept such a powerful, mysterious Pokémon hidden from me? Unbelievable! Unbelievable! Unbelievable! He should be fined for this!" Barry stomped his feet in frustration.
Dawn whispered nervously:
"That Pokémon… could it be a Legendary Pokémon?"
"It's possible. Maybe it's a secret Legendary from another region." Lucas said as his eyes locked onto Mewtwo. "But one thing is certain, its strength is overwhelming… terrifyingly strong."
Lucas had seen plenty of Legendary Pokémon before. During the Team Galactic crisis, he had witnessed Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina—the gods of space-time. Beyond that, he had studied Darkrai, Cresselia, and even the colossal Regigigas.
Yet none of them—not even the Celestic myths—carried the same crushing pressure as Mewtwo.
"Never seen it before… never even heard of it." Cynthia mused aloud, her Champion's poise giving way to curiosity. "Could it be another region's hidden Legendary?"
As a scholar of Sinnoh's mythology, Cynthia's interest was piqued even in the middle of battle.
Paul shook his head slightly. "Yes… and no."
He stepped back, leaving the stage to Mewtwo.
Mewtwo's voice suddenly resonated in every mind present, sharp yet majestic:
"Long ago, Team Rocket sought to create the world's strongest Pokémon in order to conquer it. Using the genetic material of the Mythical Pokémon Mew, they created me."
"My name… is Mewtwo. The one who surpasses Mew."
Before anyone could gasp, visions flooded their minds:
—Mewtwo floating in its cloning chamber before birth…
—the destruction of New Island at the moment of its awakening…
—the titanic battle against Mew witnessed at the Pokémon World Stadium…
—and even the sight of Mewtwo striking down Rayquaza in a desert sky.
The audience was stunned. Without these visions, many might have doubted its words, suspecting exaggeration. But seeing Mewtwo battling Mew, or overwhelming Rayquaza—the very Pokémon said to govern the heavens, they had no choice but to believe.
The crowd's awe turned into reverence and fear. Some of Cynthia's supporters looked anxious.
Against most Legendaries—the Regi trio, the Legendary Birds, they believed Cynthia could hold her own, maybe even win. But Rayquaza? The creator of the skies? Mewtwo had struck it down as if it were nothing. Could even Sinnoh's Champion stand against that?
"I see…" Cynthia's eyes narrowed as realization dawned.
Paul hadn't revealed Mewtwo just to win against her. This was a message.
By unveiling Mewtwo's existence here, in the grandest of battles, Paul was warning the world—especially Team Rocket.
If you scheme against the Sinnoh Champion, know this: the Pokémon at her opponent's side can crush even the greatest Legends. Are you ready to take that risk?
But Cynthia smirked slightly. 'If he wants to use me as a stepping stone, it won't be that easy.'
"You may take the first move, Miss Cynthia." Paul offered coolly.
"Roserade, Petal Dance and Leaf Storm!" Cynthia commanded without hesitation.
"Rooosee~"
Roserade shone with radiant white light as petals and leaves burst forth, weaving into a deadly cyclone. A storm of blossoms spiraled forward, dazzlingly beautiful yet carrying lethal force.
Mewtwo simply watched. Its eyes glowed faintly. "Beautiful… but lacking in power."
With a mere flicker of psychic will, Mewtwo unleashed Psystrike.
The storm collapsed instantly, shredded as if pierced through the core. Shattered petals rained helplessly to the ground.
"BOOM!"
Roserade was hurled backwards as though struck by a truck, crashing against the arena wall. When the dust cleared, the once-elegant Pokémon lay unconscious, embedded in stone.
A one-hit knockout!
"What the—?! It defeated Roserade instantly?! I couldn't even follow it!"
"It shattered Roserade's full-power attack… in a single blow."
"So cool!"
Gasps, cries, and stunned silence rippled through the stadium.
The referee raised his flag.
"Roserade is unable to battle. Mewtwo wins!"
"Return and rest, Roserade." Cynthia said quietly, recalling her partner with a Poké Ball. Her brows furrowed, ever so slightly.
She knew Mewtwo was strong.
But not this strong.
After a brief hesitation, Cynthia drew another Poké Ball and hurled it forward.
"Let the tides protect us—Gastrodon!"
"Hyuuuh~!"
The sturdy sea slug Pokémon landed with a splash of grit. Yet the moment it felt Mewtwo's crushing aura, its cheerful face hardened into grim resolve.
"Stone Edge, then Hydro Pump!" Cynthia commanded.
"Gastrooo!"
Dozens of razor-sharp stones spun outward from Gastrodon's body, followed instantly by a torrent of water surging toward Mewtwo.
Mewtwo lifted its hand with calm indifference.
"Useless."
CRACK—BOOM!!
The stones shattered, the Hydro Pump dissolved, both exploding into harmless mist under a single psychic pulse.
"Ice Punch."
The command had barely left Paul's lips before Mewtwo's figure vanished.
When it reappeared, it hovered above Gastrodon, muscles glowing with Cellular Augmentation and Rage Amplification—a fusion of psychic enhancement and raw power.
The frozen fist descended like judgment.
"Protect!"
In a desperate burst of speed, Gastrodon summoned a shimmering green barrier, bracing itself against the incoming blow.
For a heartbeat, it held.
Then—CRACK!
Fractures spiderwebbed across the barrier, each one glowing under the icy pressure.
"BOOM!"
Gastrodon's vision went white. The cold slammed into its body, and with a final cry, the world went dark.
When the dust cleared, Gastrodon stood frozen solid—transformed into a flawless ice sculpture.
A one-hit knockout!
Mewtwo lowered its fist, then with effortless grace teleported back to its original position, face unchanged, as if swatting away Cynthia's Champion-tier Pokémon meant nothing.
The entire sequence had lasted less than two seconds.
The referee, stunned but resolute, raised his flag.
"Gastrodon is unable to battle. Mewtwo wins!"
The crowd erupted.
"Wha—so strong!"
"Unbelievable! Even Protect couldn't hold against that?!"
"Another one-hit KO… what if it wipes out all three of her remaining Pokémon the same way?!"
Shock and disbelief rippled through the stadium.
Sure, plenty of Pokémon could have one-shotted Roserade. That was within the realm of possibility. But to shatter Protect, the very shield Champions relied upon and crush Gastrodon in one strike?
Even Leon's Charizard, fully Gigantamaxed, couldn't pull that off.
"How do you even fight something like that? Every move it makes is terrifying!"
Around the stadium, sympathy and worry began to flicker in the eyes watching Cynthia.
She exhaled softly while recalling her fallen partner.
"Rest well, Gastrodon."
When she looked up again, her golden eyes were steady.
She was the Champion. A Trainer. Even if she could not yet overcome this opponent, retreat or fear were never an option.
(End of Chapter)
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