"Shiro is back!"
In the lobby, Marvin shouted without realizing it. Milo, Bea, and the others also stood up at the same time.
Shiro had actually entered the field.
When Leon walked out and the host was about to make the announcement, they truly thought the match was already over.
But now, it had only just begun.
Raihan frowned deeply, his expression heavy. "Is that really Shiro? Could he be a fake sent by Macro Cosmos?"
The moment he said that, Marvin, Nessa, and Allister all turned to look at him.
Rylan stepped in at once, blocking their line of sight.
"Once the battle starts, we'll know by looking at his Pokémon."
* * *
On the battlefield, the cheers continued.
"Shiro! Shiro!"
"Leon! Leon!"
"I want to see Charizard!"
"Corviknight is the strongest!"
"Shiro! Champion! Victory!"
The crowd slowly split into two sides, each supporting their favorite trainer.
Members of the Hammerlocke police team, led by Captain Woods, raised large banners.
They were filled with words like "Shiro will win the Champion Cup," completely blocking the view behind them.
Before anyone could complain, the banners dropped suddenly, then rose again just as fast.
Ryan's voice quickly drowned out the noise from the audience. "Everyone, can you hear this? The cheers echoing through the entire stadium! Before the match even begins, the packed stands are already filled with eager supporters!"
Following a brief pause, he shouted with all his strength, "The Galar League! The Champion Cup finals! The peak battle! The two trainers are Leon from Postwick, and Shiro from Spikemuth! Both sides, please release your first Pokémon!"
On the field, Shiro stopped in the trainer's area and took out a Poké Ball.
After returning from the forest northeast of Wyndon, he had asked Mesprit to teleport him directly into the player tunnel. He simply did not expect Leon to enter so early.
Mixing truth with illusion, the finals venue was the safest place.
Looking at it now, the timing was perfect.
There were only a few minutes left before the S.S. Anne arrived. He would not attempt an ocean crossing on his own. He had to leave by ship. But that cruise ship had already been noticed by the company, and Peony was likely drawn away by Felix's disappearance.
He did not know what other trump cards the company still had, but with Mesprit here, safety should be guaranteed.
He could also finish the Champion Cup along the way. At the very least, during the battle, Macro Cosmos would not make a move.
It was just that this final likely would not be a normal one.
He was short on time.
'Sorry, Leon, I'm going to turn on a cheat.'
He murmured in his heart and called out silently.
"Mesprit."
In an instant, a pink glow lit up his eyes, far stronger than when Unown A and G had empowered him before.
As one of the lake gods of Sinnoh, Mesprit's psychic power far surpassed that of the two Unown.
Leon, standing opposite him, felt nothing unusual. Unlike Raihan, he had no Dragon Power, and he had no psychic ability. He could not perceive the change in Shiro at all.
He only knew that this battle marked the start of his path as champion.
The fact that Shiro managed to arrive at all had already exceeded his expectations.
Leon threw his Poké Ball.
"Come on, Charizard!"
"Chaaaaar!"
The ball burst open. A flash of orange flame flared, and Charizard appeared in midair with a crimson glow, roaring toward the sky.
Once Leon's ace Charizard appeared, the crowd erupted in excitement.
Shiro simply tossed Corviknight's Poké Ball lightly.
Almost without a sound, Corviknight spread its jet-black wings across the field. What could not be seen by the naked eye was the powerful psychic layer covering its body.
Mesprit's status was:
[Name: Mesprit
Type: Psychic
Level: 75 (Master)
Ability: Levitate
Held Item: None
Moves: Confusion, Swift, Rest, Psybeam, Imprison, Extrasensory, Charm, Psychic, Flatter, Future Sight, Copycat, Tri Attack, Snore, Safeguard, Iron Tail, Psycho Cut...]
Mesprit governed emotions. It was not a legendary Pokémon known for raw destruction.
But compared to trainers and ordinary Pokémon, its strength was already an unreachable gulf.
Across the field, Charizard's status was:
[Name: Charizard
Type: Fire/Flying
Level: 58 (Elite)
Ability: Blaze
Held Item: None
Moves: Air Slash, Scratch, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen, Heat Wave, Dragon Claw, Dragon Breath, Fire Fang, Slash, Flamethrower, Scary Face, Fire Spin, Inferno...]
"This Charizard should be the strongest Pokémon Leon has right now," Shiro muttered softly. A strange sense of 'that's all' rose in his heart.
Undefeated Leon was a legendary trainer who could dominate the World Coronation Series for years.
But Leon right now was still young. He was competing in the Champion Cup just like him. Alongside Raihan, Allister, Nessa, and others, the future Gym Leaders and pillars of Galar.
Everyone here was still in their teens or early twenties. A long road lay ahead.
Who would think they did not deserve to be champion?
A smile appeared on Shiro's face.
That was also why he rushed back.
Above them, the referee Ryan spoke again.
"Both trainers' Pokémon are ready! The rules are a 6v6 rotation battle. When one side's Pokémon all lose the ability to battle, the match ends. Now… the battle begins!"
The moment his voice fell, Leon shouted first.
"Charizard, use Flame Charge!"
Charizard was a Fire type, perfectly countering Corviknight's Steel type. On top of that, Charizard's level far exceeded Corviknight's.
In almost every battle, Leon's plan was the same. From the start, he would use his strongest Charizard to eliminate most of the opponent's team. He practically told everyone outright that his first Pokémon was his ace.
He did not know what Shiro was thinking, sending out Corviknight anyway.
On the battlefield, blazing flames ignited across Charizard's body. Even its eyes seemed to glow with a frightening red light.
Flickers of fire burst from its mouth and nose, then vanished into the air with the rushing wind.
Charizard beat its wings hard. Fueled by surging flames, it accelerated straight toward Corviknight.
Shiro only glanced at it and said calmly, "Quick Attack."
Corviknight vanished from the battlefield.
All that remained were two black feathers torn loose by extreme speed. They were instantly burned by Charizard's charging flames, turning from thin black ash into nothing.
Only then did Charizard realize its target was gone.
As it turned its head to search, Leon shouted urgently from behind.
"Charizard! Watch out!"
But at that very second, Corviknight's black wings filled Charizard's vision. A crushing impact then slammed into its abdomen, causing Charizard to open its mouth and spray saliva.
"Steel Wing," Shiro said again.
A bright metallic sheen flashed instantly. There was no pause at all. Corviknight did not need to charge. It used the move as naturally as it flew.
**
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