"Come out, Rillaboom!"
After recalling Cinderace, Leon threw the next Poké Ball with all his strength.
This time, the moment the Pokémon appeared, he clenched his Dynamax Band tightly.
"Dynamax! Rillaboom!"
He raised his arm and shouted with force.
The Dynamax Band lit up with a deep blue glow. Chaotic Dynamax energy surged up from the ground like massive serpents, almost turning solid.
Rillaboom's body kept growing until it reached the height of the open-air battlefield's upper structure. The trees on its back spread wildly, like a primitive forest growing out of control. From both sides of that forest, it lifted its own drumsticks and giant drum.
The sky darkened. The entire Wyndon Stadium was covered in a dim red light.
Most of the spectators already knew that Dynamax had been used before in Hulbury, so they were not overly surprised. Still, this terrifying change in the sky made their hair stand on end. It felt like sitting beneath a looming disaster.
On the edge of the field, looking at the Dynamaxed Pokémon that resembled a towering god, Shiro instead curled his lips into a smile and gave a clear command.
"Corviknight! Use Aerial Ace!"
Circling in midair, the steel bird let out a deep cry. It deftly slipped past Rillaboom's drumsticks and tree stumps, gliding across its field of vision at a perfect angle.
Rillaboom instinctively tried to unleash the strongest Grass-type move it knew, Wood Hammer, but Corviknight had already vanished from sight.
"Use Slam!" Leon commanded urgently.
Slam was an attack where Pokémon used long tails, vines, or similar parts to strike the opponent.
From the forest on Rillaboom's back, wildly growing branches surged like countless living tentacles. Guided by instinct, they converged toward Corviknight's position.
Corviknight twisted its body and charged forward. Its jet-black wings and form turned into a streak of light, smashing through the fierce wall of trees and branches before crashing into Dynamaxed Rillaboom's back like a meteor.
Boom!
The forest shook and the giant Rillaboom grimaced in pain. It staggered forward one step, leaving a massive footprint in the grass.
Ryan gripped the microphone in his hand and yelled, "Corviknight has landed a hit on Dynamaxed Rillaboom! Was that Aerial Ace or Brave Bird?!'
But the assault was far from over.
Before Rillaboom could recover, Corviknight appeared in front of it again. Not only the spectators, but even Leon, who was staring straight at Corviknight, could not see how it moved.
That fast?
Leon was still confused when Rillaboom was struck once more. Its huge body was forced back again and again until it finally stopped at the edge of the battlefield.
After this blow, the massive crimson glow of Dynamax energy wrapped around Rillaboom. Its body rapidly shrank, and the red sky above the stadium slowly faded away with it.
In just a few seconds, the blue sky returned. Rillaboom lay spread-eagled in the center of the field.
Only Corviknight remained in the air, flying quietly without a single unnecessary motion.
Around the battlefield, nearly all the spectators stood up and cheered for the Corviknight above.
* * *
In the lobby, Raihan muttered softly, "This is unbelievable."
"That Corviknight feels like a Legendary Pokémon." Opal, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke. No one around her managed to respond.
From the moment Dynamaxed Rillaboom appeared, everyone had been holding their breath. Even now, no one had relaxed.
* * *
"Too fast…"
At the other side of the field, Leon murmured as he subconsciously took out a Poké Ball and recalled Rillaboom.
As Ryan had just begun to speak, he immediately released the next Pokémon.
"Go, Haxorus!"
Shiro commanded at the same time, "Corviknight. Quick Attack."
The instant Haxorus appeared, it was blasted away by a flash of light and slowly collapsed near the edge of the field.
Leon suddenly felt numb. He quickly opened an empty Poké Ball that had not yet been put back on his belt. After recalling Haxorus, he released the next Pokémon without pause.
"Aegislash!"
"Quick Attack!"
Aegislash fell.
The fifth one.
It was already the fifth Pokémon.
Leon took out his final Poké Ball.
It was like looking at the last coin being fed into an arcade machine. He knew it was almost hopeless, a desperate and meaningless gamble. Yet driven by the stubborn will in his heart, he still hurled it out in defiance.
The last Pokémon.
Even the noisy crowd fell silent together. Countless eyes gathered on the field, quietly waiting for the ending they had already imagined.
In the finals of the Galar Champion Cup, a trainer was about to defeat the opponent with a single Pokémon.
On the battlefield, the Poké Ball cracked open.
"It's Mr. Rime! Leon's final Pokémon!" Ryan's voice dropped to a tense growl. "Only one Pokémon remains. This year's Champion Cup will decide its final winner. One trainer will lift the trophy and become Galar's next Champion."
Shiro listened with no change in expression. Only his eyes grew brighter.
He shouted, "Corviknight! Use Aerial Ace!"
Following the command, Corviknight traced a beautiful arc across the battlefield. In Mr. Rime's stunned gaze, it vanished, then reappeared behind it and blasted it into the air.
Another instant knockout.
The battle was over.
Leon said nothing and gave no command.
He simply took out the prepared Poké Ball and recalled Mr. Rime before it had fully fallen.
He wanted to turn around and walk straight into the dim players' tunnel, but he knew he could not.
Showing weakness at someone else's moment of victory was not how a proper trainer should act.
He lifted his head. Corviknight was still flying above.
The psychic barriers withdrew. At the edge of the grass field, a square metal platform slowly rose. At its center stood the silver-white Champion's Trophy prepared by the League.
At that moment, thunderous cheers shook the entire stadium. Even the outskirts of Wyndon could hear them clearly.
"Ooooh!"
"Shiro! Shiro! Shiro…"
"Corviknight! Corviknight…"
"Champion! Galar Champion!"
"Champion…"
"...."
From Turffield to Hammerlocke, every trainer present was shouting. Even Leon's hometown, Postwick, spared no voice.
No matter where the sound came from, they all shouted the same name and the same truth.
Shiro. Corviknight.
The strongest challenger of this year's Gym Challenge. The Champion Cup winner. Galar's Champion.
The wave of sound felt like it could burst eardrums. It left heads ringing and minds spinning. Even Ryan's announcement that the battle had ended and the Champion should come forward to receive the trophy was completely drowned out by the crowd.
Shiro's name echoed through all of Wyndon, lingering long after the battle had ended.
**
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