"He won!"
Inside the lobby, Marvin was the first to shout at the top of his lungs. He threw his arms high into the air, as if he were the one who had just won the Champion Cup.
One Pokémon against six.
Leon was defeated.
This match alone was something he could brag about for at least ten years.
Behind him, Milo scratched the back of his head. "So this is the finals. It was completely one-sided…"
"Disappointed?" Opal asked, leaning on her cane.
"More surprised, I guess." Milo shook his head slightly. "I never thought Leon would be beaten like this."
He had imagined the finals being close, or possibly one-sided, but never this fast.
Still, for future Gym Leaders like them, who became Champion was not that important.
The Champion chosen this time would be the figure the League and Macro Cosmos promoted most heavily over the next ten years. No matter who it was, they were expected to keep winning the next three Champion Cup tournaments.
Judging by the current outcome, however, this was probably far from what the company had hoped for.
"He really won…"
At the very front, Raihan let out a heavy breath. He gave a couple of light pats to the stunned Rylan beside him, then turned and walked toward the lobby's main entrance.
Since the victory was decided, the real act was about to begin.
Nessa noticed Raihan's movement first and followed immediately. Allister trailed right behind her.
Macro Cosmos was definitely going to make another move.
* * *
Wyndon Stadium VIP room.
Rose also exhaled deeply and stepped up to the floor-to-ceiling window.
He took out his communicator and asked, "Peony, are you ready?"
"We've already arrived…" Peony replied, his tone strange. "But that person is here too."
Rose smiled in satisfaction when he heard this.
"In that case, let him handle it personally."
He ended the call and turned toward Shielbert, who lay unconscious on the sofa behind him. He walked over slowly and pulled a rectangular black device from his coat.
Holding it horizontally, Rose pressed a button. A strange blue light instantly swept over Shielbert's body.
He bent down smoothly and removed several obsidian-like Poké Balls from the man's belt.
Shielbert's natural psychic power showed no reaction at all.
The drugs and the device both worked.
Got them.
The smile on Rose's face deepened as excitement surged uncontrollably in his chest.
He strode back to the window and gazed down at the conspicuous champion's trophy, murmuring to himself, "You always exceed my expectations. Still, this outcome isn't bad. Shiro, let's begin…"
Rose spread his arms wide, his smile radiant.
"This is our escape plan."
* * *
Wyndon Stadium.
At the edge of the battlefield, the focus of everyone's attention, Shiro looked only at Corviknight, paying no mind to anything else.
The roar of the crowd in his ears was like endlessly erupting magma, blazing hot and never stopping.
Yet his battle was already over.
"Corviknight!"
Shiro shouted and suddenly broke into a sprint.
Above the slightly disordered grass, Corviknight dove down.
"Corviknight, let's go." Shiro called softly.
With a light leap, he landed perfectly on Corviknight's back.
Before the stunned eyes of countless spectators, Corviknight did not circle or hesitate. Just as if it had been planned in advance, it flew straight toward the sky.
The cheers below slowly turned into murmurs.
"What is Shiro doing?"
"He flew away with Corviknight!"
"Was this arranged by the League, or is it a sudden decision?"
"Even Leon looks surprised."
"But he hasn't taken the trophy yet…" Woods muttered, standing with a banner raised in his hands.
Even if it was some League or Macro Cosmos organized event, he could not just leave without the trophy.
And what about the Champion photos with his Pokémon?
Gone too?
A nearby officer whispered quietly, "Could the trophy be meant for Leon?"
"…"
Listening to the crowd, Ryan seemed to realize something. He leaned heavily against the railing of the referee's stand. After briefly checking his vibrating communicator, he raised the microphone.
"Corviknight has taken flight. It seems they plan to circle Wyndon. Let us witness…"
But Shiro could no longer hear the noise behind him.
Corviknight had already carried him out of the bird's-nest-shaped Wyndon Stadium. The Eldgoss at the very top floated beside them like balloons before gradually falling behind.
On the steel framework at the stadium's peak, more than a dozen Corviknight beat their wings in succession, dragging passenger pods beneath them as they followed closely.
Inside those pods were cameramen holding their equipment steady, continuing to film amid the roaring wind.
Shiro lay low against Corviknight's back. The head-on gale felt like a soft yet cutting blade, stinging his cheeks. His hair was pressed flat against the back of his head, occasionally lifting and dancing.
Freedom.
His heart had never felt this unrestrained.
The sky was an unbelievable shade of blue.
There were almost no clouds at all, or perhaps they were so thin they covered the entire sky invisibly.
Corviknight spread its wings wide. Its black feathers surged upward, constantly brushing against Shiro's arms.
In the distance, the sea had already come into view, along with the S.S. Anne approaching the shore.
* * *
Outside Wyndon Stadium.
Led by Raihan, a group of trainers rushed out of the lobby and slowly descended the steps.
High above, a formation of Corviknight flew in perfect order. Under the guidance of the leading one, they moved straight out of Wyndon.
Opal lifted the brim of her hat. Her slightly hunched body straightened as much as it could as she asked, "Is he leaving?"
"Yes," Nessa replied softly, feeling an inexplicable emptiness.
Marvin quietly leaned toward Raihan and whispered, "Do you know what the company is going to—"
Before he could finish, Raihan cut him off. "Come on. You're the one who works for them."
Marvin gave an awkward laugh and asked again, "So…"
Raihan glanced at him sideways and asked back in a low voice, "Do you know why our clan refuses to go to war with Macro Cosmos?"
Marvin shook his head in confusion. The others nearby listened carefully.
Raihan looked toward the southern sky.
"What we fear isn't Rose. It's the people above him. They command legendary power."
* * *
The southern sky was tinged with crimson.
It was not sunset, yet it felt like one. Strange red clouds drifted beneath a pale pink haze. At the center of those clouds, the silhouette of a gigantic bird flickered in and out of view.
Marnie did not know what it was, and she did not even notice it.
She was running along Route 10, with no one ahead of her and the exhausted Team Yell members barely able to keep up behind.
She could faintly hear the shouting from Wyndon Stadium. She didn't know if it was the Champion Cup finals.
If it was, then was Shiro battling Leon right now?
The match should only just be starting…
Her legs burned with soreness, and she was nearly unable to run anymore, yet she kept moving forward.
Marnie kept her eyes fixed on the direction of Wyndon Stadium.
Vaguely, a Corviknight seemed to fly out from there.
No.
It was a group.
As the Corviknight drew closer, Marnie instinctively stepped backward until the leading one reached the closest point in the sky beside her.
She shouted without thinking.
"Shiro!"
There was no response.
The Corviknight formation flew farther and farther away. Marnie jogged after them for a few steps, but she could not keep up. Their flight path was not aligned with hers.
Panting heavily, she could only shout toward the sky.
"Corviknight!"
Still no answer.
The Corviknight gradually vanished from sight.
Out of strength, she braced her hands on her knees, lowered her head, and murmured toward the dull gray pavement.
"Fly on, Corviknight…"
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!