Cynthia stared at the distant battle, momentarily dazed.
A moment later, a look of sudden realization appeared on her face.
She knew both of Cyrus's ace Pokémon very well.
Tornadus, needless to say, was part of her first meeting with Elias, the very first Pokémon she encountered upon arriving in the Hisui region.
A Pokémon that had left a deep impression on her.
As for Tornadus's final destination…
Cynthia remembered Cogita mentioning before her departure that she was searching for a suitable home for Tornadus.
Cogita had even asked Cynthia if she wanted to take Tornadus herself.
However, Cynthia had politely declined.
Now it seemed… the Pokémon had likely been given to Cyllene.
Cynthia gazed thoughtfully at the green figure flying in the sky, memories drifting through her mind.
She then turned her attention to the massive Snorlax.
She didn't have a strong impression of this Snorlax; she only knew it had been captured by Zoroark with an incomplete [Origin Ball].
Beyond that, nobody knew exactly what happened.
Similarly, before leaving, Zoroark had given this Snorlax to Kamado as a peace offering.
Clearly, Snorlax had remained with the Galaxy Team ever since, passing down through generations.
These two Pokémon, now considered Team Galactic's trump cards, technically belonged to Elias.
Yet now, they were being used against her.
Anger surged through Cynthia's heart.
"Lucario."
She tilted her head slightly, calling softly to the Lucario beside her.
Lucario, who had long been poised and ready, immediately kicked off the ground, charging forward at incredible speed.
Aura condensed into a bone staff in his hand, spinning swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, Lucario appeared in the center of the battlefield.
[Bone Rush]
Before Tornadus and Snorlax could react, Lucario's barrage of strikes rained down on them.
Bang! Bang! Bang—!
A rapid series of heavy blows resounded.
Tornadus and Snorlax felt as if their bodies had been crushed by a massive weight, almost breaking apart.
Yet amidst the pain, an odd sense of familiarity arose.
Especially for Tornadus—despite the painful strikes, a bizarre joy welled up inside him, leaving him momentarily frozen.
Boom—!
With a final elegant swing from Lucario, both Snorlax and Tornadus were sent flying.
They crashed hard onto the ground, sliding through dust and debris.
"Mew!"
"Lati!"
Behind Lucario, Mew and Latias waved their little arms excitedly, cheering in delight.
Although they didn't know why Tornadus and Snorlax suddenly became so dazed, gaining the upper hand was definitely good news.
Across from them, Cyrus frowned deeply.
He had noticed his Pokémon's strange behavior and instinctively assumed it was due to some item Lucario carried.
After all, in an unrestricted battle, it was common for Pokémon to use odd items, traps, or even poison.
If that were the case, it made sense his Pokémon had momentarily faltered.
Still…
Cyrus's lips curled into a slight smirk.
He casually took out a small yellow bottle and sprayed Tornadus and Snorlax, who were slowly rising to their feet.
[Antidote]—a must-have item for every capable trainer.
He smugly thought to himself.
However, his satisfaction quickly evaporated.
"It didn't work?"
His brow furrowed deeper in confusion.
Even after using the antidote, Tornadus and Snorlax remained hesitant.
Moreover, Tornadus, known for his fierce demeanor, now wore a rare look of shock.
More precisely… as if he'd just seen a ghost.
Which, in fact, was close to the truth.
Tornadus, who had been about to erupt into rage, immediately deflated upon seeing the familiar Lucario and Cynthia.
Memories sealed for centuries suddenly surged back.
Tornadus couldn't comprehend why he was seeing Lucario and Cynthia again.
Considering human lifespans… wasn't it impossible for them to live for hundreds of years?
"Long time no see."
Meeting Tornadus's gaze, Lucario calmly approached, greeting him casually.
With those simple words, Tornadus's final doubts shattered completely.
"Whoo~ (Long... long time no see)"
He waved helplessly, giving a reluctant greeting.
Immediately afterward, he glared fiercely at Cyrus, as if blaming him for the mess he'd caused.
Centuries ago, before his capture, Tornadus had attacked Cynthia in the Frozen Tundra.
Ever since then, she had never really liked him.
Back then, at least Cogita protected him, and Elias occasionally spoke up for him.
But now…
Elias and Cogita were gone, leaving him with only a cold Lucario staring him down.
Tornadus felt utterly drained.
"Tornadus, take Cyrus down."
At this moment, Cynthia's commanding voice reached his ears.
Tornadus's eyes lit up immediately.
He realized this was his chance to redeem himself.
Meanwhile, noticing Tornadus's sudden shift, Cyrus instinctively took two steps back.
These Pokémon had belonged to Team Galactic for generations—why were they suddenly responding to Cynthia's commands?
He couldn't comprehend it.
But one thing was clear—his plan was quickly spiraling out of control.
---
Meanwhile, in the Distortion World, the battle grew increasingly intense.
Perhaps due to natural compatibility, even Dialga and Palkia working together couldn't overpower Giratina.
Under Giratina's relentless pressure, Dialga and Palkia gradually opened a passageway above Spear Pillar, connecting to the real world.
"Elias, should we intervene?"
Observing from afar, Zoroark quietly asked Elias.
Beside him, Gardevoir looked equally curious.
"Not yet."
Elias shook his head, responding calmly.
This was exactly the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
Since conventional methods barely affected Giratina, perhaps unconventional tactics would fare better.
"When Giratina tries to escape through that passageway, we'll destroy it," Elias instructed his Pokémon.
Temporary passages like this, linking two worlds, were extremely unstable.
Even a moderately powerful attack could trigger an explosion.
Unlike Arceus, Giratina would have no choice but to endure such a blast head-on.
This method might seriously injure it.
"Remember to stay away from the passageway," Elias cautioned again.
If caught in the blast, even Zoroark and Gardevoir could be seriously harmed.