"What's happening?!"
At that moment, all of Sinnoh plunged into chaos. People screamed, panicked, and stared in horror as the weather across the entire region was suddenly swept away—replaced by a blazing sun and scorching heat.
The sun blazed overhead, its searing rays baking every inch of Sinnoh.
In Snowpoint City, the citizens were utterly stunned—their perpetually snow-covered home had suddenly been graced with clear skies.
Even the snow was starting to melt, sending a wave of panic through everyone.
"This is…"
The chairwoman of the Sinnoh League looked grim. She was being bombarded with phone calls and messages, giving her a massive headache.
But what bothered her most was seeing Joseph Stone, already at the scene, assembling a strange weapon with a cold, expressionless face.
Back in Twinleaf Town, Groudon's body was completely cloaked in glowing magma, covered with strange markings. Its presence grew even more overwhelming.
The ground cracked open as a violent earthquake shook the area—instantly knocking the Lake Trio unconscious.
"ROARRRR!!"
Primal Groudon let out a terrifying roar.
Cyrus's face darkened as he watched the Lake Trio, now completely incapacitated.
"What's going on?!"
Shizuka finally regained her senses. Just moments ago, her will and emotions had been stripped away, turning her into a lifeless doll.
Now that she was awake again, what she saw made her blood run cold—a colossal, terrifying legendary Pokémon stood right in front of Edward.
"I flipped the table."
Edward looked at Primal Groudon and spoke weakly.
His entire body felt exhausted, like someone climbing Mount Everest with a raging fever—completely drained, both physically and mentally.
He finally understood why Mega Evolution had so many limitations. But staring at Groudon and at Cyrus—whose expression had soured—Edward felt slightly better.
This wasn't how he wanted things to go.
He had only come to this place to calm the wrath of Dialga and Palkia, to do his part for the Sinnoh Region.
But then Cyrus showed up, and everything spiraled into the chaos it was now.
He'd barely kept up with Cyrus's relentless, calculated strikes—only to discover that the man could literally see the future, forcing Edward into multiple near-death situations.
So Edward figured… if he was up against a cheater, using an even stronger cheat wasn't out of line.
"So Cyrus, what's your next move?"
Edward exhaled and recalled Q and Fortune—both exhausted and incapable of continuing. Leaving them out would only distract him now.
"Simple."
Cyrus looked at him, then raised the disc in his hand.
Edward's eyes narrowed. He glanced at the temple—damaged but still standing amidst the rampaging legendaries. If he could get that temple to play the sacred tune again, maybe it could calm them down.
But the problem was… he didn't have the disc key needed to activate it.
"I planned for many outcomes… but I admit, your Groudon was beyond expectations."
Cyrus said calmly, raising the disc with the same hand that bore the cobalt-blue gemstone ring.
Meanwhile, Groudon, having finished with the Lake Trio, launched another attack toward Dialga.
But the tides had already turned.
The Lake Trio were down.
Cyrus's Pokémon were heavily injured. Only Magnezone could still move.
On Edward's side, Zoroark had clawed its way out of the rubble and was now standing protectively by his side.
Shizuka's Pokémon were all down as well, but with Zoroark present, Edward didn't feel like they were going to lose.
"Boss, I'm definitely filing for a lot of overtime after this."
Zoroark panted. Today had been the most intense day of its life—more thrilling than any long, boring month combined.
"No worries, I'll give you ten million worth of crystals if that's what it takes."
Edward looked at Cyrus with a rising sense of unease.
Why was he raising the disc? What was he planning?
It didn't seem like a bluff. If Cyrus wanted to threaten him, he would've done so long ago.
"Zoroark, break—"
Edward was just about to order Zoroark to break Cyrus's arm and stop him from holding up the disc, when—
"Self-destruct, Magnezone."
Cyrus's cold, emotionless voice rang out.
Even in this realm corrupted by the Distortion World, Edward felt a chill run down his spine.
And Magnezone didn't hesitate—it flew forward and triggered a full self-destruction.
Caught off guard, Edward could only dive down and pull Zoroark and Shizuka with him.
Even then, the shockwave from the explosion sent a metallic taste into his throat.
"That lunatic!"
Edward had lost count of how many times he'd cursed Cyrus as a madman.
But this time, he truly meant it.
Who else but a madman would do something like this?
Magnezone utterly destroyed itself in the blast. Its shattered parts scattered everywhere, and one jagged piece of metal pierced Edward's leg, making him feel the pain only after he looked down.
Magnezone was dead.
Truly, completely dead.
In the games, Self-Destruct just dropped a Pokémon's HP to zero. But in reality, depending on the situation, a Pokémon could sacrifice its life to amplify the power of its explosion.
And that's exactly what Magnezone had done.
"What the hell is he trying to do?!"
Edward looked toward the clearing dust cloud.
Zoroark struggled to its feet beside him, and Shizuka swayed dizzily—disoriented by the blast.
And Cyrus—
Was still holding the disc high.
He seemed to sense Edward's gaze and turned to meet it.
Edward froze.
In Cyrus's eyes, a wild, manic joy flickered—only to be quickly hidden behind a mask of calm.
"Edward, I've won."
Cyrus said it flatly.
Edward didn't understand. What was he talking about?
And then, in the very next moment—
A beam of light pierced through Cyrus's hand, unleashing an explosion of power that shattered Dialga's Time Gem.
Time itself unraveled in a burst of uncontrollable, raging force.
As the blinding light erupted, Edward instinctively stumbled back.
What… was that?
What kind of power… could detonate the Time Gem?
Cyrus… you insane bastard!
(End of Chapter)