It was none other than Cynthia's ace Pokémon—Garchomp! A Dragon-type pseudo-legendary praised across regions for its overwhelming strength.
A fierce and dominating aura continuously emanated from Garchomp. Despite facing dozens of enemy Pokémon, its eyes burned with a bloodthirsty intensity. Under the pressure of Garchomp's dragon aura, many of the weaker Pokémon on Team Galactic' side began to tremble in fear, some even stumbling backward instinctively.
"Give up your resistance. None of you are getting away today."
Cynthia's usual classical elegance was nowhere to be seen. She casually swept aside her cascading golden hair, her icy eyes surveying Team Galactic' members with a chilling gaze. She exuded dominance—just like her Garchomp.
"High-tier Champion Garchomp,"
Sensing Garchomp's strength, Lucas studied the dragon closely with growing interest.
Though this Garchomp was indeed at the high Champion level, with Cynthia's meticulous training and the naturally powerful physique of a pseudo-legendary Dragon-type, it was more than capable of holding its own against ordinary top-tier Champion-level opponents.
"It seems Cynthia still hasn't reached her peak."
Shaking his head slightly, Lucas mused to himself. At her prime, Cynthia stood on equal footing with top Champions like Lance, Leon and two others. Judging by Garchomp's current level, she'd probably need at least another year to reach her full potential.
"Who are you underestimating?! Purugly, use Shadow Claw!"
Sensing the tide turning against them, Mars gritted her teeth and issued an attack command.
They had to strike first—if they didn't act now, the morale of their Pokémon would collapse completely.
As Purugly lunged forward to attack, the other Pokémon received similar commands and launched a coordinated assault on Garchomp.
"Pointless struggle."
Cynthia remained calm as she watched them charge. If this was all they could muster, they had no hope of defeating her.
She was the Champion of Sinnoh—Cynthia Shirona!
"Garchomp, Earthquake!"
Cynthia gave her command calmly, and with a low growl, Garchomp lifted one foot and slammed it hard into the ground.
RUMBLE!
The entire Mt. Michina trembled violently, and deep cracks shot across the battlefield from Garchomp's position. A wave of invisible shockwaves erupted outward.
Under the tremendous force, Purugly and the other charging Pokémon lost their footing and collapsed instantly. The Earthquake had come too quickly—they couldn't react in time.
The shockwave engulfed them, and cries of pain rang out in all directions. Within seconds, they were all down.
"What a powerful Earthquake…"
Marnie had just released her Grimmsnarl and used it for support to keep her balance. The sheer power left her visibly shaken.
An Earthquake strong enough to rattle an entire mountain—Garchomp was clearly holding back, too. The epicenter had clearly been focused where the enemy Pokémon stood.
When the tremors ceased, every grounded Pokémon lay unconscious. Only airborne Pokémon like Bronzor remained standing.
A single Earthquake had taken out over a dozen enemy Pokémon.
"Tch—Cynthia's reputation is well deserved."
Even Sheena and Kevin, who rarely left their homes, gasped in awe. Though they had seen Dialga with their own eyes, they had never seen it fight. And because of Sheena's power of aura, Dialga had never shown hostility toward them.
Strictly speaking, this was their first real exposure to overwhelming Pokémon power.
Compared to them, Team Galactic looked utterly miserable.
"Boss, you need to retreat now!"
Mars expression was grim. She had known they couldn't defeat Cynthia, but she hadn't expected their Pokémon to be this helpless—like cheap scrap metal in the face of Garchomp's might.
It was clear they wouldn't even be able to buy time for Cyrus to escape…
"You have my thanks."
Cyrus's expression remained indifferent, but his eyes flickered as he watched Cynthia.
This was the first time he was facing the new Sinnoh Champion directly. The pressure Cynthia exuded far surpassed that of her predecessor.
And far beyond his own strength.
Accepting this, Cyrus abandoned any thought of engaging her. He wasn't a match for her.
"Crobat."
He summoned his Crobat and grabbed onto its feet, preparing to flee.
With Crobat's speed, and since Cynthia hadn't yet intercepted him, he should be able to get away.
"When I master the power of the Jewel of Life and captured Palkia and Dialga, I'll create a truly perfect world!"
His eyes gleamed with ambition. A temporary loss meant nothing.
Besides, he had gained the Jewel of Life. That alone was a huge victory. Let the Sinnoh League bask in their temporary triumph.
Crobat took to the air, flapping its wings frantically to carry Cyrus away from Mt. Michina.
But then—it happened.
A mysterious blue aura enveloped Crobat's purple body. No matter how hard it flapped, it couldn't move an inch!
"Psychic!"
Cyrus' expression finally changed. His face grew tense and uncertain.
That was a Psychic-type move!
But how?
While he knew he was weaker than Cynthia, as a mid-level Champion, he wasn't weak. And Crobat was still a Champion-level Pokémon—how could it be locked down like this?
Did Cynthia even have a Psychic-type powerhouse? He had never heard of it.
"Come down."
A malicious grin appeared on Lucas's face.
Beside him stood Gardevoir, its eyes glowing with intense blue light. One slender arm extended toward Crobat and Cyrus.
"Voirr~"
Gardevoir let out a gentle cry and lightly waved its arm. Cyrus and Crobat, utterly unable to resist, were slammed to the ground.
A wave of searing pain surged through Cyrus' arms and legs, but he only furrowed his brows and gritted his teeth to endure it.
"Who are you?"
Cyrus struggled to his feet, glanced at the now-dim Gardevoir, and then locked eyes with Lucas, asking coldly.
There was no need to guess—this man was at least as strong as Cynthia, maybe even stronger.
"You may call me Lucas."
Lucas responded with a refined smile, giving a gentleman's bow.
Lucas?
Cyrus' brow tightened. He had never heard of a Champion-tier trainer by that name in the Pokémon League.
Meanwhile, Cynthia, who was mopping up the rest of Team Galactic, had already diverted most of her attention toward Lucas.
The difference in strength between her and Team Galactic was overwhelming. Even with superior numbers, they posed no threat.
The key target was Cyrus—the leader of Team Galactic.
"I've long heard the name of Team Galactic's Cyrus. But now that I meet you…"
Lucas tilted his head slightly, eyes roaming over Cyrus. His smile took on a wicked edge.
"You really don't live up to the hype~ Hard to believe Sird remains loyal to the likes of you."
His mocking words rang clearly in Cyrus' ears. For someone who usually showed no emotion, his face immediately darkened.
"How do you know that? No—wait!"
Cyrus' already gloomy face grew even darker, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
Sird! One of the Team Rocket's Three Beasts —Sird was actually an undercover spy for Team Galactic!
Yes, it was true. Cyrus had sent her to infiltrate Team Rocket. And this was supposed to be a top-secret mission—known only to the two of them.
So how did this man know?
Suddenly, realization dawned.
"You're that executive from Team Rocket!"
This man wasn't a Pokémon League trainer at all. He was from Team Rocket!
There was no way anyone outside of him and Sird could've known about her infiltration.
"Sird! That traitorous scum—she betrayed me!"
A vicious chill filled Cyrus' eyes. It had to be her—there was no other explanation.
He also remembered now—Sird had once mentioned a newly promoted top Rocket Executive named Lucas, who rose to power only half a year ago.
"So, you understand now, Cyrus. No need to be angry."
Lucas toyed with a minimized Poké Ball in his hand as he looked calmly at Cyrus.
"After all, someone of your level could never handle a subordinate as capable as Sird. Team Galactic? Hardly worthy of her loyalty."
His voice was casual, but his words stabbed deep. Cyrus' eyes darkened further.
What did he mean—"you couldn't handle her"? "Team Galactic isn't worthy"?
"A Team Rocket Executive, huh?"
Cynthia and the others finally realized Lucas's identity.
Her expression grew serious. Compared to Cyrus, this young man was the real threat.
She had suspected from the beginning that something was off—but hadn't expected him to be part of an evil organization like Team Rocket.
"Hey, hey, hey… is it really okay to expose yourself like this?"
Marnie, noting the change in Cynthia's demeanor, nervously edged closer to Lucas again.
"Cyrus doesn't look like he's taking this well."
Lucas gave Cynthia and the others a passing glance but didn't seem to care. He never intended to hide his identity in the first place.
(End of Chapter)