One attack came roaring up from below: a colossal iron hammer.
The other streaked in from the flank like a ribbon of light: a holy blade of moonlit energy.
From two utterly different vectors, they struck at Roaring Moon at the same instant.
Nowhere to dodge. Nowhere to flee.
"ROAR!"
A last, desperate bellow—one final struggle.
In this space, it was useless.
The next heartbeat—
THUD!
Schrrrip!
Two sounds, almost simultaneous.
The great hammer landed true and brutal, smashing down on its skull. The raw physical force burst all at once; even that hardened headplate gave with an ugly crack.
At the same time, the "Moonblast" forged into a blade punched straight through its chest. Fairy power rampaged inside it, tearing at every cell.
Two very different deaths, both absolute, detonated within Roaring Moon.
A scream so keen it made the air quiver—then cut off.
Its massive body froze midair, the light in its eyes dying away in an instant. Then, like a kite with its string cut, it crashed to earth, gouging a deep crater and throwing mud in sheets.
It lay there at the bottom, completely still.
[In battle with Roaring Moon…]
[Roaring Moon felled…]
[Roaring Moon Pokédex completion +50%]
As the tyrant fell, Trick Room quietly unraveled. The translucent cube dissolved into drifting motes. The long, punishing rain finished its work and tapered off. Clouds thinned; a shaft of sunlight speared down, gilding the scarred battlefield.
Jason dropped his transformation, slumping back into soft, jellylike Ditto form. Beside him, Iron Valiant dismissed its stance as well, and the two of them flopped down hard, gulping air. Relief and bone-deep exhaustion washed in together.
A small shape drifted over—Haunter.
She floated to Jason's side, her little face scrubbed clean of fear and worry, replaced by irrepressible excitement and joy. Her big eyes glittered like polished onyx.
"Jason! I did it!" she chimed, voice bright and eager. "Just now… just now it was me who made the difference, right? I helped you turn it around!"
Jason couldn't help a tired smile at her "please-praise-me" expression. He lifted a bit of himself like a hand and patted her head.
"That's right. You were a huge part of it."
The powder of battle hadn't fully settled, the glow of victory hadn't even warmed the chest, when urgent footsteps pounded closer. Four bright silhouettes rushed up.
Cynthia led. Even ankle-deep in mud, the woman in black moved with unfussed poise. Her face didn't show much, but something clear and approving sparked in her eyes.
Nemona came hot on her heels, trademark green-and-red ponytail bouncing. Excitement and worry were written plain on her face; her emerald eyes never left Jason.
Iono, for once, had tucked away her playful smile. The sharky grin was hidden; that fight had rattled her. Her oversized jacket rose and fell with her breath; she was still angling her Rotom Phone to catch the scene—streamer instincts intact even now.
Last was Liko, and she looked the most shaken. The girl's small face was all aftershock and fright; her gaze flicked Jason, Valiant, Haunter—checking, rechecking that they were all right.
They reached the trio and ringed them.
"I knew you could do it." Cynthia spoke first, kneeling to check Valiant's damage, then turning to Jason. "You did not disappoint me."
"Jason! That was way too reckless!" Nemona blurted, breathless. She crouched, hand darting toward his soft body, then stopping midair for fear of hurting him. "You scared me to death! I thought… I thought you were going to lose!"
Liko hurried up too, blue eyes still wide with remnants of terror. "Jason, are you okay? And Valiant… and Haunter—you all worked so hard."
Iono kept one arm high to frame the shot for chat while she practically shouted with that signature vocoder lilt: "Holy smokes, Jason! That finisher was incredible! Do you have any idea? My stream has completely exploded!"
And so it had. Comments sheeted across her screen until they smothered the image.
"Trick Room was inspired—pure galaxy brain!"
"JASON-GOD! From dead lost to textbook reversal!"
"Roaring Moon looked like a ghost it was so fast, and you control-locked it?!"
"Jason's not just cracked; his mons have soul! That little Haunter—I stan!"
"Jason! Jason! Forever God!"
Viewers went feral, gifts and animations cascading until Iono's phone actually felt warm.
Buried in the tide were a few verified lines that set chat ablaze:
[Galar – Hulbury Gym – Leader Nessa: Breathtaking tactics. Jason, if you have a chance, come challenge my gym in Hulbury. I'd love to see what you and your partners can do on a water field.]
"NESSA?? My queen!"
"A Galar gym leader watching?!"
"Jason's clout just broke the meter!"
And then:
[Unova – Mistralton Gym – Leader Skyla: Ooh la la! Such an artistic reversal! Passion and imagination aflame! Young trainer, your battle set my creative soul burning! Do visit Mistralton! Let me welcome you with the most dazzling display of Bug-type brilliance!]
"SKYLA too? What is even happening?!"
"Jason's going global!"
Followed by a shy spark:
[Kalos – Laverre Gym – Leader Valerie: So strong. That… Tinkaton… no, that Ditto… is very cute. If you visit Kalos, would you… stop by my gym? I want… I'd like to design a unique outfit for you.]
"VALERIE! The fairy queen!"
"AW SL—she called Jason cute!"
"Jason: sorry, not into human clothes. (kappa)"
"Today is Jason's apotheosis. All in favor?"
While chat rioted, the mood on the field turned oddly delicate. Jason glanced at the four girls around him and, for once, drew a blank.
"I'm fine. Really. Just need a bit to catch my breath—feels all soft right now, like I only want to flop," he said.
Hearing the ease in his tone, Nemona finally exhaled. Then—at soft—she couldn't help herself; she poked him. "Whoa! Softer than before!" Her fingers sank into something cool and springy; she grinned. "Jason, like this you're so cute! Even cuter than that pink loli—"
"Hey hey, what pink loli?" Jason sputtered. "That's Tinkaton. A very strong Pokémon, thank you."
"Mm, more like a bruiser than a loli," Nemona teased, sticking out her tongue—and poked him again. "Still, I like you like this better. Feels nice to touch."
It was guileless curiosity on her face, all warmth and closeness—but it made the air tilt warmer still. Liko's cheeks colored; she thought Ditto-Jason was adorable too, but reaching out the way Nemona did… she didn't have the nerve. "You really worked hard, Jason," she murmured instead. "When we get back, I'll cook something good to help you recover."
Cynthia didn't paw at him like Nemona, but her eyes never left him. Watching him, watching Nemona and Liko, she smiled, small and private.
"Your performance exceeded my expectations," she said softly, her voice low but clear to all. "You're powerful, yes—but more importantly, you found the win in a hopeless state, and trusted your partners without reservation. That is what matters most at the top."
"I find myself more and more eager to see you, as a trainer, standing at the summit of this world."
It was as high a praise as Cynthia ever gave—placing him, in spirit, beside her.
Jason wriggled, embarrassed. "You flatter me. We only won because of everyone. Without Valiant up front and Haunter at the end, I'd have been a pancake."
"Modesty is fine; false modesty is not," Cynthia shook her head. "Victory is proof."
Then she reached out a hand. Unlike Nemona, she didn't poke—she simply stroked the "top" of his head, gentle and warm, reassurance and praise in one.
He felt the fine warmth of her palm—and for a flicker, his jelly went… less jelly.
Iono's chat, of course, caught every second.
"CYNTHIA HEADPATS Jason!"
"Why is this so shippable?!"
"Hands off that Ditto—MY turn!"
"Why wasn't I born a Ditto?! RNG diff!"
"Tell me it's not just me—the vibe is weirdly tense."
"Tense? Sister, it's a straight-up love polygon—look at Nemona's and Liko's faces!"
Sure enough, after Cynthia's touch, Nemona's finger went still. The grin stayed, but something unreadable flickered in her eyes. Liko ducked her head, her expression hidden.
Only Iono, agent of chaos, kept narrating with glee. "Wow wow! Cynthia x Jason live! Rare footage! Gifts, gifts, throw the fish balls! Follow for front-row seats to THE DRAMA!"
She even shoved the phone toward Jason's face, angling for a close-up.
"IONO!" Jason finally snapped, flopping up to block the lens. "Can you be serious? You're still streaming!"
"I am serious," she huffed. "My viewers deserve the raw, the real, the spicy! You're a superstar now—everyone cares!"
Then she leaned in and stage-whispered, just for him: "Also… don't you think being surrounded by so many pretty girls is, like, super lucky?"
Jason: …
He had no words.
Lucky?
…It did feel kind of lucky, actually.
~~~
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