Despite the unexpected turn, the battle was not over. The spectators turned their attention back to Grimmsnarl and Ogerpon on the field.
As things stood, Mingyou had already used Dynamax. The rules allowed each Trainer to use a battle system only once, while Marnie had yet to use hers. It was hard to say who had the better chance of winning.
Whatever the outcome, after what had just happened, they would probably never forget Marnie, the deadpan girl who stood apart from everyone else...
Rose had lost all interest in watching. He gazed through the window toward Mingyou, then turned and left. Oleana gritted her teeth and followed him, struggling to keep her anger in check.
Leon and Gloria stood nearby, their faces alight with excitement. Leon could hardly wait to battle Mingyou. He had known the Trainer would be worth watching. Unfortunately, their rankings were still too far apart. Mingyou would have to work harder before they could meet in the Master Ball tier.
"Then I'll watch this to the end!"
Back on the field...
Marnie had regained her composure. She knew Ogerpon was Mingyou's strongest Pokémon; everyone knew that. She had to go all out from the start, right here!
She recalled Grimmsnarl and raised its Poké Ball. Her Dynamax Band flashed, and the ball swelled in her hands, resonating with the Dynamax energy around them. A dark purple veil covered the sky once more.
"For victory... no. For us. Give it everything you've got! Gigantamax!"
Marnie murmured the words, cradled the enormous Poké Ball in both hands, then turned and hurled it into the sky. A deafening boom rang out. Grimmsnarl appeared, its limbs stretching longer as its hair grew thicker, until it towered over the field like a legendary, hair-cloaked cave giant.
"Pon!"
Ogerpon gripped its