As the building collapsed, the ranking match came to an end. Only when the referee announced the result did the audience recover from the shocking sight of Duraludon being elbowed to death by "Cyclizar," and the stands instantly erupted.
"Yeah! What a fight!"
"That's how you should fight! No, that's the only way to fight!"
Sure, Raihan getting taken out instantly was pretty tragic, but what did that have to do with these bloodthirsty spectators? The fiercer the match, the better. Now they could hardly wait to see Mingyou elbow his way straight to Champion.
Listening to the audience's cheers, Leon kept smiling, but inwardly, he was genuinely stunned by the strength Mingyou's Cyclizar had displayed. He looked forward to battling him more than ever.
Meanwhile.
Far away in Rose Tower, Macro Cosmos's headquarters in Wyndon, Rose closed the ranking match's livestream, rose to his feet, and walked to the window, gazing out over the city below.
"What an extraordinary fellow... Was that really a Cyclizar? I think I saw technology that doesn't belong in this era. An artificial Pokémon like Silvally, perhaps?"
"Unfortunately, that isn't what I'm after. Technology alone, without the capacity to put it into practice, gets you nowhere. With enough energy... I could do something like that myself!"
Rose murmured to himself, then took out his Rotom Phone and called his secretary, Oleana. "Mingyou's ranking won't be changing now. It's about time to begin preparations."
"Understood, but this person..."
"It doesn't matter. He poses no threat, unless... he intends to make an enemy of the entire Galar Region!"
"...Understood."
Putting down his Rotom Phone, Rose slipped both hands into his pockets and continued admiring Wyndon's scenery through the window. Before long, the entire Galar Region would enjoy scenery just as beautiful.
Back at Hammerlocke Stadium,