Galar Region, Wyndon Stadium.
A deafening explosion rang out.
Smoke and dust rose like a mushroom cloud.
The entire stadium fell silent.
The dust slowly cleared.
Both Pokémon had reverted from their Mega Evolution.
Garchomp stood tall and proud.
Metagross's four iron claws dug deep into the ground, keeping it from collapsing. Its eyes still shone with determination.
"Metagross-"
In the end, Metagross was the first to give out.
The moment Metagross fell, Garchomp dropped to one knee, panting heavily.
"Metagross is unable to battle!
The winner is-Cynthia!"
Referee Rotom announced loudly.
The flag swung toward Cynthia.
After the silence came cheers and applause loud enough to blow the roof off Wyndon Stadium!
Cynthia let out a soft sigh of relief.
Now, only the final step remained.
Watching the television, Li Wei, Lucario, and the others had long since forgotten about winning or losing, utterly absorbed in the match.
Even the Chat Group fell silent for quite a while.
Yellow: "Cynthia won, right?"
Blue: "The referee already announced the result. Of course she won."
Red lowered the brim of his cap. "More and more rivals..."
Leaning back in his chair with his arms folded and one leg crossed over the other, Green wore a faint smile.
"They're all tough opponents."
Professor Oak joked, "If you enter next year, try not to lose too badly."
Green snorted. "They're the ones who should worry about losing badly, not me."
"Hahaha!"
Professor Oak could only marvel at how much his grandson took after him. He had exactly the same temperament as Oak in his youth, refusing to yield to anyone.
Steven walked onto the field and gently stroked the defeated Metagross. "Thanks for your hard work, Metagross."
Steven recalled Metagross.
He walked toward the approaching Cynthia.
Cynthia had already recalled Garchomp. A faint