Watching Cynthia part the crowd and approach the battlefield in a long black dress, her delicate features cool and composed, Yong asked with a mixture of delight and confusion,
"How... why are you in Eterna City?"
Cynthia smiled faintly and said meaningfully,
"I have some business here... and it concerns you..."
Taken aback, Yong pointed at himself and asked,
"Me?"
Cynthia nodded without elaborating. Instead, she took out a Pokémon Ball and held it in her hand, saying softly,
"This battlefield isn't suitable for them, so how about a warm-up before our proper battle?"
Yong knew exactly who Cynthia meant by "them." He smiled and nodded, setting aside his other thoughts to focus on the battle at hand.
He couldn't ask for a better opponent than Cynthia!
"Since it's just a warm-up, this is the Pokémon I'll use! Pupitar!"
Yong pointed at the Pupitar in front of him with a smile. Cynthia nodded calmly.
"I didn't expect you to have a trump card like Pupitar..."
A breeze swept past, gently stirring the young woman's golden hair.
"In that case, I'll have to send out a new member and see how she does."
With that, Cynthia flicked her hand, sending her Pokémon Ball spinning through the air. A burst of light illuminated the courtyard!
The surrounding crowd stepped back, clearing a larger space. Quiet conversations even began to rise among them.
"It's Miss Cynthia! The winner of the Lily of the Valley Conference two tournaments ago!"
"I remember that boy! Isn't he the winner of the last Hoenn Region Pokémon League Conference?"
"Oh... no wonder they both looked familiar..."
"Champion against champion..."
The surrounding chatter did nothing to affect Yong or Cynthia's focus. Instead, a flicker of surprise crossed Yong's eyes when he saw the Pokémon Cynthia had sent out.
It