Elias's Pokémon—Cynthia had seen them all. And so far, he was the only Trainer who'd made her feel a real sense of threat.
Even with Garchomp at her side, Cynthia wouldn't dare claim she could win for sure.
As for Cogita, while Cynthia had never fought her personally, that day on the Pure White Tundra, she'd noticed something—
Those two Pokémon, Enamorus and Tornadus—not only did their names echo the legendary pair, but their appearances shared uncanny similarities.
So it wasn't much of a stretch to guess: Cogita had two legendary Pokémon of her own.
That kind of lineup—never mind in the fledgling Hisui region—even on the modern league stage, would place her among the elite.
"So… who's going to win?"
Chin resting lightly on her palm, Cynthia gazed down at the battlefield with keen interest.
...
Meanwhile—
Elias and Cogita had taken their positions at opposite ends of the arena under the guidance of the organizers.
Since Elias hadn't made the technology behind Poké Ball production public yet, Trainers still kept their Pokémon close by when taking the field.
Cogita, though she had received a Poké Ball from Elias, for some unknown reason had already released Enamorus and Tornadus beforehand.
Though their appearances were, frankly, a bit unsightly, the sheer presence they exuded was undeniable.
Especially since no one else had ever seen these two legendary Pokémon—it instantly caused a stir.
"What are those Pokémon?"
"No idea. Is she from the Pearl Clan? I've never seen her before."
"Doesn't look like it…"
A flurry of chatter broke out in the stands. Both clans speculated which side Cogita belonged to.
On the field, Cogita curved her lips slightly.
Then she gestured to the two Pokémon at her side and introduced them:
"My Pokémon—Enamorus and Tornadus."
The clan chief, acting as the referee, nodded along with a look of vague understanding.
Clearly, he didn't recognize either of them.
Before he could figure out how to follow up, Elias stepped into position on the opposite end.
Unlike Cogita, Elias had no Pokémon visible at his side.
The clan chief's breath caught. He leaned in, whispering urgently:
"Elias, did you forget to bring your Pokémon?"
After all, Elias was representing the Pearl Clan—he was one of their best hopes for victory.
Now seeing him without a single Pokémon, the clan chief was more anxious than Elias himself.
"My Pokémon's right here."
In response, Elias pulled a Poké Ball from his waist, held it up, and casually tossed it into the arena.
Bang—
With a flash of white light, Lucario—already raring to go—leapt nimbly into view.
Sunlight streamed across his frame, catching the gleam of the [Mega Stone] hanging at his neck.
The moment Lucario appeared, the entire field fell into a brief, stunned silence.
And then—
From spectators to arena staff, a thunderous uproar erupted like a crashing wave.
Compared to the earlier commotion around Cogita's Pokémon, the crowd was now electrified with excitement.
Many spectators rubbed their eyes furiously, trying to confirm they weren't hallucinating.
Even the clan chief, standing closest, couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Elias had… actually built a working Poké Ball?
He could hardly believe it.
Both the Pearl Clan and the Diamond Clan had been working on Poké Ball technology for a while now, but progress had been slow and inconsistent.
Now Elias had pulled out a completed prototype during an official match—it was no wonder it caused such a stir.
After all…
If this design could be mass-produced, it would revolutionize the way Pokémon were captured.
And if Elias, a Pearl clansman, was the one behind it, it would certainly give them a massive edge over the Diamond Clan.
"Uncle, let's begin."
Beside him, Lucario had grown visibly impatient with the prolonged commotion.
Elias had to speak up and remind the referee.
"Ah, right, right."
Swallowing his excitement, the clan chief turned back to the battle.
"This match is between Elias of the Pearl Clan and independent contestant Cogita."
"Each side will use two Pokémon. The first to lose both is defeated."
"Let the battle—begin!"
As the declaration echoed, Cogita lifted her hand toward Enamorus, then changed her mind and gestured to Tornadus instead.
"Tornadus, you go first."
"Mo—!"
With a grunt, the muscular Tornadus soared onto the field, riding atop a swirling cloud.
Across the open ground, he locked eyes with Lucario.
His gaze was brimming with simmering rage.
He hadn't forgotten how that damned fox had slapped him unconscious last time.
Now was the perfect chance for payback!
If he could knock Lucario out of the match, that fox would have to come in next—right?
Just then, Cogita's voice came like a whisper on the wind.
"Tornadus—use [Hammer Arm]."
At her command, Tornadus's eyes narrowed sharply.
Fueled by rage, he whipped up a cyclone beneath his feet and vanished, moving faster than the eye could track—appearing directly behind Lucario.
To most Pokémon, that kind of near-instantaneous speed would be impossible to react to.
But Lucario, who saw the world through aura, may as well have been watching it all in slow motion.
Without turning, he summoned a bone staff of condensed aura and blocked behind him.
Thud—!
The impact echoed dully as Lucario caught Tornadus's hammer blow head-on.
The shockwave made his fur ripple faintly.
Tornadus narrowed his eyes.
Back on the Pure White Tundra, he'd had the home field advantage. But now, fighting on open ground…
He could feel it—Lucario's strength wasn't any less than Zoroark's.
Even now, his arm tingled faintly from the force of the blow.
"Lucario—[Meteor Mash]."
Elias's voice rang out.
Lucario's fists instantly lit up with a pale blue glow, trailing energy.
He aimed—and struck!
The punch tore straight through Tornadus's wind barrier and landed solidly.
"Urgh."
Tornadus gritted his teeth, face contorted in pain as the blow hit home.
Even so, he managed a twisted grin.
His ability granted him a natural edge over close-combat specialists.
Just like now—
"Lucario—use [Close Combat] to break free, then [Extreme Speed] to retreat!"
Sensing Tornadus's intent, Elias issued the next command.
But even before Lucario could act, Elias was already thinking ahead.
Because… this match had only one restriction: Trainers themselves couldn't join the fray. Other than that, all bets were off.
If someone could field hundreds of Magikarp at once, what was stopping Cogita from sending in Enamorus too?
Sure enough, just as the thought formed, Enamorus made her move.
With a flick of her finger, a flash of green bloomed beneath Lucario's feet—binding him in place just as he was about to disengage.
[Grass Knot]
Seeing this, Tornadus summoned even fiercer winds.
That's it—take down this Lucario, and force the fox onto the field!
With a clenched fist, he unleashed a furious storm of dead leaves and violent gales, point-blank.
Lucario's face stung from the wind's assault—but he remained calm.
In fact… he almost wanted to laugh.
I've been waiting for this moment… for a long time!