Amid the thunderous cheers surrounding him, Tobias slowly closed his eyes and let out a bitter smile.
Maybe… this is exactly how those trainers had felt back when he crushed them using Darkrai.
That overwhelming sense of helplessness, he finally understood it. Even after becoming a Champion and making it this far… was there still nothing he could do in the face of such power?
Tobias took a deep breath.
Fortunately, he still had one last Pokémon left.
And it was his strongest.
Many years ago, while traveling alone, he had witnessed a meteor streak through the sky and crash into the wilderness. When he approached the impact site, he found a wounded Pokémon slowly crawling from the crater.
He had stepped forward to treat its injuries, and from that day on, the Pokémon had chosen to follow him.
It possessed immense power. Its psychic energy was beyond anything he had ever seen.
To this day, Tobias had never encountered a creature quite like it.
He lifted his head, gaze sharpening as he looked across the field at Naoki.
This was it. He had made up his mind. He would fight with everything he had left. No matter what it took… he had to break through this wall standing in front of him.
"You really are the stronger legendary trainer," Tobias admitted, voice calm but resolute. "I have only one Pokémon left… but it's also the strongest partner I've ever known. Naoki, I ask for your guidance in this final match."
"The strongest, huh?" Naoki's expression lit up with excitement. "That's funny… because I've also got one Pokémon left. And it's the strongest on my team, too."
"Whoa!" the announcer gasped as he caught their words, his voice echoing through the arena with excitement. "Did you all hear that? Both players are sending out their ultimate Pokémon! We're about to witness the peak of this clash, a true showdown of legends! But the question is… what will Naoki send out?"
"Could it be Groudon or Kyogre, the primal gods who nearly brought Hoenn to ruin? Or perhaps the phoenix of Johto, the symbol of hope and rebirth, Ho-Oh? Or maybe… Arceus itself?"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Was it possible that Naoki had even captured Arceus?
After all, this was the man who had once defeated the god of creation.
If anyone could have tamed Arceus afterward, it would be him.
Naoki: "..."
He couldn't help twitching his lips at the speculation.
These people really liked to imagine things.
He hadn't seen Arceus since the day they'd parted ways.
Even though he still had Arceus's contact on the Arc mobile… the god hadn't responded to a single call.
It felt like Arceus's attention had drifted away from this world entirely, perhaps focused on some distant, unknown realm.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, the referee stepped forward with a firm blow of his whistle.
"Both players, send out your final Pokémon! The sixth battle… begins now!"
Naoki reached for the Poké Ball containing Calyrex.
Across from him, Tobias also pulled out a small, unassuming Poké Ball from his pocket, his trump card.
In perfect synchronicity, the two trainers threw their Poké Balls into the air. The spheres arced gracefully, then snapped open mid-flight with a pair of dazzling flashes.
Two beams of white light burst forth and landed on opposite ends of the battlefield.
From Tobias's side emerged a humanoid Pokémon with a sleek, alien form. Its body was orange-red, and its face glowed blue-green. A crystallized organ pulsed in the center of its chest, and its four tube-like arms, intertwined in pairs, flexed slightly. Its pale eyes stared across the field without emotion, constantly analyzing, calculating.
It was Deoxys.
The DNA Pokémon.
A mythical being from space, born from a cosmic virus and transformed by radiation. A Pokémon of immense power and mystery.
No one in the audience could believe it, Tobias had even managed to befriend Deoxys?
And now, all eyes turned toward Naoki.
Out on the battlefield stood a Pokémon mounted atop a jet-black steed. Upon its head sat a massive, dark green crown-shaped bud, and around its neck hung a necklace resembling dark green prayer beads.
Compared to the horse it rode, the Pokémon's body was petite and slender. Yet, in its calm, cerulean eyes shimmered a light of quiet majesty. Beneath those eyes rested a small, blue muzzle, elegant and serene.
Two pure white legs hung gracefully at either side of the steed's flank, the figure sitting tall and dignified.
It was...
At that moment, countless spectators across the Galar region widened their eyes in disbelief.
The Crowned Pokémon, Calyrex. The ancient King of Galar, revered as the King of Bountiful Harvests!
According to legend, in the days of old, this Pokémon ruled over Galar itself!
"That's Calyrex! Naoki actually sent out Calyrex!" the commentator cried, his voice quivering with excitement. "That's the King of Bountiful Harvests! So majestic, so refined…"
"I know some of you may not be familiar with this Pokémon," the commentator continued, his tone filled with reverence. "So allow me to introduce him, Calyrex, the great ruler who once presided over Galar! It is said that those who believe in him are blessed with prosperity, crops flourish, flowers bloom, and bounty abounds!"
At that moment, across every region, Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Kalos, Unova, Alola, and beyond, countless viewers sat glued to their screens, eyes drawn to the magnificent figure riding the black horse.
Inside the grand Wyndon Stadium, Calyrex suddenly felt a tremendous surge of power welling up inside him.
It wasn't just belief, just knowing that Calyrex truly existed was enough to stir the energy of faith within people's hearts.
And as that faith grew… so did Calyrex's strength.
At that very moment, the beliefs of billions of people, watching live from all across the world, flooded into Calyrex's being.
Even the King himself was stunned.
So much pure energy. So much devotion. It made even a god pause.
Behind him, Naoki raised his voice with clear conviction.
"Calyrex, I'm counting on you!"
Pulled from his brief awe, Calyrex's eyes narrowed as he looked toward the opponent before him, Deoxys.
And thus began the final battle: Calyrex, King of Bountiful Harvests, empowered by the faith of billions, versus Deoxys, the extraterrestrial force born from a cosmic virus.
"The final showdown begins now!" the referee announced.
"Deoxys, use Psyshock!" Tobias called without hesitation.
Deoxys moved in an instant.
It thrust both of its twisted arms forward, forming a pulsating sphere of psychic energy. The orb spiraled and launched across the field with tremendous force, cutting through the air straight at Calyrex.
But Calyrex remained unshaken.
He raised a glowing orb of dark energy and launched it in return, Shadow Ball!
The two attacks collided mid-air with a flash of light.
Deoxys's Psyshock was instantly overwhelmed and shattered. The shadowy orb ripped through the collision zone and barreled toward Deoxys with unrelenting speed.
"Dodge it!" Tobias cried out.
Deoxys reacted immediately. Its body flickered, and vanished.
It reappeared on the far end of the field in a blink.
"Pin it down, Will-O-Wisp, followed by Astral Barrage!" Naoki commanded sharply.
This was his chance.
Naoki knew that the deeper Calyrex's impression became in people's minds, the greater the faith energy he would receive.
And now, with the entire world watching… Calyrex was stronger than ever.
Calyrex gave a solemn nod. His gaze locked on Deoxys as he unleashed a pulse of unseen power.
The moment it hit, the light within the stadium dimmed.
A chilling darkness fell over the battlefield, so absolute that even the arena lights couldn't pierce through it.
"What's going on?! Why did it suddenly go dark? What is that?" gasped the commentator. Murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire as all eyes locked onto the battlefield.
Then suddenly, within that pitch-black void, a single glimmer of starlight appeared.
Then another.
And another.
In a heartbeat, tens of thousands of shimmering lights, like tiny stars, emerged and began orbiting the King of the Crowned Tundra, casting an eerie, celestial glow.
Tobias's instincts screamed danger.
"Deoxys, Teleport! Now!" he ordered, his voice tense.
Deoxys tried to respond. It focused its psychic energy, attempting to warp out of harm's way, but... nothing.
Its body refused to move.
Teleportation failed.
It couldn't even lift a limb.
A cold sweat ran down Deoxys's face as panic settled in. Its glowing eyes darted upward, only to be met with an awe-inspiring sight.
The starlights were no longer just orbiting.
They had taken formation, lined up across the sky like a heavenly barrage preparing to strike.
Then, without warning, they rained down.
A storm of spectral stars, each glowing with ghostly purple light, surged forward like meteors crashing through the cosmos.
The moment they made contact, a thunderous explosion of energy rocked the arena.
Deoxys was swallowed whole by the assault, no time to resist, no space to escape.
As the last of the starlight faded, so did the darkness surrounding Calyrex.
Silence gripped the audience.
Then came the final image: Deoxys collapsed on the field, unconscious, defeated in a single, devastating blow.
"One-hit knockout!" the commentator screamed, voice cracking with excitement. "Unbelievable! Deoxys is unable to battle! Calyrex wins!"
Cheers erupted like a tidal wave.
"Naoki! Naoki! Naoki!"
"Calyrex! Calyrex! Calyrex!"
Camera flashes flickered from every direction, capturing Calyrex's regal figure as it stood tall atop Spectrier, glowing with divine majesty.
Naoki gave a modest smile. As he had expected, bringing Calyrex, the once-forgotten king of Galar, into the limelight had awakened incredible power.
The referee blew his whistle. "Deoxys is unable to battle! Naoki is the winner of this match!"
The arena roared.
With this victory, Naoki's rank officially rose from tenth to ninth place in the Masters Tournament.
Now, he would face the eighth-ranked trainer for a chance to enter the elite circle of the Top Eight Masters.
As the match concluded, Naoki approached Tobias and extended his hand.
Tobias took it with a nod, humility etched into his expression.
"We lost," he admitted. "Thank you. You reminded me that there will always be someone stronger out there. From this day on, Darkrai and I will step away from competition. I'm grateful we crossed paths this year."
Naoki raised an eyebrow. "So what's next for you?"
Tobias turned to look out across the stadium. "We'll keep training. Get stronger. One day, I'll challenge you again."
He wasn't one for many words. With a final nod, he turned and left the arena, fading into the crowd like a shadow. No one knew where he went.
But before Naoki could even take a breath, chaos broke loose.
Reporters stormed the field like a wave. The staff and security guards struggled to hold them back as mics and cameras surged forward.
Soon, Naoki and Calyrex were completely surrounded by a swarm of reporters.
"Oh my Arceus! That really is the Crowned King! Incredible!"
"Move aside! I got here first!"
"No way, I've been waiting longer!"
Naoki blinked, quickly realizing that the reporters weren't even from the same network. They represented different TV stations from all across the world, each more desperate than the last to get the first scoop.
Just as it looked like a brawl was about to break out right in front of him, Naoki raised a hand and spoke calmly:
"Alright, alright, no need to fight. I'm not going anywhere. Each of you can ask one question."
The chaos quickly settled. The reporters exchanged reluctant glances and slowly formed a loose line.
The first to step forward was a young woman with a glittery Galar TV badge, nearly shaking with excitement.
"Mr. Naoki, are you really the Cyclizar Mask?" she asked, practically breathless.
Naoki smiled and shook his head. "Nope. I'm just a humble rancher."
The reporter blinked, clearly stunned by the answer, but before she could respond, the next reporter darted forward.
"Why reveal your identity now, during such a high-stakes tournament?" he asked, notebook ready.
Naoki scratched the back of his neck. "Honestly? I hadn't planned to. But Giratina insisted on joining the competition. So I figured, why not let the whole ranch join in? For them, it's a chance to experience something new. A break from their usual routine."
The reporter paused, internally baffled. 'So that's why he brought Pokémon who normally farm and work the land into a battle tournament...?'
Next up came a more seasoned reporter from the Sinnoh Broadcasting Network.
"Mr. Naoki, how on earth did you manage to capture so many Legendary Pokémon?"
"They chose me," Naoki answered with a small grin. "Most of them came to the ranch on their own."
It was true. He had originally only bonded with Calyrex, Koraidon, Ogerpon, and Urshifu. But one by one, others appeared, Rayquaza, Mewtwo, Groudon, Kyogre, even Ho-Oh, drawn to his home.
One by one, the questions kept coming. Most were repetitive, some slightly ridiculous. Naoki answered patiently, never losing his calm.
Finally, a reporter with thin glasses and a serious expression stepped forward with a more relevant question.
"Naoki, your next opponent is Mr. Flint. Before the match begins, is there anything you'd like to say to him?"
Naoki's expression softened into a smile.
"Mr. Flint... please go easy on me."
Flint, watching the broadcast from his private suite in the stadium, froze mid-sip of his tea.
"..."
...
After his decisive victory, Naoki was in high spirits. He took Iono and their daughter, Elara for a relaxing day out in Wyndon before heading back to Tree House Ranch.
Once they returned, Naoki sent Giratina and Kyurem back to the World Tree and the Reverse World, respectively. With the team settled, he began gathering information about the next step, his upcoming battle in the Masters Eight rotation.
Meanwhile, deep within the eerie, dimension-warping Reverse World, Giratina was lounging comfortably on the floating island. At its side hovered a cheerful Rotom, projecting livestream replays and reading aloud fan comments from the battle thread.
"Rotom! Read me the praise! I bet they were all amazed by my shadow ball!" Giratina declared smugly.
"Uhh, right! Let's see…" Rotom beeped nervously as it scanned the comment feed. "A user named Calyrex Believer says: 'Calyrex is so cool! That move where he summoned the stars was insane! The arena literally darkened, and then boom, Deoxys was down in one shot!' Rotom!"
Giratina's eye twitched.
Rotom continued hesitantly, "Another user, LoveYouCalyrex, wrote: 'He's so powerful and elegant! And he brings abundance to those who believe in him! I'll be his faithful follower forever, kyaaaa!'"
"Next!" Giratina growled.
"Um, there's also—"
"I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!" Giratina bellowed, shaking the air of the Reverse World.
It was happening again. Just like always.
That smug, flower-crowned grass head, Calyrex, was stealing the spotlight again.
Even though Giratina secretly acknowledged Calyrex's strength, it couldn't help but feel overshadowed. It had crushed its opponent with a single Shadow Ball! It should've been Giratina trending on PokéNet! Not Calyrex and his sparkly light show!
Seething with jealousy, Giratina huffed, flaring its wings dramatically. After sulking for a few minutes, it finally reached a conclusion.
The real problem… was Naoki.
If Naoki hadn't let both of them battle in the same match, none of this would've happened! Calyrex had stolen the stage, and Giratina had been reduced to an opening act!
Unable to tolerate the injustice, Giratina burst through a spatial rift and appeared in front of Naoki in a dramatic swirl of distorted reality.
"I'm fighting alone next time!" it boomed. "No partners. No competition. Just me, me, and ME! I'll wipe the floor with everyone and show them who the true legendary is!"
Naoki blinked in confusion at first, but after checking the fan comment feeds himself, he understood immediately.
"Alright, alright," he chuckled. "The next match, we'll make sure you get the full spotlight."
To soothe Giratina's bruised ego, Naoki readily agreed. After all, the next battle was just a spot in the Masters Eight rotation. If Giratina wanted to show off solo, then so be it.