The afternoon sun poured lazily across White Silver Town as the group finished lunch and hurried toward the Silver Arena.
Crowds were already gathering—buzzing with excitement, waving flags, chanting names. The city felt as though it were breathing with anticipation.
After all, the first match of the afternoon—the day's headline—was none other than:
Cynthia vs. Caitlin.
Cynthia hadn't returned to the lounge with them.
Instead, she had gone straight to the battlefield.
The Match Begins
Cynthia stepped onto the field with elegant, confident strides.
Her long golden hair fluttered behind her like flowing sunlight, drawing every eye in the arena.
Instantly, the crowd erupted.
"Cynthia!!!"
"Queen of Sinnoh!!"
"She's so beautiful—my goddess!!!"
On the opposite side, Caitlin entered with the grace of drifting silk.
Slender, serene, almost floating.
Her expression was soft, but beneath that softness shimmered an overwhelming psychic presence.
When their eyes met, the world seemed to fall silent.
Even the air froze.
The referee lifted his flags.
"This is a 3 vs. 3 unlimited rotation match. Competitors—send out your Pokémon!"
Cynthia smiled faintly and tossed her ball.
"Garchomp!"
"Gar—CHOMP!!"
The red flash revealed the enormous land shark—her signature partner.
A quasi-champion-tier predator whose mere presence sent tremors through the stadium.
Caitlin's expression twitched—the faintest flicker of surprise.
She expected strength, yes.
But not this level of strength.
Still composed, she raised her hand.
"Gothitelle."
A tall, doll-like Psychic-type materialized, ribbons floating like eerie ornaments.
The referee's voice sliced through the tension:
"Begin!"
Psychic Synchronization
Caitlin's eyes glowed a brilliant pink.
A wave of psychic power burst outward, flowing into Gothitelle—instantly boosting its aura to mid-Elite tier.
Cynthia paused just a moment, then grinned—sharp, excited.
"It's been a while since I've met someone who can push me.
Don't disappoint me."
Caitlin's soft smile carried a quiet challenge.
"I could say the same to you."
Cynthia cut the air.
"Garchomp—Dragon Pulse!"
"GAR—CHOMP!"
A draconic shockwave blasted forward.
Caitlin didn't speak—she didn't need to.
Telepathy conveyed everything.
A shimmering, warped barrier of Psychic energy formed.
BOOM!
The two attacks detonated, filling the field with smoke.
Cynthia's voice shot through it:
"Dragon Claw!"
Garchomp tore through the smoke like a missile—claws glowing teal.
But Gothitelle vanished.
Teleport.
Reappearing behind Garchomp, she unleashed a Psychic blast at point-blank range—
"Protect! Turn!"
A green barrier snapped up as Garchomp pivoted, the Psychic slamming into it violently.
Cynthia didn't hesitate.
"Dual Chop—wide sweep!"
Garchomp's tail crackled like a dragon's fang as she spun—
striking with ferocious speed—
But Caitlin's faint smile reappeared.
As if whispering:
Did you think you're the only one who knows Protect?
Gothitelle's own green barrier shimmered into existence.
Blocked.
But Cynthia had already anticipated this.
Her eyes narrowed—
"Grab her—Crunch!"
Garchomp lunged, claws snapping shut around Gothitelle's arms—
Then BITE.
A spectral Dark-type maw engulfed Gothitelle.
Gothitelle screamed.
For the first time, Caitlin's serene expression shattered—
her psychic aura flickering violently, spiraling out of control.
Something's Wrong
In the viewing lounge, Chen Shi shot to his feet.
Initially, he had been confident Cynthia would win.
But now—
Caitlin's trembling hands.
Her clenching jaw.
Her unstable psychic aura sparking like a cracked dam.
A memory flashed across his mind.
Caitlin, as a child, had struggled to control her immense power.
And whenever her emotions spiked—
her psychic abilities risked exploding outward.
If that happened—
Cynthia was standing right beside her.
Chen Shi's expression darkened.
"Caitlin's losing control—someone notify the officials immediately.
If they don't pause the match, Cynthia's going to get seriously hurt!"
Steven looked again at the screen.
At Caitlin's trembling shoulders.
At the overflowing psychic sparks erupting around her like static lightning.
He didn't hesitate.
He lunged toward the lounge telephone and dialed tournament control at once.
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