The arena had gone quiet, tension still lingering in the air. Even Cynthia noticed something was wrong with Caitlin.
Gothitelle's aura… had dropped.
Her level had fallen all the way to early Elite-tier.
But with the pressure of the match still pushing forward, Cynthia had no time to dwell on it. She gave a sharp command, and Garchomp launched forward once more.
Already injured and weakened from her sudden power drop, Gothitelle couldn't withstand Garchomp's strike. She fell to the battlefield, fainted—unable to continue.
And at the very moment Gothitelle hit the ground, a violent psychic shockwave erupted.
The entire arena froze—air heavy, suffocating, terrifying.
But just as fast as it appeared… it vanished.
No one blinked fast enough to see what happened.
And then—without warning—a grinning Gengar stood beside Caitlin, one chubby hand resting casually on her shoulder. In that instant, her psychic power was completely suppressed, and Caitlin collapsed unconscious.
When Cynthia snapped her gaze over, Gengar was already tugging one eyelid open and making a ridiculous face at her.
She frowned.
Something wasn't right.
This Gengar was no ordinary Pokémon. Anyone could tell at a glance—it was at least Elite-tier… maybe higher.
But why did it appear here—and why did it intervene?
The audience was equally baffled, whispering, confused, stunned.
A moment later, the passageway behind the battlefield opened. A sharply dressed middle-aged man wearing a butler's uniform and glasses walked out.
He quickly caught Caitlin as she began to slump, then bowed slightly toward the referee.
"I am Shilan, my lady's butler. Due to a sudden condition, Miss Caitlin is unable to continue the match. On her behalf, I concede."
Someone must have spoken to the referee through his earpiece, because his expression shifted instantly.
"The contestant Caitlin has forfeited. The winner is Cynthia!"
Applause came late—too confused and hesitant to sound celebratory.
Shilan recalled Gothitelle, then hurriedly escorted Caitlin off the field.
Cynthia watched him leave, still uncertain what exactly happened, but she didn't pursue the matter. Calmly, she exited the battlefield as well.
Back in the resting lounge, Cynthia finally learned the truth from Chen Shi.
Only then did she recall that terrifying psychic outburst—cold sweat sliding down her spine.
If that Gengar hadn't intervened… she might've been caught in the blast.
Chen Shi folded his arms, voice steady.
"That Gengar should belong to Agatha. I heard her ace is a Gengar."
"And since she's overseeing the World Championships, her intervening in a situation like that isn't surprising."
Cynthia paused, then nodded slightly.
If it was Agatha's Gengar… then such overwhelming strength wasn't shocking.
Chen Shi added casually, almost offhandedly:
"To be honest, I suspect that Gengar might even be Champion-tier."
"Champion-tier?!" Steven couldn't help but blurt out.
Champion-tier Pokémon were terrifyingly rare—and monstrously strong.
He never expected Agatha's Gengar to have reached that realm.
Steven exhaled slowly. "As expected of the Kanto Ghost-type Elite. That's terrifying."
In the world of Pokémon, Elite-level trainers stood at the top of the power structure.
But a Champion-tier Pokémon… that was a walking natural disaster.
If they wished, wiping out a town wouldn't even be difficult.
Steven was still far from that level, and the realization left him both shocked and humbled.
Chen Shi shrugged lightly.
"Come on, don't sound so dramatic. She's been an Elite for years—having that kind of power isn't all that surprising."
In his mind, most Elites had their quirks, but Agatha, Drake, and Pryce—those three veterans—were on an entirely different level.
Old monsters, really.
"...So what do we do next?" Phoebe finally spoke up—her presence previously nonexistent.
Chen Shi shot her a look.
"You glutton, don't tell me you want to go back already?"
"Hehe… you caught me."
Phoebe stuck out her tongue—embarrassed, but not denying it.
Cynthia stepped in with a soft sigh.
"There are still three matches left this afternoon. Even if we leave, there's nothing to do. We should at least finish watching."
Steven and Chen Shi both nodded.
Phoebe pouted, disappointed, but didn't object.
They watched quietly as the remaining matches unfolded.
Next on stage was Leon. His mid-Elite Charizard easily defeated two opponents back-to-back before he sent out an early-Elite Inteleon to finish the match.
Chen Shi couldn't help clicking his tongue.
Leon was their age, but nowhere near as monstrous yet. Right now, he was likely only around Steven's level.
If I fought him and didn't hide my strength, I'd probably be fine, Chen Shi thought lazily.
After Leon came Wallace—and Chen Shi finally saw his Milotic.
He had to admit… Wallace's ace was breathtaking.
Its power was already mid-Elite, and its moves flowed effortlessly—elegant, precise, flawless.
Watching Milotic battle felt less like a fight and more like a performance. Every attack was graceful, every motion enticing. Even spectators found themselves lost between admiration and awe.
When Wallace secured victory, only one match remained—
Future Kalos Champion, Diantha.
There wasn't much suspense—her Gardevoir and Goodra alone were enough to overwhelm her opponent without difficulty.
And with that, the World Championship's final eight were officially confirmed.
Chen Shi, Steven, Cynthia, Lance, Agatha, Wallace, Leon, and Diantha.
A terrifying lineup.
Except for Chen Shi and Agatha, the remaining six would all become Champions in the future.
If nothing else, this list alone proved just how monstrous the level of competition was.
Phoebe stretched lazily, finally relieved.
"So now we can go, right? Everything's over!"
Hope sparkled in her voice, and the others couldn't help smiling.
Steven chuckled.
"Yeah, let's go. Tonight we'll ask Auntie to make a feast—we should celebrate properly."
Chen Shi shook his head with a helpless smile as they left the lounge together.
But just as they stepped out of the elevator—
Two excited voices shouted behind them:
"Master Chen!"
"Brother Chen Shi!"
Chen Shi froze.
Then turned.
Two small figures were already running full speed toward him—crashing into his arms.
Gengar is too charming.
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