Watching from a distance as Ninetales reinforced itself and the severely burned and weakened Spiritomb struggled to remain upright, Cynthia's eyes flashed with determination.
"Spiritomb, use Parting Shot!"
Since Destiny Bond was no longer an option, she chose to weaken the opponent one last time.
"Fwoosh..."
Spiritomb let out a low whimper. Flames flared from its form, and a strange gift box materialized out of thin air and flew toward Ninetales. Then, Spiritomb tilted its head, fully retreating into the keystone, losing its ability to battle.
"Hmm?"
Sensing danger, Ninetales immediately launched Flamethrower and Psychic to intercept the incoming gift.
But to no avail, both moves passed right through the box without affecting it.
Realizing this, Ninetales turned and fled, trying to evade the mysterious package, but the gift tenaciously pursued it and ultimately exploded right over Ninetales' head.
A flash of black-violet light burst forth. In the epicenter, Ninetales felt its newly enhanced power being forcefully suppressed.
"Togekiss, take to the skies once more."
Seizing the moment, Cynthia threw a Poké Ball and released Togekiss.
"Use Water Pulse!"
Soaring once again through the blue sky, Togekiss lifted its wings. A compact, condensed water sphere formed and shot toward the weakened Ninetales.
"Hmph!"
A glint of disdain flashed in Ninetales' eyes. While its power had been reduced, its speed remained intact!
With a quick step, it vanished from its position, effortlessly evading Water Pulse.
When it reappeared, its eyes gleamed as it activated Gravity.
In an instant, the battlefield's gravity increased several-fold, pressing Togekiss back toward the ground.
Thankfully, with prior experience, Togekiss wasn't panicked this time. It adjusted its descent and posture mid-air, then flapped its wings to launch two Aura Spheres aimed at Ninetales.
"Agility! Iron Tail!"
Ninetales showed no intention of retreating. It accelerated to maximum speed and, in the blink of an eye, closed in on Togekiss. Its nine Iron Tails, like steel rods, swung down with terrifying power, further amplified by the gravity.
BOOM!
The blow sent Togekiss hurtling through the air like it had been hit by a dump truck.
It's super effective!
The attack landed cleanly. Ninetales twisted its body and swept its tails horizontally, intercepting the two incoming Aura Spheres midair.
But just as it prepared to press the attack and finish Togekiss off, a jolt of electricity surged through its body, leaving it paralyzed and unable to move.
Paralysis!
Togekiss had secretly released Thunder Wave at the moment of impact!
"Air Slash!"
Taking advantage of the paralysis, Togekiss got back up, wings fanning out and launching countless wind blades at Ninetales.
Ninetales had just recovered from paralysis and was hit by the wind blades before it could react.
Within the cloud of dust and wind, a flicker of fear appeared in Ninetales' eyes.
Serene Grace...
Flinch!
"Water Pulse!"
Seizing the opportunity, Togekiss fired another Water Pulse, hitting Ninetales dead-on.
It's super effective!
Ninetales was on the verge of collapse.
But at that moment, Ninetales regained its mobility.
"Iron Tail!"
Even with its speed reduced by paralysis, Ninetales still moved with frightening swiftness, darting toward Togekiss like a ghost.
Togekiss was fast—but only in the air. On the ground, it was much slower and had no chance of evading the Iron Tail.
Still, if it could land one good hit, it could defeat Ninetales.
Cynthia called out, "Aura Sphere and Air Slash!"
"Kiss!"
Togekiss understood instantly. After throwing out two Aura Spheres, it spun rapidly on one foot, sending out a storm of wind blades to form a defensive barrier.
If Ninetales dared to close the distance, it would have to endure the wind blade barrage.
But Ninetales showed no fear. Flames surged from its body, blue light flashed in its eyes, and a series of Will-O-Wisp rings formed around it, hovering and rotating, blocking most of the Air Slashes. The remaining wind blades were intercepted precisely by its Iron Tails.
As Ninetales neared Togekiss, the two Aura Spheres collided with the Will-O-Wisp rings, triggering an explosion that engulfed Ninetales in smoke.
But in the very next instant, Ninetales burst through the smoke and appeared in front of Togekiss, its nine tails stabbing forward like lances, striking multiple vital points on Togekiss' body.
Its Iron Tail wasn't just for smashing—its piercing attacks were just as deadly!
Ninetales regularly sparred with Samurott. Even that powerhouse wouldn't dare let its guard down against these kinds of direct assaults, let it get struck by one of those unpredictable tails.
Togekiss could fight in close quarters, but it wasn't built for sustained melee.
At this moment, Togekiss was like a living sandbag, trying its best to dodge, but still repeatedly struck by Ninetales' relentless tails from every direction.
Wounds opened all over its body—yet it had no power left to fight back.
Togekiss now looked eerily similar to Heatran during the League, brimming with strength but unable to use it.
"Wooo!"
Suddenly, electricity surged through Ninetales again, softening its limbs and halting its onslaught.
Just as victory was in sight, paralysis struck again, making Ninetales cry out in frustration.
It wasn't battle-hungry, but it was determined to win!
It couldn't accept this!
"Kiss!"
Sensing Ninetales' faltering offensive, Togekiss gathered what strength it had left and launched a Water Pulse straight at it.
Ninetales' body was sluggish, and Iron Tail could no longer be maintained.
But even so, it used the last of its strength to breathe out a Flamethrower.
BOOM!
The water and fire collided, triggering a massive explosion that sent both Pokémon flying.
They crashed down in front of their respective trainers, unmoving. The surrounding crowd fell completely silent, stunned by the intensity of the clash.
"Hrrgh..."
"Kiss..."
On the ground, the two Pokémon stirred. Struggling to lift themselves, they glared at each other across the battlefield, barely holding on.
Though like forces repelling one another, they locked eyes—each one burning with unyielding will.
"Hang in there, Togekiss! Use Wish!"
Seeing that Togekiss hadn't completely lost consciousness, Cynthia didn't give up. If given enough time, Togekiss could turn the tide.
"Kiss!"
Though unable to stand, Togekiss forced itself to release Wish with the resolve of a Champion's Pokémon, then collapsed to the ground, eyes open, waiting for recovery.
If it could just endure a few more seconds, everything could change.
Ninetales, watching this unfold, gritted its teeth. Its body trembled with fury, but it couldn't move at all.
"Rage is a kind of power too."
Suddenly, Paul's voice echoed in Ninetales' mind.
"Hrrgh!"
In that instant, Ninetales recalled the technique Mewtwo had once taught it—how to channel rage into power...
WHOOSH!
Like flames roaring to life, rage ignited within it.
Crimson light surged from Ninetales' body. Anger transformed into raw power.
New strength burst forth.
Without hesitation, Ninetales unleashed a Flamethrower directly at Togekiss.
Just before Wish could activate, the inferno engulfed Togekiss.
BOOM!
An explosion ripped through the battlefield once more.
This time, it was Togekiss at the center of the blast—its strength finally spent. With its fall, Ninetales emerged victorious.
"Woo~!"
Seeing Togekiss collapse to the ground, Ninetales let out a low snort, finally venting its long-held fury. The force of its anger began to ebb, but instead of weakening, its aura only grew stronger—surging until it finally broke through to the Champion tier.
"WOOO!"
Feeling the vast new power coursing through its body, Ninetales lifted its head and howled skyward, bearing the pride and poise of a queen returning in triumph.
"You did well. Take a moment to recover."
As Ninetales walked with light elegant steps back to Paul, he immediately noticed the signs of strain she was trying to hide. Without a word, he pulled out several Sitrus Berries and held them up to her mouth.
"Woo~"
Ninetales' eyes glinted. She swallowed the berries in one bite, visibly pleased.
'Trust a good Trainer to see through my act right away.'
"Eeno~"
Beside them, Froslass smiled softly, offering her congratulations to Ninetales for reaching Champion level.
"Wooo~"
Ninetales raised her head proudly, a smug grin curling on her lips.
But on the other side of the battlefield, the atmosphere was much colder.
"Did I… actually lose?!"
Cynthia stood motionless, and stunned. After a long pause, she gave a faint smile and recalled Togekiss into its Poké Ball.
In the past two years, aside from the occasional sparring loss against other Champions, she had never been defeated.
Though it stung, that feeling was soon replaced with something else—a rush of clarity and renewed motivation.
The same couldn't be said for the spectators.
Faces went pale across the stadium. Their beloved Champion—Cynthia, the strongest Trainer in their eyes—had been defeated. And worse, she had lost right before their eyes.
The emotional impact left many at a complete loss.
"He really won."
The alternate-universe "Paul" watched the battle's conclusion. Instead of jealousy or disappointment, his heart filled with something else—the determination to catch up.
If the version of himself from another world could already defeat Cynthia… then maybe, just maybe, he could too—once he was around the same age.
Had the original Paul heard that thought, he absolutely would have nodded in agreement.
After all, this was the anime world. Here, someone like Paul—same age as Ash—could reach Champion-tier strength before even turning 11. Whereas in the main timeline, Paul didn't reach that level until 16.
Of course, the anime world had its limits too. The Eight Masters tier was basically the ceiling. To go beyond that, the difficulty wasn't much easier than in the mainline world.
"Miss Cynthia actually lost!" Brock exclaimed.
"This Paul is really powerful!" Dawn said in disbelief.
"So this is how strong Paul is…" Ash murmured, eyes wide with excitement.
Just then, Cynthia approached Paul with a faint smile.
"I didn't expect your strength to be this overwhelming, truly impressive."
"It seems… I'm not far from being Champion-level now." Paul replied calmly.
Although he had already caught Mewtwo and Dialga, Paul never allowed himself to grow arrogant. He had always respected the title of Champion.
"That's as it should be. Being overly modest or overly cautious isn't always wise." Cynthia said, studying him carefully.
She knew her performance this match hadn't been at her best—but more importantly...
"You weren't even using your strongest Pokémon in our battle… were you?"
After all, if he truly wanted to challenge the Champion version of himself, there's no way Paul only had one Champion-tier Pokémon on hand.
"…No. I wasn't."
"In that case… I wish you luck in your next challenge."
Cynthia didn't mind the loss. After all, Paul posed no threat to her current position.
And even if she couldn't hold onto the Champion title forever, that was fine too. She could always return to her true passion—studying ancient myths.
At times like these, having a "secondary" career path really came in handy.
"We'll meet again if fate allows."
Cynthia gave a gentle wave and turned to leave.
She wasn't exactly sad, but her emotions were definitely mixed. For now, she just wanted some peace and quiet.
On the other side of the field, Paul had just bid Cynthia farewell, when Ninetales trotted up beside him—her eyes focused on something.
The other version of Paul—the one from this world—was cradling a Pokémon Egg, the very one Ninetales had laid just two days ago.
Ninetales approached, her nine tails swaying as she inspected this version of "Paul" that she'd heard so much about from Electivire and Garchomp.
After a long moment of observation, she shook her head slightly.
'Still too immature.'
She walked past him to the Pokémon Egg, gently brushing it with her nine tails.
She and Samurott had already agreed to Paul's plan to give away the egg. They'd been fine with it. But now that the moment had come, she couldn't help feeling a bit reluctant.
"Woo~"
With a soft hum, Ninetales formed a glowing orb of psychic energy and sent it gently into the Egg—imprinting a legacy memory onto the unborn child.
As she finished, Paul placed a hand on her head.
"There's still time to change your mind."
"Woo~"
Ninetales gave a small shake of her head.
'Some decisions once made, didn't need second-guessing.'
"Here, your Egg." The local "Paul" said, holding the Egg out to his counterpart.
"Hm? No. It's yours now."
Paul shook his head.
"…Huh?"
"It's the offspring of my Ninetales. It should have solid potential, I want you to raise it. If you don't want it—or change your mind later, you can leave it with Reggie. I'll come back for it eventually."
"In that case… I'll accept it."
The local "Paul" didn't specialize in Fire-types, but he wasn't about to turn down a potentially gifted Pokémon—especially one backed by such trust.
With Paul having already planned everything out, there was no reason to refuse.
"Good. Then I'll be going."
Paul turned to leave.
This visit to the anime world would be his last, for now. He likely wouldn't return until Ash had reached Kalos.
The local "Paul" didn't stop him. Something in his heart told him… they'd meet again.
Ash, however, couldn't hold back. He dashed over to Paul, eyes sparkling.
"You're Paul from another world, right? You're incredible! You even beat Cynthia! Could I… challenge you to a battle?"
The words were barely out of his mouth when Brock, Dawn, and the other "Paul" all exchanged glances.
"Isn't that a bit sudden?" Dawn said, choosing her words carefully. "You haven't made any preparations. It'll be hard to win like this."
"Why does it matter?" Ash replied, fired up. "The only way to grow stronger is to challenge powerful Trainers! Winning or losing doesn't matter!"
That was pure Ash—passionate and fearless.
Brock nodded, impressed. "That's just like Ash…"
Even the other "Paul" found his impression of Ash shifting.
"So… will you accept my challenge?"
Ash looked at Paul with burning anticipation.
"A challenge, huh? That could be interesting."
To Paul, battling the current Ash wouldn't benefit him much. A match against Ash from the Masters Eight arc would be more worthwhile.
But for Chimchar, this could be valuable.
After all, Chimchar vs. Ash… now that was a battle Paul wouldn't mind seeing at all.
(End of Chapter)
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