Hearthome City was much quieter at night than most places.
As a crossroads of Sinnoh's culture and history, the city carried an unhurried calm even under the dark sky.
Cynthia's private villa sat on high ground at the edge of the city, and it came with a standard battle practice field.
Dinner ended on a high note.
Sinnoh's signature dishes truly lived up to the hype—especially the final dessert, Moomoo Milk ice cream, rich and velvety smooth.
Gast ate until her belly was round, and even her floating looked a little clumsy.
Miraidon was already sprawled at the edge of the field in sleep mode, its tail occasionally tapping the ground unconsciously.
Iron Valiant stood in the corner like a statue.
Jason, meanwhile, was in great condition.
As a Ditto, after eating he usually went through a digestion phase where his body became even softer and springier than usual.
Right now, he was sprawled over the railing of the trainer's command platform, his purple body rising and falling rhythmically with each breath.
"Full and hydrated," Jason wriggled, shaping a small hand on his surface to pat his round belly. "Cynthia-nee, time for business."
Cynthia stood at the other end of the field.
She'd already taken off her heavy black coat. Underneath was a black fitted tank top and long pants that perfectly outlined her tall, athletic figure.
Her long golden hair was tied back casually, making her look sharp and efficient.
Hearing Jason, Cynthia turned with a faint smile. "In such a hurry? Not going to rest a bit and let the food settle?"
"Battling is the best digestion exercise." Jason bounced once and jumped straight into the center of the arena.
He landed with a soft plop, then quickly returned to a purple jelly-like blob. "I can't wait to see if I can shake the Sinnoh Champion's ace now."
Cynthia looked at the purple blob practically blazing with fighting spirit, and the fondness in her eyes only grew.
She nodded and pulled a Poké Ball from her waist.
"Alright," Cynthia's voice was especially clear in the night air. "Then show me how strong you've gotten."
The instant the word "battle" was said, the half-asleep Gast snapped awake.
She did a neat emergency stop in midair, her chubby purple face full of excitement.
"Finally! We're fighting?!" Gast floated up beside Jason, waving her short, pudgy arms. "Jason, let me go first this time! I learned a new move in Galar—perfect chance to test it on Cynthia-nee's Pokémon!"
As she spoke, she already assumed a battle stance—and even stuck her tongue out provocatively toward Cynthia.
Jason stared at Gast, his surface expression turning a little… weird.
He didn't respond to her enthusiasm. He went silent for two seconds, then suddenly spoke.
"One battle decides it."
The line came out of nowhere.
Gast froze mid-punch, stiffly turning her head to look at Jason on the ground. "Huh? What did you say?"
"I said, we're only doing one match." Jason repeated himself, firm and decisive. "Straight to the ace. One round, win or lose. It's late—if we drag it out, it'll mess with Cynthia-nee's rest."
Gast's red eyes went wide.
She looked at Jason, then at Cynthia in the distance, and finally realized she'd been sold out.
"Jason, how could you?!" Gast zipped around in the air in a rage. "You said we were challenging! You're not letting us play?! I want to fight too! I want to show off on this fancy arena too!"
"Next time, for sure." Jason waved her off halfheartedly.
"You just want to hog all the EXP!" Gast accused. But seeing Jason's mind was made up, she could only float back to the sidelines in a huff. "Fine! I hope you lose! When you get beaten into purple mush, I'm definitely laughing at you!"
With the internal drama handled, Jason refocused on Cynthia.
"Come on!"
He shouted as his body began to tremble violently, violet light brewing inside him.
Cynthia didn't mind the sudden rule change.
To her, whether it was a gauntlet or an ace-on-ace duel, the result wouldn't change much. She lightly tossed her Poké Ball.
"However you want it."
With a crisp pop, red light burst out.
A deep-blue figure slammed down onto the field. Its massive fins whipped up a wave of air, and even the ground seemed to tremble.
Garchomp.
The pseudo-legendary known as the "land shark" radiated suffocating pressure just by standing there. Its eyes were sharp as blades, locked onto Jason at center field.
"Ready?" Cynthia asked.
"Anytime."
The instant the words left his mouth, the violet light around Jason exploded outward.
Cynthia had expected that against an opponent like Garchomp, Jason would transform into a Fairy-type to counter Dragons, or a Steel-type with heavy defense—Ceruledge, Lucario, even Tinkaton were all within her guesses.
But when the light faded, the form standing there made Cynthia pause.
White feathers. A yellow beak. A thick leek stalk held as a sword, and a broad leek leaf held as a shield.
A resolute gaze, and between the brows—knightly resolve that looked ready to die rather than retreat.
Sirfetch'd.
Cynthia blinked, briefly stunned, making sure she hadn't misseen it.
"Sirfetch'd?" Cynthia couldn't help asking. "Jason… are you serious?"
Sirfetch'd might be a solid Fighting-type in Galar, but against the Sinnoh Champion's Garchomp, the base stat gap wasn't even close. And Fighting into Dragon/Ground had no advantage whatsoever.
But Garchomp didn't share its Trainer's confusion.
As a battle-hardened ace, its instincts were far sharper than any human's. Staring at the seemingly ordinary duck, its muscles tensed instead.
It could feel it.
Beneath that comical duck exterior surged a vast, pure life force—something no normal Sirfetch'd should possess. It was power that had been compressed and refined countless times.
It was Jason's true Ditto foundation: an absurd HP pool far beyond ordinary Pokémon.
"Careful, old buddy." Cynthia noticed Garchomp's change, her expression turning serious immediately. "If Jason chose this form, he has a reason. Dragon Claw!"
No probing. The battle detonated instantly.
Garchomp's hind legs kicked off hard, blasting two pits into the ground. It was terrifyingly fast—its deep-blue body leaving an afterimage as it crossed half the arena in a blink. Green Dragon-type energy coated its right fin, ripping the air with a shriek as it went straight for Sirfetch'd's chest.
Facing that thunderous strike, Jason didn't retreat.
He didn't even dodge.
He raised the leek shield slightly, sank his center of gravity, and took a textbook defensive stance.
Bang!
Dragon Claw smashed into the leek shield. The dull impact echoed across the empty arena.
Cracks spiderwebbed beneath Jason's feet, and the sheer force shoved him back two meters, carving twin trenches in the ground.
But he blocked it.
That plant shield—fragile-looking as it was—might as well have been the hardest alloy in that moment. A blow that could pulverize rock didn't even leave a scratch.
"Not done yet!" Jason barked.
The instant his slide stopped, he used the recoil to thrust the leek sword forward.
Fast. Precise. Brutal.
No flourish—just a straight stab.
Garchomp reacted instantly, tilting its head aside to avoid the blade. But the wind pressure riding the thrust still scraped its cheek painfully.
They separated at once.
Garchomp returned to its position, all trace of contempt gone from its eyes.
A flash of surprise crossed Cynthia's face. "That defense… is insane. A normal Sirfetch'd could never block a Dragon Claw like that. Jason—so you really are terrifyingly strong now."
"It's not just stamina." Jason swung the leek sword, the air whooshing. "It's technique too—hundreds of battles in Galar sharpened it. Cynthia-nee, don't underestimate a duck knight's grit."
Garchomp displayed the terrifying might worthy of a Champion's ace.
Dragon Rush. Earthquake. Stone Edge—high-power moves pounding one after another.
The arena floor was torn to pieces, rocks flying, dust churning into the air.
But Jason was like a reef in a storm.
No matter how violent the assault, he always found the crucial moment to raise that leek shield and block a killing hit.
Guard. Redirect force. Counter.
He pushed Sirfetch'd's sword-and-shield style to its absolute limit.
Whenever Garchomp's old force hadn't fully faded, that ridiculous leek turned into the deadliest weapon—stabbing from razor angles into joints and soft spots.
This wasn't Pokémon trading beams.
This was a textbook cold-weapon duel.
Ten minutes passed.
Garchomp was breathing a little heavier now, several bluish bruises forming on its body—marks left by repeated strikes from the leek blade.
Jason looked rougher too, his white feathers dirty and scuffed, but his eyes were still bright and his movements showed no slowdown.
That kind of monstrous endurance… was honestly despair-inducing.
Cynthia took a slow breath. She realized if this dragged on as a war of attrition, Garchomp might lose simply by running out of stamina.
This Ditto was basically a walking tank wearing different skins.
"Warm-up's over." Cynthia's fingers touched the Key Stone at her collar.
Her aura shifted in that instant.
A kinglike dominance pressed down, and the air itself seemed to congeal.
"Jason, you've truly surprised me. Developing Sirfetch'd to this level… you're the first I've ever seen." Cynthia's eyes burned with fierce battle intent. "But it's still not enough. Next… be careful."
Light flared.
Blinding, prismatic light—the Key Stone resonated powerfully with the Mega Stone on Garchomp.
"Garchomp—Mega Evolve!"
At Cynthia's call, Garchomp roared loud enough to shake your bones. Its body expanded and warped in the light.
The sleek frame became more massive and brutal. Its arms turned into enormous scythes, and its jaw thickened, more powerful than before.
Mega Garchomp.
Its pressure leapt to an entirely different tier. Just standing there, the ground began to crumble from energy spilling out.
On the sidelines, Gast swallowed hard. "Now it's trouble. Mega Garchomp's attack jumps a lot—Jason's shield probably can't take many hits."
Cynthia looked at Jason confidently. "Still going to keep this form? You can transform now—it's not too late."
Under that terrifying pressure, Jason suddenly grinned.
"Cynthia-nee… you're the one who should be careful."
He tossed the leek sword and shield onto the ground.
Everyone froze.
Dropping his weapons—was he surrendering?
"I'm Mega Evolving too!" Jason announced loudly.
Cynthia blinked, baffled. "Sirfetch'd can Mega Evolve? I've studied myths and history for years—I've never heard of a Galar Pokémon having that form."
"Before, it didn't. Now it does." Jason nodded solemnly. "Of course it can. If you don't let your mindset slip, there's always more solutions than problems."
Under Cynthia and Garchomp's puzzled stares, Jason reached into his belly.
As a Ditto, his body itself was a huge storage space.
First, he pulled out a broken, battered sword covered in thick rust.
Then he pulled out a shield just as rusty, looking like it might fall apart any second.
The moment those two appeared, an ancient, desolate aura spread through the air.
The Rusted Sword.
The Rusted Shield.
The exclusive relics of the legendary Pokémon—Zacian and Zamazenta.
Cynthia's pupils shrank instantly.
As a scholar of mythology, there was no way she wouldn't recognize them.
"Jason, you—" Cynthia pointed at the scrap-metal-looking relics in his hands, voice full of helpless disbelief. "That's… kind of cheating, isn't it?!"
"Heh heh." Jason smiled like a villain.
Shield in his left hand, sword in his right—
he still looked like Sirfetch'd, but the instant he gripped those two divine relics, all the goofy duck vibe vanished.
In its place was a sharpness and weight that felt capable of cleaving steel and warding off anything.
"This is the top-secret result of my Galar training." Jason swung the Rusted Sword once. Even without transforming into Zacian, the power within the blade made the space around it subtly distort. "Who says Sirfetch'd can only hold leeks? If you can lift it, you can use it. A weapon's a weapon."
Mega Garchomp stared at the duck holding two legendary relics, and its scythe-like arms trembled slightly.
It was speechless.
Was this even Pokémon battling anymore?
What kind of Pokémon fights carrying legendary artifacts?!
This was like a kid swinging a stick suddenly pulling a rocket launcher out of his pocket.
"Come on—round two!"
Jason stopped playing pure defense. He kicked off and charged first.
His speed wasn't faster this time—but his presence was completely different.
"Stop him! Iron Head!" Cynthia ordered sharply.
Mega Garchomp growled, its head coated in metallic sheen as it rammed Jason like a cannonball.
Jason raised the Rusted Shield in his left hand.
CLANG!
A thunderous sound rang out, like an ancient bell being struck.
Mega Garchomp felt like it had smashed into an immovable mountain. The rusty shield didn't budge an inch—while the recoil rattled Garchomp so hard it staggered back, dazed.
"What?!" Cynthia gasped.
So this was the power of legend—without even becoming Zamazenta, the shield's material and rule-like force could still block a Mega's assault.
"Not done! Take this—Behemoth Blade!"
Jason shouted, bringing the Rusted Sword down hard.
He couldn't truly use the exclusive move "Behemoth Blade," but the sword's sharpness paired with Sirfetch'd-level strength still made it terrifying.
A cold flash streaked through the air, edged with rust.
Garchomp hurriedly raised its scythe arms to block.
Crack—!
Those scythes, capable of cutting steel, let out a strained, miserable screech under the sword's pressure.
They didn't break—but the force still sent Garchomp flying.
It slammed hard into the arena wall, and the entire wall collapsed instantly in a cloud of dust.
Dead silence.
Somehow, Miraidon had woken up, staring with wide eyes, drool nearly spilling from its mouth.
"I must still be asleep… why does it feel like I'm seeing those two dogs again?" it muttered.
The dust cleared.
Mega Garchomp struggled to rise, but the blow seemed to have hammered its spirit as much as its body.
It swayed twice, then de-mega-evolved and collapsed—unable to battle.
Jason won.
He casually stuffed the Rusted Sword and Shield back into his body, then returned to Ditto form.
The purple blob bounced twice, formed hands again, and planted them smugly on its "hips."
"Cynthia-nee—was I awesome or what?"
He tilted his head up, wearing a shameless "praise me" expression.
Cynthia stood there, looking at her fallen Garchomp… then at the innocent-looking purple little thing.
After several seconds, she let out a long breath. The shock on her face melted into helplessness, and finally into a relieved smile.
She walked over, recalled Garchomp, murmured a few gentle words of comfort, then stepped toward Jason.
"Amazing." Cynthia nodded, very serious. "You're already very strong. Your tactics—and even your item preparation—are beyond what I imagined."
She crouched down until her eyes were level with Jason.
"I thought I could still guide you as a senior for a while," she said softly. "I didn't expect you to grow this fast." She reached out and poked Jason's squishy cheek. "You even beat my ace with a surprise like that."
Jason grinned, rubbing his body against her fingertip. "Obviously."
Cynthia watched his smug little face, her gaze sharpening slightly.
"So…" Her voice dropped a little lower. "Since my Pokémon can't beat you… I'll have to defeat you personally."
"Huh?"
Jason blinked, not understanding what she meant.
The next second, his world spun.
Cynthia didn't use any move, and she didn't send out another Pokémon. She simply reached down with both hands and grabbed Jason off the ground.
The motion was fast, impossible to resist.
Jason felt his body tighten, then he was pulled into a warm, faintly fragrant embrace.
Cynthia hugged the purple blob firmly, arms squeezing as if she was afraid he might escape.
"Wait—Cynthia-nee? What kind of move is this?!" Jason struggled in her arms, but he was too soft to generate any force.
Cynthia didn't answer.
She lowered her head. Golden strands of hair fell across Jason's "face," tickling him.
Then she closed her eyes and pressed a firm kiss onto his smooth, cool forehead.
In that instant, even the wind seemed to stop.
Off to the side, Gast's mouth fell open so wide her jaw almost hit the ground.
Again. Again. Again—home got stolen.
Cynthia lifted her head, a lovely blush on her face, but her eyes were unusually bright.
She looked down at Jason in her arms and said softly:
"Now… I've caught a Ditto."