"Magmortar, Fire Blast!"
Magmortar planted its feet and raised both arm-cannons, a heat haze shimmering around its body in the half-second before the attack launched. A massive torrent of flame erupted outward, spreading into a wide, star-shaped blast that filled the center of the field.
"Dragon Claw!"
Garchomp's claws ignited with sharp emerald energy, extending outward like two curved blades. Its eyes locked onto the expanding Fire Blast without flinching. It brought both claws down in a single fierce sweep from above — and split the attack clean in half.
Boom.
The severed halves detonated on either side, and a billowing wall of fire and smoke swallowed Garchomp whole.
"Dragon Rush!"
Garchomp's arm cut through the smoke. Blue-violet energy surged across its entire body, and it folded itself tight and launched forward like a missile. As it accelerated, the energy condensed and reshaped — stretching, coiling — until the silhouette of a great dragon blazed around it, roaring toward Magmortar across the length of the arena.
"Magmortar! Fire Blast!"
Magmortar stood its ground, aiming both cannons directly at the oncoming dragon. Two fireballs launched simultaneously, merged in mid-air, and spread outward into another enormous star-shaped burst.
Bang!
Dragon Rush and Fire Blast met in the center of the field. The collision sent a shockwave rolling outward — dirt and gravel sprayed in every direction, and thick black smoke churned up from the impact point.
In the stands, the crowd pressed forward.
"Yo-gee!"
Larvitar wriggled sharply in Steven's arms, craning toward the field with wide eyes.
"Hey — stay still," Steven said, quickly tightening his grip.
Larvitar was deceptively heavy. At over seventy kilograms, it outweighed Steven, and he was already putting in a real effort just to hold it while watching the match. Another sudden shift and it would be out of his arms entirely.
Beside them, Honedge floated at shoulder height, its small eye curved into what was clearly a look of satisfaction.
Boom.
The blue-violet dragon burst through the curtain of black smoke and swallowed Magmortar in a single rushing impact. The explosion that followed shook the stands. When the smoke finally thinned, Garchomp stood at the near end of the field, having landed in front of Cynthia in one clean motion.
Magmortar lay still.
"Magmortar is unable to battle! Garchomp wins!"
The referee lowered his flag, confirming the result. On the screen above, Cynthia's portrait appeared — marked simply with "WIN."
"The champion of this year's Lily of the Valley Conference has been decided!"
The crowd erupted. Cynthia had swept her opponent's entire team with Garchomp alone.
"Cynthia has completed a one-versus-six sweep in the finals! She has won this Lily of the Valley Conference without dropping a single Pokémon across the entire tournament!"
Steven watched from the stands as staff led Cynthia toward the podium, the golden-haired trainer moving calmly through the noise around her. He allowed himself a quiet smile.
Before she reached the trophy, a reporter stepped forward with a microphone.
"Cynthia! You're the first finalist in the history of this Conference to complete a six-zero sweep in the final match. You also won the championship without losing a single Pokémon. Who do you think is stronger — you, or Steven Stone, who achieved the same undefeated record at the Ever Grande Conference but did not sweep six-to-one in the finals?"
The question carried clearly through the crowd. Several heads turned.
Steven pressed his lips together, somewhere between amused and resigned. "That reporter doesn't waste any time."
"It's their job not to," Carolina said beside him, entirely unruffled.
At the podium, Cynthia looked at the microphone, took a breath, and answered without hesitation.
"Steven Stone is stronger than I am."
A wave of murmuring swept through the audience.
"If he'd wanted to," Cynthia continued, her tone unhurried, as though she were simply stating a fact, "he could have swept six-to-one in his final as well."
"It sounds like the two of you have battled before, Cynthia?"
"Many times." Cynthia nodded. "We spar regularly."
"Steven Stone challenged the Elite Four immediately after winning his Conference title. Does Cynthia plan to do the same?"
Cynthia glanced briefly toward a section of the stands. Then she smiled. "Of course. I intend to challenge the Sinnoh League right away."
"Then we wish you the very best of luck! We'll be cheering for Sinnoh's next Champion!"
Steven exhaled. That had gone considerably better than his own post-victory interview, where he had apparently made some comment about "sleep roulette" that Wallace still brought up at every opportunity.
President Goodshow stepped forward with the Conference trophy and extended it to Cynthia with a warm smile.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you." Cynthia accepted it, stood beside him for the commemorative photograph, and that was that.
Steven and Carolina were waiting at the Pokémon Center when Cynthia arrived.
"Congratulations," Steven said, taking the trophy from her with an easy smile.
"It's too early for that." Cynthia shook her head. "Save it for tomorrow."
"My Cynthia has really grown up." Carolina reached out and smoothed Cynthia's hair, her expression soft. "That battle was something to see." She let her hand rest on Cynthia's shoulder for a moment, then sighed lightly. "But Grandma can't stay. There's still a great deal left to do at the ruins. I need to head back."
Cynthia leaned into her. "When I become Sinnoh Champion, Steven and I will come and help you with the excavation. I promise."
"I'll hold you to that." Carolina patted her once. "I'll be in Solaceon Town. Don't take too long."
Steven and Cynthia saw Carolina off at the airport. On the way back, they stopped by a courier and sent the Conference trophy ahead to their address in Celestic Town.
Walking along the street together in the quiet of the evening, Steven glanced sideways at Cynthia.
"Are you sure you want to challenge the League right away? There's no rush, you know. A bit more preparation time would improve the odds considerably."
He said it from experience. His own Elite Four challenge had been brutal — even with the thirty-minute rest periods between battles, the cumulative toll had been significant. He had come uncomfortably close to losing. The "sleep roulette" joke had come from somewhere real.
Cynthia's current strength exceeded his own at the time of his challenge, that much was clear. But the Sinnoh Elite Four presented their own difficulties. The two veteran members — the Ground-type specialist Bertha and the Psychic-type specialist Lucian — were seasoned and well-known. There was nothing unpredictable about their fame or their capability.
The two newer members were a different consideration, but no less capable.
"Hmm." Cynthia shook her head. "I can't fall too far behind."
Steven paused. "Our agreement didn't have a deadline."
"I know." She was quiet for a moment. "But I can't wait."
"Can't wait for what?"
"You'll find out tomorrow." She looked at him with a small, composed smile that gave nothing away.
"All right," Steven said simply.
He reached over and pinched her cheek.
"What was that for?!" Cynthia batted his hand aside.
"Pinching the future Sinnoh Champion's face."
She considered that for a moment.
"...Fine. Go ahead, then."