Cain and Cynthia walked to the center of the field to shake hands.
"Congratulations," said Cain with a smile.
However, there was not much joy on Cynthia's face. In a calm voice, she replied, "Next time, when your team is complete, let's battle again."
Upon hearing this, Cain felt a slight headache. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had caught the attention of this battle enthusiast—and wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.
Although Cynthia had won the fight, she didn't seem truly happy. As one of the participants, her perception of the battle was very clear.
She could feel that, even though Cain's Pokémon were at a disadvantage in terms of overall power, she had still needed to rely on Garchomp, her strongest Pokémon, to force a win.
If Cain's Pokémon had been at the same level as hers, Cynthia was convinced she would have lost today.
Even without reaching an equal level, if Cain had managed to complete his team, Cynthia sensed she might still have lost—even to slightly weaker Pokémon.
Cain, for his part, wasn't too worried about the defeat. If that had been his main concern, he would have sent out Altaria, capable of facing Garchomp head-on, instead of Politoed.
The loss seemed to leave Cain in a surprisingly calm state of mind.
As Cain walked into the competitors' tunnel, he crossed paths with Steven, who was heading out for his own match.
Steven seemed ready to offer words of comfort, but upon seeing Cain's relaxed expression, he held back.
Cain was not someone who was easily shaken.
"Go get 'em!" said Cain, extending a closed fist toward Steven.
Steven was momentarily surprised, but then smiled and bumped his fist with Cain's. "Leave it to me."
With those words, they each went their own way.
Cain believed Steven had a high chance of winning his match against Lorelei. After all, Steel- and Rock-type Pokémon had the advantage over Ice types, and Steel-types also resisted Ice-type moves with double effectiveness.
Even though many of Lorelei's Pokémon had Water typing as well, Cain was confident that Steven's Shiny Metagross would be unstoppable.
From the viewing box, Cain joined Wallace and Phoebe to watch the match through the glass.
Without much exchange, the two competitors began the battle as soon as the referee gave the signal.
Steven's team consisted of Armaldo, Cradily, Skarmory, Aggron, his Shiny Metagross, and... Aerodactyl. On the other side, Lorelei sent out Dewgong, Jynx, Slowbro, Piloswine, Lapras, and Cloyster.
In terms of average levels, Lorelei's team seemed slightly superior, since both Armaldo and Cradily on Steven's side were still in the advanced tier. However, the individual strength of Steven's strongest Pokémon clearly exceeded that of Lorelei's.
Though Lorelei's Cloyster was known for its explosive power after using Shell Smash, Steven's Shiny Metagross wasn't just a Steel-type Pokémon. With its full psychic power, it could anticipate Cloyster's moves, and once caught, two hits were enough to take it down.
The surprise of the battle was Steven's Aerodactyl, which finally revealed its full potential. Even though Cain couldn't analyze its data from that distance, its speed and power suggested it was at the peak of the pseudo-elite level—similar to Cain's Altaria.
Just a bit more, and it would reach Elite level.
This Aerodactyl had been carefully kept as a trump card by Steven. Even Cain and his friends knew little about it. Steven had always been secretive about this Pokémon, as if it were a taboo subject.
However, the connection between Steven and Aerodactyl was undeniable. The coordination and trust between the two were evident throughout the battle.
The fight between Steven and Lorelei, at least from an outside perspective, seemed somewhat chaotic.
Unlike Cain, who had refined his tactical skills through years of field experience, neither Steven nor Lorelei had as much practice in this kind of multi-Pokémon combat. Over time, the battle turned into a series of one-on-one fights, with each Pokémon fighting in its own space. Cooperation between Pokémon was occasional and limited.
Ultimately, the outcome came down to raw power.
Steven's Aggron proved to be incredibly tough, but Lorelei exploited its weaknesses, having Piloswine repeatedly hit it with Ground-type moves, striking its vulnerable points.
Even so, Aggron managed to hold its ground and stall several of Lorelei's Pokémon before falling.
As the battle progressed and Pokémon were eliminated, the result became increasingly clear.
Steven's Shiny Metagross was an unbeatable opponent, and with the strategic support of Aerodactyl, Lorelei finally saw all her Pokémon fall in defeat.
At the end of the match, Steven still had his Shiny Metagross and Aerodactyl standing—the two pillars of his team.
Steven secured the victory and advanced to the final.
Lorelei accepted her defeat without bitterness, showing a faint smile for the first time during the handshake with Steven.
That moment was captured by photographers and projected on the stadium screens, where it remained for ten seconds. The image triggered a wave of applause and cheers from the crowd.
With Cain and Lorelei eliminated in the semifinals, the tournament final would be between Steven and Cynthia, facing off the next day on the last day of the Sinnoh championship.
As spectators left the stadium, they continued to discuss the day's battles.
The rain brought by Cain's Politoed, Florges the Fairy-type Pokémon that caused so much trouble, Cynthia's Garchomp and her spectacular Milotic.
Steven's Shiny Metagross, his imposing Aggron, and the surprising comeback of Aerodactyl.
Lorelei's impressive Cloyster, whose Ice-type moves looked like crystal flowers in the sunlight.
Everyone was excited for the final showdown the next day.
That night, while Wallace and Phoebe left Steven alone to rest and prepare for the final, Cain stayed behind to help Steven tend to his Pokémon's wounds.
"Cain, you're probably curious about... Aerodactyl," said Steven hesitantly.
Without looking away from the Aggron he was treating, Cain calmly replied, "There's nothing for me to be curious about. It's your Pokémon—it trusts you, and you trust it. That's all that matters."
Steven was quiet for a moment before smiling. "You're right. That's enough. Even if Aerodactyl has certain issues, for now it seems everything is under control."
(End of chapter)