Want to read ahead. You know where
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The battlefield trembled as an enormous shadow fell across the arena.
A Dragonite, easily as wide as a hill, loomed into view.
Diantha's jaw dropped.
"Th–That's… that's a Dragonite?!"
Her voice cracked, disbelief etched across her face.
"How is it that big?! This isn't normal! Is this… Dynamax?!"
"Did that Dragonite just quietly Dynamax itself?"
On the opposite side, Sam rubbed the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Uh… I guess he just eats a lot," he said awkwardly.
"That's probably why he grew a little bigger than usual."
Diantha stared blankly. A little bigger?
The Dragonite in front of her looked like it could crush a truck with one step.
"Eat more…?" she muttered.
"How much food would that even take, a mountain of rice?!"
If this Dragonite "ate more," then a Snorlax's appetite would look modest in comparison.
And if it ever did Dynamax for real… that would probably be a natural disaster waiting to happen.
From the sidelines, Cynthia's soft laugh echoed across the arena.
The Champion of Sinnoh leaned against the railing, amused.
Her silver-blonde hair caught the light as she called out teasingly,
"Diantha, stop staring! The battle's already started!"
"R–Right!" Diantha snapped to attention, cheeks flushing.
She coughed lightly, trying not to laugh, and raised her flag to signal the continuation of the match.
But even as she tried to focus, Diantha couldn't shake off the awe.
The massive Dragonite stood there calmly, eyes gentle but brimming with power.
Despite its friendly expression, the pressure radiating from it was suffocating, a mountain of strength wrapped in orange scales.
Her Mega Gardevoir, elegant and radiant in its Mega form, wavered slightly.
The contrast in size was almost comical.
The Dragonite could probably hold Gardevoir in the palm of its claw like a toy.
It was like trying to play basketball against someone ten times taller than the hoop.
How could she possibly score?
No, she told herself firmly. Calm down. Breathe.
She secretly pinched her thigh beneath her coat.
The sharp pain brought her back.
Good. Stay focused.
"Such a big body," she muttered under her breath.
"It has to be slow. Speed must be my advantage."
Her eyes sharpened.
"No matter how huge it looks, it's still a Dragonite, and Dragon-type moves don't affect Fairy-types. Plus, Fairy attacks are super effective against Dragon-types!"
For a moment, confidence flickered in her eyes again. She clenched her fist.
"Let's do this, Gardevoir!"
Her partner turned its head slightly, eyes glowing with determination.
"Sha~nai!"
The crowd roared, sensing the shift in momentum.
Diantha pointed forward dramatically, her voice cutting through the noise.
"Use Dazzling Gleam!"
Mega Gardevoir raised its arms gracefully, energy spiraling between its hands.
The air shimmered pink as Fairy-type energy built up, glowing brighter and brighter until it burst forth in a storm of radiant light.
Dozens of beams shot forward, raining down toward the giant Dragonite like meteors.
Fairy moves, devastating against Dragon-types, streaked across the arena, dazzling the spectators.
Even though Dragonite towered like a mountain, there was no mistaking it: getting hit by that would hurt.
But Sam didn't panic. He simply adjusted his cap and smiled faintly.
"Big guy," he said calmly,
"Let's move."
Dragonite's enormous body stirred, its wings flexing with a thunderous crack.
For something that size, it moved impossibly fast.
With a roar that shook the entire stadium, it shifted aside, the Fairy beams slamming into the battlefield where it had stood a second earlier.
The ground exploded in a flash of pink light, shards of stone scattering into the air.
The audience gasped. Even Diantha was stunned for a heartbeat.
That kind of mobility… from something that big?!
"Not bad," Sam said casually, his tone light but confident.
He wasn't mocking her, just acknowledging her move.
Dragonite's massive tail swayed behind it, each movement carrying a wind strong enough to make Diantha's coat flutter.
"Gardevoir," she called quickly, "keep your distance! We can't take a direct hit!"
The Fairy-type floated backward, psychic energy rippling around it, staying agile and light in the air.
Cynthia watched silently now, her earlier laughter replaced by quiet pride.
She knew Sam well enough to recognize that faint, focused look in his eyes.
It wasn't arrogance, it was control. Calm. Precision.
That Dragonite wasn't just big. It was trained, perfectly in sync with its trainer.
The air between the two Pokémon shimmered with tension.
The battle had truly begun.
The massive Dragonite let out a thunderous roar, its chest swelling as the fleshy wings on its back beat the air like twin engines.
Wind blasted across the field, whipping up a storm of dust and loose debris.
The force alone was enough to make Diantha shield her face with one arm.
Then, whoosh!
The enormous creature moved.
Despite its size, Dragonite's body twisted with shocking agility, its wings tilting to adjust its balance as it glided sideways.
Every flap sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.
A barrage of pink energy beams, Mega Gardevoir's Dazzling Gleam, struck the ground one after another, leaving a cratered path in their wake.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions of light and dust filled the arena.
But when the haze cleared, the towering Dragonite stood untouched, wings flaring proudly.
"Impossible!" Diantha gasped.
"It's that big, and it's still that fast?!"
Her voice trembled between disbelief and awe.
Her heart pounded so hard she could barely breathe.
It wasn't supposed to be possible, that kind of mobility in a creature the size of a small building.
But she didn't give up.
"Alright then!" she shouted, raising her hand dramatically.
"Let's see if you can dodge this! Gardevoir, use Disarming Voice!"
Mega Gardevoir's eyes glowed, her expression calm and composed despite the chaos.
She drew in a breath and began to sing, a soft, melodic chant that carried across the battlefield.
The air shimmered pink as waves of Fairy energy rippled outward, spreading in every direction like the chime of a celestial bell.
Unlike Dazzling Gleam, Disarming Voice couldn't be dodged.
Its melody blanketed the entire arena, an attack with no blind spot.
The audience watched in silence as the sound waves wrapped around Dragonite, the energy touching its scales and reverberating through the air.
Dragonite flinched slightly.
Fairy-type energy, no matter how dispersed, was something it couldn't stand. Its eyes narrowed, wings twitching in irritation.
And then it roared.
"ROOOAAAR!!!"
The sound crashed over the battlefield like thunder, drowning out Mega Gardevoir's delicate song.
The ground shook from the force of it.
Diantha's Pokémon winced, clutching its head as the roar shattered its concentration.
The melody broke instantly.
Diantha's face fell.
"Gardevoir!" she cried.
The elegant Pokémon floated backward, covering her ears, her glow flickering like a dying flame.
The attack had landed, but Dragonite had shrugged it off like nothing.
Diantha clenched her fists.
'Even my best attacks… barely make it flinch.'
Sam sighed softly from the opposite end of the field.
He looked at Diantha, frustrated but still standing tall, and felt a flicker of respect.
She was proud and determined, even knowing she was outmatched.
He raised his hand.
"Alright, big guy," he said quietly.
"Let's finish this. Use Extreme Speed, then follow up with Fire Punch."
"Rooaaar!!"
The huge Dragonite's wings snapped open.
The air around it twisted violently as it launched forward in an instant, a blur of orange and light.
Even Cynthia gasped from the referee's box.
"That… that was Extreme Speed?! At that size?!"
Before Diantha could even react, Dragonite had already crossed the entire arena.
One moment, it was at the far edge; the next, it loomed directly in front of Mega Gardevoir, its massive fist igniting with flames.
BOOM!
The Fire Punch landed like a meteor strike.
The shockwave rippled outward, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
The heat washed over Diantha's face, making her eyes water.
When the dust cleared, Mega Gardevoir lay on the ground, fainted, her form returning to normal as the Mega Evolution faded.
The referee hesitated for a second before raising her flag.
"Mega Gardevoir is unable to battle! Dragonite wins!"
But it didn't stop there.
Diantha sent out her remaining Pokémon, Gourgeist, Aurorus, Hawlucha, Tyrantrum, and Goodra.
One after another, they faced the towering Dragonite.
One after another, they fell.
The difference in power was absolute.
Six Pokémon down.
Not one could stand against that monstrous Dragonite.
The audience erupted in stunned applause, though most of them didn't even understand what they'd just witnessed.
It wasn't just strength, it was control. Strategy. Precision.
Diantha, though proud, felt her shoulders slump as she recalled her final Pokémon.
She gave a polite bow to the referee, then turned to leave the battlefield, her usual elegance dimmed by defeat.
As she stepped off the stage, Cynthia was already waiting for her, smiling that knowing smile that somehow managed to look both warm and teasing at the same time.
Diantha glared weakly.
"Cynthia… I swear, if I'd known your husband was this strong, I wouldn't have agreed to this match! That was asking to be humiliated!"
Cynthia laughed softly, walking up and throwing an arm around Diantha's shoulders.
"Oh, come on. Don't take it too hard," she said, voice light and teasing.
"If it makes you feel any better, I've lost to him more times than I can count."
Diantha blinked.
"That doesn't make me feel better."
"Really?" Cynthia tilted her head with mock surprise.
"Because ever since you lost, I feel like we've become much closer. Like we're part of the same… survivors club."
"Survivors club?"
"You know," Cynthia said with a grin, "the people who've been utterly destroyed by Sam."
Diantha couldn't help it, she burst out laughing, the tension in her shoulders finally breaking. Cynthia's laughter joined hers, bright and easy.
From the sidelines, Sam watched the two Champions laughing together and quietly smiled.
Dragonite, still massive, crouched beside him, tilting its head curiously as if wondering if it had done something wrong.
He patted its scaled arm reassuringly.
"You did great, big guy," he said softly.
"You can rest now."
Dragonite gave a low rumble, satisfied, before shrinking down, its enormous form finally returning to pokeball.
As the crowd began to disperse and the stadium lights dimmed, Sam looked toward Cynthia.
Their eyes met for just a moment.
She smiled, that same calm, confident smile that always made his heart skip a beat.
And in that quiet moment, beneath the fading cheers, Sam knew this world, this life, was where he truly belonged.