Well, I lost.
But that's fine, it was exactly what I was expecting.
Six Pokémon down, all of them swept by one Garchomp. Even knowing it was coming, it still stung a little. But we didn't go down without a fight.
Chimchar had used Blaze for the first time since the day I caught him. He was still too unstable when tapping into his full power, but it was something.
The pain of this loss will push us forward. Motivate us. We saw the summit today, now we know how far we still have to climb.
The crowd didn't seem to see it that way, I could hear them jeering at me.
I didn't bother to listen to their words. They didn't know me, they didn't know what my goals were. Their words didn't matter at all.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. Ash stood up in front of the crowd, fists clenched at his sides, as he started scolding the crowd.
It wasn't necessary, but I still appreciate the gesture.
Then another voice cut in. One that was familiar to me.
My head turned to Shaymin.
She had leapt to the front of the crowd, glaring at them with a fury I'd never seen from her. Normally she's a bit dramatic and haughty, but only around Marley and I. She's usually completely timid when around strangers.
Then, with no hesitation, she turned to Cynthia and Garchomp. She proceeded to challenge them to another battle, with me as her partner.
Garchomp tilted her head while Cynthia looked from Shaymin to me, a faint smile rising on her face. "Do you accept?" she asked curiously.
My breath caught.
This... was sudden.
I turned to Shaymin, searching her face.
"You sure?" I asked, quiet.
She didn't waver.
"Just trust me, Paul. We can do this."
I don't know why, but hearing her say that made something stir in my chest. A warm, tingly feeling.
She stood up for me. Called out an entire crowd of people. It felt...
I didn't even know how to describe it.
But it meant something.
I took a deep breath, then nodded slowly.
"...Alright."
Time to go all in.
I reached down into my bag, and pulled out the Gracidea.
I crouched down to present the Gracidea flower to Shaymin.
She didn't hesitate.
Shaymin dipped her nose to the bloom and the moment she made contact, golden light exploded outward, engulfing her in a warm, radiant glow.
The shape of her body began to shift and elongate, her rounded form stretching upwards. Her legs lengthened and became more slender. She now has flat, white ears that resembled wings, and a red flower petal on the side of her neck. The bush on her back receded and flowed upwards, transforming into green hair that framed her head.
Even though I knew what was coming, the sight of it still left me a little breathless.
When the light faded, Shaymin's Sky Forme zipped into the air, fully transformed, eyes gleaming with confidence. She looped in the sky once, then again, spiraling through the air like a streak of green and white.
"YEAH!"she cried out in that new, energized voice."Let's show 'em what we've got!"
She was fast, really fast.
I narrowed my eyes, already thinking ahead.
Sky Forme. Lower durability, but significantly higher speed and power. I couldn't let her take a direct hit. We'd have to stay mobile, rely on ranged pressure, and dictate the flow of the battle.
She hovered lower, just above my eye level. "We need to go over your moves," I muttered. "What do you have?"
"Seed Flare, Air Slash, Energy Ball, Substitute, and Aromatherapy,"she reported crisply, tail flicking.
It would've been better if she had Leech Seed to wear Garchomp down a bit more. And Dazzling Gleam could've added pressure as a super-effective option.
Actually, no. Seed Flare is probably better, with a STAB boost it should do more damage than Dazzling Gleam would've. Factor in Serene Grace...
I mentally calculated. In the games, there's an 80% chance to drop Special Defense by two stages. Maybe it's not that clean-cut here, but the principle holds. If we land just one or two, Garchomp's bulk starts to matter a lot less.
Air Slash was tempting too. If we could move faster than Garchomp, we had real odds of forcing a flinch. High-risk, high-reward.
I glanced across the field. Garchomp was already standing at attention, tail flicking, wings loose at her sides. Relaxed. Waiting.
She's not fresh. She's taken damage—minor, sure, but it's there. Seed Flare could make the difference if we build pressure fast enough.
Still, Cynthia had barely tapped into her full strength. She let my team land hits not because she was struggling, but because she wanted to see what we could do.
She tested us.
Now, she was done testing.
Her Garchomp likely has the raw power advantage, if we're going to win, it'll be through tactics. Not brute force. Not type advantage.
I whispered, "Shaymin, your speed's everything in this fight. Keep moving, stay sharp. We'll strike fast and hit hard, but never stop moving."
Shaymin spun once in midair, pumping herself up."Understood! I've got this, Paul. Just say the word!"
I stood, brushing dust from my pants as I took my place at the edge of the battlefield.
Shaymin soared out into the arena, sunlight catching in the vibrant green of her mane.
Across from me, Cynthia lifted her gaze, her expression unreadable. Cool and composed, as always.
Then, a subtle upturn of her lips.
"Are you done strategizing?" she asked, voice laced with amusement.
I met her gaze, "Yeah," I said, stepping forward. "We're ready."
I nodded toward the battlefield.
"How about you give us the first move again?"
Cynthia gave a short, elegant laugh and swept her coat behind her as she extended a hand toward the field.
"Well," she said, "since you asked so nicely."
Garchomp stepped forward.
Shaymin flared her wings.
And the air between us snapped tight with tension.
Alright.
Let's begin.
"Seed Flare!" I called.
Shaymin's body tensed, glowing with vibrant green light. Sparks of raw energy spiraled around her legs and wings, building in intensity.
With a sharp cry, she unleashed the energy. A flash of green-white erupted in all directions, a shockwave laced with searing green energy surging forward like a sonic bloom. The explosion engulfed Garchomp before Cynthia even moved.
Cynthia stood still, arms loosely crossed.
"Block it," she said calmly.
Garchomp crossed its arms in front of its chest and braced into the blast.
A cloud of dust swirled. I narrowed my eyes, watching for the result.
Garchomp held its ground.
Still standing.
But I saw it, that slight recoil, the way her knees dipped just a little.
Not a lot of damage, but more than I expected. It looks like it did more than Ursaring's Hyper Beam, despite the fact that Garchomp didn't block Hyper Beam.
No visible sign of any stat drop, though. Her stance looked steady.
Cynthia didn't let up. "Flamethrower."
A spark ignited in Garchomp's mouth, fire already swirling.
"Dodge!" I snapped.
Shaymin darted left in a blur of green light, but Cynthia was already one step ahead.
"Brick Break," she followed.
Garchomp lunged from the smoke, rising from below like a shadow, wing glowing crimson.
"Air Slash!" I yelled.
Shaymin spun midair, a light blue energy ball forming around her, then slammed into it.
The ball split into multiple crescent-shaped blades, striking Garchomp in the jaw mid-leap.
It flinched.
For just an instant.
But it was enough.
Garchomp dropped slightly, giving Shaymin space to vault upward, wings flapping faster as she gained distance again.
"She's fast…" I muttered.
I saw something else as well. That Air Slash did more damage than Seed Flare did.
Which meant that Garchomp's special defense dropped from Seed Flare. I just hadn't noticed it physically.
Cynthia must've noticed the shift too.
She gave a thoughtful hum. Then: "Sandstorm."
The air snapped cold as wind rushed through the battlefield. Dirt and dust swirled, and within seconds, the field was cloaked in thick, whipping sand. Garchomp's visibility plummeted.
"Tch." My eyes narrowed. "Sand Veil…"
Of course. I regularly do the same thing with Gible.
How ironic.
"Flamethrower," Cynthia said, calm as ever.
I couldn't see Garchomp through the sandstorm, but the second the fire burst out, streaking like a solar lance through the haze, Shaymin reacted on her own.
She banked hard right.
Too slow.
The edge of the flame kissed her flank, just a graze, but she hissed in pain, body singed slightly as she spun out.
"Shaymin, climb! Get above the sandstorm!"
She rocketed up. When she was high enough, hovering above the swirling sands, I called it.
"Cancel out the sandstorm. Multiple Air Slashes!"
She dove into a tight spiral, letting loose sharp arcs of compressed wind. Slash after slash cut down into the storm, tearing through dust, shattering the airflow.
The sandstorm began to break.
Once it cleared we could see a flash of movement.
Garchomp emerged from the last veil of sand like a missile. A comet of blue-and-purple energy. Glowing like a star, eyes locked on Shaymin.
Too close.
Too fast.
There was no dodging this.
"SEED FLARE!"
Shaymin glowed again, her body streaked with crackling green light. She spiraled midair, the energy coiling tighter and tighter. Then, just as Garchomp's Dragon Rush collided, she detonated it in a blinding burst.
The sky lit up.
And they both fell.
A tangled blur of light and shadows.
They tumbled through the air, spiraling downward.
"Shaymin!" I called.
Wind roared past. Garchomp dropped like a meteor, but Shaymin's wings snapped open at the last second. She caught herself, wobbling in the air, barely stable.
Garchomp didn't.
She hit the ground hard.
Dust exploded from the impact site.
I held my breath. Did we just win?
Even Cynthia's expression changed, just a flicker of surprise as she waited to see if Garchomp would rise.
And then—
Movement.
Garchomp pushed herself up.
Her arms trembled slightly. Her breath came faster. But she stood.
Shaymin hovered across from her, fluttering hard, chest rising and falling.
Both of them were still in it.
Cynthia took a long breath, then reached into her coat pocket.
She pulled out a tube of lipstick. Pale gold casing.
Wait... is that?
She uncapped it and swiped it across her lower lip in a smooth stroke.
Then she turned the tube around, revealing a Key Stone embedded into it. She tapped the Key Stone.
Golden light pulsed from it.
"Oh shit," I muttered.
The Key Stone flared with burning radiance. In front of us, Garchomp roared.
Red light blazed from every point on her body, crackling like lightning. Her limbs shifted, jaw elongating, fins becoming serrated. A row of teeth-like spikes sprouted from each side of her abdomen. The claws and fins on its arm morph together to form sharp, red scythes.
Mega Evolution.
I could feel the pressure in the air shift.
Cynthia's expression didn't change, but her presence did. Steady. Absolute.
"This," she said firmly, "is the level of power you'll need to achieve."
My mouth opened slightly.
For just a second, I considered calling it. It was over. Shaymin had done more damage than my entire team combined.
But that thought felt... wrong.
Shaymin had stood up for me.
Now it was my turn to keep going, for her.
I grit my teeth and raised my voice. "Shaymin, let's keep fighting!"
Shaymin's wings flared open, eyes burning bright.
Cynthia's smile returned, "Excellent. I knew you wouldn't give up."
She lifted her hand skyward.
"Shower upon us, Draco Meteor."
Garchomp charged the attack, gathering burning energy into a massive orb in front of her face.
"Air Slash, now! Aim for the core!"
Shaymin moved instantly. A sharp streak of wind burst forward, slicing through the buildup of draconic energy mid-charge.
The Draco Meteor exploded early.
Right in Garchomp's face.
The shockwave burst outward, throwing up a cloud of smoke and dust. Even Cynthia took half a step back to shield her coat.
From behind the haze, Cynthia laughed. "Alright then. No more holding back."
Her voice dropped lower. "Giga Impact."
I snapped out a command. "Substitute!"
Shaymin tried.
Her body flickered with energy, just barely beginning to form a decoy.
But the flicker faded.
She didn't have enough left.
My stomach dropped.
Garchomp roared forward, glowing with orange and violet energy.
And slammed into Shaymin.
I don't even remember hearing the impact.
Shaymin's small body was launched backward. She spiraled once in the air, then hit the ground, bouncing once before skidding to a stop in the dust.
Shaymin switched back to her Land Forme, and didn't rise again.
Silence.
Dead silence.
Not a word from the crowd.
No cheers. No jeers. No applause.
Just the wind.
Just the quiet.
And the faint sound of my own breath.
After the battle ended, I walked over to where Shaymin had fallen. She was still breathing softly from exhaustion.
I crouched down beside her and ran a hand gently over her head.
"Excellent battle, Shaymin. Thank you," I said, keeping my voice low.
She gave a faint chirp of acknowledgment, leaning slightly into my touch.
Then I shifted my gaze toward Cynthia, who stood a short distance away, her Mega Garchomp breathing heavily but steadily beside her. The Mega Evolution had already started to fade, energy dispersing like smoke from Garchomp's form.
I straightened up and inclined my head, a simple show of respect.
"Thank you for the battle," I said.
Cynthia smiled, her expression warm but composed. "No, thank you. That was a match worth remembering. You fought with heart."
Before I could reply, Ash came bounding over, practically radiating excitement.
"I'll tell you, Paul—that was a great battle!" he said, grinning wide. "I thought for a second you were gonna beat Garchomp, you know?"
I nodded once, "Yeah, it was a close match."
Way closer than anyone expected, at least.
Brock stepped forward next, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Hey, Paul" he said, glancing at Shaymin in my arms, "why aren't you returning Shaymin to her Poké Ball?"
Before I could answer, Marley stepped in smoothly, her voice calm but carrying an undeniable certainty.
"Shaymin isn't Paul's Pokémon," she said, moving to stand beside me. "She's our friend. She travels with us by choice."
I shifted Shaymin gently into Marley's arms. Shaymin nuzzled against her immediately, letting out a small, contented sigh.
"We'll have to get her checked out at the Pokémon Center," I said, brushing some stray dust from my sleeves. "The rest of my team too."
Marley nodded, cradling Shaymin carefully against her chest. "Let's go."
As we turned to leave, Cynthia fell into step beside us, flashing an easy smile.
"My Garchomp took more damage than I let on," she said casually. "I think she deserves a rest too. Mind if I join you?"
I blinked, caught off guard for a second, but recovered quickly.
"Sure," I said simply. "No problem."
Ash, Dawn, and Brock weren't far behind either. They scrambled to catch up, eager chatter already spilling from them.
Our strange little group of six made its way through the park, down the winding stone paths, and back toward Eterna City. The sun had started to dip lower now, casting long shadows that stretched across the trail.
Ash's group spent most of the walk peppering Cynthia with questions—what's it like being Champion? How did she train Garchomp? Has she ever faced a Legendary Pokémon?
I didn't talk much. I didn't need to.
I was fine walking in silence, thinking about the battle, about everything that came next.
When we finally reached the Pokémon Center, I stepped forward first, handing Nurse Joy my six Poké Balls—Electabuzz, Chimchar, Larvitar, Ursaring, Gible, Metang.
Marley followed, gently handing over Shaymin into Nurse Joy's care.
Then Cynthia stepped forward too, offering up Garchomp's Poké Ball with a soft word of thanks.
After that, we found a table tucked away in the corner of the lounge—out of the way, quiet enough that we could talk without feeling like the whole city was listening in.
Cynthia leaned back slightly in her chair, her gaze drifting toward the large window that framed the setting sun.
Then she spoke, her voice softer but no less steady.
"Earlier today, I was visiting the stone tablet near the park," she said. "The words written on it completely changed my life when I first read them."
She smiled slightly and glanced around at all of us.
"Listen closely."
She closed her eyes for a moment, then recited from memory
"When every life meets another life, something will be born."
I blinked.
That was the same translation Marley had used back at the tablet. Different from the more literal version I'd read in my head.
Why am I the only one who read it differently?
Cynthia opened her eyes again, her gaze warm.
"I used to train endlessly," she said, "always chasing strength without knowing why. But after reading those words, I realized something. Every Pokémon, every person, has a story, a spirit. I started wanting to understand them, not just command them. And my dream, it grew bigger. It became about meeting Pokémon beyond anything we know—like Dialga and Palkia."
The way she spoke made it sound so simple. But there was a weight to her words too.
Cynthia smiled again, lighter now.
"I'm sure," she said, "because of our meeting today, something powerful has been placed inside each of us. Something that will make us stronger in our own ways."
I didn't know what to say to that. None of us did, really.
Before the moment stretched too long, Nurse Joy stepped out from behind the counter, calling across the lobby.
"Miss Cynthia? Your Garchomp is fully healed!"
Cynthia rose smoothly, brushing nonexistent dust from her coat. But before she turned to go, she reached into her bag and pulled something out.
A Pokémon Egg.
It was mostly white, decorated with intricate red and blue geometric markings.
She walked over and held it out toward me.
"I want you to have this Pokémon Egg," she said, smiling. "Will you accept it, Paul?"
I hesitated for a second, out of shock more than anything else, but then stood and accepted the Egg carefully with both hands.
"...Thank you," I said, honestly.
Cynthia's smile deepened.
"That's wonderful! The Pokémon inside the Egg is happy, too. I'm sure of it. I'll be looking forward to seeing how you raise it." She gave a small wave, then turned and made her way toward the exit.
"See you again!" she called over her shoulder.
Ash leaned over, staring at the Egg in my hands with wide eyes.
"Whoa, that's so cool!" he said. "Hey, Brock, doesn't that look like a Togepi Egg?"
Brock adjusted his jacket thoughtfully. "Yeah, it does. If I had to guess, maybe it's related. Cynthia's got a Togekiss on her team after all."
Marley peered down at the Egg in my arms, her expression soft.
"It's beautiful," she said quietly.
Ash shifted, folding his arms behind his head casually.
"So, Paul—how many badges do you have so far?"
"Two," I answered. "I earned my second one from Gardenia yesterday."
Ash grinned. "No way! I got my second badge from Gardenia too, just the day before that!"
I gave a small nod, more acknowledgment than excitement.
The conversation drifted for a bit. Brock and Dawn chatted about their own journeys, Brock mentioning his goal of becoming a great Pokémon Breeder after a moment of hesitation, and Dawn proudly telling us she'd earned her first Contest Ribbon in Floaroma Town.
I tilted my head slightly.
"So, you're a coordinator," I said, more a statement than a question.
Dawn beamed. "That's right! I'm working hard to get my five ribbons for the Grand Festival."
Brock chuckled. "And trying to keep up with Ash's constant detours for battles, too."
Marley, who had been quietly listening, was asked next.
"What about you, Marley?" Dawn asked.
Marley's gaze drifted to Shaymin, still resting peacefully beside her.
"I don't really have a big goal," she admitted calmly. "I'm just... experiencing the world. Traveling with Paul, and seeing everything Sinnoh has to offer."
Simple. Honest.
I liked that answer.
After a few beats of silence, I asked, "Where are you all heading next?"
Dawn's eyes lit up. "We're going to Alamos Town! There's a Contest being held there next week."
Alamos Town.
The name clicked sharply into place.
Marley tilted her head, brushing her hair behind one ear. "Isn't Alamos Town the place with the Space-Time Towers?"
Right.
That's it.
The Space-Time Towers.
The events of the Darkrai movie happen there.
I leaned back slightly, thinking.
Then shrugged.
"You know what," I said casually, "how about Marley and I join you for a while? I'm sure that checking out the Space-Time Towers would make for an interesting sight, and we could train together for a bit."
Ash lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Yeah! That'd be awesome!"
Dawn clapped her hands together. "The more the merrier!"
Brock chuckled, folding his arms. "It'll be nice to have another serious battler around."
Marley smiled, "That sounds good," she said.
I nodded once, quietly pleased.
AN: For people confused about Garchomp's strength: Cynthia's Garchomp started the fight against Shaymin with around 70% HP. I'd say that even without Mega Evolving, Garchomp would still win. But it would be very close, like almost a tie. A lot of this is because Cynthia let Garchomp tank the first Seed Flare, so the rest of Shaymin's attacks hit twice as hard. Serious Cynthia and Garchomp beat Paul and Shaymin.
Regarding Shaymin's power: I'd say Shaymin-Land is way weaker than Shaymin-Sky. Shaymin-Sky is around as strong as other Mythicals.
How I scale legendaries:
Arceus Main Legendary Mythicals Sub-Legendary Pseudo Legendary (Wild/Random Trainer)
