"Big brother?"
Hearing the noise outside, a silver-haired girl clutching a teddy bear slowly stepped out.
As she reached the doorway, she instantly spotted her brother and Caleb standing beside him. A flicker of jealousy flashed in her eyes—barely noticeable—before her gaze swept over Caleb, and a hint of disdain crept across her face.
"So this is the guy you brought for help? Doesn't look that strong."
Caleb elbowed the silver-haired boy beside him and asked, "Not getting along with your sister? She's kind of coming at you from all angles."
"Sigh… Ever since our father passed, I haven't really known how to deal with her."
Cyril let out a helpless sigh, a touch of sorrow on his face.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Cynthia, she blinked and said, "Ah, so this is a team-building trip for Sinnoh Gym Leaders?"
"Um… Champion Cynthia, hello." Gardenia, clearly nervous, reached out her right hand stiffly, her voice trembling just a little.
Standing behind her, Candice and Maylene also looked flustered, but their eyes were full of admiration.
After all, in Sinnoh, there's hardly a girl who doesn't admire Cynthia.
Powerful and graceful, champions like her don't come around in every region.
Cynthia smiled and gently took the trembling hand, her voice warm: "No need to be so tense—Sinnoh's future rests in the hands of young Trainers like you."
Spoken like someone about to retire… but you're not even twenty-five yet, right?
Caleb grumbled inwardly.
"Gaaaas~"
Hearing Cynthia's voice, Haunter popped out of his Poké Ball and floated up to greet her.
Cynthia paused for a moment, then smiled at the sight of him. "Oh, you evolved—looking good!"
"Gaaa? (? ???w??? ?)"
Flushed red from the praise, Haunter opened his mouth and let out a thick cloud of white steam like an old-school steam engine, circling Caleb while puffing away.
Cynthia... might actually be okay...
Caleb, hearing that muttered line, grabbed Haunter by the ear and stuffed him back into the Poké Ball.
Embarrassing little gremlin—keep acting up and I'll throw you at Garchomp.
He couldn't tell if Cynthia had caught what Haunter said at the end.
Nervous, he turned to glance at her.
Cynthia's face still bore that warm, spring-sunshine smile that could put anyone at ease.
But when his eyes drifted to the Garchomp standing behind her, his stomach clenched.
The Garchomp was glaring straight at him, eyes gleaming with a menacing light.
Suddenly, Garchomp raised its claw and made a slicing gesture across its own neck.
For a second, Caleb really felt like his throat had just been slashed.
Cynthia seemed to notice his unease and patted him on the shoulder, smiling: "Don't worry. For the battle, I'll be using a newly caught Pokémon—should make things fair."
A new Pokémon?
So… no main team!
Then what's there to be afraid of?
Without a level advantage, Caleb had never feared a same-level fight!
Still, just to be safe, Caleb ran through some tactics with Cyril before the match.
He sent out his Pokémon—Whimsicott. But unlike the usual kind, this one was shiny, its blue ears giving it a more elite appearance.
Beep~ Whimsicott. Grass/Fairy type. Windveiled Pokémon.
Ability: Prankster
Moves: Gust, Absorb, Fairy Wind, Mega Drain, Leech Seed, Growth, Razor Leaf, Solar Beam, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, Cotton Spore, Giga Drain, Sunny Day, Parting Gift, Helping Hand, Swagger, Tailwind, Energy Ball, Cotton Guard, Hurricane, Moonblast, Protect, Substitute, Encore
Egg Move: Switcheroo
Description: It can slip through even the tiniest cracks like the wind, leaving only a puff of white fluff behind.
Truly a troll puff—looking at that massive movepool, Caleb saw just two words: Unstoppable force.
But remembering the opponent had their own troll puff—and it was Cynthia, no less—things might not be so easy.
Hmm... Parting Gift, Switcheroo…
A sudden idea sparked as he read those two moves.
...
At one of the training grounds on the ranch—
Both sides were ready.
Cyril sent out his Whimsicott, and his sister sent out a Jumpluff.
Worth noting—this Jumpluff was also shiny. Fluffy and pink, it looked like a cuter version of a Chansey.
As for Cynthia—
"Go, Garchomp!"
Oops, misheard.
"Go, Jangmo-o!"
Jangmo-o? Oh right, Caleb remembered now—Cynthia had a Kommo-o during the Journeys arc.
And Jangmo-o was Kommo-o's pre-evolved form.
One of the rare Dragon/Fighting-types.
Next up was Caleb. This time, he sent out Litten. The moment it hit the ground, Intimidate activated.
[Jangmo-o, Jumpluff: -1 Attack]
As soon as Intimidate hit, Litten dashed forward and aimed a sharp slap at Jangmo-o's forehead.
Fake Out!
A habit formed over many battles—first move: slap the enemy.
Just as Litten was about to land the hit, Cynthia's lips curled into a subtle smile. Calm and collected, she issued her command:
"Quick Guard Counter!"
Quick Guard Counter—a Fighting-type move that detects an opponent's action and hits back with the base of the palm, causing the opponent to flinch. Fails if the opposing move isn't a priority attack.
Designed specifically to counter moves like Fake Out, Quick Attack, and Extreme Speed.
Just as Litten's paw was about to land, Jangmo-o countered with a fierce uppercut.
"Meowrgh!"
With a screech, Litten was sent flying.
"Tailwind!"
"Tailwind!"
Simultaneously, the siblings shouted their commands.
Whirlwinds stirred up on both sides of the battlefield.
Seeing Cynthia had predicted his opening move, Caleb didn't hesitate and followed up immediately:
"Heat Wave!"
At the same time, Cyril gave the command: "Whimsicott, Sunny Day!"
Clearly, in this doubles setup, Whimsicott was playing a support role—setting the stage for Litten to dish out damage.
And Jumpluff? Most likely the same.
Then Litten, still flying backward, let out a cry—and suddenly, a wave of heat burst out from its body.
That earlier counter hit from Jangmo-o had knocked out two of Litten's baby teeth. Sure, it was teething season, but still—getting your teeth knocked out in a battle as a future mob boss? Embarrassing.
Fueled by rage, the heat around it intensified—roaring into a blaze.
And with Sunny Day boosting Fire-type moves, Heat Wave now packed a terrifying punch.
Heat Wave hits both opponents—Jangmo-o and Jumpluff were in the line of fire.
"Meowrgh!"
First, take out your annoying support.
Then we fight one-on-one.