"Brother, who do you think will win?"
Lillie looked curiously at the two people in the arena and asked Dylan.
"Who knows."
"Who knows."
Two overlapping voices rang out. Dylan glanced at Leaf, who was rolling her eyes.
"Knew you'd answer like that. Lillie, you still don't get it? Dylan's always like this."
Leaf made a cute face at Dylan, as if saying she'd already seen through him completely.
"No wonder you understand me so well," Dylan chuckled.
"But honestly, I really can't predict who'll win. There are too many variables in a battle, and their strength isn't far apart."
He shrugged.
If it were purely based on their original game versions, he would naturally lean toward May. Even if they were both protagonists, some protagonists simply had more going for them.
The strongest, without question, were Rei and Akari from Legends: Arceus — the "Hisui superhumans" blessed by Arceus itself. Being handpicked by the Alpha Pokémon was practically like being its "illegitimate children." They were on a completely different level.
Next were Elio and Selene from Ultra Sun & Moon. Selene's achievements were outright terrifying.
Before even becoming Champion, she managed to defeat Necrozma three times — including Ultra Necrozma — eventually subduing it. After becoming Champion, she single-handedly crushed the entire Rainbow Rocket organization, beating Giovanni's entire multiverse ensemble by herself.
No other protagonist even came close.
Honestly, even without Dylan in this world, Rainbow Rocket would never have succeeded. Once Selene and the others grew up, Giovanni would've been taught a painful lesson anyway.
As for Serena and May, Dylan personally leaned toward May. But this wasn't the original plotline, and this Serena had strengthened her entire lineup.
Back then, Serena's team really wasn't so strong.
Serena and May's battle began, and as expected of the "monsters" of their respective regions, both girls fought at an exceptional level.
And both had captured a legendary Pokémon — May's Latios, Serena's Volcanion.
The battle raged on for quite a while, and both sides fought fiercely.
But battles must end eventually. Volcanion fell to Latios's Luster Purge. Serena sent out her final trump card — Pheromosa.
Pheromosa struck first and took down Latios. But before fainting, Latios set up Rain Dance.
May sent out her ace, Swampert — and Mega-Evolved immediately.
Under Mega Evolution, Swampert's body enlarged significantly, its muscles surging with overwhelming strength. One look was enough to know how terrifying a single punch would be.
—Beep!
Swampert (Mega Evolution), Water/Ground type, Mud Fish Pokémon
Ability: Swift Swim
Moves: Earthquake, Hammer Arm, Liquidation, High Horsepower, Ice Punch…
Description: Its upper body muscles are extremely developed. Mega Evolution reinforces its aquatic power, letting it unleash tremendous strength both in water and on land.
"This Rain Dance was way too clutch."
Seeing Latios leave Rain Dance behind before fainting made Wallace tense up.
Without rain, Mega Swampert would've struggled against Pheromosa. Pheromosa's speed was absurd. But in rain, Swift Swim doubled Mega Swampert's speed.
Even if it still wasn't quite as fast as Pheromosa, at least it wouldn't be toyed with helplessly.
And with Mega Swampert's power, landing even one hit — even a neutral one — would severely injure Pheromosa.
Ultra Beasts were extreme, and Pheromosa's defenses were paper-thin.
"Yes, May has a chance."
Steven nodded, eyes locked on the battlefield.
In the arena, Terastallized Fighting-type Pheromosa stood tall and proud, its cold gaze on Mega Swampert.
Mega Swampert planted its massive arms into the ground, staring back fiercely.
This was the final clash.
"I won't lose! Not here — never here!"
Serena's eyes hardened. She hadn't expected May to be this difficult. She'd given everything, yet the fight still reached this point.
They were both down to their last Pokémon. This was it.
"As long as I beat Pheromosa — I win!"
May inhaled deeply to steady herself. She needed full focus.
She refused to lose — not with so many people cheering for her, not with her Pokémon fighting their hearts out, not with Roy and Wallace supporting her, not with her parents watching.
She couldn't fall here.
May met Serena's gaze. Both saw the same unshakeable resolve in the other's eyes.
Battle!
Almost simultaneously, under the pouring rain, the Tera-Pheromosa and Mega Swampert launched their charge.
Mega Swampert roared, tightening its right fist and swinging with devastating force.
Pheromosa slipped past the blow with a simple sidestep, spinning into a whip-like kick.
Mega Swampert raised its left arm and blocked it, the massive impact only making its frame tremble before stabilizing again.
Such brute force was terrifying.
Pheromosa narrowed its eyes, leaping back to avoid another punch.
But Mega Swampert refused to let up. In rain, it moved far faster than usual and pounced again.
Those huge fists were bigger than Pheromosa's entire torso. A single clean hit would be catastrophic.
The pace was intense. Mega Swampert's attacks poured out relentlessly. Pheromosa dodged again and again, countering whenever it could.
But every counter was blocked by Swampert's arm-shields.
"Swift Swim…"
Seeing Mega Swampert's brutal speed, Serena's brows knitted tightly.
Pheromosa could still keep up — barely — but everyone knew the saying: a long defense is bound to crumble.
Eventually, she would slip.
"If she can just outlast the rain, she'll have a chance!"
In the stands, Diantha was tense. Rain boosted Mega Swampert tremendously. Once rain ended, its speed would drop, giving Pheromosa space to work.
Could Pheromosa hold out long enough?
She didn't know — but that was the only hope.
Reality, however, was cruel.
Pheromosa couldn't manage it. After narrowly dodging High Horsepower, it failed to evade the sweeping Hammer Arm.
The blow sent Pheromosa flying. It almost couldn't get back up.
"It's basically over."
Dylan shook his head. Pheromosa wasn't knocked out immediately, but that Hammer Arm nearly emptied its HP bar.
From here, turning the tables was almost impossible.
To win, Pheromosa needed to attack — but attacking meant taking hits. Mega Swampert could simply tank one and trade back for a decisive blow.
And that was exactly what happened. When the rain stopped and Mega Swampert slowed down, Pheromosa landed several chip attacks, none decisive.
Then Mega Swampert finally caught it — with Blizzard.
Pheromosa couldn't take it.
In the end, Mega Swampert narrowly defeated Serena's Tera Pheromosa.
"Pheromosa is unable to battle. Mega Swampert wins."
"Serena has lost all six Pokémon. May is the winner and advances."
Serena's face went pale. She stared at Pheromosa, stunned.
She had lost.
"We have a winner! After an intense battle, May defeats Serena and advances to the quarterfinals!"
The host's passionate voice filled the arena.
Cries rang out everywhere — joy, regret, excitement, disappointment.
"Waaaaah…"
"Hahahaha! I knew May would win!"
"Way to go, May! We knew you were the best!"
"What a great battle. But what a shame… she was so close."
"I really feel for Serena. She tried so hard."
The audience — especially those in Hoenn — was thrilled.
"Haah! You did amazing, Swampert!"
May rushed to Swampert, healed its wounds, and patted its shoulder with delight.
Swampert growled softly, its fierce eyes turning gentle. It was proud of helping its trainer win.
After chatting briefly with it, May looked toward Serena.
She could feel how down Serena was. Anyone would be. Wanting to win so badly, giving everything — only to fall short.
May understood. She would've felt the same.
Serena quietly removed her headband and looked at the Poké Ball in her hand for a long time before letting out a weak smile.
"That was a great battle."
A clear voice reached her ears.
Serena looked up and saw her opponent.
"Congratulations on advancing."
She steadied herself and shook May's hand with a strained smile.
"Thanks. It really wasn't easy. You're strong, Serena."
"And yet I still lost." Serena sighed.
"But no use dwelling on it. May, I hope the rest of your matches go smoothly."
She forced herself to perk up, offering May a warm smile. She knew exactly why May had come over.
Even though she was upset, after a moment to breathe, she'd already regained her footing.
"After reaching the quarterfinals, the pressure only gets worse."
Serena warned her. Compared to the round of 16, the top 8 were monsters among monsters.
"Ah— I'll try my best! I'm not expecting to be champion. If I reach the semifinals, that's a win already!"
May pumped her fists.
She'd set a small goal:
No need to aim for the championship.
Make it to the top 4 — stabilize, then fight for top 2!
(End of Chapter)