"I'm taking you back. No matter what."
Hearing Cynthia say that, Caitlin locked eyes with her. Cynthia, however, didn't waver at all as she met Caitlin's gaze.
Caitlin pressed her lips together, then shook her head and stepped back twice.
She knew she'd grown fast since joining Team Rocket, but there was still a big gap between her and Champion-tier Cynthia.
Right now, she still wasn't Cynthia's match.
But… so what?
Caitlin looked over at Damian. He understood immediately and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Tsk. I can't just pretend I didn't hear that."
Damian took two steps forward, placing himself between Caitlin and Cynthia, his expression somewhere between amused and mocking as he addressed the Sinnoh Champion.
"If you're planning on taking our adorable Caitlin away, I'm afraid I can't let you have your way, Champion Cynthia."
Adorable Caitlin…
Caitlin's pale face stayed composed, but the corners of her lips curved up just a little.
The heaviness she'd felt since seeing Cynthia eased, if only slightly.
"Team Rocket, huh?"
Cynthia's brows drew together as she took in the boy in front of her, all lazy defiance and a faint air of wickedness.
He was young, but she didn't underestimate him.
Her instincts told her this person was extremely dangerous—and extremely strong.
And why was she even here? Because Kukui had sent her multiple emergency calls.
Professor Kukui was a Champion-tier Trainer, and when she flew in earlier, she'd seen this boy battling him.
"Yeah. Team Rocket executive Damian. What an honor, honestly—I didn't think I'd run into the famous Champion Cynthia all the way out here in Alola." Damian said with a smile.
He meant it. Seeing Cynthia show up had genuinely surprised him.
Alola was pretty far from Sinnoh, after all. But then again, he'd already lured Caitlin into Team Rocket. Cynthia being unable to sit still was only natural.
It did throw a wrench into his plans, though.
"Surrender. If possible, I don't want to hurt any of you."
Cynthia's gaze flicked briefly toward Proton. Only three enemies total. She really didn't like fights like this.
She'd already noticed Tapu Fini floating at Damian's side—clearly Alola's island guardian deity.
But Cynthia didn't believe for a second that Tapu Fini was unbeatable.
"Tsk."
Damian clicked his tongue again.
"Just like Caitlin said. Always talking from on high, huh, Champion Cynthia? You really are that confident?"
His smile stretched wider, thick malice surfacing in his eyes.
"If you're going to look down on me that much, I'll be in a tough spot, you know."
Cynthia's eyes narrowed slightly.
Because she saw Tapu Fini rise beside Damian, water gathering at her lips.
A Water-type Hydro Pump.
The roaring torrent tore through the air, incredibly fast.
"Dragon Claw!"
Garchomp's claws glowed with sharp green light as it slashed down hard at the incoming blast.
Rip!
The powerful Hydro Pump was literally split in two by Garchomp, the water streams exploding past on either side of its body.
"So strong!"
Olivia, Hala, and the others all sucked in a breath. Tapu Fini's power needed no further proof—but Champion Cynthia's Garchomp was clearly a monster in its own right.
To tear apart Tapu Fini's Hydro Pump that easily said it all.
"I'm not underestimating you. But even an island guardian deity won't be my opponent."
Cynthia's tone was level and cool, but the calm, unshakable composure she'd built over years radiated off her in waves, impossible to ignore.
She might look elegant and beautiful, but from her, you could feel a pressure—a dominant aura that only truly strong Trainers carried.
This was Cynthia, the Trainer who'd climbed to Sinnoh's summit. The strongest person in the Sinnoh Region.
But one individual was not pleased.
Tapu Fini glared at Cynthia and Garchomp, absolutely fuming.
What was that supposed to mean?
Was she saying there was no way she could beat this land shark? What kind of joke was that? She was Tapu Fini! If she was going to lose to anybody, it sure as hell wasn't going to be a Dragon.
Shell Miss was pissed. She felt seriously insulted.
"Oh?"
Sensing her mood, Damian shot Tapu Fini an amused glance, then looked back at Cynthia.
"Garchomp!"
Cynthia didn't waste any more words. She gave the order.
Garchomp exploded into motion, shooting toward Tapu Fini like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, the pressure of its charge terrifying.
But…
"Shadow Ball."
Ke-ke-ke…
A low, raspy cackle echoed in everyone's ears. Two crimson pinpricks of light flared to life from directly behind Damian, in the shadows under his feet.
A black Shadow Ball shot out, heading straight for Garchomp.
Garchomp reacted instantly, swinging a Dragon Claw down at the incoming orb.
Boom!
The explosion rocked the field, a shockwave howling outward as smoke and dust billowed up.
Garchomp's whole body was blasted backward, flipping as it landed, one claw sinking into the ground as it skidded back before finally grinding to a halt. Its fierce dragon eyes glared into the dust cloud, locking onto those eerie twin lights.
Cynthia's brows knit tightly.
"Gengar?!"
A moment later, the smoke began to clear, revealing a gray-black Gengar with a massive, crooked grin.
Sensing all the wary stares on it, the Shiny Gengar let out another unrestrained ke-ke-ke, laughter echoing through the air.
"What a powerful Gengar." Kukui's expression was grave.
Earlier, when Olivia tried to ambush Damian with Cradily, that Pokémon had been one-shot into oblivion by a Shadow Ball from the thing hidden in Damian's shadow.
But the Shiny Gengar hadn't shown its true form then, and Kukui had been too focused on the fight with Tapu Fini to overthink it.
Now, though, even Champion Cynthia's Garchomp had been forced back by a single Shadow Ball. Sure, the ambush played a part.
But that kind of raw power…
Even conservatively, this Shiny Gengar's strength was at least on par with Garchomp. No wonder Damian could catch Tapu Fini.
"Who are you really?"
Cynthia had clearly reached the same conclusion. Her gaze was serious as she stared at the boy.
A Trainer this strong and this young, and she'd never even heard his name before.
"Doesn't matter. Anyway, Champion Cynthia, how about we make a deal? Let's call it a day."
Damian spoke with an easy smile. Cynthia's arrival really was an unplanned variable.
With her here, talking things through with Kukui became a lot more complicated.
And there wasn't much point in pushing the fight further. He had a pretty good read on Garchomp's strength now.
"I'm a League Champion. You're members of an evil organization."
Cynthia didn't answer him directly. Instead, she pulled out another Poké Ball, her voice smooth and measured.
This wasn't Sinnoh, but as Sinnoh's Champion—a person with real responsibility—she had no intention of letting an evil organization's members walk when they were right in front of her.
And…
Her eyes shifted to Caitlin. She was definitely taking Caitlin back to Sinnoh. That was her decision. And she believed that, one day, Caitlin would understand.
"Honestly."
Noticing where Cynthia was looking, Damian instantly saw what she was thinking and couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head.
"Champion Cynthia, your head really is full of just yourself, huh."