Chapter 189
Elsewhere, Cynthia stood on Garchomp’s back high in the Mount Coronet range and suddenly sneezed several times in succession.
She rubbed her nose.
"Who’s talking about me?"
On the snowfield below her, Drapion lay motionless, while an unconscious Ariados hung from a nearby tree.
A badly wounded Salamence hovered in the air, its expression caught somewhere between fury and fear.
Standing on Salamence’s back was a short-haired woman glaring at Cynthia with undisguised hatred.
Cynthia’s eyes remained cold.
"Pokémon Hunter J... it seems you’ve finally run out of places to escape."
Strong winds swept across Mount Coronet, snapping Cynthia’s black coat loudly around her body.
She stared calmly at Salamence and its rider.
"You have two choices. Surrender peacefully, or keep fighting until you no longer can."
Hunter J wiped blood from the corner of her mouth.
"You’re the Champion of Sinnoh. Personally chasing someone like me for this long—aren’t you worried it makes you look small?"
Cynthia’s expression didn’t change.
"I am Sinnoh’s Champion. Protecting this region and stopping criminals is part of my job. There is nothing beneath me about doing it."
Her voice remained level.
"Even if you were nothing more than an insignificant grunt, the moment you chose to commit crimes and harm others, I would still personally arrest you if necessary."
"So choose. Surrender, or continue."
Hunter J rested one hand near the device on her wrist.
"I am curious about one thing. How did you know I was going to Lake Valor back then?"
Cynthia gave her no answer.
"You tell me."
Hunter J used the brief exchange as her opening.
She raised her arm and aimed the launcher on her wrist directly at Cynthia and Garchomp.
A petrification beam shot out.
Hunter J’s mouth curled upward as though she could already see the Champion and her partner transformed into stone.
Instead, a shadow stretched from beneath Cynthia’s feet.
It rose into the shape of a hand and slapped the beam aside.
The reflected ray struck Salamence.
Its entire body instantly hardened into stone, and the petrified Dragon-type plummeted from the sky.
Hunter J hit the snow and rolled several times before scrambling back to her feet and trying to flee.
But a figure appeared directly in her path.
Lucario stood there with both arms folded, staring at her coldly.
Hunter J raised her wrist launcher again but Lucario vanished with Extreme Speed.
In the next moment, it was directly in front of her.
Lucario seized both of Hunter J’s wrists and crushed the launcher before she could fire.
Its eyes suddenly flicked to the side.
Still holding J, Lucario rolled away.
A Flamethrower struck the place where they had just been standing, instantly melting the snow and ice.
Lucario looked upward, a helicopter hovered above them.
Cynthia’s gaze sharpened.
"Team Galactic?"
Mars stood inside the open helicopter door.
"Champion Cynthia, how about we make a deal?"
"A deal?"
Cynthia’s tone remained flat.
"Hand Pokémon Hunter J over to us. We’ll teach her a lesson ourselves and make sure every Pokémon she captured is released. How does that sound?"
Cynthia looked toward the helicopter.
As Sinnoh’s Champion, she was hardly naïve enough to believe Team Galactic had appeared here by coincidence.
"So the plan involving the three great lakes was yours."
Mars hadn’t expected her to make the connection quite so quickly.
Before she could answer, an older voice came from deeper inside the helicopter.
"Why are we wasting so much time talking to her? This is a perfect opportunity to test my new invention."
Charon operated the device in his hands.
A piercing cry suddenly rang through the sky as an enormous ice-blue bird descended from above.
Articuno.
A mechanical device was fastened around its neck.
The normally graceful, almost regal Legendary Pokémon had been reduced to a furious puppet, its actions controlled by the machine.
Articuno immediately released a blast of freezing air toward Cynthia and Garchomp.
Garchomp carried Cynthia aside, narrowly avoiding the Ice Beam before letting out an enraged roar.
"ROAR!"
Garchomp’s presence surged.
Even faced with Articuno, the pressure coming from Cynthia’s ace showed no sign of giving ground.
Cynthia looked toward the helicopter.
"This is what you were relying on?"
Charon grinned.
"You may be a Champion, but even your ace Garchomp should have trouble dealing with Articuno. The type matchup certainly isn’t in your favor."
Cynthia stepped off Garchomp’s back.
Her heels sank slightly into the snow.
She looked from the helicopter to the frenzied Articuno without saying anything.
Mars gripped the side of the helicopter door.
"So, Champion Cynthia, are you ready to hand Hunter J over now?"
Cynthia smiled beautifully.
A figure immediately shot upward.
BOOM!
The helicopter was struck and sent crashing out of the sky.
Togekiss circled overhead, giving an ethereal cry as it turned its attention toward the controlled Articuno.
Mars and Charon dragged themselves out of the snow and stared at Cynthia in shock.
Cynthia took several slow steps toward them.
"I was hoping I could draw out a few more people."
Her voice was almost disappointed.
"I didn’t expect only the two of you to show up."
Mars stared at her.
"You were waiting for us?"
"Why else do you think I spent so long chasing Hunter J?"
Cynthia’s answer was matter-of-fact.
"Now then, are you ready to surrender?"
Charon’s face twisted with anger.
"You really think you can arrest us? Articuno, attack!"
Electric current surged through the collar around Articuno’s neck.
The Legendary bird screamed in pain before launching itself violently at Garchomp.
Garchomp took to the air and repeatedly evaded Articuno’s attacks.
The complete control imposed by the machine had ruined Articuno’s natural fighting instincts.
Its attacks were ferocious, but there was no rhythm or judgment behind them.
After dodging another assault, Garchomp summoned a barrage of rocks from above.
Rock Slide crashed into Articuno and knocked it out of the sky.
Articuno screamed as it struck the snow.
Cynthia watched without changing expression.
"Articuno?"
Her voice was calm.
"So what?"
She reached into her coat and took out a pale pink lipstick.
Cynthia lightly applied it, then tapped one finger against the cap.
The Key Stone embedded within the lipstick began shining brilliantly.
A corresponding light answered from the Mega Stone carried by Garchomp.
Energy surrounded Garchomp as its body began changing.
"Garchomp... dance through the sky."
Cynthia’s voice sharpened.
"Mega Evolve!"
Garchomp broke free from the light as Mega Garchomp.
The full force of its presence erupted outward, blasting the surrounding snow away in a violent wave.
Mega Garchomp immediately charged Articuno.
The controlled Legendary bird couldn’t withstand the assault.
Even though it was one of the legendary birds and held a favorable type matchup, it was being forced backward again and again by the full power of Sinnoh’s Champion and her ace.
Charon stared in disbelief.
Mars looked equally stunned.
"Why...? Articuno has the type advantage! It’s one of the legendary birds, so how is it losing to Garchomp?"
Cynthia didn’t bother answering.
Roserade appeared beside her and immediately attacked Mars and Charon.
Mars released her own Pokémon in response, but the battle quickly turned against Team Galactic.
Golbat was knocked from the sky by Togekiss.
Roserade blasted Skuntank away.
Cynthia looked calmly at the two Galactic officers.
"You’re under arrest."
Her shadow stretched outward again, forming two enormous hands that reached for Mars and Charon.
But a missile suddenly struck the snow in front of Cynthia.
BOOM!
The explosion sent snow and smoke billowing across the battlefield, completely blocking her view.
Togekiss beat its wings and cleared the air.
Cynthia looked up.
An airship had appeared overhead.
Mechanical arms extended from it and seized Mars and Charon, hauling them rapidly away.
Togekiss chased after them, but several Golbat threw themselves into its path and desperately held it back.
By the time Togekiss defeated them, the airship had already disappeared into the distance.
Togekiss returned to Cynthia and called apologetically.
"It’s fine. I didn’t expect another group to be waiting farther back."
Cynthia shook her head and reassured it.
Then she glanced toward Pokémon Hunter J, who was still firmly restrained by Lucario, before turning toward Articuno.
The Legendary bird lay badly injured in the snow.
Cynthia walked over, bent down, gripped the control collar around its neck, and snapped it apart with brute force.
"Go. Be more careful next time."
Articuno gave several quiet cries of gratitude.
Despite its injuries, it forced itself back into the air and flew deeper into Mount Coronet.
Cynthia took out her phone and called Flint.
"I caught Pokémon Hunter J. Send someone to pick her up."
...
It didn’t take long for news of Pokémon Hunter J’s arrest to spread.
When Trainers across Sinnoh saw the reports, countless people finally relaxed.
At least for the time being, they no longer had to worry that someone might suddenly steal their Pokémon!
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Damn, she just soloed the whole group.