Chapter 115: Mother–Daughter Battle, Part Three (Membership Extra - )
The video continued playing.
The entire audience fell silent, waiting for the final battle to begin.
Cynthia threw her Poké Ball. It traced an arc through the air before bursting open in a flash of red light.
"Take to the skies, Garchomp!"
Garchomp landed on the battlefield, its dark-red eyes fixed on Tiana across from it.
There was no hostility in its gaze. Instead, it contained something far more complicated, like an elder looking upon a child who had finally grown strong enough to stand before them.
Tiana looked back at it.
She remembered clinging to Garchomp as a child, gripping its scales while giggling uncontrollably. She remembered Cynthia leaving Garchomp to babysit her during meetings, and the countless nights it had remained by her side.
Now, they stood at opposite ends of the battlefield.
"Garchomp," Cynthia said softly but steadily, "you never stopped Tiana whenever she caused trouble as a child."
She paused.
"But today is different. She stands before us as a challenger, so fight her with everything you have."
Garchomp glanced back at Cynthia.
Then it turned toward Tiana and gave her a solemn nod.
"Tyranitar."
Tiana tightened her grip on the Poké Ball.
"I’m counting on you for this final battle!"
Red light flashed.
The Shiny Tyranitar landed with a tremendous crash, its pale-yellow scales gleaming gold beneath the spotlights.
At the same moment, a raging cloud of yellow sand once again engulfed the entire battlefield.
"Tiana, as your mother, I’m proud to see you make it this far," Cynthia’s voice carried through the curtain of sand. "But that is precisely why I must use everything I have to defeat you."
Cynthia took out a small tube of lipstick and lightly applied it to her lips before pressing the Key Stone embedded within it.
"Garchomp, Mega Evolve!"
Rainbow-colored light erupted from the Key Stone. At the same time, Garchomp’s Mega Stone released an equally dazzling radiance.
Countless multicolored beams connected in midair as Garchomp’s body rapidly transformed within the light.
The bony plates rising from its shoulders extended outward. The blades along its arms became longer and broader, while the muscles in its legs grew even more defined.
A deep, prolonged draconic roar emerged from its throat.
"Gaarrrr—!!!"
Mega Garchomp.
Seeing this, Tiana pressed the Key Stone embedded in her hair clip.
"Tyranitar, show Mommy the strength of our bond!"
Countless rainbow-colored beams connected in the air as Tyranitar raised its head and released a deafening roar.
The bony plates along its back spread outward. The scales across its chest and abdomen grew thicker, and the muscles in its arms expanded dramatically. The spikes at the end of its tail became longer and heavier.
Mega Tyranitar.
The Sandstorm surged between them, grains of sand striking their scales with a constant rustling sound.
Every spectator held their breath.
"Tyranitar, use Stone Edge!" Tiana commanded first.
More than a dozen sharp stone pillars erupted beneath Mega Garchomp in response to Mega Tyranitar’s roar.
"Cut through all of them with Dragon Claw."
Mega Garchomp raised both claws and swiftly shattered the incoming stone pillars into fragments.
"Earthquake!"
Tiana raised her hand.
Mega Tyranitar stomped heavily on the ground, causing the entire stadium to shake violently. A powerful shock wave spread from beneath its feet and rushed toward Mega Garchomp.
"Take to the air!"
Mega Garchomp launched itself upward, and the shock wave passed harmlessly beneath it.
"Rock Slide!"
Tiana continued her relentless assault, summoning dozens of rocks that came crashing down from above.
"Destroy them all with Dragon Claw!"
Cynthia’s voice remained calm and unhurried.
Mega Garchomp swung both claws through the air, shattering the falling rocks one after another.
"Now, Dragon Rush!" Cynthia finally launched her counterattack.
Deep-blue energy enveloped Mega Garchomp as it dived toward Mega Tyranitar.
"Stop it with Stone Edge!"
Mega Tyranitar slammed both fists into the ground.
More than a dozen stone pillars erupted before it, forming a solid wall of rock.
Dragon Rush crashed into the wall.
The barrier instantly exploded, sending fragments flying in every direction.
Mega Garchomp burst through the debris, emerald Dragon-type energy surrounding its right claw, and slashed Mega Tyranitar across the chest.
The attack sent Mega Tyranitar sliding several meters backward, its feet carving two deep trenches into the battlefield.
"Ice Punch!"
Tiana seized the moment when Mega Garchomp landed.
Brilliant icy-blue light gathered around Mega Tyranitar’s right fist before it drove the punch toward Mega Garchomp.
The attack was four times effective.
Mega Garchomp had no time to evade. Ice Punch struck its shoulder directly, and frost spread wildly outward from the point of impact.
"Garchomp!"
A trace of urgency entered Cynthia’s voice.
Mega Garchomp shook its head and straightened its body once more. However, when the layer of ice across its left shoulder shattered, a clear frostbite mark remained beneath it.
"Use Ice Punch again!" Tiana pressed her advantage.
Icy-blue light once again gathered around Mega Tyranitar’s fist as it charged toward Mega Garchomp.
"Meet it with Brick Break!" Cynthia refused to retreat.
White light surrounded both of Mega Garchomp’s claws as it confronted Mega Tyranitar’s Ice Punch head-on.
A shock wave erupted from their collision, cracking the protective wall surrounding the battlefield. The spectators in the front rows were forced backward by the blast.
Tiana’s and Cynthia’s hair whipped violently behind them.
"Mommy."
Tiana clenched her fist.
"I have to win this battle."
"Then show me that you can."
Cynthia’s tone remained steady, but the corners of her mouth rose uncontrollably.
"Garchomp, use Draco Meteor!"
Mega Garchomp raised its head as a dazzling sphere of violet energy gathered deep within its throat.
The sphere soared to its highest point before exploding, transforming into countless meteors trailing blazing tails.
"Tyranitar, use Stone Edge!"
Tiana issued her final command.
Mega Tyranitar raised its head and roared as more than a dozen stone pillars erupted from the battlefield and shot toward Mega Garchomp.
The stone pillars struck Mega Garchomp in the abdomen, drawing a deep roar from its throat.
At the same time, countless meteors rained down upon Mega Tyranitar.
Mega Tyranitar’s body shook beneath the impacts before it dropped to one knee.
Mega Garchomp remained standing, its eyes fixed firmly on Tiana across the battlefield.
Tiana looked back at Garchomp. Her pupils contracted slightly, but she still spoke in a quiet voice.
"Thank you for staying beside me while I grew up."
Mega Garchomp took one step forward.
Then its knees buckled.
Its enormous body slowly fell and crashed onto the ground, sending dust billowing into the air.
The light of Mega Evolution faded from its body.
The referee remained frozen for three full seconds before finally reacting.
"Garchomp is unable to battle! Tyranitar wins!"
The entire stadium erupted into louder applause and cheers than at any previous moment.
Tiana recalled Tyranitar and remained where she was, breathing heavily.
Cynthia also recalled Garchomp and lowered her gaze to the Poké Ball in her hand.
Then she raised her head and walked toward Tiana.
"Mommy."
Tiana was still out of breath, but her mismatched eyes looked directly into Cynthia’s.
"I won."
Cynthia stopped in front of her and pulled her into an embrace.
Tiana buried her face against Cynthia’s shoulder, gripping the back of her mother’s coat with both hands.
[Regular-Seat Chat Group]
"She won!!! She really won!!! Tiana defeated Champion Cynthia!!!"
"Garchomp took one final step before collapsing. Was it trying to confirm for itself that Tiana had truly grown up...?"
"Stop talking! I’m already crying my eyes out!"
[VIP Chat Group]
[Flint]: Cynthia cried?! Am I seeing things?!
[Bertha]: A woman does not shed tears easily unless her heart has been deeply moved—oh, wait. These are tears of joy.
[Aaron]: Flint, you should be more careful. Cynthia is watching this chat.
[Flint]: What is there to fear? She can’t climb through the screen and beat me up!
[Cynthia]: Flint, we’ll have a challenge match next week.
[Flint]: ???
[Lucian]: You brought this upon yourself. You have no one else to blame.
[Diantha]: Cynthia, how are you feeling right now? As your best friend, I’m obligated to interview you.
[Cynthia]: ...
[Diantha]: You’re using ellipses again.
[Cynthia]: I don’t know what to say.
[Dawn]: Just say, "My daughter won"!
[Cynthia]: ...My daughter won.
[Diantha]: Screenshot saved!
[Elesa]: Where is Asher? How does he feel about this?
[Wallace]: He’s probably pretending to be dead again.
[Steven]: Now, now, you’ve all misunderstood Brother Asher. It isn’t that he refuses to speak—he’s been muted.
[Wallace]: You’re right! But Steven, you’re actually defending Asher? That’s rare.
[Steven]: Because I’m the reason he was muted.
[Wallace]: ...Unbelievable.
[Raihan]: I’m beginning to suspect that you aren’t human either. How have you survived this long? @Steven
...
TL: Thanks, Keiname155, for the Tier 3 Patreon membership! Muah!