Elsewhere—
After parting ways with Elias, Volo returned to his quarters. Pressing a finger thoughtfully to his chin, he fell deep into contemplation.
That stone around Elias's neck was certainly intriguing. If possible, he wouldn't mind obtaining one for his own Pokémon.
But, of course, that wasn't the real reason he had approached Elias.
What truly caught his attention… was sothing else entirely.
—The [Blank Plate].
That's right. Even Wang Luo himself could hardly believe it—he had actually found sothing he'd been searching for, right here.
As a descendant of the ancient Sinnoh people, he knew things—things most would consider buried secrets.
Take, for instance, the ongoing feud between the Pearl and Diamond Clans. To him, it was nothing more than a petty, narrow-minded quarrel.
Because he knew the truth—neither the Pokémon that governed space nor the one that ruled ti was the true deity of Sinnoh.
Above both of them, there existed a single, supre creator.
And Volo's dream was simple.
He wanted to gather all the elental Plates, and with them as the key, seek out the creator spoken of in ancient texts.
Once that power was in his hands—there would be no one left who could stop him.
Unfortunately... to this day, he had only acquired one of the eighteen Plates.
And even that one had been gifted to him by a Pokémon from the Shadow Realm, after a rather dangerous "partnership."
At this rate, he'd die long before realizing his ambitions.
But today… today had finally given him a sliver of hope.
That Elias—the aura surrounding him felt strikingly similar to the energy Volo's Plate emitted.
He was almost certain Elias was in possession of a second, unidentified Plate.
Now the only question was: how to take it from him.
"Garchomp, what did you think of that Lucario's strength?"
Volo narrowed his eyes, asking his Pokémon beside him.
"Raar?"
Garchomp looked conflicted.
Though confident in its own abilities, that Lucario didn't seem like the type one could overpower easily.
Volo nodded knowingly.
So a brute-force approach was out. If he wanted that Plate, he'd have to draw Elias away from his clan—sowhere isolated.
Whether by bait or by force, it would significantly increase his chances of success.
---
[Your conversation with Wang Luo didn't leave much of an impression on you.]
[In the days that followed, your battles went smoothly—you won every match with ease.]
[You only encountered one Field Commander: Lian of the Pearl Clan.]
[His Kleavor boasted impressive speed and strength, more than worthy of its title as a "noble," but it still couldn't stand up to Lucario.]
[After several victories, your reputation within both clans reached new heights—rivaling even the two leaders themselves.]
[Cynthia, too, achieved similar acclaim.]
[Her luck, however, was far worse—she ended up facing multiple Field Commanders in a row, one of which included that mountain-sized Avalugg.]
[But thanks to her Garchomp's sheer power, she powered through every challenge.]
[Now, it was all but certain: the championship title would go to either you or her.]
"Best of luck tomorrow, Elias."
That evening, Elias received his match listing as usual.
No surprise—Cynthia's na was written boldly on the opposing side.
"Hm…"
Elias hadn't said a word yet, but Zoroark beside him let out a soft whimper.
Cynthia's Garchomp… even Lucario might not be able to win against that.
There was no dodging this one.
"If you keep that up, Lucario's going to get mad," Elias said with a teasing grin.
Zoroark shot him a look, eyes sharp with mock annoyance—then sighed.
Fine. If Elias wanted her to show up, she wouldn't shy away anymore.
Besides, over the past few days, she'd been sneaking into both clans' crowds using illusions.
Most of the people had only heard stories about Zoroark—few truly understood what she was.
So the fear was there, yes—but not hatred.
If I reveal myself… it might be okay?
"Don't worry, you'll be fine."
"The people here are decent. They won't turn on you."
Elias offered quiet reassurance as he gently patted her soft fur.
He wouldn't expose Zoroark unless he was sure of her safety.
Before seeing her true power firsthand, no one would genuinely fear her—especially if she helped win them a championship.
"Feeling pretty confident, aren't you?"
Just then, Cynthia strolled up.
Her eyes lingered briefly on the large fox beside Elias.
The buzz around the tournant had her pegged as the favorite to win.
After all, she had taken down several Field Commanders in a row.
But only she knew the truth.
Lucario might be strong, yes—but the Zoroark hiding at Elias's side? That was the real ace.
Garchomp trying to take on both of them at once? That was a gamble at best.
Still, Cynthia didn't think it was unfair.
If anything, her own Garchomp had been trained under modern thods—an advantage in its own right.
"Well, I'll stop bothering you."
Waving casually, Cynthia turned to leave—but not before flashing a sly grin.
"Oh, and one more thing—back in the future, I'm Sinnoh's Champion. Garchomp's my ace."
"If you manage to beat tomorrow… you can borrow the title for a while."
---
[Cynthia's words sparked your curiosity. You couldn't help but wonder—just how strong is a future Champion, really?]
[Your match was scheduled for noon, so you let yourself sleep in the next morning.]
[Compared to others sleeping in tents, you remained in perfect condition.]
[Zoroark's fluffy fur made for the softest bedding imaginable.]
[Not long after waking, you made your way to the prep area behind the battle grounds.]
[What you found there caught you completely off guard—]
"Is that what I think it is?"
Elias's voice trembled as he looked at the blood-red, diamond-shaped stone in the chief's hands.
He fought to suppress the thrill rising in his chest.
"Oh, this?"
The old clan leader held it up.
"Found it on the beach during an expedition. Looked unusual, so we decided to make it one of the runner-up prizes."
He handed it over for Elias to inspect.
Elias: …
If his senses weren't mistaken, this thing contained Fighting-type energy.
The [Fist Plate]?!
...Why does suddenly being runner-up sound kind of appealing?
User Comments
0 comments from readers