Chapter 92: Torrent-Powered Swampert

At the grand arena on Cinnabar Island, Klein stood firm, his gaze locked onto the battlefield.

"This is our final battle—let's give it everything we've got."

Swampert, thank you.

During my darkest days, you stood by me without hesitation. You were never a replacement for anyone. You are you—the one and only Swampert!

The Pokémon before him may have seemed clumsy in appearance, but Klein knew its inner strength and unwavering loyalty. Though neither of them spoke their emotions aloud, at this moment, they shared one unshakable belief: they could not afford to lose.

Beneath the pale blue light of the battlefield, Swampert tensed its muscles, its Torrent ability surging to life. It adjusted its stance, gathering the surrounding water into a powerful whip that lashed out at Mega Garchomp.

Activating Torrent in advance?

"Dragon Claw!"

"Swampert, Ice Punch!"

Mega Garchomp barely blocked the water whip when Swampert followed up with a relentless assault. A frigid fist struck out, conjuring a blizzard of ice and wind that battered its opponent, growing colder and stronger with every strike.

A true powerhouse!

Swampert's resilience was overwhelming—it refused to give Mega Garchomp even a moment to breathe. Ice Punch, now resembling a massive frozen blade, was seamlessly connected to torrents of water, forming an ever-changing and fluid assault.

Compared to Klein's other Pokémon, Swampert possessed the most versatile combat prowess. Every slash of its icy blade sent waves of water spiraling forth, like an endless barrage of icy dragons.

Mega Garchomp countered with a rapid flurry of Dragon Claws, shredding through the incoming torrents.

Water is ever-changing.

Seizing an opening, Swampert abruptly froze the cascading water, trapping Mega Garchomp in an instant!

"Dragon Rush!"

"Swampert, dodge and use Curse!"

Unable to move, Mega Garchomp unleashed a surge of draconic energy, forcing Swampert to retreat. But as the two Pokémon separated, Swampert's muscles expanded—it had already boosted itself with Curse, increasing its power and durability.

Mega Garchomp's eyes burned with determination. Even though it had undergone Mega Evolution, the prolonged battle had drained its stamina. Yet, just like Cynthia, it relished facing such a rare and worthy opponent.

"Dragon Rush—again!"

A roaring storm of energy engulfed Mega Garchomp as it soared skyward, preparing to strike.

"Swampert, use Stomp!"

With an earth-shattering boom, Swampert stomped down, its body propelled forward like a cannonball.

With its right fist clenched, the powerful Pokémon surged toward Mega Garchomp, the sheer force of its attack producing a piercing sonic boom.

By using Stomp as a speed-boosting maneuver, Klein had turned Ice Punch into a devastating projectile strike!

His command was simple, but Swampert understood it perfectly.

It knew exactly what Klein wanted—to make itself even stronger.

The battlefield became a dreamlike spectacle, ice and snow swirling in a dance of destruction.

Mega Garchomp met the oncoming blow with unshakable confidence. Sword Dance's energy exploded around it, creating a protective barrier of raw power.

For a fleeting moment, the two Pokémon clashed.

Swampert compressed all its power into a single point, its icy blue eyes shining with deadly precision. Snow cascaded around them, layering upon itself as a single, almighty Ice Punch crashed forward.

A blizzard of raw power erupted, engulfing the entire battlefield in frost.

As the cold energy surged, Mega Garchomp let out a deafening roar, its battle aura burning fiercely.

Sword Dance's protective winds exploded outward, but Swampert refused to back down!

A tense silence filled the air as both Pokémon staggered. They were evenly matched.

Even against Cynthia's Mega Garchomp, Swampert had fought to a standstill.

This was the result of Torrent's full activation, combined with Swampert's strategic use of Curse. Meanwhile, Mega Garchomp's stamina was being pushed to its absolute limits.

Both Klein and Cynthia realized: the battle was nearing its climax.

The two Pokémon locked eyes, their bodies battered yet still filled with fighting spirit.

Mega Garchomp took deep, measured breaths, trying to recover some energy. It knew Swampert was doing the same.

But before it could regain its strength, Swampert charged forward once more.

There was no hesitation. No exhaustion. Just pure, unwavering determination.

Another Stomp-powered burst—another round of relentless offense.

Years ago, during the legendary battle at Seafoam Islands, Swampert had used this very technique to single-handedly demolish an entire Elite Four team.

Now, against Cynthia, it unleashed a second wave of crushing, unstoppable power.

Mega Garchomp hesitated.

In that brief moment, Swampert's Ice Blade cut deep into its chest, drawing a sharp crimson streak.

The crowd gasped.

Mega Garchomp instinctively stepped back, but Swampert grabbed its left wrist.

Before it could react, Swampert pulled hard, twisting both Pokémon into a massive swirling vortex of water.

A final Stomp.

Both Pokémon were launched into the air like twin comets, spiraling high above the arena.

In that last fleeting moment, Swampert tapped into its very last reserves of strength.

Its form seemed to blur, water wrapping around it, accelerating its descent.

Then—

They crashed down.

A colossal impact shook the battlefield, sending waves of dust and water exploding outward.

When the smoke cleared—

Mega Garchomp had reverted to its normal form, lying unconscious.

Swampert, too, had collapsed, its body unmoving.

Both Pokémon had fallen.

The battlefield was silent.

Cynthia exhaled softly, a smile forming as she recalled Garchomp.

"Klein, you truly surprised me."

"Thank you for the battle."

Had this been a real, high-stakes battle, Garchomp still had more power left untapped. However, since this was merely an exhibition match, Cynthia had deliberately held back, ensuring that the battle remained fair.

Even so—her Garchomp had lost.

The undefeated ace of Sinnoh had fallen in an exhibition match.

Even if it had taken three of Klein's Pokémon to accomplish it, the feat was unprecedented.

For years, Cynthia's Garchomp had been an unshakable symbol of victory, believed to be invincible.

But today, a Kanto Elite Four member had taken it down.

The audience sat in stunned silence before erupting into cheers.

"This… this is what Pokémon battles are all about!"

Backstage, Rosa stood frozen in disbelief.

Even Nurse Joy and her Chansey rushed forward, preparing to heal the exhausted Pokémon.

As Rosa finally snapped back to reality, she quickly followed.

Then—

The skies darkened.

High above Cinnabar Island, the air shifted.

A massive, otherworldly storm erupted over the ocean, and towering waves began to rise.

Lightning crackled violently in the sky, illuminating the world in an eerie glow.

Klein barely had time to process it before—

A bolt of lightning shot down, heading straight for the battlefield.

Without thinking, he moved.

Before the lightning could strike Rosa and Nurse Joy—

Hippowdon appeared, forming a massive sand shield just in time.

"Is everyone okay?"

Klein turned to Rosa, his expression serious.

For the first time, Rosa felt an overwhelming sense of security as she stood behind him.

"Yes… thank you."

Cynthia and Klein exchanged glances, both of them sensing the shift in the atmosphere.

At the same time, the League staff on Cinnabar Island scrambled to analyze the storm's origin.

At last, they identified the source.

"The disturbance… it's coming from the Orange Islands!"

The Orange Islands?

A legendary storm was brewing.

And the world was about to change.