The battle between Steven and Cynthia lasted a full hour.
Finally, relying on the durable steel-type Pokémon, Steven's Metagross successfully defeated Cynthia's Garchomp.
Then Cynthia sent out her Lucario, which was worn down by Metagross after a prolonged battle, expending much of its stamina before finally defeating the steel behemoth.
By that point, Lucario was nearly exhausted.
Metagross had nearly achieved a one-versus-two victory, largely due to the specially formulated Pokeblocks Steven had been feeding it for optimal performance.
Next, Steven sent out his Skarmory. Using the natural advantages of Flying-type Pokémon, it managed to defeat the weakened Lucario.
At that moment, it seemed Steven had gained the upper hand.
However, Cynthia then sent out her Milotic. Not only did it defeat Skarmory, but it also retained nearly half of its stamina, keeping the outcome of the match uncertain.
In the end, Steven had no choice but to send out his recently evolved Aggron to face Milotic.
The final result was a double knockout—both Pokémon exhausted their strength in a fierce clash of moves, leaving neither standing.
The two Trainers fought until the very last moment, yet no clear victor emerged.
But for both of them, the outcome no longer mattered. They had each gained what they sought from the battle.
Steven's Metagross was incredibly powerful, but his other Pokémon were slightly weaker in comparison. If his Aggron had been just one or two levels higher, the match might have had a decisive conclusion.
On the other hand, Cynthia's Garchomp, while slightly less dominant than Metagross, was backed by a well-balanced team. Her Pokémon were all trained to a similar high level, allowing Lucario and Milotic to stabilize the battle after Garchomp fell.
Aoki, who had been watching from the sidelines, was completely engrossed.
This was the first—and possibly the last—time these two future Champions would battle each other so freely.
Once they officially assumed their roles as regional Champions, any match between them would carry significant political weight, making casual battles like this impossible.
Of course, before that time came, they might meet again in another battle, where a true winner could be decided.
With Aoki's help, both Trainers' Pokémon were fully restored.
Once her team had recovered, Cynthia prepared to leave. She had already challenged the two strongest Trainers she had come to Hoenn to face.
She was satisfied with the results and the experience gained.
Before departing, Cynthia sincerely thanked Aoki for his assistance in healing her Pokémon. She offered him a gift in return, but Aoki politely declined.
Instead, she extended an open invitation—if Aoki ever visited the Sinnoh region, or if she returned to Verdanturf Town, she would gladly return the favor as a host.
The three exchanged contact information, and with that, Cynthia took her leave, leaving Aoki and Steven standing together.
"So?" Aoki nudged Steven's arm.
"She's strong. Really strong," Steven admitted, watching Cynthia's retreating figure with a sigh.
The two were close in age, and this was the first time Steven had faced someone so formidable among his peers.
While trainers like Wallace were slightly older, and Aoki a bit younger, Cynthia was nearly the same age as Steven, making the comparison all the more striking.
It was a humbling experience. Steven had always considered himself the strongest of his generation, but now he saw that even with his resources and dedication, someone like Cynthia—equally talented and hardworking—could match him.
The difference between them was like that between a strategist and a relentless battler—both effective, just different approaches.
As for Aoki's approach? Well, he was in a league of his own.
"...That's not what I was asking," Aoki said dryly after a pause.
"Then what were you asking?" Steven blinked in confusion.
Aoki sighed. "...Never mind. Forget it."
With that, he turned and headed toward the gym.
Since its official opening, Aoki hadn't spent much time inside. Skye had been handling most of the management, including furnishing the upper floors.
Thankfully, Skye was more than capable.
Aoki led Steven to the gym's reception room.
As the gym's owner, Aoki realized with slight embarrassment that he didn't even know where the tea was kept.
Instead, he pulled a bottle of water from his bag and tossed it to Steven.
Steven didn't mind, taking a deep drink—the battle had left him parched.
"Learn anything from your trip?" Aoki asked.
Steven nodded. "Quite a bit. My team's gotten stronger. Metagross's nearing the level of a pseudo-Champion-tier Pokémon, so I came back to focus on training."
Aoki agreed.
Metagross was already at level 49—just one step away from a major power boost.
"That's good, but the gap between your Pokémon is still too wide. The others need catching up," Aoki reminded.
Right now, Metagross was carrying the team. The rest of Steven's Pokémon, while strong, weren't quite at the same level.
At least Aggron had fully evolved.
"I know," Steven admitted. "But with Metagross in his growth phase, I have to prioritize him for now."
Aoki understood.
"By the way, what about those two fossils from last time?"
At this, Steven's expression brightened.
"Thanks to your advice—and some connections—they were successfully restored. Two ancient Pokémon. I've got some training ideas, but I wanted you to take a look at them."
Anorith and Lileep?
Aoki was intrigued.
"Also," Steven added, "you asked me to keep an eye out for those special stones, right? I got lucky—found something similar on my travels. See if it's what you need."
He pulled out a small case, opening it to reveal a gleaming stone inside.
Aoki's eyes widened slightly.
Now this was interesting.