Pokemon: A New Path

After swiftly dealing with the other two opponents, Giratina turned its head, fixing its burning gaze on the only remaining Pokémon.

If the information provided by Rotom was correct, that Pokémon was called Incineroar.

Standing confidently behind Incineroar was none other than the local superstar himself, the Masked Royal!

Giratina knew that by defeating the Masked Royal, it could surely steal all of his fans.

Then, Giratina would become the internet's top celebrity, the world's number one Pokémon!

Who else but Giratina deserved such internet fame?

Without further hesitation, Giratina unleashed its presence.

It no longer suppressed the overwhelming aura unique to legendary Pokémon.

An intimidating wave of shadow energy rapidly expanded from Giratina, covering the entire battlefield.

Incineroar, who had been confidently crossing its arms moments earlier, suddenly felt an immense sense of dread.

That aura made Incineroar instinctively realize it was facing an opponent far beyond its capabilities.

If it fought head-on, it might be defeated instantly!

Incineroar's pupils dilated in fear as tension surged through its body. The shadow quickly approached its feet, causing it to involuntarily step backward.

Unable to retreat further, Incineroar felt panic rising in its chest.

Desperate for reassurance, it turned and looked back at its trainer.

Its eyes seemed to plead: Do I really have to fight this Pokémon? Are you serious?

"Huh?" Roger, the commentator, suddenly noticed this and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my goodness! Masked Royal's Incineroar looks like it's actually scared!"

The Masked Royal also observed his Pokémon's unusual hesitation.

"Incineroar! This is an opponent unlike any you've faced before!" he shouted encouragingly. "Show your bravery! Face strong opponents, and you'll grow stronger than ever!"

Hearing its trainer's supportive words, Incineroar steadied itself, gaining some courage.

It nodded determinedly and turned back to face Giratina once more.

The battle continued.

The Masked Royal thrust his arm forward dramatically and commanded, "Incineroar, use Throat Chop!"

Responding swiftly, Incineroar forced itself to ignore the creeping shadows beneath it. Charging forward, dark energy crackled around its muscular paws, forming large, menacing claws.

With a fierce growl, Incineroar swung its claws directly at Giratina.

Unfazed, Giratina gave a low snarl and conjured its own Shadow Claw, shimmering with deep purple energy, swiftly countering Incineroar's strike.

Under the astonished eyes of the audience, the two Pokémon clashed powerfully.

The energy claws collided violently, sparking a dramatic burst of light and shadow.

In the next moment, Incineroar's claws shattered, and Giratina's massive Shadow Claw swung through, slashing three deep, distinct wounds into Incineroar's body.

Knocked back by the devastating blow, Incineroar flew through the air, tumbling to the ground with a heavy crash.

"Hang in there, Incineroar! You can do this!" the Masked Royal urgently called out, his voice filled with genuine concern and encouragement.

However, in the blink of an eye, Giratina's intimidating figure lunged forward, aggressively pursuing Incineroar.

With an unstoppable force, its massive claws swung downward. Incineroar's muscular form seemed as delicate as paper, crashing heavily into the arena with a thunderous boom.

The impact shattered the battlefield floor, leaving Incineroar lying stunned in the newly formed crater, eyes spinning dizzily, unable to continue battling.

The match was over.

"Oh my goodness! Gold King wins! Giratina's incredible dominance has completely overwhelmed the Masked Royal and his teammate! They never stood a chance!" commentator Roger shouted enthusiastically. His excitement was clear—today marked the rise of a new superstar!

"What an astonishing battle! Gold King remains undefeated—just how powerful is he? Could he rival Champions?"

"But that's a story for another day. For now, let's congratulate Gold King on this fantastic victory! With this win, he now ranks number one, surpassing even the Masked Royal himself!"

After a brief moment of silence, the crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

Thousands of voices echoed together:

"Gold King!"

"Giratina!"

"Gold King!"

Giratina proudly surveyed the arena, basking in the admiration from the cheering fans, its crimson eyes glowing with satisfaction.

Naoki stood quietly, thinking:

He could already imagine Giratina's excitement upon returning home, pestering Rotom to browse its newfound fame online.

Then it would lounge happily on their sky island, soaking in the sunlight and floral fragrances, munching on fresh apples, and listening to Rotom read out the endless stream of human praise and adoration.

Thankfully, Calyrex had no interest in internet stardom or celebrity status.

Naoki sighed lightly before stepping forward to shake hands with Dr. Kukui.

Taking a deep breath, Dr. Kukui smiled wistfully, acknowledging defeat. "I guess this means the future belongs to trainers like you, not us anymore."

Naoki gently shook his head and smiled reassuringly, replying, "No, I'm merely passing through."

Leaving Dr. Kukui momentarily speechless, Naoki turned away.

Seeing his trainer depart, Giratina promptly followed. Its enormous form vanished into a shadowy portal behind Naoki, disappearing from sight.

Naoki walked back through the arena passage to the waiting area.

Immediately upon arrival, Vivian approached him.

With respectful admiration in her eyes, she said, "Mr. Gold, the chairman of the Battle Royal Dome would like to meet with you."

Surprised, Naoki paused briefly.

Moments later, Vivian led him into an elegantly furnished room.

A well-dressed middle-aged man awaited him.

Upon seeing Naoki, the chairman eagerly greeted him, "Gold King—oh, perhaps I should call you Mr. Naoki!"

Naoki frowned slightly as he took a seat offered by the chairman and Vivian.

"I never imagined it was actually you!" the chairman exclaimed excitedly.

The mysterious hero who once saved the Hoenn region was now right here, competing in their Battle Royal Dome! If handled correctly, this could significantly boost the Dome's popularity.

Understanding immediately what the chairman was thinking, Naoki quickly interrupted.

He shook his head gently and said, "Please don't."

Surprised, the chairman stammered, "What?"

"After today, I will be leaving Alola, and I won't participate in any further Battle Royal matches. You're free to promote the Cyclizar Mask, but there's one condition," Naoki explained clearly.

"Name it!" the chairman replied earnestly.

"You must never reveal my true identity to anyone," Naoki emphasized.

Realizing that displeasing such a formidable trainer could cause great trouble, the chairman immediately abandoned his promotional idea.

He quickly nodded in agreement.

"Of course, no problem at all! Your secret is safe with us!"

...

Player Gold King had officially left the Battle Royal Dome and announced he would no longer participate in future competitions.

When Dr. Kukui received this news from the Dome's chairman, he finally understood what Gold King meant by his words after their match that day.

Gold King had said, "No, I'm just passing through."

Had he planned this from the start?

Standing in the Battle Royal Dome, Dr. Kukui recalled that moment and couldn't help but mutter, "What a mysterious guy..."

Soon after, the Cyclizar Mask's appearance at the Battle Royal Dome quickly captured the attention of Pokémon fans worldwide.

Videos of the exciting battle rapidly spread across the internet.

Initially, viewers didn't realize the significance of what they'd seen.

However, sharp-eyed fans soon recognized the legendary Pokémon Giratina featured prominently in the battle footage.

After careful examination by Pokémon researchers, it became clear that this Giratina was indeed the same one who had famously appeared in the Hoenn region, stopping the clash between Groudon and Kyogre!

This revelation caused an instant uproar online.

What?! The Cyclizar Mask was spotted in the Alola region? He even competed in the local Battle Royal?

Immediately, countless fans flocked to Alola, eager to catch a glimpse of their heroic idol.

Hoenn fans especially went wild, rushing to book flights and ferry tickets to thank the trainer who had once saved their region.

However, demand was so overwhelming that tickets quickly sold out.

Determined trainers who couldn't secure tickets rode their Flying and Water-type Pokémon across the ocean to Alola instead.

For a short time, Alola's tourism industry experienced an unprecedented boom.

Yet, upon arriving, fans discovered that the Cyclizar Mask had already left.

Just like before, he vanished without leaving any clues.

Frustrated fans pressured the Dome's chairman, desperately hoping he'd reveal the Cyclizar Mask's whereabouts.

The poor chairman was overwhelmed by passionate Pokémon fans and faced intense pressure, but in the end, he honored his promise to Naoki, never disclosing the trainer's true identity.

He merely told them that after the match, Gold King quietly left alone, and no one knew where he had gone.

Despite this, determined fans tried desperately to piece together clues and analyze battle footage, hoping to uncover the truth.

After countless hours of analyzing videos and battles, fans finally narrowed down a rough idea:

The Cyclizar Mask most likely hailed from the Galar, Paldea, Kanto, Johto, or Sinnoh regions!

They based their conclusions on the Pokémon he used—each Pokémon was native to one of those regions.

Alcremie was from Galar, Arboliva from Paldea, and Farfetch'd originated in the Kanto and Johto regions.

And of course, Giratina was the legendary Pokémon from Sinnoh.

Some fans speculated that the Cyclizar Mask was a wandering hero who traveled from region to region, righting wrongs like a character from a movie.

Others believed he belonged to a secretive, powerful family, operating mysteriously behind the scenes.

There were even wild theories suggesting the Cyclizar Mask was not human at all, but rather Giratina disguised as a human!

Amid the sea of speculation, one particular individual noticed something intriguing.

...

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