The battle escalated into a fierce clash, with the Politoed—who had dissipated the rain—now charging forward. Though its level was too low to be decisive, Politoed possessed one final trump card: Belly Drum. By sacrificing half its HP, it could maximize its Attack stat to theoretical limits. Its sole move, Icy Wind, attempted to marginally reduce the opponent's Pokémon's speed. However, the level disparity rendered this nearly ineffective.
During this prolonged confrontation, Cynthia had grown accustomed to Aoki's all-out combat style. As a battle fanatic, her ability to analyze and adapt mid-fight was unparalleled—this was her greatest strength. Garchomp and Milotic struck simultaneously, Cynthia's two strongest Pokémon combining forces against the battered Drapion standing guard at Aoki's frontlines.
Drapion's body was already littered with wounds; even Florges's support couldn't fully heal it in such a short time. As a Poison/Dark-type, Drapion lacked resistance to Garchomp's devastating Ground-type attacks, which lived up to its title as the "Earth Dragon." Under Aoki's orders, Drapion fought desperately, but options were scarce. Slowking attempted to intervene, only to be thwarted by Florges's relentless interference. With Drapion's collapse, Aoki's backline was exposed.
Meanwhile, Gengar found itself locked in combat with Lucario. Cynthia's strategy was clear: leverage her superior levels, stronger Pokémon, and numerical advantage to overwhelm Aoki's tactics. Despite Florges bombarding Garchomp and Milotic with Energy Balls, the two pressed forward, disregarding the damage to eliminate Drapion. Politoed's Icy Wind was outright ignored.
Finally, Drapion fell. Though both Garchomp and Milotic sustained injuries, their fighting spirit remained unbroken. They surged toward Aoki's rear, while Lucario—empowered by Aura—continued dueling Gengar. Without Drapion's protective presence, Gengar's sniping tactics lost their edge.
Florges's assaults were now focused on Garchomp and Milotic, but they first dispatched the weakened Politoed. Its level was simply too low, and the HP sacrifice from Belly Drum left it unable to endure even a single hit from Milotic. Still, its prolonged Icy Wind had marginally slowed Garchomp.
Seizing the opportunity, Florges—previously biding its time—joined Florges in harrying Slowking. Grass-type moves left Slowking struggling to retaliate at full strength. Then, Lucario, Garchomp, and Milotic ganged up on Gengar. Outnumbered, Gengar stood little chance—but before fainting, it unleashed Destiny Bond, taking a Pokemon down with it.
Now, Florges faced three of Cynthia's Pokémon alone. However, Slowking was freed from Milotic's harassment. With a burst of Psychic energy, Teleported beside Florges to form a 2-vs-3 standoff.
Yet Milotic, battered by repeated Energy Balls, was faltering. Cynthia's trio prioritized Florges—the Fairy-type's Misty Terrain had stifled Garchomp's dominance throughout the battle. The audience watched breathlessly, as if exhaling might sway the outcome.
In the Hoenn VIP box, Steven frowned. Aoki's tactical brilliance was evident, but Cynthia's raw power overshadowed it. Without a pivot Pokémon, Aoki's strategies fractured. Gengar, his secondary core, lacked the freedom to execute hit-and-run tactics effectively. Only Slowking remained as a stabilizing force, but the battle had devolved into a chaotic war of attrition.
Cynthia's adaptation to multi-front combat neutralized Aoki's command advantage. Isolating weaker opponents became her breakthrough strategy. Slowking, though slightly overmatched, had defeated Florges through sheer Psychic onslaught—a skill honed on the mysterious island. Yet the combined efforts of Floette and Florges left it heavily wounded.
Under the coordinated assault of Garchomp, Lucario, and Milotic, Florges—primarily a supporter—finally succumbed to exhaustion. But with a final Petal Dance, it dragged Milotic down too.
Only the battered Slowking remained against Garchomp and a near-full-health Lucario. The outcome seemed inevitable.
Still, Slowking refused surrender. Activating Trick Room, it leveraged its Psychic mastery and Teleportation—guided by Aoki's Telepathy—to outmaneuver Lucario and defeat it. The crowd erupted; a comeback seemed possible as Slowking traded blows with Garchomp.
But fatigue took its toll. For the first time, Slowking's Psychic blasts lagged. A delayed Teleport left it vulnerable to Garchomp's Draco Meteor. The impact was catastrophic—Slowking collapsed, though Garchomp teetered on the brink of fainting itself.
Cynthia had narrowly triumphed. Aoki, having pushed his limits, earned roaring applause. To many, he symbolized the underdog's potential.
In a true wilderness battle, Aoki might've targeted Cynthia directly—her reckless style left her exposed. But this was a League match. Rules mattered.
Cynthia advanced to the finals. Aoki's Sinnoh journey concluded, not in victory, but in a blaze of glory that cemented his legacy.