Milotic nodded obediently, gracefully gliding to the back of the arena, simultaneously conjuring a blue water sphere in its mouth.
As the water sphere exploded, fine rain fell from the sky, enveloping the entire battlefield—the "Rain Dance" move.
Metagross, on the other hand, moved forward with steady steps, its silvery-white metallic body gleaming coldly in the rain, its crimson pupils firmly locked onto the Solrock and Luna Stone opposite it, its fighting spirit blazing.
Seeing Lionel's words, Tate couldn't contain his anger and said,
"What arrogance! Sending Metagross to challenge both of us Pokémon by itself? So what if it's raining? Does he really think he can gain an advantage?"
He turned to Liza: "Sis, help me! This guy is too arrogant! I'll teach him a lesson!"
Although Liza was more composed than her brother, she was also spurred on by Lionel's disdain and nodded,
"Okay."
Liza issued a command through telepathy. A soft white light emanated from Lunatone, and an energy wave landed on Solrock. This was a support move, capable of boosting the power of a companion's next move.
With her sister's help, Tate immediately gave the verbal command, shouting:
"Rain? Heh, I wouldn't even bother competing with you for the weather!
Solrock, use Flame Charge! I want to see how your Metagross can hold its own!"
Solrock immediately erupted in flames, and the Lunatone beside it amplified its energy fluctuations, continuously providing energy support to Solrock.
Blessed, Solrock blazed with flames, resembling the sun in the sky.
The flames showed no sign of diminishing in the rain, growing even more intense, even evaporating the surrounding raindrops into white mist.
While Liza and Tate's Pokémon used their moves, Lionel slowly raised his left hand.
On his wrist, an alloy bracelet inlaid with colorful gems shimmered faintly—the Mega Evolution Bracelet!
Then, Lionel took out Metagross's Mega Stone from his chest pocket.
"It's time."
A flicker of reminiscence crossed Lionel's eyes. He mimicked the battle stance he'd seen Steven in the anime from his past life, lightly touching the Mega Stone to his lips before hurling it at Metagross on the field, shouting at the same time:
"Let the light of this stone become our bond! Metagross, Mega Evolve!"
The instant the Mega Stone collided with Metagross's body, a dazzling white light erupted, instantly engulfing the entire battlefield.
The intense energy surge created a gust of wind, whipping the hair of everyone in the stands, even causing the referee on the sidelines to involuntarily take a half-step back.
Everyone in the stands involuntarily stood up, staring intently at the white light, their eyes filled with shock and anticipation.
In the white light, Metagross's form rapidly changed:
Its body expanded continuously, its original four metal arms quickly lengthening and thickening, their tips becoming increasingly sharp, the incredibly sharp claws radiating a chilling light.
Its back suddenly expanded, extending four new metal arms, symmetrical with its original limbs, protecting its rear.
The golden X mark on its forehead gradually turned deep blue, and its immense psychic power allowed it to easily float in the air, looking down at the two Pokémon opposite it.
When the white light completely dissipated, Mega Metagross was revealed before everyone!
It hovered half a meter above the ground, its four enormous metal claws swiping lightly, producing a whooshing sound.
Its red pupils flashed with an all-conquering light, and the oppressive aura emanating from its body silenced the entire battlefield.
"What...what is that?!"
"Metagross...can it evolve again? What the hell is that?!"
A scream went off in the audience.
The live stream chat went completely wild, the screen almost entirely filled with "Holy crap!" and exclamation marks:
[Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! What did I just see?!]
[Has Metagross evolved? How is that possible?! This is outrageous!]
Liza and Tate stood at the other end of the arena, their eyes wide, staring intently at the Mega Metagross floating in mid-air, their mouths slightly open, but no sound coming out.
They had heard their father talk about Mega Evolution, a special evolution that allowed Pokémon to unleash power beyond their limits for a short period.
The League has now mobilized all its research resources to study this project, and Devon Corporation has also sent a large number of researchers to the League headquarters to participate in the research. Some projects within the father's space research institute were forced to be postponed, slowing down the progress considerably.
However, according to rumors circulating within the company, Mega Evolution was only recently successfully researched, and the current priority is to serve the Elite Four members and top Gym Leaders' Pokémon, researching their potential for Mega Evolution first.
But how could Lionel possess an item that allows Pokémon to Mega Evolve before these Elite Four members and top Gym Leaders?
Could this be another gift from Steven Steven?
Steven Steven is too biased towards Lionel!
Could those rumors online be true? Is Steven Steven's affection for Lionel extending to him, treating him as his own?
Actually, Liza and Tate have truly misunderstood Lionel and Steven Steven. Mega Evolution was only possible because of the mural Lionel discovered at Meteor Falls.
It circulated among the top Gym Leaders, and Chairman Goodshow...
This news was only known to the Elite Four members and professors in various regions...
Naturally, it was a case of paying a fortune for a horse's bones.
While the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh regions have formed the current Pokémon League, each region still harbors its own agenda.
Chairman Goodshow is essentially telling everyone in each region that anyone who contributes to the League's development will be generously rewarded.
Chairman Goodshow strongly desires that the various regions share advanced technologies to promote the League's growth and support his grand plan to bring all regions under his control.
Of course, Liza and Tate are unaware of this. For those who are unaware, Steven's reputation is in jeopardy.
Anyway, he and Wallace often don't do much practical work; what does it matter if they suffer a little for the League?
Liza took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She knew this wasn't the time to be shocked; the battle continued, and retreating would only be more shameful.
"Don't panic, Tate."
She reassured her younger brother through telepathy, her gaze fixed on Mega Metagross:
"Even Mega Evolution isn't without its weaknesses."
With that, she again telepathically commanded Tate's Solrock:
"Solrock, attack! Lunatone, increase your energy output to Solrock!"
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