Mega Rayquaza, radiating blinding light, dove down from the sky. As it descended, its speed only increased.
Until its figure was no longer discernible—reduced to nothing but a streak of green lightning tearing through the sky!
[Dragon Ascent]
Mega Rayquaza closed the distance in an instant, almost faster than the eye could follow. In the blink of an eye, it was upon Giratina.
Caught off guard, Giratina had no time to evade. It had no choice but to brace itself head-on.
Shhh—
A faint blue barrier shimmered around its body.
[Protect]
Just a split-second after activating [Protect], Mega Rayquaza's [Dragon Ascent] struck the barrier head-on.
Boom!
A deafening blast rang out as the shockwave exploded in every direction, once again kicking up a storm of dust that engulfed the summit of Mt. Coronet.
What's the situation now?
Compared to the ever-composed Luo Yuan, the League Trainers surrounding Mt. Coronet were far more anxious about the current battle.
After all, this clash between Giratina and Rayquaza was happening right in their own Sinnoh region. One wrong move could mean catastrophic destruction.
"It looks like Rayquaza has the upper hand!"
A Sinnoh League analyst commented while watching the playback footage on repeat.
In order to get the most accurate live feed from Mt. Coronet, the League had even risked losing one of their satellites, deploying an orbital satellite directly above the mountain to monitor the battlefield in real-time.
The footage of Rayquaza's [Mega Evolution] was crystal clear.
"[Mega Evolution]? So Rayquaza can [Mega Evolve] too?"
Professor Rowan, Sinnoh's foremost Pokémon researcher, stared at the screen like he'd stumbled upon a new continent. His eyes gleamed with excitement.
As a globally renowned expert specializing in Pokémon evolution, Professor Rowan was one of the leading authorities on the subject. Of course he'd been researching the newly discovered [Mega Evolution]. Seeing Rayquaza transform now only thrilled him more, as it served as further evidence that [Mega Evolution] might be an innate ability within Pokémon themselves.
But for the League's trainers, it wasn't the theory that mattered—it was the sheer power Rayquaza displayed after its transformation.
"I wonder… is Rayquaza winning really a good thing for the Sinnoh region?"
The trainers exchanged glances, and the same unease quietly crept into their minds.
But regardless of what they thought, without the power to intervene, their opinions had no bearing on the battle raging atop Mt. Coronet.
Whoosh!
A strong gust blew across the summit, clearing away the thick dust and revealing the battlefield that had been shrouded just moments ago.
Rayquaza hovered effortlessly in midair, its [Mega Evolved] form unchanged, coiled in the sky and gazing down at its opponent below.
But Giratina—Giratina was not in good shape.
Though it had managed to use [Protect] at the last second, countless battle simulations showed that while [Protect] was one of the strongest defensive moves in a Pokémon's arsenal, it wasn't flawless. Its effectiveness relied on both the user's strength and the preparation leading up to the move. The stronger and more prepared the Pokémon, the better the defense.
And in terms of preparation—there was nothing to say. Even Cyrus, standing off to the side, could tell how hastily Giratina had reacted to Rayquaza's high-speed assault.
As for power...
Thanks to his past-life knowledge, Luo Yuan knew perfectly well: while both Rayquaza and Giratina shared a base stat total of 680, Rayquaza's [Mega Evolution] boosted that total by a full 100 points. Its Attack stat in particular skyrocketed, putting it far beyond Giratina's reach.
So when [Dragon Ascent] slammed into Protect, Giratina couldn't withstand the force. Rayquaza's blow had struck its chest hard.
Now, Giratina wore an expression of pain, and when it looked at Rayquaza, its eyes no longer held just anger—but a hint of fear.
One strike. That was all it took to decide the flow of battle.
It was now painfully clear who had the advantage. And with Luo Yuan's wealth of battle experience, he naturally wouldn't give Giratina even a moment to recover.
"Keep up the pressure!"
At the command, Rayquaza—empowered by its new form and momentum—let out a triumphant roar.
Suddenly, the gems on its body lit up with dazzling light.
Starting from the tail, energy surged forward through its body as Rayquaza pulled back into a charging stance, jaws opening wide.
[Dragon Pulse]
A glowing orb of energy gathered in its mouth before being unleashed in a sudden, thunderous blast.
This strike came with terrifying speed.
Rayquaza had used [Dragon Pulse] earlier in the battle as well, but even though it was the same move, the difference between its normal and Mega forms was like night and day.
As the [Dragon Pulse] erupted from Mega Rayquaza's mouth, Giratina tried the same defense it had used before—[Shadow Ball].
But this time, the [Shadow Ball] offered no resistance at all.
Before the mighty wave of [Dragon Pulse], the [Shadow Ball] shattered like a soap bubble—disintegrating instantly.
With its counter broken, Giratina had no time to dodge. It crossed its wings in front of its body in a desperate attempt to shield itself.
Boom!
The powerful blast struck Giratina squarely. Even with six legs to brace itself, the force of the attack pushed it backward, leaving deep gouges in the ground beneath its feet.
The wings it had used to block the blow bore the brunt of the damage. They were now covered in scars, and from the pain etched into Giratina's face, it was clear that the cost had been steep. Its wings would be of little use for the rest of the fight.
"Raaahhh—!"
Giratina let out a roar.
There was a complex tangle of emotion behind that cry—rage, pain… but most telling of all, Luo Yuan heard something else woven into it:
Fear.
Sigh… If you were going to end up like this, why'd you have to pick a fight in the first place?
If Giratina had just accepted his proposal back then, none of this would've happened. Instead, it insisted on making trouble.
And the real culprit behind all this was Cyrus, not him. Yet Giratina had come looking for him, dragging this whole mess to a boiling point. Luo Yuan could only shake his head at the absurdity of it all.
Giratina didn't know why Luo Yuan was shaking his head—but after so long observing the human world from the Distortion World, it could at least make some guesses from the expression on his face.