Minus three to Physical Attack. Seismitoad.
Let's be real—if a physical attacker gets its Attack dropped three stages, it's basically useless.
Smack!
The moment Torracat landed, it slapped first.
Then Caleb commanded, "Throw some shade!"
Again!?
This time, not just Rain Guy—even the crowd watching had twisted expressions on their faces.
It only took a bit of empathy to understand how despairing Rain Guy must've felt.
"Meow meow meow meow meow!"
"Meow meow meow meow meow!"
Another round of verbal abuse so toxic it probably needed a warning label. After the outburst, Torracat returned to its Poké Ball.
Chansey switched in again.
"Lucky~"
"Get back here, Seismitoad!"
Now it was at -4 Attack, poisoned—if he didn't pull it out now, it'd be game over.
Rain Guy quickly recalled Seismitoad with his Poké Ball.
"Seiiis!!"
Even as it vanished into the ball, Seismitoad let out an unwilling roar.
Let me fight it one-on-one! I want a duel!
Watching Seismitoad get withdrawn, Caleb quickly gave a command: "Stealth Rock!"
"Lucky~"
With that sweet smile, Chansey scattered faint, shimmering rocks across the battlefield.
Next up, Rain Guy sent out a Pokémon that looked dragon-like, with three horns on its head and a plate-like crest on its back—Gyarados.
"Rooaar!"
The moment it roared, the hidden rocks on the field surged toward it like they'd found their target.
Boom!
Another loud crash. Gyarados had barely appeared before getting hammered by the rocks and slammed hard into the ground.
Rock vs. Flying—super effective.
Slowly, Gyarados rose to its feet, eyes locked on the pink egg in front of it. Sparks of electricity danced across its body.
Once bitten, twice shy. That wasn't just a saying.
Ever since the Little Ho-Oh Cup ended, Gyarados had spent countless nights waking up from nightmares.
Those relentless Thunder Punches didn't just break its body—they crushed its pride as a dragon.
That day's humiliation… today, I'll take it all back!
Gyarados turned to Rain Guy. As if sensing its resolve, Rain Guy reached into his coat and pulled out a pin.
Attached to the pin… a marble?
No—it was a Key Stone!
[Key Stone: A mysterious stone that enables Mega Evolution when paired with a matching Mega Stone.]
Mega Evolution!?
He's actually going for Mega Gyarados!?
Dude, it's not that serious—it's just a casual match, not some championship finals.
Rain Guy smiled. Judging from Caleb's expression, it was clear he knew about Mega Evolution.
Rain Guy had begged his parents for ages just to get his hands on the family's heirloom—Gyaradosite and a Key Stone.
"Mega evolve, Gyarados."
Rain Guy called out calmly.
"ROOAAARR!!"
A brilliant white light burst from the Key Stone in Rain Guy's hand.
At the same time, the Mega Stone on Gyarados's forehead lit up with a dazzling rainbow glow, surging like a tide and completely engulfing its body.
In an instant, the entire battlefield was illuminated by that radiant light.
The spectators all widened their eyes in shock, stunned silent.
They couldn't believe what they were seeing—just staring in disbelief.
"Evolution? Gyarados can evolve again? Did you know?"
"Nope. Did you know?"
"I didn't either. Did you know?"
However, Flint stood silently.
His mind drifted back to when the Sinnoh League first distributed Mega Stones.
At that time, Professor Sycamore had just published his groundbreaking paper on Mega Evolution.
To boost their Elites and Champions, the League generously gave each one a Key Stone and compatible Mega Stone.
Cynthia got one for her Garchomp, Aaron for his Scizor, Volkner for his Gallade…
But him? Nothing.
Sure, Grandma Bertha didn't get one either, but she was retired, practically out of the game.
Flint was in his prime—still fighting fit—but because no Mega form had been discovered for Infernape, he got left out.
And every time he fought Aaron, the guy would show off his Mega Scizor...
Wrapped in the luminous glow, Gyarados's form began to change.
At the same time, the rain overhead intensified dramatically, the fat raindrops now pouring down in torrents.
"ROOAAARR!!"
A thunderous roar tore through the sky, making everyone's ears ring.
When the light faded, Mega Gyarados appeared, majestic and awe-inspiring, exuding a chilling aura.
Not only had it gained a massive power boost, but its typing had also shifted—from Water/Flying to Water/Dark—eliminating that crippling 4x Rock weakness.
On the battlefield, Rain Guy looked at his newly evolved partner and grinned.
"Gyarados, it's payback time. Show them your new power!"
Then, without hesitation, he ordered, "Use Hurricane!"
"Rooaar!"
In the rain, Hurricane has 100% accuracy—Rain Guy had no reason to worry about a miss.
Mega Gyarados threw its head back and roared again, then unfurled the two giant fins on its back.
In the blink of an eye, a violent whirlwind erupted, tearing toward Chansey with unstoppable force.
"Chansey, Protect!" Caleb commanded.
"Lucky~~"
Chansey let out a gentle cry as a shimmering green barrier materialized in front of it.
Hurricane hit—but was blocked completely.
Yet Rain Guy looked even more pumped.
If Chansey was being forced to play defense, what did that mean?
It meant Gyarados was now a real threat!
"Again, Gyarados—use Hurricane!"
Rain Guy went for a follow-up.
Just as the green barrier dissipated, a brilliant white light burst from Chansey's pouch.
It was Riolu's egg—about to hatch, right now!
Inside the egg.
Riolu suddenly opened its eyes. At the exact moment Gyarados Mega Evolved, its Aura expanded—reaching a full kilometer.
The time had come. It was ready to meet this new world!
At last, it stopped hiding its presence and released its full energy.
In a split second, Aura swept across the battlefield. The pounding rain seemed to freeze in midair—suspended droplets hanging like crystals.
Nearby.
Maylene, one of the spectators, gaped in shock.
"That feeling... it's Aura."
Having trained with Riolu since childhood, she knew Aura like the back of her hand.
Everything has Aura—that's what her elders always told her.
But this… this wasn't normal. Nobody's born able to use Aura this naturally.
Not to mention this Riolu was already more skilled than her Lucario, who had trained for ten years.
Insane!
The Riolu egg floated out of Chansey's pouch.
At the same time, a voice echoed in Caleb's mind.
He smiled slightly and said to Chansey, "Teleport."
A flash of white light—and just like that, only Gyarados and the still-unhatched Riolu remained on the field.
"Why's the egg... still not hatched?"
Someone in the crowd couldn't help but ask.
It had been, what, seven or eight seconds already? Should've hatched by now.
"Shhh, quiet—I'm filming," said a young man holding up his phone.
He'd just come to see the commotion, but now he'd caught something truly extraordinary. This was gonna go viral for sure.
After a full fifteen seconds, the floating egg finally began to crack.