"It's decided. Gardevoir!" A flash of light, and the long-unseen Gardevoir made her appearance.
It had been a long time since Gardevoir last officially battled. Perhaps since the Indigo Conference. As the third-ranked Pokémon in Ash's arsenal, her opportunities to battle were rare. Most of the time, it was either Charizard or Pikachu. This time, it was finally Gardevoir's turn.
One advantage of this long absence was that the opponent couldn't judge Gardevoir's strength and defensive tendencies based on previous information. Gardevoir's last battle had been several months ago, when she was still only Elite Four level. That battle data was practically worthless now. So for the moment, Brandon could only treat Gardevoir as a completely unknown quantity.
Of course, even if Brandon had seen Gardevoir's condition from a month ago, he would probably be completely baffled by what he saw now. After all, Gardevoir had been training under Mewtwo's direct guidance, and she was no longer the same as before.
"A Psychic-type Pokémon. A Shiny, at that. Young man, your Pokémon are truly rarer than the last." The Shiny Gardevoir gave even Brandon a moment of pause. Gardevoir was already rare, let alone a Shiny one.
Although being Shiny didn't necessarily mean stronger, the rate of Shiny Pokémon appearing was almost comparable to Legendaries, and a rare Shiny Gardevoir was even more precious than some Legendary Pokémon.
"You flatter me, Mr. Brandon. My Gardevoir isn't just pretty." Ash said proudly, rubbing his nose.
"Gardevoir."
Gardevoir lifted the hem of her dress and bowed to Brandon and Regirock, displaying elegant queenly etiquette. First the formalities, then the fight.
"Gardevoir, Psychic!" Ash initiated the attack first again. As Ash's words fell, Gardevoir quickly entered battle mode. Her expression became serious, her hands raised, her beautiful eyes slightly brightened, and a powerful surge of psychic energy acted upon Regirock.
"Regirock, Curse." Brandon calmly commanded.
Curse was a Ghost-type move. If used by a Ghost-type Pokémon, it would reduce the user's stamina by up to half, then curse the opponent, causing their stamina to drain at intervals. However, if used by a Pokémon of other types, it became a buff, sacrificing one level of Speed to increase Attack and Defense by one level each.
This boost was incredibly powerful for Regirock, and the Speed reduction was practically negligible, since Regirock was already slow. The only drawback was that the opponent was Gardevoir. If it had been a physical attacker, the Curse buff would be even more valuable.
Regirock's seven gems lit up, and a dark, ominous glow appeared across its outer layer. At the same time, Gardevoir unleashed her Psychic, the beams of psychic energy washing over Regirock in overlapping waves, transforming into incredibly vivid colors as they eroded Regirock's body.
Regirock showed no sign of pain, because it simply couldn't express any emotion. However, judging from its movements, the Psychic was still effective. The increased defensive capabilities from Curse had only strengthened Regirock's already excellent physical Defense, not its weaker Special Defense.
Gardevoir's attack was targeting that exact weak point. In a way, this opponent was truly a good matchup for Gardevoir.
Unfortunately, the move Psyshock that Mewtwo had taught Gardevoir couldn't be used in this battle. Psyshock was a special attack that calculated damage against the target's physical Defense, which Regirock would perfectly defend against.
Even a god-level move would inflict very little damage on Regirock through that stat. But this didn't mean Gardevoir didn't have other ways to break through.
"Gardevoir, shine bright. Mega Evolution!" Ash glanced at his Key Stone. The Mega Evolution energy, under the influence of Aura Power, had been replenished, allowing for another Mega Evolution. So Ash didn't hesitate to let Gardevoir undergo Mega Evolution. This opponent wasn't someone who could be beaten without it.
As light scattered across Gardevoir's body, the originally pale Shiny Gardevoir transformed into a dark queen clad in a flowing, jet-black dress. Her hair remained blue, but her entire form, including her arms, had turned black. In the darkness, she was the Queen of the Night. Mega Gardevoir.
"She can Mega Evolve? Isn't Mega Evolution supposed to only happen once in a short period of time?" The appearance of Mega Gardevoir astonished Brandon.
And rightly so. He also possessed Mega-Evolved Pokémon and a Key Stone. He had tried Mega Evolution before, and similarly, after Mega Evolving a Pokémon, the Key Stone in his hand would enter a cooldown state. It took time to replenish energy before Mega Evolving again.
So he'd assumed that even though he lost the first round, Registeel's defeat wasn't a huge disadvantage. Ash had already used his trump card, Mega Evolution, and wouldn't be able to strengthen his Pokémon in subsequent rounds.
But Ash had just delivered a warning blow right from the start. If he could use Mega Evolution twice, then Brandon's calculation was completely wrong.
"Is it possible to make two Pokémon Mega Evolve in succession? What kind of principle is that?"
"If you'd watched my entire Indigo Conference run, Mr. Brandon, you would know that I can continuously make Pokémon Mega Evolve. As for the reason, it's related to some special abilities I possess." Ash found it difficult to explain the effect of Aura Power on the Key Stone.
All Brandon needed to know was that Ash could use his own power to restore the Key Stone's energy. As for Brandon not watching his entire Indigo Conference, that wasn't surprising. It just meant Brandon hadn't seen everything Ash did at the tournament. It was just a competition, and even someone famous couldn't expect outsiders to know every detail unless they were a dedicated follower.
And Brandon clearly hadn't reached fan status for Ash.
"Let's stop chatting here. Regirock, Lock-On!" Brandon calmed his shock and once again focused his energy on the battle. His first move was Lock-On again. All three of his Regis knew Lock-On because the Regis' speed was simply too slow.
Even as Legendary Pokémon, slow was still slow. Facing fast and agile opponents, many of their moves were difficult to land, and the opponent's moves were very difficult to dodge.
As a result, Brandon had developed his own specialized fighting methods for the three Regis, which involved utilizing their superior defensive capabilities and raw physical power to trade blows with opponents.
Low-level opponents had no chance of even scratching the Regis and would be instantly annihilated, while higher-level opponents would be ground down.
Trading blows, forcing the opponent into a position that favored the Regis. The most crucial move in this approach was Lock-On. A move that guaranteed the next attack would hit, and also the key that forced the opponent into a head-on exchange.
"Gardevoir, Water Pulse!" In the gap created by Regirock's Lock-On, Ash directly launched an attack.
However, this single command left even Brandon and those watching the battle completely bewildered. Gardevoir could learn Water Pulse? Although Gardevoir was a Psychic-type Pokémon and could learn many moves, Water Pulse wasn't in Gardevoir's standard move pool. Had Ash lost his mind?
But a second later, Gardevoir elegantly traced a circle with both hands in front of her, and a stream of clear water inexplicably condensed, transforming under her psychic manipulation into a rapidly rotating water sphere. That sphere emitted a pale blue light, completely unlike a hastily constructed technique. Rather, it seemed as if it had been refined through countless repetitions.
"What?" Brandon's pupils suddenly contracted. Gardevoir could not only use Water Pulse, but its proficiency was completely different from the comparatively basic level of her earlier Psychic. It flowed as naturally as a native-type move.
The Water Pulse shot out, directly striking Regirock's body. The water exploded, and Regirock's massive body staggered back two steps. The effectiveness of Water-type moves against Rock-type was demonstrated at this moment. The seemingly unbreakable rock body was washed by the water, creating countless tiny cracks. Super effective.
"Magical Leaf!"
Gardevoir waved her left hand, and dozens of leaves emitting a jade-green light appeared around her from nowhere. Each leaf was as thin as a cicada's wing, yet its edges gleamed with a metallic sheen. Magical Leaf, a Grass-type move, was something Gardevoir should never have been able to learn, but in Gardevoir's hands, it came naturally.
Those Magical Leaves streaked through the air in beautiful arcs, precisely hitting the cracks on Regirock's body caused by the Water Pulse. The leaves, like dense blades, frantically slashed at Regirock's body, making Regirock, already weakened by Water-type damage, even more vulnerable. This attack inflicted significant damage once again.
"First Water-type, then Grass-type. This Gardevoir, besides already reaching Champion level, also has a relatively bizarre aspect to it. Its level of bizarreness is no less than that Charizard just now." Brandon slowly withdrew the shock from his eyes.
Ash's Pokémon's strangeness simply surpassed his decades of experience as a Trainer. One that defied common sense was one thing, but two in a row. He didn't know whether to call it good luck or Ash's training methods that created these Pokémon. But regardless, the battle had to continue. It was just two super-effective moves. His Regirock wasn't that weak.
"Regirock, Stone Edge!" Regirock suddenly stomped its foot, and in an instant, dozens of sharp rock pillars shot out from the ground, extending wildly toward Gardevoir's position. The tips of those rock pillars gleamed with a cold light, each one powerful enough to pierce through an ordinary Pokémon.
"Reflect!" Ash didn't let Gardevoir dodge. That would be pointless with Lock-On active. What needed to be done now was to defend against this attack head-on.
Gardevoir spread her arms, and a transparent wall rose up in front of her. The sharp stone pillars struck the Reflect, pausing for less than a second before piercing through. The penetrating Stone Edge's power was noticeably weakened, but not by half.
This was because Regirock's level already suppressed Gardevoir, and with the added boost of Curse, its physical attack was now devastating. This Stone Edge hit with nearly Champion Peak-level force. With that many advantages stacked, it would be strange if Reflect were fully effective.
But Ash didn't only have one defensive option. Reflect was merely the appetizer.
"Protect!"
A green shield appeared around Gardevoir, completely enveloping her. Sharp rocks launched their fierce assault, striking the shield. However, after just a brief exchange of blows, cracks began to appear in the shield. More stone pillars continuously struck it, and in an instant, the Protect was torn to shreds.
However, despite the damage, it still managed to block all attacks. Those powerful, massive rock pillars stood frozen before the shattered barrier, unable to advance further.
"The enhanced Reflect layered with Protect. Truly impressive. What incredible reaction speed and powerful psychic abilities!" Even though Gardevoir was an opposing Pokémon, Brandon couldn't help but praise her.
This Gardevoir, while slightly stronger than the previous Charizard, was still only Champion Low. Even with Mega Evolution, she couldn't break through to Champion Mid. That being said, a Pokémon of this level, even with Reflect and Protect, shouldn't have been able to fully withstand the Curse-boosted Regirock's Stone Edge. But this one managed to block it.
Charizard's flames had been different from other Fire-types. Now Gardevoir's psychic power was also something else entirely. There was something miraculous about it.
That was understandable, because this was a disciple personally trained by Mewtwo.
From being one level lower than Charizard, to now being on the same level as Charizard, only Gardevoir knew how much effort she had put in. Even Pikachu admitted that he couldn't compete with Gardevoir, the queen of training. Who else could train twenty-four hours a day? Gardevoir could.
She even sacrificed time with Ash, enduring it all inside her Poké Ball. Inside, Gardevoir underwent meditative training. Her time outside was spent learning and mastering psychic abilities from Mewtwo, as well as receiving Mewtwo's psychic power transmission.
It was safe to say Gardevoir wished she could dedicate all forty-eight hours a day to training. Pikachu, previously at a similar level to Gardevoir, was now far behind. Gardevoir was Champion, and Pikachu had only just reached Elite Four Peak two days ago. This showed just how powerful Gardevoir's work ethic really was.
Furthermore, besides the level increase, Gardevoir, through her unique dream-based technique of shattering internal mental barriers, had also gained a completely new power. That was combining psychic and physical energy, thereby creating a third power entirely. Gardevoir and Ash had named it "Spirit Force," the power born from merging spirit and body.