The light in Mega Metagross's eyes flared brilliantly as all of its power gathered into its right claw.
That claw erupted with an unprecedented radiance, like a falling meteor streaking across the sky, carrying unstoppable momentum as it smashed fiercely toward Mega Swampert's cheek.
Boom!
The blow was immensely powerful, sending Mega Swampert's massive body flying through the air in a parabolic arc before it crashed heavily onto the ground several meters away, splashing water everywhere.
Swampert struggled a few times, but in the end, it could only close its eyes weakly, losing the ability to continue fighting.
At some point, the rain had already stopped. The dark clouds dispersed, and sunlight once again poured down over the battlefield.
Mega Metagross hovered in midair, looking at the fallen Mega Swampert. The intense battle spirit in its eyes gradually faded, replaced by a trace of respect for its opponent.
"Swampert is unable to battle. Metagross wins!"
Wallace's voice rang out at the perfect moment as he stepped into the center of the field and announced the result.
"We won…"
Larvesta, the two Vulpix, and Deino all jumped around excitedly, cheering loudly to celebrate Metagross's victory.
Juan walked forward and recalled Swampert. There was no trace of disappointment on his face, only a satisfied smile.
"Theo, you have won. Your Metagross has been trained exceptionally well. It truly opened my eyes."
He took out a blue badge from his pocket. The badge was shaped like a droplet, with wave patterns carved onto its surface.
It was the Rain Badge of the Sootopolis Gym.
"This badge belongs to you," Juan said as he handed it over. "You have earned it."
Theo accepted the badge. It felt cool in his hand. Looking at Juan, he spoke earnestly,
"Thank you, Gym Leader. Your Swampert is also incredibly strong. If Outrage had lasted longer, the outcome might not have been decided so easily."
Juan waved his hand with a smile.
"A win is a win, and a loss is a loss. No need to be modest."
After the battle, Theo followed Juan and Wallace back to the tea room inside the gym.
Juan brewed a fresh pot of tea, and the three of them sat together as their conversation naturally shifted to the training of Milotic.
They talked for nearly an hour, covering everything from basic training methods to move combinations, and even how to balance battle strength with performance appeal.
Only when the sun began to set did Theo finally stand up to take his leave.
"Oh, right," Juan called out to him.
"If you do not have a place to train in the next few days, you can come to the gym. After the Water Festival, it will not be so easy for you to train outside like before."
When Theo left the gym, he noticed that Wallace had already packed his luggage and was preparing to depart.
As a League Champion, he had many responsibilities to attend to. As soon as the Water Festival ended, he had to rush off to other regions without delay.
"Theo,"
Wallace smiled and patted his shoulder.
"Do your best in the Contest. I believe you can earn a Ribbon. I will be watching your performance online. I will be waiting for you at the Grand Festival."
"I will not let you down."
Theo clenched his fist and promised.
After seeing Wallace off, Theo returned to the hotel with his Pokémon.
Just as Juan had said, after that close encounter with Kyogre during the Water Festival, he had already become something of a "celebrity" in Sootopolis.
Early the next morning, as soon as Theo stepped out of the hotel, he was recognized.
Many tourists surrounded him asking for autographs and photos, while some trainers pulled him aside to ask for battle advice. There was simply no way for him to train in peace.
Left with no choice, Theo followed Juan's suggestion and moved his training location to the Sootopolis Gym.
The backyard of the gym had a dedicated training area. It was not only spacious, but the gym was also temporarily closed during these days, making it quiet and free from disturbance.
Over the following days, Theo devoted himself entirely to preparing for the Contest. Time passed quickly amid the fulfilling training, and before he knew it, the day of the Contest had arrived.
.........…
The weather that day was exceptionally clear, with bright sunshine filling the sky.
When Theo set out from the hotel, the streets were just as lively as during the Water Festival. Many tourists who had come for the festival had not yet left, planning to watch the Contest before continuing their journey.
This was precisely why the organizers had scheduled the Contest after the festival, using its popularity to attract even more spectators.
Today, Theo had specially changed into a new outfit.
His black and gold tailcoat was perfectly tailored, accentuating his handsome figure. Paired with his neatly styled hair, he appeared both composed and stylish.
As he walked along the street, many passersby could not help but turn their heads to look at him.
"Lar!"
Seeing that no one was paying attention to it, Larvesta stomped its tiny feet in frustration.
It had also dressed up today, wearing a small pair of round glasses on its face and a colorful beaded necklace around its neck.
It had originally thought it would become the center of attention, but all the spotlight had been stolen by its trainer.
However, it quickly discovered a clever trick. As long as it stayed close to Theo, people would inevitably notice it as well.
From time to time, someone would even comment, "That Pokémon's accessories are so cute."
So Larvesta stuck close to Theo without leaving his side. Even when Theo accidentally stepped on it occasionally, it would just shake its head and squeeze back in again.
After all, compared to a little bump or two, receiving praise from others was far more important.
The venue for this Contest was set in the central plaza of Sootopolis City. A massive circular stage had been constructed, surrounded by a sea of spectators. Colorful support signs and balloons could be seen everywhere.
Above the stage hung a banner that read "Hoenn Region Sootopolis City Contest," and the atmosphere was lively and cheerful.
After arriving at the venue, Theo quickly completed the draw and ended up being the first contestant.
He remained calm about it. Whether early or late made no difference. After all, he had prepared for this Contest for a long time.
To be precise, he had already devised a combination strategy back when a Steelix in Steel Gorge had taught Tyrantrum the Sandstorm move.
At that time, however, Larvesta and Tyrantrum had not yet reached the required level, so the plan had been temporarily shelved.
Now, both of them had grown strong enough to support this combination move, and it could finally be unveiled today.
For the first round of judging, Theo planned to send out Milotic, with Larvesta providing some assistance.
After all, with Juan among the judges today, he had to let his shiny Milotic make a proper appearance.
The pre-competition preparations proceeded in an orderly manner.
Soon, the lights in the arena suddenly dimmed, leaving only a single spotlight shining onto the center of the stage like a meteor cutting through the darkness.
A figure dressed in blue appeared within the light. As the lighting softened slightly, her graceful figure became even more striking.
She wore a deep blue fitted tailcoat on her upper body, paired with a black high-collared shirt, combining sharp elegance with refined detail.
On her lower body, she wore black high-waisted shorts. Her fair legs were adorned with two black leather thigh straps, making them appear long and striking.
(End of Chapter)