"Zorua!"
Determination flashed through the little fox's eyes as it nodded firmly.
Peter smiled casually. Under Whitney and Nemona's astonished gazes, he recalled Zorua into its Poké Ball.
"If you feel unwilling… then win it back with your own hands."
He lifted his arm.
"Zorua—Dynamax!!!"
The Poké Ball in his hand rapidly expanded before he hurled it high into the air.
The next second—
A gigantic Zorua, over thirty meters tall, burst forth from the light, nearly filling the entire battlefield.
"BOOM—!"
It landed on all fours, shockwaves blasting outward. The gust alone sent Floragato tumbling several meters away. Scarlet clouds gathered above Zorua's head, swirling ominously.
Whitney: ∑(❍ฺд❍ฺlll)
Her mouth dropped open wide enough to fit two eggs.
Nemona, after a brief moment of shock, began shouting excitedly, "So this is Dynamax?! I've heard about this transformation in the Galar region, but I never thought I'd see it in person!
Alright, Floragato! Let's give it everything we've got—no regrets!"
"Meow…??"
Floragato stared up at the enormous toenail looming above it, cold sweat dripping down its fur.
No regrets?
More like reckless overconfidence…
…
Meanwhile, Zorua's massive crimson eyes shone with exhilaration. It was clearly pleased with this overwhelming form.
"Finish it. Max Mindstorm!"
"ZORUA——!"
Its voice thundered across the battlefield.
A colossal sphere of Psychic energy shot into the sky. Rings of rainbow-hued energy—each dozens of meters wide—descended like celestial halos, trapping Floragato at the center.
Then—
"BOOOOOOM—!"
The psychic rings detonated in succession, tidal waves of energy erupting outward and upward. The sky seemed to darken beneath the sheer force of the attack.
For a full thirty seconds, the raging energy stormed across the field before gradually subsiding.
…
This wasn't the remote plaza where Peter had battled Cynthia.
This was the Pokémon Center.
People were everywhere.
By now, the battlefield was completely surrounded by spectators.
"My Arceus… what kind of Pokémon is that? How can it be that big?!"
"Forget the size—did you see that attack? It looked like the end of the world! The sky went dark!"
"Holy—That's him! Peter! I just saw him trending—he developed a device to control Dynamax!"
"Uh… newbie question, what's Dynamax? How much does it cost per pound?"
"…"
Peter's lips curved upward.
When he first revealed Mega Evolution, he had already foreseen this.
In fact—
He wanted this explosion of attention.
With figures like Cynthia and Steven backing him, he had no need to worry.
Gather popularity.
Accelerate growth.
That was the real objective.
…
When the dust finally cleared, Floragato lay unconscious on the ground.
Peter nodded slightly and released the Dynamax state. The massive form shrank back into the small white fox, who immediately leapt onto his shoulder and rubbed against his cheek happily.
"Zorua, zorua~ (*≧▽≦)"
"As long as you're happy~"
Peter chuckled, gently patting its head.
But—
Unlike before, a cool, chilling sensation pulsed faintly from its body.
Peter froze for a moment.
Then realization dawned.
He quickly took out the Ghost-type potion left behind by Kotetsu earlier, along with a Rare Candy.
"Here, Zorua. Eat this."
"Zorua~"
Without hesitation, the fox swallowed them.
[Ding! Zorua consumed a Rare Candy. Level increased…]
Immediately—
A surge of dense Ghost-type energy erupted from its body.
Ethereal blue light enveloped it entirely.
Peter's lips curved knowingly.
"Just as I thought…"
Over the past few days—intercepting Team Galactic, battling Cynthia, fighting Nemona—Zorua had accumulated immense combat experience.
And during that recent Dynamax burst, it had shattered its own limits.
Now—
Fueled by the Ghost potion—
Its life form was undergoing transformation.
…
"Zoroark…"
Whitney's Poké Ball suddenly opened.
Her Zoroark emerged, gazing at the evolving fox with pride in her eyes.
She had made the right decision entrusting her child to this young Trainer.
Moments later—
A tall, elegant fox-wolf Pokémon stood where Zorua once had.
White fur tipped in burning orange-red wisps of resentment. Sleek gray body marked with oval patterns on its arms and thighs. Brilliant orange eyes filled crimson-lined sockets. Two flame-like tufts of fur flared from its chest.
It was—
Hisuian Zoroark.
Zoroark ♀ Lv. 30 (Advanced-tier)
Ability: Illusion
Talent: 510 (Maximum species value)
HP: 60
Attack: 110
Defense: 60
Sp. Atk: 120
Sp. Def: 60
Speed: 100
Friendship: 197
Newly learned moves: Shadow Claw, U-turn, Knock Off, Agility
Description: Having absorbed a vast amount of Ghost-type energy, Zoroark successfully evolved. It awakened new moves etched within its bloodline, and its trust and admiration for its Trainer have deepened further.
…
"How does it feel, Zoroark?"
Peter stepped forward. At 1.7 meters tall, the evolved Zoroark was nearly eye-level with him.
"Zoroark~"
She gently took his hand and placed it atop her head.
Soft fur brushed against his fingers, cool psychic currents flowing between them.
Peter felt refreshed instantly.
"Looks like you've become even more reliable."
She nodded confidently.
"Zoroark!"
"You're both amazing~!" Whitney approached with Zoroark's mother, wrapping Peter's arm into her embrace and shaking it excitedly.
"Uh… i-it's nothing…"
The immersive experience left him momentarily unable to think.
…
Nemona walked over, still buzzing with adrenaline.
"I lost miserably… but that was incredible! Let's battle again next time, okay?"
"Of course," Peter smiled. "I recommend you challenge the Sinnoh League. The Lily of the Valley Conference has plenty of interesting opponents."
Images flickered through his mind.
Paul.
Ash.
Nessa.
Kahili.
Nemona standing right here.
And then—
The mysterious Darkrai user, Tobias.
This lineup was practically on par with the future Masters Eight.
"Tch… just thinking about it is exciting…"
"Really?! Alright then! My goal is the Lily of the Valley Conference Championship!"
Nemona dashed into the Pokémon Center to register.
The crowd gradually dispersed, still buzzing with heated discussion. A few Trainers tried approaching, but after sensing the powerful aura from Zoroark's mother, they hesitated and backed off.
Just as Peter was about to take Whitney out for dinner—
His phone rang.
"Hello? Cynthia? What's up?"
"You don't check your messages, do you? Go look at SNS right now. Your notifications are probably exploding."
Peter smirked. "Isn't that normal? If it's not exploding, that would be weird."
On the other end, Cynthia fell silent for a moment.
"Emmmm… do you perhaps have a misunderstanding of the word 'exploding'?
Every major Pokémon League has issued official invitations.
They're requesting you publicly present your research results.
The announcements are already out.
How do you want to handle this?"
Peter: "…Huh??"
--------------
T/N:
Support the Story and Read 40+ Chapters early on P@treon:👉[email protected]/MPHFics