You never know which will come first, surprise or shock.
Just when Sato thought he could keep up with Wallace and the other "Champion candidates" purely on his own strength, without relying on Dark Energy or the Mega Stone…
Life dealt him another heavy blow!
A breakthrough in the middle of battle…
An Ace breaking through to Elite Four level!
Why did it have to happen in his match?
In the VIP viewing room, Charles Goodshow and Lance rushed forward, practically taking three steps at a time, stopping at the railings and craning their necks for a clearer look.
"No doubt about it. That Milotic has broken through to Elite Four level," Lance said quietly, unable to help but feel a twinge of pity for Sato.
Was the Champion's trophy itself!
At this moment, Lance had completely forgotten that Charles Goodshow had once predicted that Sato's Kirlia was hiding its true strength.
"Wallace… Wallace… Hoenn really has produced quite a few talents in recent years. If I recall, Sato's 'teacher' is Elite Four Drake, correct?"
"Yes, President! Elite Four Drake has praised his student in front of us more than once," said the Hoenn representative, stepping forward with a smug smile.
With that statement, it was as if Hoenn had already claimed the top two spots of the tournament.
If you included Ryoko and Phoebe, they'd have taken all top four places!
Charles Goodshow let out a faint chuckle, cast a glance at the Hoenn representative without replying, and then turned his attention back to the match.
That single glance weighed on the Hoenn rep like a mountain; beads of sweat instantly formed across his forehead.
"Hmm? Is Sato really planning to make Tyranitar go all out?" Lance suddenly remarked with curiosity, pulling everyone's focus back to the battlefield.
--- The source of this content ɪs 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢•𝓷𝓮𝓽
Faced with an opponent breaking through mid-battle, Tyranitar was also stunned at first. When it felt the overwhelming presence of Elite Four-level power, a wave of unwillingness surged in its heart!
Tyranitar wanted to win too. It wanted to stand in this grand arena and prove to its parents that it had grown strong… that it had become a true pseudo-legendary overlord.
Tyranitar's roar echoed through the entire stadium as it turned to look at Sato, a hint of longing in its eyes.
"Even if giving everything still means losing… should we keep going?"
Tyranitar's response was firm and unwavering. As long as it gave its all, there would be no regrets, even in defeat.
"Then… Tyranitar, MEGA EVOLUTION!"
Sato clutched the key necklace he had held onto all this time. A multicolored light burst through his fingers and connected directly with the rainbow-colored glow radiating from Tyranitar's body.
Brilliant light enveloped both Trainer and Pokémon. Tyranitar's massive form swelled even larger.
Soon, a Mega Tyranitar appeared on the battlefield, its body now covered in even more pronounced armor spikes from head to back.
With its hardened armor, imposing figure, and a back bristling with spikes, Mega Tyranitar looked like a war machine born for battle. Just looking at it stirred Sato's blood.
But… it was still just a little short!
Mega Tyranitar's level had clearly reached half-step Elite Four, but it was still a bit far from the real thing.
Mega Tyranitar and Milotic locked eyes from across the field. In the very next instant, both sides moved at once.
Mega Tyranitar swung its massive arm, sending a mass of surrounding rocks flying into the air. They instantly became a swirling sandstorm vortex, all surging toward Milotic in one furious wave.
On the other side, Milotic gave a "gentle" flick of its tail, casually releasing what seemed like an ordinary Twister.
Then, the Twister collided with the sandstorm vortex!
There was no back-and-forth, no balance of power… Milotic's Twister completely suppressed Mega Tyranitar's vortex from the moment they touched.
There was no logic to it!
White light shimmered. Milotic, without hesitation, used that frustrating move.
When Tyranitar instinctively tried to use Taunt to interrupt, it found it completely ineffective.
"Status moves nullified due to suppression by stage difference…?"
Sato muttered under his breath. He wanted badly to help Tyranitar defeat Milotic, but the power gap made him feel helpless.
Especially since the opponent was a frustrating monster that knew Recover.
Finally, a sharp glint passed through Sato's eyes. With a gap this wide, winning would require a risky gamble!
"Tyranitar, Bulldoze!"
Tyranitar didn't know what Sato was planning, but it chose to trust him without hesitation.
The next moment, Mega Tyranitar stomped its right foot hard, unleashing a burst of energy from its center that spread wildly outward. Wherever it touched, sand and earth were flattened into even terrain.
"Milotic, Hydro Pump!"
Wallace's command rang out, his voice devoid of any pride or showmanship, replaced with serious caution.
"Use Dragon Dance to dodge, then keep Bulldozing!"
Hydro Pump roared through the air, reaching Mega Tyranitar in an instant.
But using the unpredictable footwork of Dragon Dance, Mega Tyranitar narrowly dodged most of the attack, though it was still grazed.
Tyranitar used Bulldoze again. The once uneven terrain now looked as if it had been plowed over, much flatter than before.
"Milotic, close-range Hydro Pump!"
Wallace felt uneasy. Even if he beat Tyranitar, two more Pokémon remained, he didn't want Milotic wasting unnecessary energy.
Milotic glided through the air like a serpent, its mouth gathering a compressed Hydro Pump as it rushed toward Tyranitar at full speed.
The compressed Hydro Pump roared in, and Tyranitar instinctively followed Sato's command, manipulating the softened ground beneath its feet and suddenly sliding across the now-flattened terrain.
The compressed Hydro Pump had massive power, but at the cost of area coverage. Everything Sato had done before… was to let Mega Tyranitar slide at the critical moment.
"GIGA IMPACT!" Sato felt an overwhelming lightness in his chest after shouting those four words.
Faint purple spiral energy wrapped around Mega Tyranitar's massive body.
Milotic, mentally exhausted after firing the Hydro Pump, was momentarily dazed, just enough for it to lose control of its body for a brief second.
And in that second… Tyranitar -gathering every ounce of its strength- charged toward Milotic.
In a flash, the crowd saw Milotic get slammed down to the ground by Tyranitar, and then an explosion erupted on impact.
"Who lost?" "Who won?"
The audience all rose to their feet, nervously watching the smoke cloud at the center of the arena, desperate to know who had fallen.
Almost a full minute passed before a soft cry rang out, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
Milotic, their favorite, was still standing.
Only a few people looked quietly and sympathetically toward Sato, who said nothing.
After all, Tyranitar… had already given its all.