John wasn’t the only one who initiated a sneak attack.
Harrison had also released his "assassin" when the smoke appeared.
His Dragon/Ghost-type powerhouse, Dragapult, used Phantom Force to enter the spirit realm, attempting to strike John in a manner similar to Teleport.
In response, Mega Gardevoir didn’t pursue Kommo-o but instead Teleported back to John’s side, establishing a Reflect barrier to block Dragapult’s attack.
"Dragonite, Dragon Descent!" Harrison glanced at Garchomp without much concern, threw a Pokeball, and unleashed his next Pokemon.
Dragonite materialized in the air, dark green draconic energy enveloping its entire body. Transformed into a massive dragon, it swooped toward John from above.
John immediately countered by throwing his own Pokeball.
"Gyarados, MEGA Evolution! Liquidation!"
Gyarados emerged! Soaring skyward, it became enveloped in prismatic light.
As the light exploded outward, the shiny Gyarados grew larger and more ferocious. Its neck swelled, and an enormous fin sprouted from its back. Its typing shifted from Water/Flying to Water/Dark, though it remained airborne.
The Gym Leaders and Trainer Association officials in the stands were practically catatonic.
"How many MEGA Pokemon does John actually have?" one Gym Leader couldn’t help asking.
They exchanged bewildered glances. The answer to this question was likely known only to John himself.
Initially, they’d assumed John had only two MEGA Pokemon.
Then came Mega Blaziken a few days ago.
Well, three MEGA Stones seemed acceptable... right?
But then Greninja had somehow undergone MEGA evolution, something theoretically impossible.
And now, another MEGA Gyarados.
By their count, that made five Pokemon capable of MEGA evolution, with only one team slot remaining.
So... was John assembling an entire team of MEGA Pokemon?
"I wouldn’t be surprised if John revealed another MEGA Stone any minute now!" one Gym Leader lamented helplessly, green with envy.
High above the battlefield, the Dragonite and Mega Shiny Gyarados converged.
An explosion was inevitable.
However, both Harrison and John immediately averted their attention elsewhere.
Neither Dragonite nor Mega Gyarados could quickly defeat the other, Dragonite possessed superior speed, while Mega Gyarados boasted raw power!
Back on the main battlefield, Harrison assessed the situation, deliberated for a moment, then threw his final Pokeball.
Out emerged a Glalie.
"MEGA Evolution!" Harrison revealed his MEGA bracelet.
Though he commanded several Dragon-types, his signature Pokemon and trump card remained this Ice-type.
Mega Glalie resembled its standard form but with its mouth grotesquely wide open, like a demented uncle version of itself. The additional black structure beneath its mouth resembled an unkempt beard!
"Snowscape!" Harrison commanded, extending his hand.
"CRACK!!!" Mega Glalie roared, and the sky immediately darkened with ominous clouds. Heavy snowfall descended as promised!
In Pokemon games, snowy weather increases Ice and Steel-type moves by 25%.
In reality, snowy conditions inflict additional damage and, with prolonged exposure, cause frostbite.
Pokemon weak to Ice become particularly susceptible to frostbite, like Dragons.
Yet Harrison had two Dragon Pokemon on the field and still triggered the snowstorm, relying on his Dragons’ special anti-Ice training.
Considering this, John couldn’t help but think it somewhat foolish, forcing Pokemon to adapt to their weaknesses just to create a cohesive team.
However, this snowy weather would harm his lineup without offering any benefits!
So John silently produced another Pokeball.
"Tyranitar, MEGA Evolution!"
"TYRAAA!!!" The colossal Tyranitar roared as it materialized, its Sand Stream Ability activating instantly!
The dark clouds overhead were immediately overwhelmed by surging quicksand. Gray particles filled the air as the weather shifted from snow to sandstorm!
Prismatic light enveloped Tyranitar. When it dissipated, Mega Tyranitar stood before everyone, sporting a fearsome grimace on its chest and spikes covering its entire body.
The Gym Leaders and Trainer Association executives weren’t shocked this time.
They were beyond shock, completely numb.
"See? I told you John could assemble an entire team of MEGA evolutions!" one self-proclaimed prophet declared triumphantly, though tears of envy leaked from the corners of his eyes.
A full team of MEGA Pokemon?!
For the love of Arceus, have some mercy!
"But wait, John is maintaining the MEGA evolution of four Pokemon simultaneously. Is that even sustainable?" one Gym Leader spotted the apparent flaw.
As everyone knew, maintaining one MEGA evolution wasn’t particularly challenging.
Two was manageable for stronger trainers.
Three was where most trainers hit their limit. No trainer had publicly maintained three MEGA evolutions simultaneously, partly because few possessed three MEGA Stones.
Everyone scrutinized John with newfound curiosity.
The young Gym Leader didn’t look particularly muscular, yet evidently possessed remarkable physical fortitude.
Judging by his composed demeanor, he didn’t appear strained at all.
John wasn’t struggling to maintain four MEGA evolutions because, with the three mysterious orbs amplifying his energy, his physical strength and endurance seemed limitless. Four MEGA evolutions? He could handle four more!
Since he’d already reached four, why not go for five?
John raised his hand again.
"Garchomp, MEGA Evolution!"
Garchomp, who had been fending off Espeon’s repeated attacks, was immediately bathed in colorful light.
In the next moment, Mega Garchomp would emerge!
The audience took this development in stride, laughing and chatting while readying their cameras to record this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
As his opponent, Harrison’s mouth twitched involuntarily at the sight.
Holy mother of Mew! Should I even bother cursing at this point?!
Junior John! No, Junior God of Fortune and Shinies! How many MEGA Pokemon do you actually possess?
I’ve completely underestimated this junior. Forget next year, this year alone, I’ll likely fall to him!
With this realization, Harrison gritted his teeth and immediately extracted a special Z-Crystal from his pocket, slapping it onto his Z-Power bracelet.
"Kommo-o, Z-Move, Clangorous Soulblaze!"