At this point, Julian had already defeated three oppos in a row, that too all pseudo-legendaries. Yet, none of them had mao infliy signifit damage oagross.

  Looking at Metagross's current state, it was clear it could tio a fourth, fifth, or even sixth battle without much trouble.

  Over on the Modu Academy side, an eerie silence hung in the air. Akira Ono walked off the field iion, but no one had time to fort him.

  "Teacher, why is his Metagross s?"

  Akira couldn't help but ask. They were both using pseudo-legendaries. He was a 4th-year, while Julian was just a freshma his Goodra had been utterly crushed by Metagross.

  The se felt like a role reversal—this was how he had treated other trainers in the past.

  This defeat had pletely shaken his fidence.

  Of course, he wasn't the only one feelied. The two teammates who had battled before him were still sitting on the bench with dazed expressions, uo their heads around what had happened.

  Before long, Akira joihem too.

  "Sophia, send out Charizard and keep your dista's critical. That Metagross excels in close bat. If it uses Teleport, have Charizard immediately take flight," their teacher instructed seriously.

  Sophia nodded. She was the only female member of the team.

  While the mood at Modu Academy was heavy, the Imperial Uy team was all smiles.

  Julian had secured three secutive victories, and with Metagross in such good shape, it was likely to win another one or two rounds. That left the remaining four matches for their seven-member team—a nearly guaranteed win.

  Sophia, the fourth representative from Modu Academy, stepped onto the battlefield a out her Charizard. It was Level 70, at the peak of pseudo-Elite stage.

  Julian frowned slightly.

  'Damn it, it's not a Dragon-type.'

  (T/N: To me it is)

  Missing out on a Drago missing out on 1,000 bonus points.

  "Charizard, Sunny Day!"

  Right off the bat, Charizard created a weather dition that worked in its favor. A glowing orb shot into the air, f a miniature sun that hovered overhead.

  Previously, Metagross's Icy Wind had frozen most of the battlefield. But now, uhe intense heat of Sunny Day, the ice begaing rapidly.

  "Charizard, Heat Wave!"

  Julian's eyes narrowed slightly. He had a good idea of what they were pnning.

  Due to the battlefield's protective barriers, all residual effects were tained within the arena.

  Sunny Day had already raised the temperature signifitly. Now, with Heat Wave, the trapped heat would be amplified even further.

  For Metagross, a Steel-type, this high-temperature enviro would cause it to lose stamina much faster.

  "Teleport!"

  "Fly!"

  Metagross reappeared where Charizard had been, but the tter had already taken to the skies.

  Teleport had been tered, at least for now.

  "Not bad," Julian muttered under his breath. "At least, not pletely clueless."

  Sophia had just used the battlefield's protective barrier to her advantage, but this time, it also became a limitation for Charizard.

  The barrier's height was restricted to about 50 meters, which happeo be the minimum required for Fly to be executed effectively.

  While 50 meters was suffit in theory, Charizard hadn't started Fly from the ground this time.

  As a result, after dodgiagross's Teleport, Charizard's altitude tly capped by the barrier, f it to cut its flight short.

  "Fsh on!"

  Log onto Charizard, a silvery-white beam shot forth from betweeagross's cws.

  "Charizard, Overheat!" Sophia quickly ordered.

  Charizard, uo evade in time due to the forced halt in its flight, braced itself to ter the attack head-on with a powerful move.

  Overheat was one of the stro Fire-type moves, and uhe Sunny Day ditions, its power was further amplified.

  The deep crimson fmes surged forward, almost tangible in their iy. The superheated air caused visible distortions, making the se blurry for both the cameras and the live audience.

  "BOOM!!"

  The silvery-white beam collided with the crimson fmes, geing a massive shockwave that rippled outward and smmed into the protective barrier in waves.

  For a brief moment, Overheat held its ground but was eventually overwhelmed by the sheer force of Fsh on.

  Charizard took a direct hit. However, due to the energy ed in breaking through Overheat, the attack wasn't enough to knock Charizard out of the fight.

  "Metagross—"

  "Charizard, Mega Evolve!"

  Sophia's voice cut through as Charizard was enveloped in the radiant white glow of Mega Evolution.

  In any official match, interrupting a Pokémon's evolution was strictly forbidden. If an attack caused an evolution to fail, the Pokémon would suffer severe evolutionary backsh, potentially crippling it permaly.

  Vioting this rule would result in the offending trainer being immediately disqualified and losing their trainer lise.

  Although Mega Evolution wasn't natural, it was still sidered a form of evolution and thus fell uhe same prote.

  When the glow faded, Charizard X emerged on the field.

  Its level rose from 70 to 73.

  The leap from pseudo-Elite to Elite was a game-ger, marking a signifit increase in its power.

  "Why is your little brother smiling? His oppo just became ae. Shouldn't he be worried?" Faye asked, fused.

  Thea rolled her eyes. "Julian's probably just happy that he gets to fight ae. He must think it's more satisfying."

  The reason for Juliaement was indeed simple.

  After Mega Evolution, Charizard's typing ged from Fire/Flying to Fire/Dragon.

  Now, it was officially a Dragon-type.

  Sophia khat Julian's Metagross was also capable of Mega Evolution. If it did, her newfound advantage would vanish in an instant. She couldn't afford to give Metagross the ce.

  Sitting on the bench, Owen watched as Charizard underwent Mega Evolution, and his expression grew even gloomier. His Samence was also capable of Mega Evolution, but it had beeed before he even had the ce to use it.

  The differeween ae-level Pokémon and a pseudo-Elite wasn't just a single word—it was worlds apart in strength.

  "Charizard X, Fmethrower!"

  After Mega Evolution, Charizard X's fmes had transformed from a fiery red to an eerie blue, resembling fmes from the depths of hell.

  "Giga Impact!"

  'Elite? So what? It's not like I haven't beaten one before.'

  Metagross : 'Below Elite, I am invincible. Above Elite? I am still invincible.'

  (T/N: I alone am the honored one)

  Uhe onsught of Giga Impact, Charizard X's Fmethrower was relentlessly pushed back, causing Sophia's eyes to widen in disbelief.

  'What's going on? My Charizard is already ae. Why does it still feel like it's just a pseudo-Elite against this Metagross?'

  "Mega Punch!"

  In the brief moment whehrower was overwhelmed, Charizard X struck out with its bzi fist, directly intercepting Giga Impact.

  Although the csh highlighted the signifit boost in Charizard X's strength after Mega Evolution, the trembling in its arm and the searing pain of torn muscles were feelings only Charizard X itself could uand.

  "Charizard X, Inferno!"

  Inferno had the unique ability to inflict a burn upon nding, a status effect that could severely hinder Metagross's performance.

  For Julian, who still had four more battles to fight, letting his Metagross be burned was absolutely not an option.

  Metagross dodged effortlessly with a Teleport, pletely avoiding the fiery trap.

  "Fly—"

  Sophia reflexively attempted to order Fly, but with the battlefield's protective barrier in pce, Charizard X's current flight altitude was far too restricted for Fly to be executed properly.

  And more importantly, Metagross had already Teleported right in front of Charizard X.

  A dazzling, multicolored Meteor Mash greeted Charizard X squarely in the face.