A few days later, Julian had already reunited with Pierce and the other three.
Looking at their main Pokémon, it was clear that their strength had improved significantly after this period of training and resource investment.
Rowan's Abomasnow had its potential upgraded to Blue-grade and had broken through to the pseudo-Champion level.
This made Rowan unbearably smug. At just twenty-seven years old, reaching pseudo-Champion level at this age was rare in the entire history of Drakoria.
As long as one became a pseudo-Champion trainer before the age of fifty, there was always a chance to advance to the Champion-tier in the future.
The younger the age at which one became a pseudo-Champion, the greater the possibility.
Of course, Rowan couldn't compare to Julian, who had become a pseudo-Champion at just twenty.
Knowing Julian was a monster, Rowan and the others never used him as a benchmark—instead, they compared themselves to those around them.
Like Asher, who was "merely" at the peak of the Elite-level, or Ember and Pierce, who were also at the peak of the Elite-level.
The five of them arrived at the beach on the eastern side of Melemele Island.
On the beach stood a figure about 1.8 meters tall, with a golden bird-like head and a particularly striking golden Mohawk-like hairstyle above its bird face.
Who would have thought they'd encounter such a fashionable guy in this Top-tier secret realm?
"Tapu Koko, looks like you already know my purpose."
Julian said as he looked at the island guardian. Today, he had come to challenge it, but it seemed Tapu Koko had anticipated this and was already waiting for him on the beach.
Pokémon: Tapu Koko (Electric/Fairy)
Level: 90
Potential: Blue
Ability: Electric Surge
Held Item: None
Gender: Genderless
Moves: Quick Attack, Thunder Shock, Withdraw, Fairy Wind, False Swipe, Spark, Shock Wave, Charge, Agility, Screech, Discharge, Mean Look, Nature's Madness, Wild Charge, Brave Bird, Power Swap, Electric Terrain
TMs: None
Egg Moves: None
---
Level 90, peak Pseudo-Champion—as expected, this guy was the strongest among the four island guardians.
Back then, if it had been the one to use the island's power to break through to Champion-tier instead of Tapu Bulu, even if Julian had sent out his entire team, he would have lost.
"Can Julian win?" Ember asked worriedly.
The aura radiating from Tapu Koko was overwhelmingly intense—just its presence alone made it hard for her to breathe.
Even though she had confidence in Julian, that confidence was a little shaken at this moment.
"He can do it. His strength can't be measured by levels alone," Asher said, unexpectedly full of confidence in Julian.
Rowan, standing nearby, nodded in strong agreement.
As for why the two were so confident, it actually stemmed from something that had happened two nights before. After their own power had greatly increased, they had wanted to test Julian's limits.
But fearing they might lose, the two deliberately brought Julian to a place where Pierce and Ember weren't present to challenge him.
In a two-on-one situation, their Pokémon lasted less than five minutes against Metagross—and that was without it even Mega Evolving.
Pierce felt there was something a little off about these two.
"Koko!"
Tapu Koko, ever the battle enthusiast, had been itching to fight Julian ever since learning he had already defeated three of the island guardians.
Just then, Tapu Fini, Tapu Lele, and Tapu Bulu suddenly appeared beside Tapu Koko.
Tapu Fini: "I'm just here to watch the show."
Tapu Lele: "Same."
Tapu Bulu: "I'm here to beat up Tapu Lele—you traitor, prepare to die!"
This guy had traded a Totem-class Pupitar from his island for some of Julian's Elite-level Pokémon. Damn it, was this something a island guardian should be doing?
Watching Tapu Bulu chase after Tapu Lele, Julian couldn't help but think—'serves you right.'
Tapu Koko: "Come on, fight me. If you win, I'll give you a surprise you won't expect."
'A surprise?!'
'Now you've got my attention.'
"Metagross."
Metagross floated forward, stopping about a hundred meters away from Tapu Koko.
Pokémon: Metagross (Steel/Psychic)
Level: 79
Potential: Purple
Ability: Light Metal
Held Item: Metal Coat
Gender: Genderless
Moves: Tackle, Steel Beam, Confusion, Metal Claw, Bullet Punch, Flash Cannon, Magnet Rise, Psychic, Scary Face, Hammer Arm, Meteor Mash, Take Down, Agility, Hyper Beam
TMs: Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Iron Defense, Reflect, Protect, Light Screen, Psycho Cut, Shadow Ball, Gyro Ball, Psyshock, Trailblaze, Bulldoze, Mud-Slap, Aerial Ace, Icy Wind, Rock Tomb, Brick Break, Thunder Punch, Rest, Teleport, Psychic Fangs, Hard Press, Giga Impact, Future Sight, Focus Punch, Earthquake, Heavy Slam, Body Slam, Ice Beam Rock Slide, Grass Knot
Egg Moves: None
Note: Enhanced by the Heart of Arceus—all stats boosted, potential increased.
Note: After absorbing the Blacklight Core, the Pokémon continuously absorbs sunlight to restore its stamina (limited to Steel- and Rock-types)
---
When they first entered this secret realm, Metagross was Level 78. Now, after more than half a year, it had finally gained one level.
You had to know that once a Pokémon reaches the Elite-tier, the resources, experience, and time required for each level-up far exceed what was needed before.
For some average Elite trainers, once their Pokémon hit Level 75, each subsequent level could take two or three years—maybe even longer.
Only those with vast resources and exceptional talent could shorten that timeframe.
For Metagross to gain one level in just over half a year was already considered insanely fast—especially since due to Metagross' deep foundation, it required far more experience and resources to level up than most Pokémon.
Now at the late-stage Elite-level, just one step away from the peak. Even without Mega Evolution, the current Metagross could defeat most mid-to-late stage Pseudo-Champion Pokémon.
But Tapu Koko was an Island Guardian—its true strength far surpassed its level.
So—
"Metagross, Mega Evolve."
As the rainbow-colored light descended, a moment later, Mega Metagross appeared.
Its level temporarily increased from 79 to 82.
Metagross's aura intensified, its form shifting dramatically—a sight that made Tapu Koko's eyes gleam with interest.
To be honest, it hadn't been impressed by a mere late-stage Elite Metagross before, but now, with this Mega Metagross, the sheer battle lust radiating within it kept declaring that this guy was a worthy opponent.
Seeing the blazing fighting spirit in Tapu Koko's eyes, Julian thought that this guy was a bit like Kartana.
It was probably because it was not only an Island Guardian but also the strongest in this secret realm, making it hard to find worthy opponents. If it was a bit weaker and free, it'd likely be just like Kartana, roaming around picking fights with every Pokémon in sight.
Neither Tapu Koko nor Mega Metagross made the first move. Their auras clashed violently, an invisible pressure warping the space between them.
The sand beneath them began to boil like water, bubbles forming and bursting unnaturally. The very air grew heavy, dense with power.
Julian remained unaffected, but Ember and the others had already retreated far away—the oppressive atmosphere was simply too much to bear.
Even Tapu Bulu stopped chasing Tapu Lele, its gaze locked onto Julian and Mega Metagross with intense focus.
Of all the guardians, it probably understood just how strong this human was better than anyone.
But Tapu Koko's strength was also undeniable.
"Meta!"
Mega Metagross stopped the aura clash with Tapu Koko and chose to strike first, vanishing from its spot.
The move Teleport was incredibly useful—dodging, chasing, and most importantly, speed.
Golden lightning erupted from Tapu Koko's body, surging toward the empty space above it.
Yet Julian was startled.
Because right where the lightning struck, Mega Metagross suddenly reappeared.
Originally, it had planned to test Tapu Koko's strength with its usual combo of Teleport + Meteor Mash.
But before it could even raise its fist for Meteor Mash, Mega Metagross found itself slamming straight into Tapu Koko's Wild Charge the moment it exited the teleportation.
Boom!
Wild Charge struck Mega Metagross squarely.
A less observant trainer might've thought Metagross had charged headfirst into the attack on purpose.
Neither Julian nor Mega Metagross had anticipated that Tapu Koko could predict the exact position where Mega Metagross would reappear after using Teleport.
It was almost unbelievable.
Such an astonishing level of sensory perception might be understandable in a Psychic-type or a Pokémon with Aura abilities.
But Tapu Koko was Electric/Fairy—neither of these two types were known for heightened spatial awareness.
Even though Tapu Koko was at the peak of pseudo-Champion level, it shouldn't have been able to do this.
Being outmaneuvered by Tapu Koko right in the first exchange made Julian and Mega Metagross's expressions turn more serious.
However, Wild Charge didn't inflict much damage on Metagross.
Tapu Koko, however, seeing Mega Metagross take its attack head-on, was pleasantly surprised—defeating such a powerful opponent would bring a true sense of accomplishment.
Crackling electricity surged around it once more, the sharp sound of thunder shaking the battlefield. Within a kilometer radius, faint arcs of electricity began flickering in the air.
The sparks gathered in Tapu Koko's hands, forming Shock Wave.
Shock Wave was a guaranteed-hit move.
Mega Metagross responded by manifesting a pale-blue crescent-shaped blade of psychic energy—Psycho Cut—in front of it.
The two attacks collided—electricity exploded outward while Psycho Cut'spsychic energy rapidly disintegrated under the assault.
Before the two moves could decide a victor, Mega Metagross vanished from its spot again.
Wild Charge!!
Sure enough, as soon as Mega Metagross reappeared, it was immediately met with another Wild Charge.
This was the second time Tapu Koko had accurately predicted where Mega Metagross would reappear after using Teleport.
No way this was a coincidence.
Which meant—Tapu Koko had some method of tracking where Mega Metagross would reappear after Teleporting.
Something like Future Sight, but not quite.
Since the reason behind it wasn't clear yet, using Teleport was temporarily off the table.
"Iron Defense!"
A flash of silver light enveloped Mega Metagross as its defense sharply rose.
Its defensive capabilities were already monstrous—now, with another boost, Tapu Koko was in for an even tougher time.
Mega Metagross took a direct hit of Wild Charge again and shrugged it off like nothing.
Tapu Koko's body turned into a streak of yellow lightning.
Quick Attack—at close range, its speed rivaled Teleport.
And with the distance between it and Mega Metagross being less than a hundred meters, it closed the gap instantly.
"Meta!"
Mega Metagross: "Just what I was waiting for."
Its massive right arm swung forward—Bullet Punch, compressing layers of air as it struck.
But at this moment, Tapu Koko let out a sharp, ear-piercing Screech.
Under the shrill sound, Mega Metagross's defense not only dropped, but its Bullet Punch also stalled slightly. Though the delay was brief, it was enough for Tapu Koko to dodge.
Bullet Punch grazed past Tapu Koko's body.
Tapu Koko: 'Every move of yours is within my calculations.'
It gloated internally.
But its smugness was short-lived.
Though Bullet Punch missed, Tapu Koko was now right in front of Mega Metagross.
Of course, Tapu Koko had a reason for getting this close—a surge of immense Fairy-type energy began erupting from its body.
It was Nature's Madness.
Nature's Madness was an extremely unreasonable move; if it hit, any Pokémon below its level would instantly lose half their HP.
However, Nature's Madness didn't have very high accuracy—hence why Tapu Koko had closed the distance with Mega Metagross first.
BOOM!
The attack landed squarely on Mega Metagross, who didn't even attempt to dodge.
With the move successful, Tapu Koko immediately began retreating.
"Meteor Mash."
A cold glint flashed across Julian's eyes. 'You think you can just land a free hit and leave?'
The air around them grew oppressively heavy, as if a mountain was pressing down.
To Tapu Koko, all it saw was a fist growing larger and larger in its vision.
And then—
BOOM!!
Tapu Koko's body turned into a streak of light and with a Swish, crashed into the beach with enough force to send a tidal wave of sand exploding into the sky.
The entire beach quaked, sand erupting in every direction.
Because the sand was soft, it absorbed most of the impact, sparing Tapu Koko from the worst of the shock.
"Why are there electric sparks...?"
Julian frowned as he noticed flickering arcs of electricity dancing across the trembling sand.
Suddenly realizing something, Julian's expression instantly turned furious: "Tapu Koko, you sneaky bastard!"
He finally understood how Tapu Koko was able to predict where Mega Metagross would reappear after using Teleport—it was because this guy had set up an Electric Terrain across the battlefield beforehand.
The moment Julian and Metagross stepped onto the beach, they had already walked right into its trap.
Within this terrain, it was only natural for Tapu Koko to detect where Mega Metagross would reappear after using Teleport.
'Damn it, what a shameless guy!'
This kind of sneaky behavior—was it really befitting of a Guardian Deity?
But then again, considering the antics of the other three Tapus, maybe he shouldn't really be surprised.
In fact, even the three spectating Tapus were also stunned by Tapu Koko's underhanded tactics.
They looked down on it with disdain and contempt—but at the same time, a pang of regret hit them:
'Why didn't WE think of that?'
Prepping the battlefield in advance to stack the odds in their favor… genius.
Of course, this only worked if you knew exactly where the battle would take place. Otherwise, even if they set up the terrain ahead of time, it would be useless if Julian chose to challenge them somewhere else.
Tapu Koko had guessed this based on Julian's previous challenges with Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele—both battles had taken place on the beach.
Tapu Bulu's battle had happened in the forest, but that was an accident. If not for that, the battle probably would have taken place on the beach as well.
So, weeks ago, Tapu Koko had begun secretly laying down Electric Terrain across the shore, even recharging it daily—all just to wait for Julian's inevitable challenge.
And in the end, Julian had walked right into its trap.