"Don't worry, it's coming right up."
Dylan reached into his pocket with his gloved hand and took out a gleaming, translucent Key Stone.
"Watch closely, Mr. Bruno. This is the Mega Evolution you've been waiting to see!"
"Gardevoir!"
The Key Stone radiated a dazzling light. At the same time, Gardevoir spread her arms gracefully, and the Mega Stone on her neck began to shine in sync.
Super Evolution—beyond the bounds of regular evolution!
A rainbow-colored aura enveloped Gardevoir's entire body, her figure rapidly shifting within the light.
Soon, the glow dissipated. Her flowing gown swirled elegantly as her two white legs crossed beneath the black dress. Mega Gardevoir slowly lowered her arms, her calm, unreadable gaze settling on Machamp.
"Whoa~!"
Gasps of amazement erupted from the stands.
If normal Gardevoir looked like she wore a modest white dress, Mega Gardevoir looked like she was dressed in a luxurious ball gown.
This particular shiny Mega Gardevoir had a pitch-black gown so dark it glimmered, flawless in its purity. Even the draping behind her arms flowed like the train of a grand dress. The red structure on her chest had doubled, giving a more symmetrical aesthetic.
Elegant, regal, and mysterious.
The contrast between her original white and now jet-black gown was visually stunning.
"Wow!! She's way too pretty!" Leaf was stunned—this was her first time seeing a Mega Gardevoir in person.
"Right? She's gorgeous~!" Lillie's eyes sparkled with admiration. She was suddenly struck with the urge to raise a Gardevoir herself.
She looked up Gardevoir's data on her Pokédex—besides gaining the Pixilate ability, there wasn't much else that changed.
Huh? No extra entry for the Mega Evolution?
On the field.
"So, Mr. Bruno, what do you think of my Mega Gardevoir?" Dylan admired her form with satisfaction.
"Umm… she's beautiful." Bruno scratched his head. He honestly couldn't come up with a better word.
Even he couldn't deny her breathtaking elegance. He had to admit—she was truly beautiful.
"Right? I think so too," Dylan chuckled. "But Mr. Bruno, my Mega Gardevoir isn't just about looks."
After all, in a Pokémon battle, it's not about appearances—even the Contest Spectaculars weren't just about beauty, let alone an actual competitive match.
"Well, we'll just have to find out, won't we?" Bruno grinned, excited.
"Machamp, Earthquake!"
Machamp let out a grunt, clenched his fists, and slammed the ground hard.
Ground-type move: Earthquake!
RUMBLE—!
Shockwaves rippled across the field toward Mega Gardevoir.
Her eyes lit up with blue energy as she gently floated into the air, hovering effortlessly above the battlefield. She gazed down at Machamp with a queenly calm—like a midnight monarch.
Bruno looked at her... well, the black gown completely concealed everything below, not that he was trying to look there or anything.
Main point: with Gardevoir airborne, Machamp couldn't reach her easily. Psychic Terrain had ended, so priority moves were now usable.
As Earthquake ended, Mega Gardevoir descended slightly.
"Psychic."
Her blue gaze gleamed as she extended one hand. A wave of iridescent psychic energy surged forward.
"Bullet Punch!"
Machamp's four fists clenched and shimmered with metallic light as he dashed toward Gardevoir.
Steel-type priority move: Bullet Punch.
The added speed let Machamp avoid the Psychic blast, bringing him right up to Gardevoir as she touched down.
His four fists launched like rapid-fire rounds.
Mega Gardevoir's form shimmered with blue light as she used psychic power to step back swiftly, dodging the punches.
Her raw speed wasn't exceptional—but with her Mega form's boosted psychic power, she could maneuver herself using telekinesis to avoid Machamp's punches.
"Poison Jab!"
Seeing Bullet Punch wasn't working, Bruno didn't hesitate.
Machamp growled and coated one of his fists in a dark purple toxic glow, flattening it into a blade aimed directly at her chest.
Poison-type move: Poison Jab!
Mega Gardevoir shifted just in time. Her dress fluttered dramatically as the poisonous strike barely missed her.
"Psychic."
She glided up to Machamp and gently pressed a gloved palm against his chest.
Machamp cocked his head. What's this chick doing? Falling for me or something?
BOOM!
A surge of psychic energy detonated point-blank against his chest.
Machamp roared in pain, his massive body sent flying through the air.
"Gardevoir."
She raised her right arm, and a stream of blue psychic energy shot out, catching Machamp mid-air before he hit the ground.
She slowly raised her palm, and his body began to rise again—this time nearly touching the arena ceiling.
"Machamp!" Bruno's face changed.
Machamp grimaced in agony. That point-blank Psychic had been brutal. Mega Gardevoir's special attack was no joke.
And before he could recover from the blast, she had already locked him in place.
Floating helplessly near the ceiling, Machamp seethed in pain and frustration.
As Bruno debated whether to open the ceiling panels, Mega Gardevoir gave a small wave of her hand.
WHAM!
Machamp crashed down like a meteor, slamming into the battlefield with an earthshaking impact.
Dust and debris flew everywhere.
With a wave, Mega Gardevoir summoned a psychic gust, clearing the dust.
Machamp lay sprawled in a crater, limbs akimbo—but he wasn't out yet.
"Hyper Beam," Dylan said, eyes narrowing slightly.
Mega Gardevoir floated up once more, raising her right arm. A pink sphere of energy gathered in her palm, growing rapidly.
"Wait—is that Hyper Beam?!" Bruno blinked.
Wasn't Hyper Beam usually red-yellow or black? What's with this pink energy?
With a graceful push, Gardevoir released the blast.
"Machamp, Dynamic Punch!"
Machamp forced himself up, his fists glowing bright white. He thrust upward toward the incoming beam.
Fighting-type move: Dynamic Punch!
BOOM!
The Hyper Beam slammed into Machamp's attack. The shockwave was massive.
Even with all four arms bracing, Machamp couldn't hold back the pink beam. The ground cracked under his feet as the attack overpowered him and engulfed him entirely.
A deafening explosion followed as the Hyper Beam detonated.
Wind and energy surged in every direction. Even Dylan and Bruno had to shield their faces.
Too powerful! Bruno's heart sank. What kind of Hyper Beam was this?! Why was it pink?!
When the dust settled, Machamp was unconscious, battered and broken, lying in a shattered crater.
"..." Bruno stood speechless.
Machamp had always been his pride—resilient, powerful, relentless.
But just one point-blank Psychic, a slam from telekinesis, and that Hyper Beam… and he was done?
"Mega Gardevoir's ability is Pixilate," Dylan explained. "It turns Normal-type moves into Fairy-type, and boosts their power."
Which meant that pink Hyper Beam was a Fairy-type Hyper Beam—buffed by Pixilate.
"I see…" Bruno quietly recalled his Machamp.
"Machamp is unable to battle. Mega Gardevoir wins."
Leaf announced.
Looking at the elegant, mysterious figure floating across from him, Bruno could only rub his head in frustration.
There was no comparison…
"Tch—full team battle and Bruno only beat one of Dylan's Pokémon."
The birdkeeper clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Hmph~ Psychic-types are unbeatable!" The psychic trainer practically preened.
"That's still impressive though. He beat one while type-countered. If you brought in an Elite Four member from another region, they probably couldn't even manage that," the woman shrugged.
Bruno was, after all, a former Kanto Elite Four member—one of the strongest.
"That's unfortunate, Mr. Bruno. You didn't defeat me this time." Dylan walked up and offered a handshake.
"No big deal. I didn't expect to win. Just didn't think I'd only take down one," Bruno admitted, scratching his head.
He knew he was done the moment he pulled Psychic as the matchup. Still, he thought he'd do a bit better.
"You've done more than enough. Considering the type disadvantage, you can still take this."
Dylan opened a polished case and revealed a beautiful, deep magenta badge with a six-petal floral design.
"This is one of the Rota Badges awarded with my approval. Please accept it, Mr. Bruno."
"Thanks, Champion Dylan!"
Bruno's eyes lit up. He took the badge without hesitation.
He knew these Rota Badges weren't cheap—even the standard ones went for over ten million. It would make a fine family heirloom.
Ring ring—
His phone buzzed.
Bruno glanced at the screen and his face darkened.
"Champion Dylan, I've got to go. I'll challenge you again another time."
"Of course."
Dylan nodded as he watched Bruno rush out of the gym.
He'd seen the caller ID—it was Agatha.
Bruno slipped into a quiet alleyway. His phone buzzed again.
"Hello?" he answered gruffly.
"Hehehe~ Bruno, how's the mission?"
Agatha's raspy, eerie laughter made Bruno frown.
"It's done."
"No wonder you had time to run off to Rota Street and challenge Dylan."
She cackled.
"..." Bruno stiffened. How did she know?! Wait—his match had been public, the stands were packed. The whole region probably knew by now.
He let his guard down! That old hag does browse the web.
"Hands got itchy. Wanted a good match," he grumbled.
"Heh~ You're asking for a beating. Challenging Dylan was one thing, but you only managed to beat one of his Pokémon?"
Another voice chimed in with a scoff—Lorelei.
"I beat one. You think you could beat even that many? Go try for yourself. I bet you wouldn't even knock one out," Bruno snapped back, annoyed.
He might not get along with Agatha and the others, but he really hated Lorelei questioning his strength.
He'd accept trash talk from Lance or Agatha—they were monsters. But Lorelei? That woman had never beaten him even once. Who gave her the right?
"I'd do better than you," Lorelei replied coolly.
"Pfft. Yeah, okay. Talk is cheap. Why don't you go challenge him, huh?"
Bruno was not letting this go.
"At least I beat one and earned a badge from Dylan, alright?!"