The sky above the battlefield turned dark and boundless, while the ground beneath transformed into a purple quagmire. Shadowy trees and buildings loomed in the distance as the entire world took on a magnificent purple hue.
Thousands of spectral hands erupted from the purple mud, each one powerful and grasping, all reaching for the gigantic Mega Sableye's body to drag it into the depths of the supernatural mire.
"Sableye, use Power Gem to break free!" Phoebe commanded desperately.
"Use Shadow Ball!"
"Night Shade!"
No matter what orders she shouted, nothing helped. This was Never-Ending Nightmare, the Z-Move used by Gengar after MEGA evolution. Based on the high-power Ghost-type move Shadow Ball and amplified by Mega Gengar's terrifying Special Attack, it was simply unstoppable.
Sableye, being a Ghost-type Pokemon itself, was powerless to resist. This had nothing to do with its offensive or defensive capabilities, it was purely a matter of power levels. Sableye simply couldn't break free from the Never-Ending Nightmare's supernatural restraints. The ruby shield in its hands was just decoration when its entire body was bound by spectral chains.
Mega Sableye could only be dragged helplessly into the otherworldly mire.
BOOM!
The explosion echoed throughout the battlefield as Never-Ending Nightmare reached its climax. The dark, boundless sky returned to normal, the purple quagmire disappeared, and with it, the Dynamax Mega Sableye vanished as well.
Sableye lay in the center of the shattered battlefield, its Dynamax transformation ended and its body returned to normal size. The large ruby shield was quietly embedded in the ground, still positioned to protect its owner like a faithful guardian.
With a crisp crack, the ruby shattered like glass, falling to the ground in countless fragments that poured back into Sableye's chest where they reformed, signaling the end of its MEGA evolution as well.
"Sableye is unable to battle! Gengar wins!" the referee announced.
Even with both MEGA evolution and Dynamax, Sableye couldn't escape the fate of being completely overwhelmed by Gengar.
Phoebe stood there, speechless for a long moment. What could she say? What else was there to say? From the moment the battle started, her Pokemon had been countered at every turn, defeated in seconds. All she felt was complete powerlessness.
Where had this young man come from?
Sidney's expression in the spectator seats was even more dramatic than Phoebe's, his jaw hung open so wide that drool was practically falling out. He'd expected this to be Phoebe's moment of triumph, but instead it had turned into John's highlight reel. And if anything, Phoebe had lost even faster than he had.
The third Pokemon was defeated, and the battle was essentially over. With her trump card destroyed and facing the "Ghost King" phenomenon again, Phoebe's remaining three Pokemon were sent out purely as experience fodder, standing helplessly in the mist before being systematically eliminated by Mega Gengar's Shadow Balls.
"Dusknoir is unable to battle! Gengar wins! Trainer Phoebe has no Pokemon remaining, so the winner is John!" the referee quickly announced the final result, noting that this was the shortest Elite Four battle he had ever witnessed.
Phoebe stepped aside wordlessly, revealing the door behind her. John walked past her toward the next room, with Sidney following close behind, his eyes full of pity.
Poor girl got absolutely demolished by John, Sidney thought sympathetically.
However, when both John and Sidney proceeded to the next room, Phoebe didn't follow. She wanted to see John's next fight, to witness whether the next Elite Four member or the Champion would finally provide some retaliation, or... to watch John's ascent to the top.
The third Elite of the Hoenn Region was named Glacia, a woman with a kind face wearing an elegant long dress. But anyone who got close to her would immediately feel the temperature drop around them.
Because she was an Elite who specialized in Ice-types.
"You already possess combat power beyond Elite level," Glacia said to John with a resigned smile. "If possible, I really wouldn't want to waste time on this. I'd rather just concede so I can have my afternoon tea. Unfortunately, if I actually did that, Mr. Wallace would inevitably complain."
"However, I can make this duel easier. If you defeat my trump card, I'll admit defeat and let you pass."
From watching the battles with Sidney and Phoebe, even though John had only used two Pokemon, Glacia had already seen that his strength far exceeded Elite level. She didn't want to subject her Pokemon to a battle with such a massive power gap, since it wouldn't provide training, only injuries.
"Is that allowed?" John asked the referee, though he really wanted to battle more. This was all valuable experience, after all.
The upper limit of Gym Leader strength was around level 70, which basically didn't qualify as meaningful experience for John's Pokemon, whose levels averaged around 85.
"It is the trainer's right to concede defeat," the referee replied, confirming that if Glacia wanted to forfeit, they had no authority to refuse.
"Alright then," John agreed.
"This is the Hoenn Region Pokemon League Victory Road Challenge! Elite Four member Glacia versus challenger John! This will be a full battle, when all Pokemon on one side are unable to continue, the battle ends!" the referee announced. "Trainers, release your Pokemon!"
John and Glacia took out their Pokeballs and released their choices simultaneously.
Since Glacia had said she'd concede if her trump card was defeated, it was only natural for her to lead with her ace Pokemon.
Glalie, a menacing ice-type with a spherical body and fierce expression!
John's chosed Tyranitar.
"TYRANITAR!" Tyranitar appeared with a thunderous roar that shook the entire arena.
Immediately, Sandstorm weather began to rage! Yellow sand whipped through the air, and visibility across the entire battlefield dropped rapidly.
Compared to Tyranitar, the optimal choice should have been Blaziken, its Fire-type moves could easily counter Ice-types. But Blaziken's strategies had probably been analyzed by Glacia during the fight with Sidney, so John chose another Pokemon that could also counter Glacia's team.
"Battle begin!" the referee announced.
Glacia revealed both her Mega Ring and Dynamax band.
"MEGA evolution!"
"Dynamax!"
The same process as Phoebe, Glalie first underwent MEGA evolution, then was recalled to its Pokeball for Dynamax transformation.
When it reappeared, a terrifying giant ice head with its mouth wide open materialized on the battlefield. Cold air descended like a blanket, and the arena became wreathed in white mist like a winter wonderland.
But the sight of mist covering the battlefield made Phoebe almost break out in a cold sweat. Just moments ago, Gengar had used similar mist to completely demolish her Dynamax Sableye...