The moment Jacob laid eyes on the Meadow Plate and the Mega Swampertite, a deep sense of unease settled over him.
Swampert was a remarkable Pokémon. Its Water and Ground typing gave it a rare advantage — no double weaknesses. Its only weak point was a quadruple weakness to Grass-type moves. But with the Meadow Plate equipped, even that single vulnerability was covered. Swampert was now completely immune to Grass-type attacks. It had no weaknesses at all.
What unsettled Jacob even more was that this Swampert could also Mega Evolve.
From the Champion level and above, the gap in strength between each tier was enormous. Even so, Mega Evolution alone couldn't push this Swampert all the way to Master level. But that didn't matter. After Mega Evolving, it would stand at the very peak of the Champion tier — an absolute powerhouse.
Peak of Champion level. Mega Evolution. Meadow Plate.
The three elements together made Jacob's scalp crawl.
Even with a Gigantamax Grimmsnarl still hidden away, he knew he was no match for this Swampert.
A great name is never an empty boast. Champion Meyer — the Steel Emperor — had held the title of Champion of the British Empire for decades. His strength was truly terrifying.
Is this what a veteran Champion's full power looks like?
Jacob himself stood among the strongest trainers in the world at his current level. Perhaps only the undefeated Westin could truly stand as his equal.
...
As Meyer released Swampert, he casually revealed the expensive watch on his wrist, pressing a button on its side with a light click.
Gears turned, and a soft mechanical sound filled the air.
The watch face shifted, and at its center, a sparkling Key Stone gleamed, catching the moonlight and scattering it in brilliant flashes.
"Swampert, Mega Evolve!"
The moment Meyer's voice rang out, the Key Stone blazed with dazzling light. A beam of energy shot across the sky and connected with the Swampertite hanging from Swampert's chest.
Light washed over Swampert's body as it began to change.
"Roaar!"
With a deep, rumbling cry, Swampert's body surged with power. Its forearms swelled to a massive size, each one thick and heavily muscled. Its overall frame grew larger as a faint blue energy radiated from its body.
Mega Swampert's punching power and control over Water-type energy had reached a new level entirely. Its Ability had shifted to Swift Swim, ready to turn any rain into a massive speed boost.
Mega Swampert's gaze swept over every Pokémon on the field, and a crushing pressure radiated from it. The blue Water energy pulsed visibly around its body, no longer contained.
The sudden surge in power made it impossible to suppress its aura the way it had before. Waves of Water and Ground energy spilled outward from Mega Swampert like a breaking tide, washing over everything around it.
Every Pokémon on the field stiffened. Their eyes locked onto Mega Swampert, bodies tensing with heightened alertness.
Jacob felt the Poké Ball at his waist shift — a light, deliberate shake. Iron Valiant had sensed Mega Swampert's power and wanted to fight. But unless Jacob was pushed to the absolute edge, Iron Valiant could not be revealed.
Standing in the crowd nearby, Ellis felt his stomach drop. He had known from the start that permanent Gigantamax Pokémon weren't something you just handed out. Getting one was never going to be simple.
They had only come to show support. But the enemy standing before them was Champion Meyer, and what they were up against was Peak Champion level Mega Swampert. How were they supposed to win?
...
Then, the wind picked up. Ripples spread across the surface of the sea.
Two figures in black robes appeared in the distance, riding a Dragonite and a Pidgeot, cutting through the air at speed. They landed beside Meyer, the wind dying around them as their mounts touched down. Strong gusts kicked up sand, then settled.
Ocean and Owen stepped down from their Pokémon and looked over the assembled trainers and Pokémon with calm, burning focus.
"A Crystal Metagross? A Gigantamax Corviknight?" Ocean's voice carried clearly across the field. "Not bad at all."
The words made Jacob's group look even grimmer. Neither Ocean nor Owen had released a single Pokémon yet, but the masks they wore said enough. Jacob and his group felt the pressure immediately.
"Meyer." Ocean spoke again. "It seems Giovanni has truly mastered the secret of Gigantamax. Congratulations."
"You've finally arrived." Meyer's voice was relaxed, unhurried. "Giovanni had me backed into a corner. Any later, and things might have gone badly."
"Oh, come on." Ocean's tone turned dry with amusement. "Be honest. Any later, and you would've finished them all off yourself, wouldn't you?"
Meyer said nothing. Owen turned to him.
"Meyer, as agreed — I'll handle the Lapras. The rest are yours."
"Fine by me." Meyer nodded.
"Then let's get this done." Ocean tossed two Poké Balls forward. "Come out, Manaphy, Simipour!"
Owen stepped forward and did the same. "Let's go, Walrein, Bruxish!"
Four Champion-level Pokémon appeared on the field at once.
Among them was Ocean's prized Manaphy — a Pokémon that looked modest at a glance but was anything but. Manaphy could learn Tail Glow, one of the most powerful status moves in existence.
Tail Glow gathered shining light and focused the user's mind, sharply raising Special Attack. Not by one stage, not by two — but by three full stages at once. That was the same as using Nasty Plot one and a half times over.
Only three Pokémon in the world could learn Tail Glow: the near-useless Volbeat, the mythical Manaphy, and the Ultra Beast Xurkitree. Its power was the reason it was so rare.
With four Champion-level Pokémon now on the field, keeping Gigantamax Lapras contained would be more than manageable.
As stronger and stronger Pokémon appeared, the situation on the field had fully spiraled out of Jacob's control.
...
The arrival of Ocean and Owen wiped the last trace of ease from Jacob's expression.
Meyer's strength had already exceeded his expectations. Now, with two members of God's Coffin added to the mix, any chance of taking control of this fight was gone.
If they stayed and fought, Jacob's side had almost no path to victory. The only real option was to get out.
Jacob drew a slow breath and lowered his voice. "Prepare to retreat."
The others exchanged glances. Their expressions said it all — they had already reached the same conclusion. With Meyer and God's Coffin standing against them, staying was not an option.
Jacob's eyes moved quickly across the battlefield as he thought through their options. "With Mega Swampert blocking the sea, escaping by water is out," he said quietly. "Everyone get onto Gigantamax Corviknight's back now. Be ready to move at a moment's notice. I'll cover the retreat."
Nina heard him. She turned to look at Jacob, her expression tight with worry.
"Don't waste time!" Jacob said firmly. He glanced at Zion. "Butler, hold nothing back. Stall them as long as you can."
"Understood." Zion gave a short nod. He knew exactly what was needed. He reached to his belt, pulled out a Poké Ball, and threw it.
Dark-type energy surged outward.
Gigantamax Grimmsnarl appeared.