"Mega Gyarados, use Hurricane!"
Ariel quickly issued the command.
Mega Gyarados's massive body thrashed in the rain. Opening its gaping maw, a visible white cyclone surged into the sky, attempting to blow away the gathering storm clouds.
The gale howled, whipping up the accumulated water on the ground into waterspouts. But faced with the already established weather, this storm was like throwing a stone into a lake; aside from causing a ripple, it had no effect.
Rain Dance was successful.
A torrential downpour poured down.
Dragonite's figure was indistinct within the curtain of rain. It flapped its wings and ascended, its golden scales reflecting a metallic, cold light under the washing rain.
Wisps of golden electric arcs danced across its body, emitting a "crackle" sound.
Lance's lips curled into a cold arc. He raised his hand and pointed at the Mega Gyarados below.
"Thunder!"
Before the words had even faded, a terrifyingly thick bolt of golden lightning descended from the sky, tearing through the curtain of rain with an aura of total destruction, heading straight for Mega Gyarados.
"Protect!" Ariel's voice was as steady as a mountain.
At the critical moment, a translucent green energy barrier instantly unfolded in front of Mega Gyarados.
Boom!
The lightning struck the barrier fiercely, erupting with blinding white light, causing the entire audience in the stadium to instinctively squint their eyes.
The energy barrier shook violently, spiderweb-like cracks appearing on its surface, but it held firm in the end.
The announcer almost jumped up, roaring:
"Blocked! Contestant Ariel's Mega Gyarados successfully used Protect to block the Thunder in the rain!"
Lance's expression did not change in the slightest. One success was merely luck.
"Continue, Thunder!"
Another bolt of lightning fell, even more violent than the last.
"Protect!"
The green barrier appeared again, slightly dimmer than the last time, but still sturdy.
The lightning and the barrier intertwined, emitting a teeth-grinding "sizzle."
Success!
Two consecutive Protects!
Lance's brow finally furrowed.
The success rate of consecutive Protects drops off a cliff; this is basic battle knowledge.
Ariel, is he gambling with his life?
"Hmph! He's just copying me!"
"Encore, Thunder!"
Lance's voice carried a hint of irritation.
The third bolt of lightning brewed within the storm clouds, its electric light even more brilliant than the previous two, as if dyeing the entire sky gold.
Ariel's heart pounded violently in his chest.
To gamble, or not to gamble?
Three consecutive Protects—the success rate was low enough to be negligible.
Once it failed, Mega Gyarados would instantly lose its ability to battle under the lightning strike and its own energy backlash.
His gaze met Mega Gyarados's in the air. In those scarlet eyes, there was not a hint of retreat, only pure fighting spirit and trust.
Ariel grinned.
Then let's gamble!
"Protect!"
When the third bolt of lightning crashed down, that emerald green barrier, which had nearly become transparent, miraculously appeared once more in front of Mega Gyarados.
Boom—!!!
The sound of this impact resounded through the sky, and the entire battlefield ground trembled because of it.
Everyone was staring fixedly at the center of the field, not daring to even breathe.
When the light dissipated, the barrier vibrated violently.
The power of the lightning was also completely exhausted.
Mega Gyarados was still standing!
"Success! The third Protect! My god! Contestant Ariel did it! He broke the record of the Ever Grande Conference! Three consecutive Protects! This is a moment worthy of being recorded in history!"
The announcer's voice was completely distorted; he waved his arms, acting like a madman.
The entire venue, after a brief silence, erupted into cheers and shouts like a landslide or tsunami.
Ariel said calmly.
"It seems luck is on my side."
Lance's expression turned completely gloomy.
What he couldn't do, Ariel had done.
This was no longer a matter of tactics, but a naked humiliation.
"Bullshit luck."
Lance squeezed three words through his teeth, the dissatisfaction and jealousy in his heart almost overflowing.
He didn't believe it!
"Thunder!"
He roared this command.
He wanted to use the purest power to crush the other's ridiculous luck!
Ariel knew that the possibility of a fourth Protect succeeding was zero.
But he still issued the same command.
After all, there really was no way to counter it right now.
"Protect!"
This time, the barrier did not appear.
Or rather, the moment it formed, it was torn to shreds by that furious lightning.
The golden lightning swallowed Mega Gyarados's massive body without hindrance. Terrifying current raged over it, slamming it heavily into the pool of water on the field, kicking up a sky full of spray.
The entire arena was deathly silent.
Everyone thought the battle was over.
However, in the pool of water mixed with rain and mud, that massive figure moved.
First a claw, then its head.
In the horrified eyes of everyone, Mega Gyarados shook its head, shedding the electric arcs and muddy water, and with a deafening roar, slowly stood up again!
The wounds on its body were clearly visible under the washing rain, but that terrifying aura of ruling the world did not diminish in the slightest; instead, because of this unyielding will, it became even more chilling!
Lance was stunned.
Not because of Mega Gyarados's willpower, but why was it still in the Mega Evolution state?!
He subconsciously raised his wrist, his gaze fixed on the time on his watch.
Twenty-one minutes and thirty seconds.
How is that possible?
The time had long exceeded twenty minutes; why... why could he still maintain Mega Evolution?
His gaze suddenly turned to Ariel opposite him.
That youth was still standing there, his expression calm, his clothes flapping in the wind. Where was there any sign of discomfort from maintaining Mega Evolution for too long?
An absurd yet only possibility exploded in Lance's mind.
"I've been played..."
He muttered to himself.
An indescribable rage surged from the depths of his chest straight to his crown.
This rage was not because of his tactical error, not because he had let Dragonite consume a large amount of stamina, dragging out a battle that could have been resolved quickly.
But because he, the dignified Lance, had actually been played like a fool by an unknown youth!
The opponent had known from the beginning that his Mega Evolution time far exceeded that of ordinary people, intentionally feigning weakness to lure him into adopting the most foolish delaying tactics.
And he, he had actually fallen for it.
All his previous calculations, all his self-righteousness, had turned into a huge joke at this moment.
This was a great humiliation he could never tolerate!
Lance's red hair was now standing on end, fluttering in the air.
The atmosphere of the arena changed abruptly.
The auditorium, which had previously been boiling because of Ariel's three consecutive Protects, was now instantly deathly silent, as if gripped by an invisible giant hand.
In the corner, a veteran spectator wearing a duck-billed cap pointed with a trembling voice at the figure in the center of the field with red hair standing on end.
"It's that state... Lance's 'Outrage' state! He's really been pissed off!"
"It is said that during an Investigator operation, Lance got angry like this, and then commanded his Quasi-Elite Dragonite to counter-kill two genuine Elite Four Level Pokémon from an evil organization!"
Once these words were spoken, the surrounding air seemed to cool by a few degrees.
People's gazes focused on the center of the field again; that red figure was no longer the glorious Champion, but like a prehistoric beast about to break free from its shackles.
Breaking a sweat for Ariel? No, it was beyond just breaking a sweat; many people even felt that the match had already ended prematurely.
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