The five main Pokémon launched a coordinated assault on Gigantamax Lapras from multiple directions.
Iron Valiant took the lead, gripping its sharp twin blades firmly. Its feet tapped lightly against the ice surface as its figure, moving with the grace of a fluttering butterfly, rapidly approached Lapras's massive feet.
At the same time, Raya leaped gracefully from Hydreigon's back, mounted Togekiss mid-air, and sent Hydreigon flying directly toward Lapras while simultaneously commanding it to unleash a Dark Pulse attack.
Mega Gardevoir, having just completed its Mega Evolution, began shimmering with crackling electricity before unleashing a powerful Thunderbolt attack.
...
Amidst the barrage of attacks from the various Pokémon, the Aurora Veil shimmering in front of Gigantamax Lapras acted like a massive protective barrier. It glowed with colorful, iridescent light, directly neutralizing the vast majority of each attack's energy. Only a small portion of the offensive power managed to land on Lapras's actual body, causing negligible damage overall.
Watching the multitude of what it perceived as tiny "ants" frantically attacking it, Gigantamax Lapras shifted its colossal body. The movement alone instantly stirred up massive, rolling waves across the ocean surface.
At the same time, Water-type energy began converging and gathering around Gigantamax Lapras's enormous form. In mere moments, Lapras's entire body became enveloped in deep blue Water-type energy that pulsed with power.
The ocean itself began to churn violently. At this moment, Lapras seemed like the physical embodiment of an ocean deity. Accompanied by Lapras's thunderous roar, Jacob and the others felt as though they were witnessing the primal roar of an ancient sea god.
Endless seawater surged upward against the natural current, gathering and condensing in front of Lapras to form a colossal water sphere!
"G-Max Resonance!"
Jacob couldn't help but think—if a Champion-level Gigantamax Lapras possessed such terrifying power while in the ocean, what would it be like if they ever encountered the Legendary Pokémon Kyogre itself?
...
"Everyone be careful!" Jacob immediately shouted out a warning.
Observing the direction Lapras was aiming its attack, it was targeting Iron Valiant directly—the Pokémon that posed the greatest immediate threat to it.
"Iron Valiant, use Protect!"
No sooner had Jacob's urgent command fallen than a massive surge of water erupted from Lapras, tearing through the sky and dyeing it a brilliant azure blue.
The attack flew toward Iron Valiant like a devastating laser cannon, moving with incredible speed that left virtually no time to dodge.
Fortunately, Iron Valiant had heard Jacob's command early enough and had already raised a protective light shield in front of itself, activating the Protect move in advance.
Almost the very instant the light shield materialized, the G-Max Resonance had already struck Iron Valiant's defensive barrier.
Facing the immensely powerful G-Max Resonance, the light shield released by Iron Valiant began shaking violently under the pressure. Then it shattered abruptly, exploding outward like a fragile mirage!
A normal Protect move absolutely could not withstand the full force of a G-Max move.
A hint of surprise flashed through Iron Valiant's eyes. Although it had suspected that the Protect move wouldn't completely block Lapras's attack, it hadn't expected the light shield to be shattered in just a single instant!
"Boom!"
The G-Max Resonance, its devastating power still undiminished, struck Iron Valiant head-on with tremendous force. The immense impact sent Iron Valiant crashing violently through the ice surface and plunging deep into the frigid sea below.
At the same time, Water-type energy erupted explosively and surged high into the sky. In an instant, the weather conditions transformed from pure snow to mixed sleet, with heavy rain mingling with heavy snow continuously falling from the dark sky above.
Having fallen into the sea, Iron Valiant felt the seawater surging powerfully from all directions. A bone-chilling cold penetrated deep into its very core. Iron Valiant hadn't expected to suffer such a devastating blow so early in this battle.
And just at that vulnerable moment, a massive Barraskewda lurking in the deep sea spotted Iron Valiant sinking into the depths. A cruel expression crossed its predatory face. It swayed its propeller-like tail fin, opened its cavernous mouth wide, and rapidly charged toward the weakened Iron Valiant.
"Pfft!"
Blade light flashed brilliantly, and blood immediately stained the deep sea crimson.
...
Jacob's expression had become exceptionally grim. Although he'd known that this Gigantamax Lapras's strength was definitely extremely powerful—certainly far stronger than a typical Champion-level Pokémon—it now seemed excessively overwhelming.
"This Gigan... this Gigantamax Lapras is just too strong. We might not actually have a realistic chance of winning," Raya's worried voice called out.
After witnessing the immense destructive power of Gigantamax Lapras firsthand, she frowned deeply and quietly reminded Jacob with genuine concern, "Jacob, for everyone's safety, maybe we should retreat. No one here can capture this Lapras today. We can always come back another time when we're better prepared."
One must understand that Jacob's Iron Valiant was considered top-tier even among Champion-level Pokémon. Yet even after successfully using Protect, it had been knocked directly into the sea by a single devastating move.
What hope did the other Pokémon have?
Raya was deeply worried that Jacob, absolutely determined to capture this Lapras, might disregard the danger to his own life and the lives of everyone present.
Jacob noticed the genuine worry reflected in Raya's eyes. A slight smile appeared on his face as he spoke slowly to reassure her, "Don't worry too much. We actually do have a reasonable chance of winning this battle. Its Gigantamax moves have a limited number of uses. As long as we can endure and outlast those moves, we will definitely achieve victory."
"Then do you know specifically how many times it can use them?" Raya pressed.
"I don't know the exact number," Jacob admitted, shaking his head honestly. "Normally, a Gigantamax Pokémon can use these moves three times. But considering this Gigantamax Lapras's exceptional strength, I estimate it might be capable of using them five times, or possibly even more. However, it definitely won't exceed ten times total."
In truth, Jacob didn't actually know with certainty whether it would exceed ten uses or not. He only said that to provide Raya with some measure of confidence.
"Boom!"
And just at that moment, the ice covering the sea surface broke apart explosively. A soaking wet Iron Valiant leaped powerfully out of the frigid sea, landing firmly on the ice surface.
The extremely low temperature quickly covered the twin blades in its hands with a thin layer of blood-colored frost. However, Iron Valiant didn't seem to care about this at all. It spun the twin blades skillfully in its hands, performing an elegant sword flourish.
...
"Iron Valiant, use Brick Break!" Seeing that Iron Valiant was essentially unharmed, Jacob called out his next command.
When facing Gigantamax Lapras, which had activated Aurora Veil for enhanced defenses, Jacob strategically chose to have Iron Valiant use the Brick Break move.
The Brick Break move could not only destroy protective barriers like Aurora Veil but also had double effectiveness against Water and Ice-type Pokémon like Lapras, making it absolutely the best tactical choice at this moment.
However, Jacob found himself deeply skeptical about whether Iron Valiant, with its relatively small frame, could truly break through such a powerful Aurora Veil.
Iron Valiant gripped the twin blades in its hands with fierce determination, then suddenly exerted tremendous force through its feet. The ice beneath its feet instantly shattered into fragments, and it launched itself into the air, hurtling toward Lapras like a fired cannonball.
At the same time, the twin blades in its hands burst forth with dazzling, brilliant light. A massive Fighting-type aura began coiling powerfully around both blades as Iron Valiant swung them downward with devastating force!
Fighting-type energy erupted explosively, transforming into an enormous Fighting-type energy blade that sliced viciously toward Gigantamax Lapras.
"Crack!"
The razor-sharp blade collided directly with the Aurora Veil, and a distinct sound like shattering glass rang out clearly. The Aurora Veil protecting Gigantamax Lapras fractured completely, shimmering briefly with fading light before breaking apart into countless energy fragments that scattered across the surrounding area.
At the same time, the massive energy blade, its power still undiminished, continued slicing directly toward Gigantamax Lapras's exposed body.
"Slash!"
The energy blade sank deep into Lapras's flesh, and instantly, blood gushed out like a rushing torrent. The crimson blood immediately began dyeing the surrounding seawater a vivid red!
Witnessing this successful strike, Raya wasn't about to remain idle either. She immediately commanded her Pokémon to launch supporting attacks from advantageous angles.
"Hydreigon, use Dragon Pulse!"
"Mega Gardevoir, use your full power Thunderbolt!"
"Cresselia, use Lunar Blessing!"