At first, Giselle thought a simple one-on-one battle would suffice—just enough to teach that boy a quick lesson.
But who would have guessed that Yozora would be so brazen, daring to speak such arrogant words?
She, Giselle, the pride of Pokémon Tech, how could she possibly stoop to such humiliating acts—lying on the ground and barking like a dog?To ensure that such disgraceful outcomes could never happen, Giselle had chosen a full six-on-six battle. She would allow no margin for error!
The so-called League Official Rules actually came in two variations.
The first was for large-scale tournaments.In these six-on-six full battles, to give Trainers room to display their skills, the matches were split into an upper half and a lower half, with an intermission in between for rest and adjustments.
During each half, Trainers were permitted to swap out their Pokémon only once.
This rule tested not just strength, but also the order of deployment.
After all, the very same six Pokémon could lead to completely different outcomes depending on the sequence they were sent out.
The second variation applied to casual full battles.
Since such matches weren't official tournaments, there was no intermission, no division into halves. Instead, all six Pokémon fought straight through in one continuous battle.
In this case, each Trainer was allowed only two mid-battle switches.
Thus, the order of Pokémon remained just as crucial.
There was also one more universal rule.
Whether in grand tournaments or casual matches, so long as the League Official Rules were followed, each Trainer could only use Mega Evolution once per battle!
That's right—just once!Even if you raised multiple Pokémon capable of Mega Evolving, during an official match you could only choose one of them.
This made the decision of which Pokémon to Mega Evolve critically important.
If your opponent leaned heavily toward Ice-types, then Mega Evolving a Fire-type could grant a decisive advantage.If your opponent favored Water-types, then an Electric-type might be the optimal choice.
But such strategies required reliable intel on the enemy's team.
And that was easier said than done.
After all, how could you be sure your opponent wasn't hiding some trump card?
In the end, it often came down to improvisation and mindset.
Mindset mattered greatly. Some Trainers were undeniably strong, but the moment they stepped onto the battlefield, hearing the roar of the crowd, their legs turned to jelly.
And in that state, how could they possibly perform at their best?
Still, Mega Evolution was the mark of a top-tier Trainer, representing the pinnacle of power in the world!
A single Mega Stone was worth billions. How could just anyone possess such a treasure?
And even then, it wasn't just about money.
Owning the stone wasn't enough—without a deep bond of trust between Trainer and Pokémon, Mega Evolution could not be achieved.
The Key Stone and Mega Stone were more than just tools; they were the bridges of connection between hearts.
Without that bond, without true resonance, the stones were nothing but ordinary rocks.
Thus, how could anyone expect to unleash Mega Evolution without it?
For Yozora and Giselle, such power was still far out of reach.
But Yozora held great faith in his Beedrill.
If he ever obtained a Mega Stone…He was certain he could bring forth its Mega Evolution!
"Trainers, take your positions! At my signal, both of you will send out your first Pokémon!"
In front of Pokémon Tech stretched a vast open field, serving perfectly as a natural battlefield.
Yozora and Giselle faced one another, already brimming with determination.
The referee, Komiya, stood ready at the sidelines.
"Three…Two…One—battle begin!"
"Go, Charmander!"
"Your turn, Cloyster!"
As Komiya's voice rang out, both Trainers hurled their Poké Balls, sending their first partners into the fray.
"Hmph! I knew you'd open with Charmander. Everything is just as I calculated—ohohohoho!"
Giselle's laughter rang sharp and unrefined, her gaze fixed on Yozora's Charmander.
Her implication was clear: her Cloyster, a Water-type, held the perfect advantage over his Fire-type Charmander.
"Is that so?" Yozora sneered faintly.
With my Charmander's Water Absorb, what do I have to fear?
"Don't act tough!" Giselle snapped, before barking her order. "Cloyster, use Water Gun!"
With a sharp hiss, Cloyster unleashed a spray of water straight at Charmander.
From the aura Yozora perceived, Giselle's Cloyster was of Junior Senior level.
But compared to the vigorous, solid aura radiating from Charmander, Cloyster's energy felt hollow and unstable.
It had power, yes, but little battle experience or foundation to support it.
Its stamina, defense, and speed seemed no higher than that of an ordinary Pokémon.
Even its supposedly reliable Water Gun lacked bite—the speed of the jet was nothing that Yozora's agile Charmander couldn't dodge.
"Sidestep, then hit it with Fire Punch!"
Charmander darted nimbly aside, slipping past the stream of water before charging forward, fists ablaze.
But the distance between them was still nearly ten meters.No matter how fast Charmander was, he couldn't close it instantly.
In fact, the closer he came, the easier it would be for Cloyster to land its attack.
"Naïve!" Giselle's eyes glinted with triumph. "Cloyster, take careful aim this time—Water Gun again!"
"Psshhht!"
The jet struck home, splashing directly across Charmander's face!
Giselle smirked, certain the little lizard would be knocked back—
But to her shock, Charmander barely flinched. His fist blazed brighter, his body a blur—
BAM!
A searing Fire Punch smashed straight into Cloyster's dark face within its shell!
"Claaang!"
The force sent Cloyster skidding back across the field, wailing in pain.
Despite its thick armor-like shell, its vulnerable core was as fragile as a Gastly's face.
One well-placed Fire Punch was enough to leave it badly wounded, gasping for breath.
Charmander's Water Absorb left him unfazed by Water attacks—And Cloyster, as a Water-type, resisted Fire.
By theory, Fire Punch should have only dealt half its usual damage.
And yet…
Even that halved damage had devastated Cloyster!
(End of Chapter)