The Trainers watching the battle had remained silent the entire time.
Even when Aegislash fell into disadvantage once or twice, they still believed that Elite Four Wikstrom was holding back and hadn't gone all out.
At first, Wikstrom had indeed done so, but as the battle progressed, he realized that he and Aegislash were already demonstrating their full strength.
But that was exactly what surprised him the most.
Despite him and Aegislash going all out, the situation hadn't changed at all. Mega Gallade was still the dominant side.
As time went on, the Trainers watching the battle also noticed this.
Their expressions turned serious and incredulous. Aegislash and Wikstrom had fallen into disadvantage?
Even if the opponent had Mega Evolved, Wikstrom…. was still an Elite Four!
Who exactly was this Terrance?
"Never expected to have such an interesting battle in the Battle Chateau."
Wikstrom was momentarily stunned.
On the field, Gallade kept attacking, its use of Teleport as if it didn't consume any psychic energy, being unleashed without restraint.
This use of Teleport instantly reminded Wikstrom of Diantha, who had always been a weight on his shoulders.
Perhaps only Diantha's Gardevoir, after Mega Evolution, using Teleport, could suppress this Gallade.
"We can win."
Terrance shouted in his heart. Gallade kept using Teleport to maneuver around the opponent. Because Aegislash had carelessly taken a fatal hit from Gallade in its Blade Forme, its stamina was already running low.
Now, Aegislash was swinging its sword and shield together, relying on both to try to guard against Gallade's attacks.
But Gallade's movements could now be summed up in one word.
Dirty.
The way Gallade used Teleport became a perfect feinting method for its attacks. With fake attacks, Gallade repeatedly lured Aegislash into exposing its weak spots.
The key was, Aegislash had no choice but to respond to these moves. Though they were feints, if Aegislash didn't react, it might have suffered even worse attacks.
"So that Gallade was actually this strong."
The Trainers who had previously battled Terrance watched this fight with bitterness in their hearts.
When Gallade had battled them, it probably hadn't even shown one-tenth of its true power!
Now, this kind of attack pattern from Gallade seemed to them like a "dirty tactic." Combined with Teleport, it was incredibly nasty, neither easy to defend against nor counterattack. Under Gallade's use, Teleport made it seem like Gallade was a sword hanging over their necks; constantly on edge, paranoid, and not knowing when the blade would fall.
If not for Aegislash and Wikstrom being extremely cautious and having good coordination, they likely would have already lost.
So effortless...
As Terrance issued commands, his heart felt light. This feeling, he could be sure now…he was no longer the Trainer who used to be stuck at the threshold of the top tier, unable to step through.
Now, facing a main Pokémon of an active Elite Four member, even if he relied on the external power of Mega Evolution, he was truly in control of the battle!
This feeling gave Terrance immense confidence.
"Unless something unexpected happens, the winner is already decided."
Terrance was certain in his heart.
"Gallade, use Z-Power!"
As Terrance shouted, the Aegislash locked in a stalemate with Gallade suddenly looked alarmed.
A faint aura began to swirl, gathering around the body of Mega Gallade, and immediately after, Mega Gallade erupted with a powerful aura.
It was as if Gallade's psychic power had become more focused, its power more formidable, and its stamina even more abundant.
In an instant, Gallade, who already had a slight upper hand, rose to an entirely new level of power. The change was so drastic that even Wikstrom found it hard to believe.
With an incredibly swift and fierce sword-drawing slash, Gallade executed a perfectly angled strike that bypassed the coordination between shield and blade, sweeping through with explosive force.
With its focused psychic power, Gallade could more easily predict the opponent's movements, while the surge in power not only increased its lethality but also quickened the slashing speed. With overwhelming momentum, Gallade unleashed a lightning-fast iai strike at Aegislash, which had just adapted to Gallade's previous rhythm and intensity of attacks.
The sudden shift in tempo and strength left Aegislash momentarily dazed and hesitant. That brief hesitation gave Mega Gallade the perfect opening.
"Totem" Mega Gallade's current strength was already close to that of Altaria during the Super Grand Festival.
In terms of attack unpredictability, Gallade even had the edge. Though its overall stats were slightly inferior, in attack power and speed, Gallade had completely transformed!
"Aegislash, use King's Shield one more time!" Wikstrom knew this move had already been seen through, but he had no other options now.
However, Gallade's attack speed was too fast. The sword-drawing motion was like an arc of light, arriving almost instantly, giving neither him nor Aegislash any time to react.
In the next moment, Wikstrom briefly closed his eyes. Barring any miracles, he was going to lose.
And he would lose without any suspense. From beginning to end, his Aegislash had never posed a serious threat to the opponent, managing only to wear down the enemy somewhat through coordination.
Granted, Aegislash's dual forms were particularly disadvantaged against a Teleporting Gallade, but even so, when Wikstrom considered switching in other main Pokémon, he realized only his ace Scizor might be able to contend with this Gallade.
"Mega Evolution… and that aura..."
As Aegislash was struck down by Gallade's full-force sword-drawing slash and failed to rise again, Wikstrom felt a mix of disappointment and satisfaction. He hadn't expected to lose outside of the Elite Four matches.
Besides Mega Evolution, he saw another kind of power system in Gallade, one that accelerated his defeat.
"If Gallade hadn't Mega Evolved, it definitely wouldn't have been a match for Aegislash. The entire battle situation might have reversed." After this match, the realization struck Terrance.
But....
"That was a wonderful battle." As the maid announced the match result and everyone present fell silent, Wikstrom put away his Poké Ball, stepped forward, and extended his hand.
"Thank you for the match." Terrance also extended his hand.
The two participants were calm, but the Trainers who had been watching and the Battle Chateau's butler fell silent.
With a complicated expression, Eve, the fan of Wikstrom who almost always followed his every news, looked at the Steel-type master who was smiling brightly and shaking hands with his opponent, and found it a bit difficult to accept.
"He… actually defeated an Elite Four?"
When someone finally processed what had happened, they were stunned. Even if it was a 1-on-1 match, everyone knew the Elite Four represented the top Trainers in a region.
Someone of that caliber, even losing just one entertainment battle, was still shocking.
"Lord Turner," another maid standing beside the butler Turner said in surprise, "This Trainer named Terrance is quite strong."
"Wasn't Young Master worried about finding a suitable opponent for Champion Diantha's exhibition match in Camphrier Town? What do you think of this Terrance? His strength should be good enough not to bring shame to the Young Master."
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