"A pure Electric-type, Zeraora, huh? I've never even heard of Dylan owning one."
Seeing the sleek and imposing figure of Zeraora standing before Dylan, Wallace couldn't help but smack his lips in surprise.
A Mythical Pokémon… While most people lump Mythical Pokémon together with Legendary Pokémon, in truth, if we're being precise, Mythicals are even rarer and more precious than standard Legendaries.
"Mhm~ That's because almost no one has ever pushed my brother far enough to bring out his Zeraora."
Lillie's eyes curved into a beautiful smile.
"In fact, every one of my brother's top-ranked, type-specialized teams has at least one Legendary Pokémon as either the ace or the central powerhouse."
"For example, Zeraora belongs to my brother's Electric-type team. It rotates with Zapdos as the ace."
She explained casually.
"But basically, no one's ever been able to force Dylan to use his Zeraora, right?"
Ilene added with a laugh. Of course, that was only natural—Dylan's Electric team was undoubtedly terrifyingly strong.
And with either Zeraora or Zapdos as its ace, it was obvious he'd only bring them out as the trump card. Truthfully, Ilene doubted whether even she herself could make Dylan reveal Zeraora if she challenged his Electric team. She really wasn't confident at all.
"Steel Tera Metagross against a pure Electric-type Zeraora… in terms of typing alone, Zeraora holds the slight advantage," Cynthia analyzed. Steel resists a lot, but not Electric. Still, even Terastallized into pure Steel, Metagross retained its Psychic STAB.
So it all depended on how the battle played out.
On the field, Steven studied Zeraora carefully, trying to work out a strategy.
But he honestly knew little about Zeraora—he'd barely even heard the name before today.
"Metagross, Bullet Punch!"
Steven ordered decisively after a moment's thought.
It wasn't that he expected Bullet Punch to deal big damage, but its priority would let Metagross close the gap quickly. That way, Metagross could leverage its overwhelming strength in close combat.
The steel giant raised its claws and charged.
"Fake Out," Dylan said lightly.
Zeraora's body blurred, vanishing into an afterimage that shot toward Metagross at impossible speed.
Bang!
Its paw slammed against Metagross's forehead, forcing the steel titan back as it raised both claws defensively.
Flinched!
Steven's brows knit. Fake Out—such an annoying move, and not easy to counter.
"Aura Sphere," Dylan ordered immediately.
Zeraora clasped its claws together, condensing a sky-blue sphere of energy, then hurled it toward Metagross.
A Fighting-type move! Super-effective against Steel!
"Metagross!" Steven shouted.
Dylan always trained his Pokémon to excel at chaining attacks—pursuit speed was critical in battle.
And Zeraora, as a lightning-fast offensive Pokémon, relied on that speed most of all. Fake Out to flinch, then immediate follow-up.
This was something Dylan had drilled into it relentlessly.
But Steven's Metagross, once his ace, was no slouch. Even shaking off the flinch, it reacted instantly. Its arms gleamed with metallic light—Meteor Mash!
Boom!
The Aura Sphere exploded against Metagross's Meteor Mash, knocking the steel behemoth backward with a pained groan.
"…That's the best I can do."
Steven frowned. He had managed to lessen the blow, but it still hurt.
If he hadn't reacted so fast, Metagross would've eaten the full blast.
"Flame Kick!" Dylan commanded.
Zeraora snarled, its body sparking as it blurred into a streak of yellow lightning, appearing above Metagross in a blink. Red flames ignited around its right leg as it spun into a brutal downward kick.
"So fast!"
Steven's pupils shrank—this wasn't even a priority move. That was just Zeraora's raw speed?!
"Psychic!"
Metagross's eyes glowed with deep blue light, psychic energy freezing Zeraora's kick midair.
But the restraint lasted only a heartbeat before Zeraora tore free and brought its fiery kick crashing down.
Metagross barely got its arms up to block—
Boom!
The Fire Kick exploded against its limbs, flames surging over its steel body. The damage was heavy.
"Again. Fire Kick," Dylan's lips curled.
Zeraora's left leg whipped around, flames igniting as it slammed down in a vicious follow-up.
Bang!
This time, Metagross failed to guard. The flaming kick smashed directly into its head, sending it crashing to the ground.
"Plasma Fists!"
Landing smoothly, Zeraora spread its claws, crackling blue currents arcing wildly before slamming both paws into the ground.
Twin bolts of plasma surged along the floor toward Metagross.
"Protect!" Steven yelled.
But it was too late.
The emerald shimmer of Protect barely began to form before the electric blast engulfed Metagross.
Zzzzt!
Blue lightning ravaged its entire frame.
"This chain of attacks… way too fast!"
Cynthia's clear eyes darkened. That speed was terrifying—even Steven's Metagross couldn't keep up.
"Yeah… a burst-offense style. And it hits hard too," Ilene agreed, recalling Dylan's battle against Caitlin, where his shiny Greninja demolished her Mega Metagross with similar relentless speed.
Glass cannon or not, hitting something that fast was the real problem.
And right now, Metagross was utterly suppressed.
"Close Combat!"
Dylan pressed the assault.
"Bullet Punch!" Steven countered, desperate.
Zeraora's claws shone white as it lunged. The crushing blow landed despite Metagross's attempt to slip away—its Bullet Punch came too late.
Metagross reeled, staggering under the impact.
Zeraora straightened slightly, sparks flickering across its body as it glanced almost curiously at its paw.
Then it fixed its cold eyes back on Metagross.
"Oh? It dodged enough to lessen the hit," Dylan mused.
But Close Combat's recoil kicked in, lowering Zeraora's defenses.
"??" Steven stared blankly.
That counts as a dodge? His Metagross was clearly hit!
Dylan only chuckled. "You can dodge once… but can you dodge twice?"
"Zeraora—Fire Kick!"
The electric beast blurred forward again.
"Zen Headbutt!" Steven snapped.
Metagross charged head-on.
Crash!
The two moves collided in a deafening impact, blasting both back.
Even weakened, Metagross refused to crumble.
But Zeraora was still too fast. In the blink of an eye, it reappeared before Metagross, claws glowing—Brick Break!
Smash!
The blow cracked against its forehead, flinging Metagross across the arena.
"Finish it. Fire Kick." Dylan's eyes narrowed.
The crowd saw it too—if this hit landed, Metagross was done.
"Explosion!!" Steven roared without hesitation.
Metagross flared with blinding white light, turning into a miniature sun.
"Zeraora!" Dylan's brows rose.
Even Zeraora couldn't retreat in time.
BOOM!
The battlefield detonated in a deafening blast, the shockwave forcing Steven to shield his face.
Smoke choked the air, impossible to see through.
"Steven! Did that land?!"
Wallace gasped. He never expected Steven to order Explosion—that wasn't his style at all.
But could it have worked?
"…Perhaps."
Cynthia frowned, eyes fixed on the smoke.
Then—
A shadow shot out of the haze, skidding across the ground.
Zeraora, battered and panting, one claw braced against the floor, still on its feet.
It had taken the hit, but survived.
Steven fell silent. He had hoped Explosion would cripple it—but Zeraora hadn't been caught in the full blast.
The dust cleared, revealing Metagross collapsed at the center of a crater, its Tera glow faded.
"Metagross is unable to battle. Zeraora wins," Leaf declared.
Steven recalled his partner. Dylan glanced at his Zeraora, now recovered enough to stand tall again.
"Nicely done, Steven. That Explosion was a beautiful play."
He didn't hold back his praise. Truly, he hadn't expected Steven to use such a desperate tactic. But he liked surprises.
"Unfortunately… it still wasn't enough to defeat my Zeraora."
Steven exhaled slowly, eyes sharp as he drew his next Poké Ball.
"No. This is only the beginning. I will defeat it."
After all—he was Steven.
He would take down at least one of Dylan's Legendaries.
He had to.
(End of Chapter)