Then, a gentle wave of pink aura spread across the battlefield, instantly turning the area into a sea of soft pink light.
The once shadowy surroundings brightened under the glow of this psychic power, the Spirit Field was active.
Before the battle began, the field was activated: Psychic Field.
This meant that creatures on the ground wouldn't be targeted by priority attacks, and psychic-type moves would get a 50% power boost.
Standing at the cave entrance were three impressive Gigantamax Pokemon: Gardevoir on the left, Gigantamax Lucario in the center, and Porygon-Z on the right.
The enormous Porygon-Z looked strange, almost like a giant toy duck, but it radiated an eerie, mysterious aura.
It floated in the air, surrounded by rippling waves that distorted the space around it, resembling a wind-swept lake.
Through those waves, you could faintly glimpse a warped, white digital world.
Notably, Porygon-Z's head and body were reversed, and the strange space around it made it intimidating, causing anyone nearby to instinctively sense something unusual was about to happen.
These three Gigantamax Pokemon were tasked with handling the incoming stone giants, all of whom were S+ level in strength. The trio stood proudly, their powerful presence giving everyone nearby a strong sense of security.
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed, accompanied by the sizzling noise of friction against the ground. Three golden stone giants appeared, exchanging glances that carried the weight of seasoned warriors sizing up formidable opponents like Gardevoir and the others.
As these stone giants evolved, their intelligence grew, comparable to that of adult humans.
Because of this, they had given themselves names, though they weren't "names" in the human sense but rather convenient code names based on their unique traits.
One of the stone giants, known as Stone Diamond, was especially striking. Though a golden giant, it was embedded with diamond-like crystals that sparkled brilliantly.
This was because it typically used diamonds produced by smaller diamond creatures as part of its body, a transformation shaped by long-term use.
The small diamonds' output was limited but sufficient to sustain all four golden giants through their continuous labor.
The true limit to their strength wasn't resources but their own potential.
While the stone giant race was strong, with tribe members generally in the S-level range, their power had a high baseline but a low ceiling.
The Golden Giants were the exception, reaching S+ level strength, marking the peak of their kind.
Thanks to the chance presented by the Little Diamond Race, Stone Gold has the opportunity to break free from its limits, making an SS-level breakthrough within reach.
Among all the Stone Giants, Stone Gold shows the highest potential and the most noticeable improvements.
At first glance, it looks like a regular Golden Giant, but if you look closely, you'll see that its body shines more brightly and the light it gives off is much stronger.
Stone Diamond ranks as the second strongest Stone Giant, with strength just below Stone Gold. It also has considerable potential, which allows it to develop Gemstone traits, changes in its body that are the clearest sign of this transformation.
The other two Golden Giants have slightly less potential and didn't develop Gemstone characteristics; instead, they show traits more typical of other types of rocks.
Among the three, Shi You is the one that resembles a Golden Giant the least.
Golden giants usually emit a bright, golden glow, but this one was different. It shone with a dull, muted light, its yellow body marked by dark lines.
Among the golden giants, it had the lowest presence, so much so that if you weren't paying close attention, you could easily overlook it.
It almost seemed capable of blending into the shadows, vanishing without a trace at any moment.
At first glance, Shiqi appeared perfectly normal, the most ordinary-looking of the three golden giants. Yet, there was something strange about it, as if it was standing in a void, disconnected from its surroundings.
When they first encountered the three golden giants, everyone was left with a strong impression.
The same applied to the golden giants themselves.
Stone Diamond stared at Gardevoir and the other Pokemon, his expression shifting slightly.
"The invader's strength isn't weak," he whispered.
The presence of Gardevoir and the others was unmistakable; you didn't have to sense carefully to recognize it. They were enemies on the same level as the three giants.
Through the gaps between the giants, it was clear there were more creatures inside, something that looked like a golden snake.
Shi You's face remained expressionless, almost like he had facial paralysis. Calm and silent, he didn't even bother to respond.
Shi Qi glanced at Shi You, who faithfully followed the "silence is golden" rule, and seemed used to his companion's quiet demeanor.
"It's fine. The leader is still inside. Judging by the noise, the leader should be okay."
He continued, "And we all know the leader has a trump card, so this situation will be handled without any issues. Besides, more tribesmen are on their way, they'll definitely survive."
Shi Qi's tone was casual, filled with confidence. He believed this incident wasn't a big deal.
Stone Diamond's eyes flickered briefly before he finally nodded, agreeing with Shi Qi. Their stone giants were more formidable than they seemed.
Anyone who dared to invade their territory was ready to face death.
Shi You, standing in the middle, showed no sign of curiosity or concern. His cold, blank expression looked less like coldness and more like facial paralysis.
Yet, his gaze was fixed on the empty ground.
As if something unseen was drawing his attention.
There was nothing visible on the ground, but that was because they were looking at the spiritual field arranged by Gardevoir.
The stone giants couldn't read minds or see thoughts, but they could vaguely sense something.
The golden giant felt it more clearly.
"Should we wait for the other tribesmen to arrive, or act now?" someone asked.
"Now. Facing those three, the others won't be much help. We have to settle this ourselves," came the quick reply.
With that, the three golden giants sprang into action together.
The diamond-like gleam on their bodies intensified, transforming their golden appearance into something that looked more like pure diamond.
With a sudden stomp, one giant charged forward like a high-speed cannonball, smashing the ground beneath it and leaving a deep crater.
Its stone aura grew even stronger, and its lower body shifted shape, becoming soft and cotton-like.
Moments later, Shi Qi's lower half turned almost transparent, like gas, before propelling him backward and launching him forward with incredible speed.
It was reminiscent of the genie from Aladdin's lamp, except this giant's lower body was made of clear gas.
He could actually transform his body into gas at will!
Meanwhile, Shi You took a much subtler approach.
He only stepped back half a step, then his entire body dissolved into the darkness, as if he vanished into thin air.
Compared to the stone giants they had faced before, these golden giants were clearly much stronger.