Raihan's high-hopes Eruption ended up dealing negligible damage.
Realizing this instantly, Raihan couldn't hide his shock—and a new question surfaced in his mind:
Does Aiden really not fear I'll switch back to my Sandstorm team?
He indeed maintained two distinct strategies:
Sunny Day, built for Special Attack, and Sandstorm, centered on physical Defense and counterattacks.
Choosing to lead with Sylveon holding an Apricot Berry was an enormous gamble.
If he'd sent out Gigalith or Sandaconda instead, Aiden's entire setup would've collapsed…
But Aiden had guessed right.
Whether through flawless analysis or sheer luck, the situation was now irreversible.
Raihan had to act fast.
He shook his head.
On the surface, Sylveon had rapidly fortified itself and now held a clear advantage over Torkoal…
But he still had a counter.
"Torkoal—prepare Smog!"
Smog—a rare Poison-type move only a few Pokémon could learn—inflicted modest damage while uniquely erasing all stat boosts from the target.
Looks like Aiden missed this intel. He probably didn't know Torkoal could use Smog.
As he gave the command, Raihan thought quietly:
Then again—if he'd known, he'd have realized instantly:
Against Torkoal, boosting is utterly pointless!
Exactly!
The moment Raihan spoke, Aiden's eyes narrowed sharply.
"Sylveon—it's time to test your accuracy…"
"Aim for the vents on Torkoal's back—seal them shut with Mud Bomb!"
Yes—Aiden had predicted Raihan's prediction.
As a Fairy-type, Sylveon's offensive pressure on Torkoal was minimal—even after boosting, they'd just chip each other endlessly.
He could have taught it odd moves via Sketch…
But he had a far more elegant solution.
First: Torkoal's abysmal Speed was common knowledge—giving Sylveon ample time to act preemptively.
Second: Its attacks relied on converting stored heat into energy, fired through vents on its shell.
After brief observation, Aiden confirmed his plan's feasibility:
If I block those vents before it attacks… Torkoal won't be able to unleash its moves!
"Syl!"
Sylveon instantly understood. It dug its pink paws into the earth, scooping soft soil and molding it into mud clumps—hurling them at Torkoal with mischievous glee.
Though slightly unrefined, Sylveon seemed to enjoy the tactic, even smirking as it worked.
If the opponent's this weak… I won't hold back!
"Torkoal—"
Seeing Sylveon's slow setup, Raihan instinctively began ordering it to dodge—
—then froze mid-sentence.
My Pokémon is Torkoal.
A turtle doesn't exactly "dodge"!
He quickly amended:
"Push harder! Build enough steam pressure to blast off the mud clogging your back!"
Raihan had guessed Aiden's intent—but had no better option.
Torkoal's bulky, grounded build left it helpless against aerial mud bombardment.
(He couldn't exactly run onto the field to scrape off the mud—that'd be "wild battle" rules, not Master Tournament standards!)
To be fair—Sylveon's aim was impressively precise.
(Though hitting a stationary turtle-shaped target wasn't exactly challenging.)
In seconds, before Torkoal could unleash Smog, multiple mud clumps sealed its vents completely.
Just then, Torkoal—having finally rebuilt thermal pressure after its failed Eruption—prepared to expel toxic sulfur fumes to erase Sylveon's boosts.
But…
Huff—!
It strained repeatedly—only to find its vents hopelessly blocked.
The more it forced energy upward, the more toxic gas built up internally.
As pressure and temperature soared inside its shell—
BOOM—!
The mud plug detonated from intense heat.
Torkoal—who'd been grimacing like it was constipated—suddenly gaped its mouth wide open, spewing purple smoke from every orifice: nostrils, mouth, even its eyes!
Raihan had momentarily forgotten:
The move Aiden commanded was Mud Bomb!
"H-how is this even possible?!" Kofu—watching from the stands—gaped in disbelief.
Torkoal's shell could withstand most direct attacks.
But what if the explosion came from inside?
Seeing Torkoal dazed and disoriented, even this veteran Trainer had to admit:
Aiden's ingenuity was astounding.
(Though… no wonder students gave his Gym scathing reviews!)
"Tch…" Raihan clicked his tongue as Torkoal trembled from internal trauma.
Was this part of your plan too, Aiden?
How troublesome.
"Torkoal—return!"
With Smog failed and no way to pressure Sylveon, Raihan pragmatically recalled his prized Pokémon—preserving the option to reset weather later.
No more probing.
Time to unleash his trump card.
Under Aiden's wary gaze, Raihan pocketed Torkoal's Poké Ball—then pulled out two others simultaneously.
One was a recognizable Luxury Ball.
The other was larger, pure white, and unmatched to any known model.
(It resembled a commemorative Poké Ball—but those had red stripes.)
Yet after seven days of battles, the audience knew instantly:
This was the special Dynamax Ball!
Raihan was finally going all-in—sending out his ace: Duraludon!
"Teacher Aiden," Raihan pressed the Dynamax Ball to his cheek, smiling at Aiden's tense expression, "let's end the casual phase."
"Once you witness Dynamax's grandeur, you'll be awestruck too~"
"So—Duraludon!"
The Luxury Ball released a silver-alloy beast standing as tall as a man.
Duraludon, enter stage left!
"Sylveon?!"
Its appearance immediately put Sylveon on high alert.
Compared to the "silly turtle," this steel monstrosity radiated visceral discomfort.
(Steel & Poison—the two typings Fairy-types despised most.)
But Raihan wasn't done.
Before Duraludon could steady itself, he recalled it into the white Dynamax Ball.
Then—
The Dynamax Energy Amplifier installed beside the field roared to life.
The air shimmered with visible purple energy, bathing the arena in an otherworldly glow.
Most energy swirled into a vortex, funneling violently into Raihan's raised Dynamax Ball—
which swelled so rapidly he had to use both hands to hold it aloft.
"NOW!"
Raihan hurled the half-human-sized sphere skyward.
"Turn the tide—Gigantamax Duraludon!"
CRACK—!
The overinflated ball burst into fragments.
A crimson-purple flash blinded everyone momentarily.
When Aiden blinked it away—
A skyscraper-sized steel titan loomed before him, its sheer mass warping gravity itself.
"…"
Aiden narrowed his eyes, outwardly calm—but inwardly reeling.
First time facing Dynamax head-on…
My neck's already sore from looking up!
More importantly—
Even if Gigantamax forms were technically "energy illusions"…
Whose illusion cracks the ground under its feet? Whose illusion fires Max Moves?
If Aiden was shaken, poor Sylveon was terrified.
"S-Sylveon?!"
It craned its neck upward, locking eyes with Gigantamax Duraludon's downward glare—then immediately shivered, twisting to stare pleadingly at Aiden.
That look screamed:
"You expect me to fight THAT?! Are you TRYING to get me deleted?!"
"…You've done enough. Baton Pass, Sylveon."
Aiden sighed, recalling her.
Forcing a frail Fairy-type—with weak physical bulk and type disadvantages—to tank Gigantamax Duraludon's onslaught?
Cruel.
Even Calm Mind and Apricot Berry only boosted Special Defense.
A single Max Steelspike would OHKO her.
Still—Sylveon had crippled Torkoal beautifully.
And this played exactly as Aiden predicted.
He tossed his second Poké Ball.
Time to deploy the Gundam-slayer: Lucario.
"Luca!"
Stoic and immovable, Lucario materialized—catching Sylveon's Baton Pass energy like a relay baton.
It too glanced up at the steel colossus… and felt a flicker of awe.
Such scale…
If not for training under the Two Bear Masters (Urshifu), I'd be stunned too.
But compared to Master Mustard's aura? This is amateur hour.
I can win!
Lucario settled into a battle stance, awaiting orders.
"Hmm?"
Iono tilted his head 45 degrees, puzzled.
"If I recall—shouldn't kōhai's Ogerpon be better suited for Terastalizing?"
"Those four masks resonate with Tera Crystals, unleashing immense power when charged…"
"But he doesn't seem to plan a direct showdown with Gigantamax Duraludon at all?"
"Maybe he's saving it," Lip theorized. "This is the 'Terastal vs. Dynamax' showcase. Who knows what Raihan's hiding? Aiden's being cautious—that's smart."
"Dragging out the clock until Duraludon's energy depletes… losing Lucario as a trade-off isn't bad."
"…"
Larry said nothing—just watched Aiden with profound satisfaction.
Unlike the others, he'd grasped Aiden's true intent.
This kid… is he planning something insane?!
As both a League executive and Elite Four, Larry had deeper intel:
Aiden had acquired a Mega Stone and Lucarioite after meeting Hoenn Champion Steven.
Beyond his "broken" aces (Ogerpon and Mewtwo), Mega Lucario was his strongest active fighter.
Granted—Mega Lucario alone might still struggle against Gigantamax Duraludon's impenetrable steel fortress.
Its typing and bulk wouldn't change; one Max Knuckle would flatten it.
Thus—
A bold hypothesis formed in Larry's mind:
Aiden plans to Terastalize on top of Mega Evolution—stacking both powers to counter Dynamax!
And he was right.
Under Raihan's eager gaze, Aiden grasped the Key Stone pendant around his neck—and grinned.
"Time for us to get serious."
Evolutionary light erupted.
Lucario closed its eyes as the radiance consumed it.
"Lucario—Mega Evolve!"
The glow faded—revealing Mega Lucario: black-veined, eyes glacial, aura crackling.
Seeing its silhouette—and Raihan's dawning horror behind Gigantamax Duraludon—Aiden realized:
Apart from my battle with Giovanni…this is my first official Mega Lucario debut.
No wonder Raihan looked stunned.
After watching Psychic Master replays, he'd assumed only Mewtwo could Mega—and that its Psychic typing made it unusable here…
Aiden's smile turned sinister.
You haven't seen anything yet.
The real show's just beginning.
Because to ensure victory…
Mega Evolution alone won't be enough!
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