In the Footage—
Sawyer pulled out a notebook, gripping a multi-colored gemstone dangling from the end. He shouted toward Ash:
"Ash, I won't hold back! Sceptile, Mega Evolve!"
"Scept—!!"
A brilliant light erupted on the field as Sceptile's form began to shift. Green armor-like plates grew across its chest, and the leaves on its body became sharper, their tips turning a vibrant red.
A sharp spike emerged from its massive tail, and orange and red orbs lined its back. The patterns and colors on its tail shifted—this was the power of Mega Sceptile!
"Mega Evolving right from the start... We won't lose! Sceptile, take the initiative! Use Leaf Blade!"
"Scept!"
Ash's Sceptile was seeing a Mega-Evolved member of its own species for the first time. It hesitated for a split second in surprise but quickly regained its focus. Following Ash's command, it extended its arms, and four razor-sharp blades of light appeared on the sides of its wrists!
"Dual blades..."
If Sawyer's Mega Sceptile shocked Ash's Sceptile, then Ash's dual-wielding Sceptile completely stunned Sawyer.
Usually, a Sceptile's Leaf Blade manifests as a single blade. For Ash's Sceptile to manifest two was not something that could be achieved through hard work alone; it required innate, extraordinary talent.
The pride Sawyer felt as a "Sceptile specialist" was instantly suppressed. Facing Ash... he really couldn't afford to be arrogant!
"If the opponent uses Leaf Blade, we use Leaf Blade too!"
Sawyer knew his Sceptile was Mega-Evolved! Its physical attack power was far superior to a normal Sceptile. Moreover... the Grass/Dragon typing meant it had a quadruple resistance to Grass-type moves! Even if the opponent's Leaf Blade landed, it should be nothing more than an itch!
Or so he thought...
At their Trainers' commands, the two Sceptiles launched like arrows from a bow! Both being speed-oriented fighters, they crossed the massive field in a second, clashing head-on!
CLANG!! CLANG!! CLANG!!
The emerald blades collided. Both moved at speeds invisible to the naked eye, unleashing a flurry of slashes! The pressure from the powerful vibrations blew the surrounding grass flat, and green sparks flickered across the battlefield.
However, to Sawyer's horror, after only a few seconds of stalemate, his Mega Sceptile began to be pushed back! Mega Sceptile's expression grew increasingly strained, while Ash's Sceptile only seemed to be getting faster!
"How is this possible... Is Ash's Sceptile using Speed Boost? Wait, no! Sceptile doesn't have Speed Boost as an Ability!" Sawyer muttered to himself, completely baffled as to why Ash's Sceptile was gaining momentum...
[Spenser: I see. While Sceptile has been training in the lab's backyard, it has been a long time since it was in a real battle. It's still adapting to its own peak strength!]
[Diantha: So it's getting stronger as the fight goes on? Pfft, that boy Sawyer actually thought it was Speed Boost. He's quite funny~]
[Erika: Sceptile has completely suppressed Mega Sceptile! Even with Mega Evolution, Sawyer's Pokémon can't keep up?]
[Diantha: See? I told you! Ash's Sceptile is on a rampage!! Lance's jinx is invincible!]
[Lance: ...Stop making fun of me! The match isn't over! We don't know Mega Sceptile's full stats yet. Mega Evolution can change everything!]
[Diantha: Thanks for the 'Stop being a sore loser' donation, Lance. We'll see if he can win. Believing in Lance is the surest way to know the opposite will happen!]
Lance: "..." Can't you believe in something normal?! Why are you betting on me being a jinx?!
'That Trainer named Sawyer, stand tall! At least... don't lose too embarrassingly.'
As a professional, Lance could tell the truth once they started moving. Ash's Sceptile was at the Champion Level. A true, battle-hardened peak. Even with Mega Evolution, Sawyer was simply outclassed. Not every evolution is a "Bond Phenomenon."
In the Footage—
As time passed, Mega Sceptile lost its ability to counter-attack, falling into a state of total defense! Meanwhile, Ash's Sceptile looked exhilarated! It hadn't had a fight this satisfying in ages! The feeling of blades connecting was a thousand times better than training alone in the backyard.
But it was time to end this. Against a Grass/Dragon type, Leaf Blade was indeed weak... but sheer volume of attacks made up for it! Ash's Sceptile parried the opponent's blades while finding openings to land its own.
Mega Sceptile had already taken seven or eight hits, its tough skin showing several shallow cuts.
Sawyer knew he had to change tactics! His Sceptile's strength lay in Special Attack, not Physical.
"Sceptile, create distance! Use Dragon Pulse!"
"Scept!"
Mega Sceptile turned into a green blur, retreating rapidly while charging a purple energy sphere in its mouth. However, in the next instant, Sceptile's face appeared right in front of him! Even after Mega Evolving, it couldn't match the raw speed of Ash's veteran.
"Don't even think about escaping, Sawyer! Sceptile, X-Scissor!!" Ash shouted passionately.
If Sawyer's Sceptile favored Special Attacks, Ash's was a master of Physical combat. Whether it was the STAB Leaf Blade or the Bug-type X-Scissor, it used them with lethal precision!
"Scept!!"
Sceptile crossed its arms, the green glow on its wrists turning a brownish-yellow. It swung with a force that tore through the air, leaving a brilliant arc in the eyes of the audience!
SLASH!
A massive cross-shaped wound appeared on Mega Sceptile's chest armor! Bug-type moves dealt double damage to Mega Sceptile—five times more effective than Leaf Blade!
Sceptile dashed through Mega Sceptile, landing behind it. Without looking back, it adjusted the twig in its mouth and let out a breath. Mega Sceptile's pupils shrunk as it collapsed to the ground, reverting to its base form.
Sawyer's Sceptile was one-shot by X-Scissor!
Sawyer was stunned. Including the previous Leaf Blades, his Mega Sceptile had only taken two real exchanges. How could the Pokémon that once went toe-to-toe with Ash's Greninja be defeated so easily? Who was this Sceptile? Was it even more powerful than his ace, Greninja?
"How about that, Sawyer! This is the power Sceptile, and I share!"
"Scept!" Sceptile put the twig back in its mouth and crossed its arms, looking every bit the cool veteran.
[Diantha: Total domination! A few Leaf Blades and one X-Scissor finished it in under a minute. If that isn't a stomp, I don't know what is!]
[Lance: ...]Dammit, she's right again. It hurts!
[Wallace: Lance's 'power' is truly terrifying!]
[Leon: Haha, let's leave the jokes aside. Anything else would be disrespectful to Sceptile's strength! That was a masterclass.]
In the Footage—
Sawyer, looking somewhat dejected, recalled his Sceptile. It was a 2v2 match, and losing his ace so early was a massive blow. But a true Trainer doesn't give up.
"Ash... you're still so strong! I have no data on this Sceptile at all... But I won't give up! I've been growing too!"
Sawyer threw his next ball. A massive, blood-red wingspan eclipsed the sun. A blue body with red accents and a fierce, draconic face—the Pseudo-Legendary of Hoenn, Salamence!
"A Salamence, huh... Sceptile, come back!"
"Scept??" Sceptile looked at Ash in disbelief. Why pull me out? I'm just getting started!
"Haha, I promised Pikachu he'd get the second round. Sorry, buddy!"
Sceptile slumped its shoulders and walked back. Pikachu was the most senior member of the team; if he wanted the spotlight, Sceptile had to step aside.
Sawyer's confidence returned slightly. He remembered Pikachu's data well. Surely it would be easier to handle than that monster Sceptile... even if Salamence had a type advantage over the grass lizard.
"Salamence, Pikachu is fast! Let's lock him down! Use Air Slash!"
"Roar!" Salamence roared, its wings glowing white. Countless blades of pressurized air rained down across the entire field!
"Pikachu, dodge it!"
"Pika!" Pikachu became a yellow blur, darting across the grass. He wove through the dense rain of Air Slashes with pinpoint agility.
"I expected that! Salamence, Dragon Pulse!"
Seeing Pikachu dodge everything, Sawyer didn't panic—he smirked. It was a trap! Salamence fired a concentrated beam of purple energy directly at the spot where Pikachu was about to land!
[Lance: Oh! Nice move! Using Air Slash to force a movement path and then sniping the landing with Dragon Pulse!]
[Wikstrom: Hmm, this boy fights like Champion Cynthia—calculating and precise. It doesn't suit my path of chivalry!]
[Diantha: Oh, please. With your 'straightforward' style, it's no wonder you've stayed in the Elite Four your whole life!]
[Wikstrom: ...]Is everyone's tongue getting sharper since this ranking started?
In the Footage—
The purple Dragon Pulse roared toward Pikachu, the heat from the energy creating ripples in the air. But Ash didn't flinch. He and Pikachu had seen far worse than this.
"Pikachu, block it with Electroweb!"
"Pika-pika... CHU!!"
Pikachu skidded to a halt, bracing one hand on the ground and flicking his tail. A golden sphere of electricity formed and was hurled forward. In mid-air, it expanded into a massive golden net. The beam of purple energy slammed into it, stretching the web, but it couldn't break through!
"What?! It blocked it? Electroweb... a new move?!"
In Kalos, Pikachu didn't know Electroweb. This new addition completely threw off Sawyer's calculations.
"Pikachu, now! Thunderbolt!!"
"PIKA—CHUUU!!"
A jagged bolt of golden lightning erupted from Pikachu, striking the mid-air Salamence. The dragon's body was instantly charred by the massive voltage.
Sawyer broke into a cold sweat. This power... it was even greater than during the Kalos League! How was this Pikachu still growing?!
"Dammit... that's not enough? In that case, use Hurricane!!"
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