The moment Mega Lucario appeared, the entire stadium shook.
For one second, the audience went silent—
Then the Silver Arena exploded.
"What did I just witness?!"
"Cynthia's Lucario… it evolved too—and it's Elite-tier, late stage!"
"Unbelievable!"
The host was trembling so hard his mic nearly slipped from his hands.
On the field, Chen Shi froze for a moment as well.
And then everything made sense.
Why Cynthia had disappeared last night.
Why she had worn makeup today—an almost unheard-of thing for her.
She hadn't been avoiding him.
She'd spent the entire night practicing Mega Evolution.
The makeup wasn't for beauty—
It was to hide her exhaustion and the dark circles under her eyes.
And the most shocking part?
She succeeded.
She had mastered Mega Evolution in a single night.
Chen Shi couldn't help but whisper—
"She… really is terrifyingly strong-willed."
But that was Cynthia.
What others couldn't do, she simply did.
Cynthia's complexion was pale—her breathing slightly uneven.
Mega Evolution was still unfamiliar to her, and the strain on her body was obvious.
But when she heard Chen Shi's soft admiration, the corner of her lips lifted just a little.
Then her voice sharpened:
"Lucario—Extreme Speed! Bone Rush!"
"Luca!!"
Lucario vanished—reappearing instantly with a phantom bone staff in hand.
His speed had skyrocketed far beyond the previous battle.
Chen Shi responded calmly:
"Metagross—Pursuit forward and Hammer Arm!"
"Metta!"
Mega Metagross lunged, colliding with Lucario head-on.
BOOM!
Shockwaves tore through the battlefield.
Both Pokémon were blasted backward several meters.
Cynthia's eyes widened.
Mega Metagross was only mid-Elite…
Yet it managed to clash evenly with her late-Elite Mega Lucario.
But Chen Shi wasn't surprised.
Mega Metagross's attack skyrocketed after Mega Evolution—
Its ability changed to Tough Claws,
And its base defense was already monstrous.
Hammer Arm, strengthened by its own bulk, was the perfect counter-collision.
"Metagross, Hammer Arm again!"
"Lucario—Bone Rush!"
Metal limbs clashed with aura-forged bone—
Both Pokémon were driven back once more.
Chen Shi's expression sharpened.
"Light Screen! Reflect!"
"Metta!"
Two shimmering barriers snapped into existence—one radiant, one glittering like glass.
This was Mega Metagross's true terror:
Its enhanced mental processing allowed it to deploy both screens in a single calculated sequence.
"Lucario—Aura Sphere!"
"Luca!"
A massive Aura Sphere nearly twice its normal size formed instantly.
"Psychic!"
"Metta!!"
Metagross's eyes glowed—ring after ring of psychic force rippled outward, slamming into the Aura Sphere.
The two attacks ground against each other in a blazing clash.
"Lucario—Double Team! Then Close Combat!"
Lucario dissolved into motion—
Clones appearing in every direction as he sprinted across the field.
Chen Shi's lips curved upward.
"Metagross—full power Earthquake!"
Mega Metagross understood instantly.
It dropped from the air—
And slammed both arms into the ground.
KRAK!!
The battlefield fractured—
Earth energy roared outward in a devastating surge.
Lucario's clones were obliterated in an instant—
And the real Lucario staggered from sheer force.
"Metagross—NOW! Hammer Arm!"
Lucario was reeling.
Chen Shi wasn't going to waste the opening.
But Cynthia did not panic.
A faint smile touched her lips.
"Lucario—NOW! Detect, then Bone Rush!"
Lucario's eyes sharpened—
He read the incoming Hammer Arm perfectly, twisting just out of its path.
The bone phantom materialized again—
BANG!
The first strike crashed against Metagross's head.
"Metta!"
Another blow fell.
Chen Shi's expression darkened.
He'd fallen for it.
"Metagross! Focus—Hammer Arm with everything you've got!"
"Me… TTA!"
Lucario swung down a third time—
But Mega Metagross forced its body upright—
Its arm gleamed with Fighting energy—
And it smashed Lucario with a full-force Hammer Arm.
Lucario was hurled backward, but the third Bone Rush still connected.
Mega Metagross's stamina was now hanging by a thread.
Cynthia's eyes flashed.
"Lucario—finish it! Extreme Speed, then Bone Rush!"
"Luca!!"
Lucario blurred into motion, streaking toward the gravely wounded Metagross.
In the lounge, Phoebe clenched her fists.
"Is… is Chen Shi going to lose this one?"
Steven exhaled heavily.
"He fell into Cynthia's trap. One Detect turned the whole tide.
Plus the level gap…
Yeah. Lucario probably wins this one."
The audience held their breath—
Tens of thousands waiting in absolute silence.
Only two small voices broke through:
"Chen Shi big brother!"
"Uncle Chen Shi!"
"Fight on!!!"
Their tiny voices echoed across the arena.
And that single sound—
Ignited the crowd.
Fans stood up one after another.
Chants thundered upward like a rising storm.
Chen Shi felt heat surge in his chest—
His pulse pounding.
He thrust a fist forward and roared:
"Metagross—did you hear that?!
You can't let everyone down!"
"HOLD ON!"
"METTA!!!"
As Lucario lunged forward—
A soft white shimmer coated Metagross's body—
Endure.
"It's Endure! Metagross used Endure! It held on—IT HELD ON!!!"
The host was red-faced, nearly screaming.
Endure—
Sometimes useless—
Sometimes miraculous.
And today?
It was divine.
Chen Shi's voice exploded across the battlefield:
"METAGROSS—
HAMMER ARM! WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE LEFT!"
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> patreon.com/lucarioTL