The entire Gym fell into a deathly silence.
A few seconds later, the referee finally snapped out of his daze and, with trembling hands, waved down the flag.
"Solrock and Lunatone have lost the ability to battle! The winner is the challenger, Theo!"
"Waaah—!"
The audience erupted into thunderous cheers and exclamations!
"Is that what they call Mega Evolution? That's terrifying! It was a complete instant defeat!"
"When I challenged Mossdeep Gym before, it was so hard just to win. The gap is way too huge!"
The livestream chat completely lost control. The screen was flooded with shocked reactions and exclamation marks.
"Holy crap! It's over already? That didn't even take three minutes!"
"That thing the streamer mentioned, Mega Evolution, right? Can my Machamp get that too? What kind of ability is this? I want my Machamp to evolve again!"
"Was it that bracelet on his wrist? I think I saw him throw something to Metagross before it evolved. Did anyone record it? Quick, go check the replay!"
"Is this a new invention from Devon Corporation? Can we buy it? I want my Torchic to evolve too!"
"Ding! A 10,000 donation has been received!"
"Donated! Streamer, can you answer my question?"
Theo looked at Solrock and Lunatone lying defeated on the battlefield. His expression remained calm, without much excitement.
He knew very well that it was not because Tate and Liza were weak. It was simply that the boost from Mega Evolution was far too overwhelming. Combined with Metagross's Steel typing, which naturally countered their Rock-type Pokémon, the outcome had been decided from the start.
Tate and Liza silently recalled their Pokémon. There was a trace of disappointment on their faces as they walked up to Theo.
Taking a deep breath, Liza reached into her pocket and pulled out a badge that emitted a soft glow, handing it over to him.
"This is the Mind Badge. Our other Pokemon won't be a match to your Mega Metagross and Milotic so you've won." Her voice was slightly hoarse, but her gaze was sincere. "Your strength deserves it."
Tate, for once, did not argue. He simply snorted lightly and gave a small nod, acknowledging Theo's strength.
Theo accepted the Mind Badge. It felt warm in his hand. He smiled faintly.
"Thank you."
Liza glanced at the Mega Bracelet on his wrist. She hesitated, clearly wanting to ask something, but did not speak.
Theo understood what she wanted to know. He also knew that the countless viewers in the livestream were filled with the same curiosity. He adjusted the camera to focus on himself and began to explain.
"This is called a Mega Bracelet. It allows Pokémon, with the help of their trainer, to undergo another form of evolution. There's no need to rush. The League will soon release detailed information about Mega Evolution, so keep an eye on the official announcements."
Hearing this, Liza revealed a look of understanding and nodded gently.
"I see. I wonder if my Solrock can Mega Evolve as well. By the way, Theo, have you visited the Space Center next door?"
She continued, "My father is the director there. The research center has collected many fragments of meteorites that fell from outer space. Every time Steven comes to Mossdeep, he goes there to study them and occasionally even takes a piece or two back."
"If you're interested, I can be your guide when you have time."
"No problem. I'll let you know when I'm free. I'll have to trouble you to lead the way then," Theo replied readily.
He was quite curious about those meteorite fragments that even Steven found interesting. Perhaps he might encounter something rare again. With Liza offering personally, there was no reason to refuse.
After chatting with the twins, Theo did not immediately end the stream. Instead, he brought Larvesta and the others outside the Gym and gave the viewers a full showcase of Mega Metagross's form.
The crowd gathered outside was even more excited. Many people took out their phones to take photos and record videos, while fans shouted enthusiastically, "All hail Metagross!" and "Metagross is invincible!" The atmosphere was even more intense than during the battle itself.
Theo patiently fulfilled requests for autographs and photos from fans. It was only after more than an hour that he finally left the Gym with his Pokémon.
At the same time, the League's official website was nearly overwhelmed by the massive influx of inquiries about Mega Evolution. They quickly issued an emergency announcement stating that a press conference would be held in three days to introduce the research results and acquisition methods of Mega Evolution in detail.
As soon as the news was released, the entire trainer community went into a frenzy. Forums were filled with discussions like:
"Can my Pokémon Mega Evolve? What will it look like after evolving?"
"Anyone want to battle? I bet if my Machamp evolves again, it might grow two more pairs of arms like Metagross. An eight-armed Machamp, hahaha!"
Theo's livestream viewership skyrocketed, and the income from donations and gifts reached a new high. The popularity value on his system panel kept climbing steadily.
Seeing all this, Theo could not help but smile. His Pokémon had just earned themselves quite a bit more food.
The next morning, Theo stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in his hotel room. Originally, he had planned to visit the Space Center that day, but a private message he received the previous night forced him to change his plans.
"Time to go."
Picking up Milotic's Dive Ball, Theo looked at Metagross, Larvesta, Deino, and the others.
"I'll take Milotic out to handle something. I'll drop you off at the hotel's training area in a bit and get you a room there. Focus on your training. Metagross and Larvesta, keep an eye on everyone. I'll be back this afternoon and take you out."
Metagross nodded, while Larvesta patted its chest and chirped confidently, as if guaranteeing the task would be completed.
After bringing them to the hotel's training grounds and giving each of them a quick pat on the head, Theo left with Milotic and headed toward Mossdeep City's central plaza.
That was where the Marina Group's ship, the Blue Lagoon, was docked.
The night before, he had received a private message from Lizabeth.
"Mr. Theo, this is Lizabeth from the Marina Group. I watched your Gym battle yesterday, it was incredible! I have something I would like to ask you about. Would you be available to come to the Blue Lagoon today? Here's the situation…"
Theo had originally been interested in the Marina Group's performance in Mossdeep City, so now that the invitation came directly to him, there was no way he would miss it.
With two days still remaining before the performance, the Blue Lagoon was quietly docked at the center of the plaza. Staff members were busy setting up the stage, while a few Wooper lazily blew bubbles in the water pool beside the ship.
As Theo approached, a young girl in a blue performance outfit walked up to greet him.
"Mr. Theo, you're here!"
Her voice was as clear and pleasant as a bell.
Looking at her, Theo could not help but admire inwardly. No wonder Brock's notebook had given Lizabeth such a high rating. In person, she was even more beautiful than in the photos.
(End of Chapter)