By the way, the slowing effect from Hammer Arm had already worn off by this point.
Boom!
The Mega Evolution battle between these two pseudo-legendary Pokémon was extraordinarily intense.
Steven focused entirely on facing the opponent's Mega Salamence with his Metagross, choosing to recall his Scizor into its Poké Ball for the time being.
Steven didn't have the luxury to wonder why this person's Salamence also possessed Champion-level strength.
Were Champion-level trainers really this common nowadays?
"Fire Blast!"
Sparks flickered around Salamence's mouth as a ball of raging fire condensed and formed.
The fireball expanded outward, taking the shape of the kanji character for "big." It hurtled rapidly toward Metagross!
"Psychic—block it!"
Metagross's eyes glowed blue as an invisible barrier of psychic energy materialized, intercepting Salamence's flames and causing them to scatter harmlessly!
"Dragon Dance!"
There it was—Metagross's eternal nightmare!
Salamence spiraled gracefully through the air, its speed and attack power steadily rising with each rotation!
However, the confined space within the cave didn't allow Salamence to soar and circle as freely as it needed.
"Stone Edge!"
So you want to set up stat boosts, huh?
Let's see if you'll continue boosting or be forced to defend!
Metagross's metallic arms slammed down forcefully, then thrust upward with tremendous momentum!
Countless jagged stones erupted from the ground and rocketed toward Salamence!
For a Flying-type Pokémon like Salamence, the Rock-type move Stone Edge was super effective!
"Protect!"
As expected, the girl didn't dare risk letting Salamence take the hit.
Salamence immediately halted its Dragon Dance, and a translucent green protective barrier materialized around its body.
Using the shield's protection, Salamence flew clear of Stone Edge's range.
The attack struck the cave ceiling instead.
Crack—crack—
The ceiling shattered!
"Rock Slide—use the momentum!"
Metagross seized control of the falling debris, adding even more force to the stones!
The rocks, now under Metagross's psychic control, rained down upon Salamence in the air!
At that moment, Salamence's Protect had just faded, leaving it vulnerable to the sudden Rock Slide!
It plummeted sharply from the sky!
"Earthquake!"
Boom!
Salamence, grimacing in pain, adjusted its posture mid-fall and landed heavily on all fours!
It channeled the impact force directly into an Earthquake attack!
Metagross quickly levitated upward, simultaneously using its Psychic to lift Steven into the air alongside it!
A massive pillar of rock, infused with seismic energy, suddenly erupted from the ground!
Metagross, prioritizing Steven's safety, ascended slightly slower than optimal and was clipped by the stone pillar, taking partial damage from the Earthquake.
"Metagross..."
Metagross cried out in pain but still chose to set Steven down safely first.
Steven realized that his presence was distracting Metagross during battle.
Meanwhile, the opponent's trainer only needed to ensure the Earthquake didn't reach her position—a much simpler defensive requirement.
"Meteor Mash—break through the ceiling!"
Metagross drove its four metallic arms upward with devastating force into the stone ceiling above!
It tore open a massive hole instantly, relocating the battlefield to the open air!
Salamence followed closely behind, soaring out through the newly created opening.
Steven released his Skarmory and mounted its back smoothly.
After emerging outside, Steven glanced downward.
The black-haired girl had also exited the cave, riding gracefully on an Altaria.
In that case, this would become an aerial battle!
"Steven!"
A cry of surprise drew both Steven's and the girl's attention.
It was Wattson and Flannery!
"Wallace is still inside—go help him!" Steven shouted quickly to the two approaching figures.
"Understood!" Wattson glanced briefly at the battling Metagross and Salamence in the air, then immediately entered through the large opening Metagross had created moments ago.
"Good luck, Steven!"
Flannery called out encouragement to Steven before following Wattson into the cave.
"Ah—Flannery, you're crushing me!"
However, Wattson's pained cry immediately echoed from within the cave.
Steven had no time to respond, as his opponent's next attack was already coming!
Blazing flames surged toward Metagross, but each wave was thwarted by that invisible psychic barrier.
To counter Fire-type moves of equivalent level, Metagross needed to employ its Psychic with exceptional proficiency.
One mustn't forget that Metagross possessed a brain comparable to a supercomputer, which made using Psychic exponentially more effective!
Since Fire-type moves weren't yielding results, the girl abandoned that strategy!
"Dragon Dance!" she commanded decisively, having Salamence execute another Dragon Dance!
In the vast open sky, Salamence's Dragon Dance couldn't be easily interrupted by Stone Edge!
Steven avoided the risk of being affected by Earthquake, which would have hindered Metagross's performance.
But in exchange, his opponent's Salamence gained a far more advantageous environment for setting up stat boosts!
"Iron Defense!"
So you're boosting your attack? Then I'll boost my defense!
Let's see if you'll dare let Salamence take an Ice Punch after this!
"Draco Meteor!"
A devastating Dragon-type special attack!
"Roar!"
Salamence roared toward the heavens, launching a blue-purple energy orb high into the night sky!
The orb detonated spectacularly in the darkness, transforming into countless meteors that plummeted earthward!
Since Salamence had already completed its Dragon Dance, the subsequent decrease in special attack from using Draco Meteor was irrelevant to its strategy!
Although Metagross's Steel-typing gave it resistance to Dragon-type moves, the sheer power of this attack would still deal considerable damage!
"Bullet Punch!"
Against the dense meteor shower, the priority move Bullet Punch was the optimal choice.
Bang—bang—bang—
Every Draco Meteor fragment that would have struck Metagross was systematically destroyed!
The damage was minimized successfully.
"Dragon Rush!"
Salamence, soaring high above, suddenly dove downward at tremendous speed, blue-purple draconic energy swirling around its entire body!
A colossal dragon formed entirely of energy manifested around Salamence, its massive jaws gaping wide as it plunged toward Metagross!
"Meteor Mash!"
Metagross's calm eyes tracked the rapidly descending energy dragon, gathering all its strength into its four steel fists!
"Metagross!"
Metagross seized the perfect moment, swinging all four of its arms simultaneously with maximum force!
"Roar!"
The blue-purple energy dragon collided head-on with Metagross's arms!
Tremendous energy swept across the battlefield, and at the moment of impact, time itself seemed to freeze.
The next instant, violent energy ripples exploded outward in all directions!
Even though both Pokémon were suspended in midair, the ground far beneath them fractured and cracked continuously!
The powerful energy shockwave buffeted Skarmory and Altaria off balance, forcing them to struggle desperately to keep their trainers from falling!
Steven and the girl simultaneously raised their arms to shield their faces, trying to block the turbulent air currents while discerning the battle's outcome!
Both Pokémon displayed expressions of strain, forcibly separated by the energy backlash.
"Ice Punch!"
"Crunch!"
Before either could recover, Metagross's fists became encased in frost, and it engaged Salamence once more as the dragon opened its maw wide with dark energy crackling between its jaws.
Salamence's attack was enhanced by Dragon Dance's boost, while Metagross amplified the power of its Ice Punch through its Tough Claws ability!
Meanwhile, the battle between Wallace and Maxie was also raging fiercely.
However, Maxie was struggling considerably.
Not only did he face a severe type disadvantage, but he was also battling against Wallace, who possessed Champion-level strength!
"Damn it! Why won't Groudon awaken?!" Maxie even had enough presence of mind to glance at the Blue Orb clutched in his hand.
He had only just returned to the base when the explosion occurred, followed immediately by Wallace's arrival.
Wallace narrowed his eyes calculating, swiftly instructing his Milotic to increase its offensive pressure, further overwhelming Maxie.
Since Maxie's primary focus was concentrated on commanding his Pokémon against Wallace, the Blue Orb in his hand naturally couldn't manifest its power to awaken the slumbering Groudon.
Commanding Pokémon, executing Mega Evolution, and similar actions all required substantial mental energy and focus.
This was precisely why a trainer and their Pokémon together could unleash greater power than either could achieve alone.
How did that saying go?
They shouted about friendship and bonds and such, then charged forward with renewed determination...
Until the very end, even before Maxie lost consciousness, the Blue Orb in his hand failed to release any power whatsoever.
Maxie collapsed powerlessly onto the ground, the Blue Orb slipping from his grasp and rolling across the floor.
"Damn it..."
Against Maxie and his entire team of Pokémon, Wallace had used only his Milotic to subdue them all.
Yet seeing Wallace's labored breathing, it was evident the victory hadn't come easily.
"Wallace!"
Hearing someone call his name, Wallace's lips curved into a slight smile as he turned to face the hastily arriving Wattson and Flannery.
"It's finished," Wallace stated calmly.
Aside from the few Team Magma members dealt with by League trainers outside the base, Team Magma's internal forces had been resolved by Wallace and Steven.
Of course, Wallace had handled the larger share of the work.
Steven wasn't foolish enough to venture deep into enemy territory alone and engage the unknown strength of Maxie in such an unfavorable environment.
The wisest strategy was naturally to have Wallace handle Maxie while Steven intercepted any Team Magma reinforcements attempting to assist their leader.
"Where's Steven?"
"When we arrived earlier, Steven appeared to be battling a girl in a black robe," Wattson explained with a knowing grin.
"It's been quite some time since I've seen Steven fight—his strength has truly surpassed this old man's capabilities."
"The pursuers we encountered on the way here were probably also dealt with by Steven," Flannery added helpfully.
Wallace's elegant brows furrowed in concern as he asked, "A girl in a black robe?"
"Yes, that girl appeared to be commanding a Pokémon that resembled Salamence quite closely. But upon closer observation, it seemed somewhat different as well."
Wattson scratched the back of his head thoughtfully, looking somewhat puzzled by the memory.
"Please handle the aftermath here—I need to check on the situation!"
Wallace spoke rapidly with visible concern, releasing his Pelipper from its Poké Ball and departing swiftly, leaving only his retreating figure for Wattson and Flannery to observe.
"Hey, Flannery—do you think those rumors about Wallace and Steven from before were actually true?"
Wattson studied Wallace's worried expression thoughtfully, smiling as he posed the question to Flannery beside him.
"I honestly don't know, Uncle Wattson. Please don't ask me about that!"