Sceptile's strength had now reached the mid-stage of the Master tier. Among all Sceptile in the world, Aiden believed his was already the strongest.
At Level 85, once Mega Evolution was activated, it would directly cross the Master tier and step into the Overseer realm. Against such power, who could possibly stand?
Even so, Aiden had not expected Sceptile to defeat three of Wallace's main Pokémon before finally falling—and that was without Mega Evolution.
Sceptile's will was unyielding. Its bond with Aiden was deep. And with the blessing of Azelf, the God of Will, its resolve had grown even sharper.
That was how it achieved the impossible.
In truth, Aiden's seven core Pokémon were already among the strongest individual existences of their species in the current era.
However, against regional Champions like Wallace, Steven, or Cynthia—especially when they used overlapping species—Aiden's versions were not yet superior in base form.
For example, Aiden's Milotic, under normal conditions, was still not a match for Wallace's ace Milotic.
Of course, with Mega Evolution or Bond Evolution, the situation would instantly reverse.
As for Sceptile, none of those top trainers possessed one at that level. Calling it the strongest Sceptile in the world was not an exaggeration.
Just like Aiden's Metagross—its lifelong goal was to become the strongest Metagross in existence, to one day surpass Steven's Shiny Metagross.
To achieve that now, Mega Evolution was the only path.
As for the future—when the Eight Masters all wielded Mega Evolution boosts—Aiden was confident that by then, even without Mega or Bond Evolution, his Pokémon would stand above them all.
…
When the second half began, the cheers supporting Wallace noticeably weakened.
After all—
Who had ever seen a Champion-tier battle where one ace defeated three Master-level Pokémon alone?
Not the crowd.
Not Wallace.
Not Steven.
Not even watching Champions like Alder and Diantha.
Both of them silently wondered—
Could they have stopped Sceptile's three-in-a-row?
The answer chilled them.
Hoenn had produced a monster.
Compared to before—when Rayquaza had effortlessly swept Wallace's team—this was even harder to accept.
Because this time—
No Legendary had appeared.
It was simply Aiden's starter.
If Aiden had used a Legendary, Wallace could at least comfort himself with that excuse.
Now?
Even excuses were denied.
Wallace exhaled slowly, doubt creeping into his thoughts.
How?
Aiden had only been traveling for a little over a year. He had begun at eighteen—eight years later than Wallace had started training.
How could his Pokémon grow this terrifyingly fast?
Ten minutes later, Wallace returned to the field.
The elegance remained—but the carefree confidence was gone.
Even Steven winced internally.
If he had known Aiden had become this monstrous, he wouldn't have joined the spectacle.
Now Wallace was getting overwhelmed—
And Steven was next.
Brothers in suffering.
"Aiden," Wallace said calmly, "your growth truly shocks me. In just half a year, you've risen from an Elite-tier trainer to someone who can defeat me with ease."
"But I will not surrender so easily."
"Milotic, I'm counting on you!"
"Ding! Milotic's current attributes are as follows:"
Pokémon: Milotic
Level: 88
Ability: Cute Charm
Type: Water
Potential: Gold
Bond Evolution: Not unlocked
Mega Evolution: Not unlocked
Moves: Water Pulse, Disarming Voice, Recover, Hydro Pump, Dragon Pulse, Hyper Beam…
Level 88.
Just one step from peak Master-tier.
Aiden smiled faintly.
"If it's Milotic… then this battle will be yours."
A red flash.
Another Milotic appeared.
Elegant. Beautiful. Radiant.
A mirror match.
Wallace's eyes gleamed.
"Then we absolutely cannot lose this one."
His Milotic let out a graceful cry.
It remembered.
Long ago, it had defeated this opponent effortlessly.
Aiden's Milotic responded with a low, determined roar.
Once, she had been weak—defeated in a single blow.
Now—
She would reclaim her pride.
"Milotic, Hydro Pump!"
A massive torrent shot forward.
"Milotic, Surf—then dive into it!"
Aiden's command rang out.
A colossal wave rose instantly, flooding the battlefield.
His Milotic slipped into the wave itself, riding within it toward her rival.
Hydro Pump exploded against the Surf, blasting water skyward—
And in that instant—
Aiden's Milotic emerged directly before Wallace's.
"Now—Bond Evolution!"
Brilliant light erupted.
Her elegant form transformed.
Her body elongated, sleek and radiant, resembling a divine serpent without claws. White luminescence shimmered across her scales as if a deity had descended.
Wallace's Milotic's eyes widened.
Another evolution?
"Freeze-Dry!"
The newly evolved Bond Milotic opened her mouth—
And unleashed icy brilliance.
The battle for the strongest Milotic in the world—
Had truly begun.
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