On the field.
After an anxious wait, someone finally walked out of the tunnel. The crowd erupted in cheers.
Not for Li Yuan, but for the foreign beauty Champion.
Everyone loves a beauty. Our Champion knows our tastes~.
Wonder if we can abduct Diantha to China?
World League rules allow survivors to change nationality once. If Diantha wants to come, the country wouldn't refuse.
"Little Brother Li Yuan, meeting you isn't easy." Diantha stood at one end, speaking into her mic across the hundred-meter field.
"Sister Diantha jokes. Meeting me is just a phone call away. But I work during the day; maybe we can date at night~?" Li Yuan walked onto the stage, teasing back.
His teasing didn't annoy Diantha, but it triggered the online audience.
Teasing a foreign Champion publicly? What about our national image?
What if she gets mad and never comes back?
The chat was filled with curses.
"To date Big Sister, you need to show some surprises. Cynthia said you have a special Gardevoir. Can I see?" Diantha ignored the teasing and seemingly offered a date chance.
The chat went silent.
Wait... she doesn't mind? They seem to know each other. Are they close in private? Why were we excited?
"No problem. If Sister likes what she sees, she must communicate with Little Brother seriously tonight~." Li Yuan winked, hinting heavily.
"Hehe. If you aren't afraid of Cynthia lecturing you, Big Sister will accompany you~." Diantha winked back.
The audience was confused. Why does it sound like they had an affair blocked by Cynthia?
Why would Cynthia block them?
Unless... Cynthia is jealous?
Hiss! This thought terrified everyone. Diantha being defiled is one thing, but Cynthia is the national goddess! She can't be taken by a pig! We can't accept this!
"Then let Little Brother experience the Champion's strength." Li Yuan threw a Poké Ball, releasing the blue figure that drove men crazy.
Shiny Gardevoir.
That's a miracle only found in dreams!
If Cynthia is the reality goddess, Gardevoir is the dream lover. A Shiny one? Even better.
But now it's real, owned by a man. Impossible. We must be dreaming!
[Chat:]
[WTF! Shiny Gardevoir? It exists?]
[I don't believe it. Painted. Animal abuse!]
[Male! Must be male!]
The curses turned to envy. Acid to the bone!
Imagine seeing someone own your dream waifu. Jealousy overload.
Diantha was calm. She knew it was Shiny. But was that the "special" part?
"Gardevoir, let's go." Diantha released her standard green Gardevoir.
Seeing the blue counterpart, her Gardevoir looked surprised. They exchanged telepathic greetings.
"Little Brother, begin. Show me if you're sincere about the date~." Diantha couldn't wait.
"Relax, Sister Diantha. You can't escape tonight~. Today, I'll show you one of Shasha's three special forms~." Li Yuan snapped his fingers.
Gardevoir nodded, understanding. She displayed her inhuman power to the world for the first time.
"Gardevoir! Mega Evolution!"
"Sha!"
Gardevoir cried out. Powerful psychic energy erupted from her chest horn, forming a red cocoon around her. A heartbeat throbbed inside, like a pupa transforming.
Cracks appeared on the cocoon. Beams of evolution light shot out, shattering it.
A graceful figure stepped out of the light.
When the light faded, a stunning figure in a "white wedding dress" appeared. The chest horn split into two, resembling a red heart.
Mega Gardevoir (Shiny).
Silence fell over the stadium and the livestream. Everyone stared in disbelief.
Am I dreaming?
The director pointed every camera at Gardevoir, capturing 360-degree shots.
A brand new, undocumented evolution of the ultra-popular Gardevoir! If this news spreads, the tournament's popularity will explode!
Moments later, the crowd erupted in a roar of shock and discussion.
The livestream chat exploded. Traffic flooded in, nearly crashing the server.
[Chat:]
[What? Gardevoir evolves again? Lying to ghosts???]
[Didn't he say 'Mega Evolution'?]
[What is Mega Evolution? How?]
[Don't ask me! If I knew, I'd be competing!]
[Holy shit! Is it just me, or is that Gardevoir beautiful? My dream lover!]
Live effect: Explosive.
The term "Mega Evolution" shot to the top of the trending list in ten minutes.
After this match, the internet would be ablaze with discussions on how to achieve it.
But they wouldn't find answers yet. Li Yuan wasn't planning to publish it immediately. Let the hype fly for a while~.