Mega Garchomp: You're Dreaming.**
Dangerous?
Hearing Meloetta's warning, Ethan shifted his gaze toward Noel in the distance.
To be honest, Ethan didn't know much about Noel.
Based on first impressions alone, Noel seemed like a quiet but otherwise normal Sky Eagle Alliance trainer. Compared to the countless arrogant and obnoxious Sky Eagle trainers Ethan had met growing up, Noel even felt… restrained.
But Meloetta's reminder instantly overturned that impression.
This wasn't blind trust.
It was because Meloetta had recently mastered an extremely terrifying ability—
Future Sight.
Her overall strength hadn't grown especially fast, but after the incident in Falling Thunder Valley, Meloetta had changed.
She never wanted to see her companions placed in mortal danger again.
And so, driven by that resolve, she awakened Future Sight on her own.
It was a powerful Psychic-type move—true to its name, capable of glimpsing fragments of what was yet to come.
Although Meloetta's current strength meant her visions were vague and incomplete, she could still sense impending danger.
That alone was enough.
Ethan trusted her.
More than his own instincts.
As he looked at Noel again, a clear note of caution entered Ethan's eyes.
Because this was the championship match, and the event itself wasn't open to the public, preparations were brief.
Soon, Ethan received the signal to enter.
"Hello, Ethan."
Noel walked alongside him in the competitors' tunnel, speaking calmly.
"I'm Noel. This final—
the winner will definitely be me."
Ethan's expression didn't change.
He didn't respond.
After Meloetta's warning, Ethan had no intention of engaging him in idle conversation.
Seeing Ethan ignore him entirely, Noel froze for a moment.
Then a cold, twisted look crept onto his face.
"Fk… riding on your father's reputation," he muttered under his breath.
"What are you being arrogant for?"
But as soon as he remembered the task assigned by Elite Four Alicia, Noel's mood instantly brightened again.
"It doesn't matter. You won't live long anyway."
"Let you act proud for a bit."
"Today, I'll kill you—
after I take the championship right in front of your eyes."
With that, Noel subtly adjusted the poisoned dart hidden in his sleeve, his expression returning to relaxed confidence.
Then, he followed Ethan onto the battlefield.
The Championship Match Begins
Although the entire tournament was held inside the hotel, this was a clash between Five-Star Trainers.
Even if many alliances fielded mediocre competitors, both Donghuang and Sky Eagle were exceptions.
And after their dominant performances in the knockout rounds, no one doubted the danger of this final.
The battlefield was enormous.
Protective barriers were reinforced by one King-tier and three Overlord-tier Aegislash units.
The White Elephant Alliance clearly had no intention of letting this fight destroy their hotel.
As Ethan stepped onto the field, Aurora immediately stood up in the stands and cheered for him.
Ethan noticed—and smiled, giving her a friendly wave.
Seeing this, Donovan Kovsky practically beamed.
This is promising, he thought.
Maybe I really will end up as Old Zhou's in-law.
But that was a thought for later.
Noel entered the field as well, taking his position opposite Ethan.
The referee from the International Pokémon Battle Association stepped forward and announced the rules.
Standard format.
Three-on-three.
Defeat all of your opponent's Pokémon to claim victory—and the championship.
With that—
The final match began.
Giant vs. Monster
"Go—Golurk!"
Noel wasted no time, hurling his Poké Ball forward.
A massive Golurk slammed onto the battlefield.
Nearly two and a half meters tall, its body was bulky and imposing, its fists like siege hammers. Just imagining taking a hit from those arms made people flinch.
"An Overlord late-stage Golurk," Ethan murmured.
"That's pretty rare."
Golurk—Ground/Ghost-type.
A mysterious artificial Pokémon said to have been created by ancient indigenous civilizations in the Americas.
How they created it was lost to history.
After all, the Sky Eagle Alliance had long since wiped those civilizations out.
Though Golurk could reproduce, their numbers were small—making them extremely rare.
For Noel to own one, his background was clearly anything but ordinary.
For most trainers, Golurk would be a nightmare.
For Ethan?
It was… acceptable.
"Garchomp," Ethan said calmly.
"This round is yours."
With a flash of light, Garchomp landed on the field.
"GAAAH—ROOO!!"
A thunderous dragon roar echoed through the hotel, shaking the stands.
"It's that Garchomp again!"
"Is he opening with his ace?!"
"How is that thing even bred? It's huge!"
"At least 2.7 meters—normal Garchomp aren't even close!"
Veteran Five-Star Trainers who had already faced Ethan broke into hushed discussion.
They hadn't forgotten how this Garchomp had completely crushed their teams without giving them the slightest chance to fight back.
Standing there, Garchomp glared arrogantly at Golurk.
For Garchomp, these battles were pure bliss.
Not because the fights were challenging—
But because the post-battle feasts were incredible.
Every win earned him absurd amounts of food.
For a lifelong glutton, that was heaven.
In Garchomp's eyes, Golurk wasn't an enemy.
It was a walking buffet.
Beat it, eat more later.
Golurk, though artificial, wasn't emotionless.
Seeing Garchomp's blatant provocation, it vented a burst of white steam in anger.
Noel seized the moment.
"Golurk!
Phantom Force!"
Runes on Golurk's body flared.
In the next instant, its form blurred—and vanished.
Ethan smiled faintly.
"Garchomp.
Sandstorm."
Garchomp's eyes flashed.
A violent sandstorm erupted, engulfing the entire battlefield.
Ethan's voice followed immediately.
"Now—
Sand Tornado."
The raging sandstorm suddenly compressed inward, spiraling violently into a massive sand cyclone at the center of the field.
Golurk reappeared—
And was instantly dragged into the vortex.
Golurk was strong.
This alone wouldn't knock it out.
But the moment its form stabilized—
"Garchomp," Ethan said coldly,
"Dragon Rush."
Garchomp launched himself like a missile.
A colossal dragon-shaped aura formed around his body as he smashed into Golurk.
BOOM!
The dragon engulfed its target.
When the sandstorm settled, Garchomp landed smoothly.
Golurk lay motionless.
Knocked out.
Noel stood there, stunned.
He hadn't expected Golurk to fall that fast.
Veterans in the stands could only sigh.
Yeah… we all thought the same thing once.
The Real Monster Awakens
Noel clenched his teeth, forcing himself to stay calm.
He recalled Golurk and threw another Poké Ball.
A massive, round-bodied Gourgeist appeared.
Overlord Peak.
Ghost/Grass-type.
Cute-looking—
But infamous for devouring children's souls.
The larger the body, the more souls it had consumed.
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
Meloetta was right.
Noel wasn't clean.
"Garchomp," Ethan said coldly.
"Aerial Ace—then Fire Fang."
Garchomp exploded forward, flames already building in his jaws.
"Gourgeist, Protect!" Noel shouted.
The barrier formed just in time.
But Ethan's Garchomp wasn't ordinary.
He'd learned long ago—from Ethan's father's Pangoro—
How to break defenses.
Power solves everything.
Garchomp glanced back.
Ethan understood instantly.
The Key Stone appeared in his hand.
"That's—Mega Evolution?!"
"He has it?!"
Shock rippled through the audience.
Even Alicia, the Sky Eagle Elite Four, froze.
She didn't possess Mega Evolution herself.
And Ethan did.
Ethan's voice rang out, steady and resolute.
"Let our bond ignite."
"Let us transcend!"
"Garchomp—Mega Evolve!"
Light erupted.
When it faded—
A towering, three-meter-tall Mega Garchomp stood upon the battlefield.
Its aura was monstrous.
Mega Garchomp roared.
Then—
It tore straight through Gourgeist's Protect like paper.
Blades of wind.
Fangs of fire.
A merciless onslaught.
Gourgeist never stood a chance.
Moments later, it collapsed unconscious.
Mega Garchomp threw his head back and roared triumphantly.
Another victory. Another feast.
Across the field, Noel's face was pale.
All his confidence was gone.
Only one thought remained, crystal clear in his mind—
If Ethan is not eliminated now…
He will become Sky Eagle Alliance's greatest future nightmare.
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