Meanwhile, Larry had no time to care about Ging sitting on the sidelines. His attention was back on the Gildrosia, ready to claim the experience points it held.
The Plants stood still, completely unmoving. It seemed like it would only react if someone attacked or tried to take the vanilla it was guarding.
If it wanted to strike, it had plenty of chances while they were talking. But it didn't. Probably to conserve energy while making sure the vanilla was protected at all times. That kind of behavior meant it was more like a programmed guardian than a thinking creature.
To play it safe, Larry called Hydreigon to stand by him. He planned to let Hydreigon land the final hit in case the Gildrosia wasn't completely taken down in one go. With everything in place, all that was left was the inevitable. The Gildrosia's fate had already been sealed.
Suddenly, a large question mark made of aura popped up above the three Hydreigon's heads. It shook for a second, then faded. The pressure around them rose sharply as their power surged.
Dark-type technique, Trickery.
The mouths of all three dragon heads lit up at once, building up blinding beams of energy. Three red balls of condensed aura formed between their jaws, then expanded and twisted into a shape resembling the kanji for "big."
Fire-type technique, Big Bang Flame.
At the same time, Tyranitar wasn't staying idle either. With a heavy stomp, the ground quaked under his feet like a minor earthquake had struck. His metallic shell gleamed as thick yellow aura cloaked his body. He gave off the impression of an unshakable mountain, drawing endless strength from the very earth beneath him.
Without any hesitation, Tyranitar charged forward like a meteor, roaring with power. Ground-type technique, High Horsepower. Time seemed to freeze for a heartbeat.
The S-class move, now empowered by Trickery, boosted Big Bang Flame's destructive power fourfold. Tyranitar's S-class ground attack doubled its strength with raw, crushing force.
Together, the combined assault from Hydreigon and Tyranitar looked like it could tear through reality itself.
Sensing danger, the Gildrosia finally reacted. Its aura burst outward as it gathered every last bit of its energy. A dark green beam, even thicker than the one it fired last time, formed instantly and shot forward.
But it was too late.
The Big Bang Flames engulfed it first, larger, fiercer, and far more powerful. The Gildrosia's desperate counterattack could only delay the inevitable for one final second. The impact crashed down with the weight of a mountain.
BOOM!!!
In that instant, the Gildrosia shattered into countless pieces. Not a single fragment remained. Its metal shell, its branch-like limbs, everything was obliterated. Bones crushed, ashes scattered, and nothing was left behind.
The Gildrosia was defeated so quickly and thoroughly that Ging couldn't even show off his signature recovery ability. The whole thing ended before he had a chance to step in.
With a series of violent cracking sounds, the ground split apart beneath their feet. Shockwaves of air swept through the area, kicking up thick clouds of dust and scattering it in all directions.
In the middle of what was once an open field, a massive crater had formed, like a meteor had just slammed into the earth. The residual force from the attack still lingered, whipping the nearby plants and vines along the stone wall into a frenzy.
Even the rare herbs growing nearby swayed wildly in the wind, yet surprisingly, not a single one had been damaged.
When the dust finally settled, the Gildrosia had completely vanished, no trace left behind. It had been erased from existence in front of the three spectators.
"I'm done. I'm never fighting you, no matter what," Ging muttered, dark lines spreading across his forehead as he stared at the wreckage that looked more like a natural disaster than the aftermath of a battle.
Right now, he was more convinced than ever that holding back earlier had been the smartest move he could've made. Fighting Larry wasn't just reckless, it was suicidal.
One wrong move, and you'd be reduced to nothing but scattered fragments.
Sure, Ging's thoughts might've been a little overdramatic, but they came from a very real place. Deep down, he was completely serious about never wanting to fight Larry again. And what Larry had just shown was only the basic use of Pokémon abilities.
If Ging had gone through what Maha experienced before, this feeling would've been a hundred times stronger.
The Gildrosia provided a huge amount of experience points, enough to be shared between Tyranitar and the three Hydreigon. Even after splitting it, the three-headed dragon was now just one step away from reaching S-level.
And that wasn't the only good news.
Gengar, who had been silently absorbing all the death aura within the ancient labyrinth city, had finally reached its limit. From its previous A+ rank, it had crossed the threshold and officially advanced to S-level, becoming the fourth S-class Pokémon under Larry's command.
Larry had already suspected this would happen.
Ever since he learned that Gengar could absorb the energy of death, he had a feeling it would be the first among his A-rank Pokémon to make it to S-rank. And just as he predicted, Gengar used the immense death energy that filled the ancient city to make the breakthrough.
But what happened next shocked Larry even more.
Upon reaching S-level, Gengar gained a brand-new ability, Mega evolution.
Yes, Gengar could now enter its mega form. Just like in the Pokémon lore, this form came with a time limit. But even if temporary, the power boost was undeniable.
Originally, Larry wasn't sure if any of his Pokémon would ever gain access to Mega evolution. He assumed it might require special items or external factors. But now, it seemed like once a Pokémon's strength reached a certain point, this evolution could awaken on its own.
Though it couldn't last indefinitely, this was still a massive advantage. Larry couldn't help but wonder, when his other A-rank Pokémon like Gardevoir and Lucario reached S-rank, would they also unlock their own mega evolution forms?
Then there was Tyranitar.
Why hadn't it mega evolved yet?
Larry figured it must be a matter of strength. As a pseudo-legendary, Tyranitar's potential was much higher than most Pokémon. That meant its growth curve was steeper. It probably needed to be pushed to an even higher level before it could unlock mega evolution.
For now, Gengar had taken the lead, but the others might not be far behind. Based on what happened after Gengar evolved to S-level, Larry figured Tyranitar might need to reach SS-level before unlocking its own mega evolution.
But deep down, he didn't think it would have to be that high. Maybe it was just a matter of time, maybe once Tyranitar matured a bit more, it would awaken naturally.