Faced with Elias's strategy, Lance struggled to find an effective countermeasure.
His best chance lay in leveraging his experience as a Champion—predicting Elias's next move and instructing Dragonite accordingly.
But even then… Elias could easily adapt, giving new commands through telepathy or aura.
Lance had neither psychic abilities nor aura powers, leaving him unable to secretly issue orders as Elias did. The overwhelming unfairness made Lance inwardly sigh.
How can some trainers effortlessly master multiple supernatural powers while others have none at all?
Meanwhile, the unfolding battle had defied everyone's expectations.
"Amazing! Champion Lance seems to be in serious trouble!"
"This is unprecedented since Lance became Champion!"
From the commentator's booth came exaggerated exclamations.
It was evident to everyone watching: throughout several intense exchanges, Dragonite had repeatedly fallen behind. There was no sign of Lance holding back—this was purely a difference in strength.
No one had anticipated such a result before the match began.
"Who exactly is this Elias? Is he another regional Champion?"
"Doesn't seem like it… but also kind of does?"
"He looks younger than Lance—where'd the League find someone like this?"
In the stands, murmurs and discussions buzzed constantly.
Most of the spectators were Pokémon trainers themselves; many were even competitors in the conference. Precisely because of this, they understood the weight of the title "Elite Four."
Yet now…
Lance, one of the strongest among the Elite Four, was actually being pressured by a trainer no one had heard of before today.
It seemed beyond belief.
"Ash… this is the guy you called a 'rookie trainer'?" Misty stared incredulously at Ash, mouth slightly agape.
If Elias was a rookie… what exactly were they?
"Yeah, he's a rookie, I think…" Ash's voice trailed off uncertainly, "Pika…" Pikachu echoed weakly.
Beside them, Professor Oak—who had been calmly watching the match with crossed arms—now leaned forward eagerly, nearly ready to rush onto the battlefield.
His own ace Pokémon when he was younger had also been a Dragonite, and he could see that Lance's Dragonite was exceptionally well-trained. Clearly, this was Lance's strongest Pokémon.
Yet…
The reason this match had reached such an intense level was entirely due to the outstanding strength of Elias's Lucario.
This differed drastically from Oak's earlier assumptions.
"It seems Elias isn't nervous at all," Delia smiled gently, blinking at the tense battle below.
Professor Oak didn't even know how to respond.
Nervousness isn't even the issue here anymore…
As for Gary, from the moment Dragonite was forced into a defensive position, he'd been staring blankly into space.
Glancing down at his own belt, where only six Pokéballs rested, he suddenly felt they wouldn't even stand up to a single kick from Elias's Lucario.
Now he finally understood why Elias's gaze at him had seemed so strange before.
"I'm so stupid…" Gary moaned softly, covering his face in embarrassment.
---
The battle below reached a fever pitch.
Lance's Dragonite was undeniably strong. Despite suffering two major setbacks, Dragonite still retained abundant stamina. After seizing an opening to use [Roost], it looked as if it had returned to peak condition.
Lance, drawing from years of experience, quickly shifted tactics to a strategy of attrition—forcing exchanges that exhausted both sides.
Each confrontation, Dragonite directly endured Lucario's attacks head-on, but the reverse was equally true: Lucario also had difficulty evading Dragonite's relentless counterattacks. Given Dragonite's vast move pool, many attacks severely disadvantaged Lucario.
With this relentless strategy, Dragonite slowly erased its earlier disadvantage.
Boom—!
Lucario raised both arms, barely blocking Dragonite's [Dragon Pulse], before retreating a short distance closer to Elias.
At this point, Lucario bore several visible injuries. Coupled with the continuous high-intensity battle, he now appeared exhausted.
"Haa… haa…" Lucario breathed heavily, clenching his fists as he glared toward Dragonite.
Dragon-types were notorious for their incredible willpower and stamina. Although Dragonite was similarly battered, its condition seemed better by comparison.
"Champion Lance has changed strategies! Exploiting Dragonite's inherent advantages, the scales of victory appear to be shifting again!" the commentator excitedly shouted, capturing the perfect moment. Even he felt fired up by the fierce, seesawing match—exactly the kind everyone loved to watch.
"Elias."
Taking a deep breath, Lucario turned back slightly, quietly calling out his trainer's name.
Elias nodded understandingly.
It was clear both Pokémon had reached their limits—it was time to end this battle decisively.
Under Lance and Dragonite's bewildered gazes, Elias gently lifted the [Keystone] from around his neck.
"Lucario, [Mega Evolve]."
Elias's calm voice resounded clearly.
Immediately, a brilliant spectrum of light emerged from Lucario's [Lucarionite], resonating with Elias's [Keystone]. The vibrant energy enveloped Lucario completely.
Moments later, as the dazzling light faded, Lucario emerged transformed—his form sturdier, more formidable, and brimming with power.
From the spectator stands, gasps rippled through the crowd.
[Mega Evolution] wasn't yet widespread, limited primarily to small-scale applications within the Kalos region. Seeing this new, unfamiliar evolution method stunned everyone speechless.
Even Lance stood frozen momentarily.
He knew about [Mega Evolution], but he had never imagined Elias's Lucario possessed this capability.
What is this? Did the boss just enter a second phase?
In that instant, Lance felt his breath catch in his throat. Reflecting on his entire career, he realized this was one of the most grueling battles he'd ever experienced—and it painfully reminded him of the exasperating feeling from years ago, when he'd first faced Elias's Gengar.
On the battlefield, Dragonite rubbed its round eyes vigorously with its pudgy claws. After confirming it wasn't hallucinating, it cautiously took a half-step backward.
Why don't I get to [Mega Evolve]?
---
T/N: Dragonites mega is so cool! 3d model kinda sucks though