To Go Even Further Beyond!!!

Even a must-hit move like Power Split couldn't land on Machamp.

"What else can I do?" John muttered under his breath, lost in thought. His fingers clenched into a fist before he raised a hand toward Gardevoir.

"Moonblast!"

Gardevoir sprang into action, its elegant form glowing under the dim battlefield lights. With its hands stretched toward the sky, the heavens themselves seemed to respond. The battlefield momentarily darkened as a bright crescent moon appeared overhead. Then, in the blink of an eye, countless pink energy spheres rained down like a meteor shower, a cascade of shimmering destruction hurtling toward Machamp from all directions.

"Not bad control over Moonblast," Saul Badman mused, his expression calm. Then, with a slight tilt of his head, he gave his command.

"Wide Guard."

Machamp's four muscular arms moved swiftly, its blocking stance activating an ethereal brown barrier. The translucent shield expanded outward, absorbing the Moonblast barrage in an instant.

However, unseen by Machamp, a faint pink glow materialized behind it—an attack slipping through the cracks like a phantom blade. Just as it was about to land, a thin blue film shimmered into existence, intercepting the attack and nullifying it entirely.

"My Machamp is reinforced with aura energy," Saul explained casually. "If you want to break through, you'll need an attack powerful enough to pierce its aura defense."

John's eye twitched. "Oh, really?" he muttered. "So if Machamp isn't even that great at aura, my Gardevoir can still break it? What if it were a Lucario? Would I be completely screwed then?"

Despite his irritation, John couldn't deny his fascination. Aura defense was something he'd never considered before. If he could master it, his Pokemon would gain an entirely new layer of protection.

No time to dwell on it now. He had to find a way through.

"Psychic!"

Gardevoir's eyes gleamed as a surge of invisible energy radiated outward like a whip, lashing at Machamp with incredible force.

"Bullet Punch!"

Machamp moved with practiced precision, all four fists glowing with a metallic sheen as it struck at the incoming energy. Each punch met the unseen force dead-on, neutralizing the attack with mechanical efficiency.

Saul smirked. "I forgot to mention—there's a technique that only the best Pokemon can master: Mind Reader." He gestured toward Machamp. "With its mind open, Machamp can sense any attack from any angle."

John's face darkened. "So that's how it dodged Gyarados' Hyper Beam at point-blank range. But in the games, Mind Reader is just a move that guarantees the next attack hits! How is it working as a defensive technique here?"

Even so, he noticed something. Machamp's punches were slowing down.

It's getting tired, John realized. Maybe not visibly, but Mind Reader must put an enormous strain on its focus.

Time to push harder.

"Substitute!"

Gardevoir shimmered, its form briefly distorting before a second Gardevoir materialized beside it.

"Encore, Psychic!"

Both Gardevoirs unleashed a relentless psychic assault. Their energy tendrils whipped through the air, each strike faster and more forceful than the last.

"Protect." Saul's command was delivered almost lazily.

Machamp crossed its upper arms in front of its chest, summoning an invisible barrier. The psychic onslaught slammed into the shield like ocean waves battering a lone rock, but the defense held firm.

"Teleport!"

One Gardevoir vanished and reappeared behind Machamp, launching another mental barrage at point-blank range.

Without even looking, Machamp responded. It shifted its arms, two maintaining the forward barrier while the other two reached back, forming a secondary defense. The Protect move activated in two directions simultaneously, blocking the attack from both sides.

John's mouth fell open. "You've got to be kidding me. Protect can be activated with just a flick of the wrist? Normally, Pokemon have to cross their arms to use it! Are four-armed Pokemon just straight-up overpowered?"

He almost wanted to train a Machamp himself. Almost.

Still, he noticed a flaw. The single-handed Protect was weaker than the full-body version.

If I can hit it hard enough, I can break through!

But there wasn't time for Calm Mind to boost Gardevoir's power. If he hesitated, Machamp would reset with another Wide Guard.

"Gardevoir! Go all out—Psychic!"

Both Gardevoirs unleashed everything they had. Their floating forms radiated energy, their white gowns billowing as their mental force intensified. The sheer pressure distorted the air, and the invisible energy tendrils became almost solid. The strain on Machamp's barrier was evident—small cracks splintered across it.

Not enough.

Then, suddenly, a warmth spread through John's hand. He looked down at his wrist—the Key Stone on his Mega Ring was glowing.

The moment his gaze fell upon it, something inside him stirred. A strange, overwhelming emotion surged through him.

He could feel it.

Through the Key Stone, John could sense Gardevoir's heart. Not just its power, but its feelings. Its thoughts.

And they were simple.

Gardevoir wanted nothing more than to help him. To be the strength he needed. To fight at his side, no matter what.

A brilliant, multicolored light engulfed Gardevoir as the Mega Evolution process began.