It was clear that Magnus had absolute confidence in his trump card.
Besides Fairy types, Fighting and Bug types also had advantages against Zoroark. Magnus certainly had Pokemon with those typings available, yet he'd chosen to send out Blastoise despite its neutral matchup against Dark types.
John could feel Magnus's confidence and pride as a Champion radiating across the battlefield.
There were many legends surrounding Magnus's trump card Blastoise.
Rumor had it that the Unown markings on Blastoise's shell were connected to an adventure from Magnus's childhood, when he'd helped a group of Unown in distress. Upon parting ways, the Unown had blessed his young Squirtle with their power as gratitude for Magnus's kindness.
This supposedly granted Squirtle an innate ability to turn disasters into fortune - almost like divine protection.
However, John knew something more substantial.
This famous trump card was Blastoise who had once battled an ancient Blastoise in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Some speculated that the ancient Blastoise from that encounter had ascended to godhood, and Magnus's Blastoise had been fighting it to claim the Divine Seat of all Blastoise.
Whether Magnus's Blastoise had actually won that divine title remained unknown.
"Maybe it really is the Blastoise with divine status," John murmured, suddenly feeling movement at his waist.
Looking down, he discovered one of his Pokeballs was practically vibrating with anticipation.
For this championship match, he'd planned to let all his main team members have their moment in the spotlight.
"That's right, it's your turn to shine." John withdrew Zoroark's Pokeball to recall him.
The moment Zoroark returned to his Pokeball, the Spear Pillar altar crumbled away. The phantom Palkia and Dialga, still standing majestically on the battlefield, lost their illusory forms. The thick Ghost-type energy that had sustained them collapsed instantly, pouring to the ground like a waterfall.
Seeing this dramatic dissolution, those spectators who'd still questioned whether John had used three Pokemon fell silent.
Apparently, those two terrifying-looking legendary Pokemon were nothing more than elaborate illusions.
But for those trainers who had already guessed, or known, that the two gods were merely energy constructs, their expressions grew more serious.
"This Zoroark is far stronger than before," murmured Damian, one of the Elite Four watching from the VIP section. He'd witnessed John tame this very Zoroark months ago.
Back then, it had been the Zoroark of ancient legends, powerful and extraordinary, but not nearly as frightening as it was now.
The phantoms that once shattered at first contact had become devastatingly powerful combat amplifiers.
Originally, Damian had speculated that the two summoned Pokemon might be Zoroark's Substitute clones, but energy constructs? This opened up terrifying possibilities.
If John's Zoroark could casually construct any Pokemon and give it genuine combat power through Ghost-type energy...
Magnus was also staring at the energy dissipating on the ground. He'd been shocked to discover that the time and space gods were energy constructs rather than real summons, but what drew his attention more was the energy's typing.
"Damn... Ghost-type," Magnus muttered under his breath.
This Pokemon of John's was definitely not a normal Zoroark, at least not a typical Dark-type Zoroark.
No wonder Ninetales had fallen after taking three attacks. It hadn't been hit by Dark-type moves at all, but Ghost-type attacks that Ninetales had no resistance to.
Finally, the truth was revealed!
John didn't care what others thought. He'd already chosen his third Pokemon.
"Your turn!"
A Pokeball arced toward the sky.
Between flashes of silver light came a white thunderstorm!
Where the lightning struck, a magnificent white cat stood on the battlefield. The moment it appeared, countless trainers throughout the stadium rose from their seats - whether they were rookies, veterans, or Gym Leaders, all staring up at the battlefield in awe.
"What Pokemon is that? Zeraora? The legendary one?"
"No way, isn't Zeraora supposed to be yellow?"
"So... I have a wild theory, but it can't be... it can't be..."
"It's a Shiny Zeraora!"
Someone had revealed the truth, and it was earth-shattering!
"Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! The Shiny Elite really lives up to his name!"
"Damn it, normal Pokemon being Shiny is one thing, but why do legendary Pokemon get to be Shiny too? I don't get it, I won't accept it!"
"Seeing him with a Shiny Zeraora hurts worse than death!"
"I suspect John's cheating, but I have no evidence!"
"I formally object with my real name!"
The entire auditorium erupted. Some were consumed with envy, others maddened by jealousy, some deeply moved, and others genuinely happy for John.
For ordinary Shiny Pokemon, public sentiment was mostly envy mixed with acceptance, after all, the owner was an Elite, so it made sense. Even Pseudo-legendary Shinies weren't completely unacceptable.
But taming a legendary Pokemon... that was also Shiny?
Are you kidding me?
The number of legendary Pokemon known to be tamed worldwide could be counted on one hand. And now you're telling me someone tamed a legendary Pokemon that's also Shiny?
This wasn't just luck from blessed ancestors, this was like moving your entire family cemetery to a power plant and getting struck by lightning every day!
Elite VIP Lounge
"What an enviable kid," grumbled Victor Stone, puffing on his pipe with clear displeasure. Why hadn't he had such luck in his youth? If he could have tamed a Zeraora, he might have become Champion decades ago.
"No matter how many times I see it, I still envy John," Riley Lin said, shaking her head in disbelief.
As his opponent, what Magnus cared about wasn't whether Zeraora was Shiny, but its raw power.
Zeraora had barely appeared, yet the battlefield was already shrouded in crackling white electricity. Even from the trainer's platform, Magnus could feel the static charge making his hair stand on end.
Magnus could draw a simple, direct conclusion: the electrical power of the Zeraora before him likely exceeded every opponent he'd ever faced.
Even in World Pokemon Championships, he'd never encountered such a powerful Electric-type.
The world's strongest Electric-type?
And his Blastoise was weak to Electric attacks.
Should he switch Pokemon again?
He couldn't.
Switching now would kill his momentum completely. Besides, John would likely follow suit and switch as well, leaving them back where they started.
"Then let's battle!" Magnus gritted his teeth and steeled his resolve.