Getting hammered by constant speed attacks, Garchomp could only block with its claws while those golden vertical pupils tracked every movement, calculating.
After deflecting another strike, it suddenly kicked off the ground and launched skyward.
A ground dragon trying to fly? I'll drag you back down where you belong!
Zekrom immediately gave chase, electricity crackling as it pursued.
But just as Zekrom prepared to attack, Mega Garchomp's entire body suddenly erupted with deep blue Dragon-type energy.
Zekrom halted its assault. It could feel something terrifying building inside that energy.
A moment later, golden light flared within the blue aura—something that made even a Legendary Pokemon hesitate.
At over a thousand meters altitude, that golden streak carved a graceful arc across the sky, like a swallow performing aerial acrobatics through storm clouds.
Then Garchomp reversed direction and dove.
It locked onto Zekrom with predatory focus.
No matter how much Zekrom accelerated, the distance between them shrank rapidly.
Because Mega Garchomp was using Dragon Ascent.
The golden meteor plummeted. At those speeds, with that much power behind it, dodging became nearly impossible.
BOOM!
Twenty meters above ground, Mega Garchomp connected with pinpoint accuracy, pile-driving Zekrom straight into the earth.
Like a meteor impact crater—except the meteor kept drilling deeper, threatening to punch clean through the mountain range.
Ghetsis couldn't see through the dust and debris to know what was happening.
Inside that crater, Mega Garchomp had Zekrom pinned.
Earthquake. Dragon Claw. Stomping Tantrum. Precipice Blades.
The assault looked less like a Pokemon battle and more like a street brawl, grab the opening and unleash everything until your opponent stops moving.
Pinned beneath Garchomp's weight, Zekrom had zero ability to counter. The Dragon Ascent impact had stunned it completely. All it could do was endure while Garchomp vented its fury.
John could only say one thing: he'd completely underestimated how powerful his Mega Garchomp had become. Every single technique carried both Sheer Force and explosive release mechanics layered on top.
The destructive output had scaled to absurd levels.
Seemed like the binding collar's purpose was forcing the Legendary Pokemon to follow orders completely.
Without those restraints, Zekrom and Reshiram would still fight for Ghetsis, but they wouldn't take commands from him anymore.
Meanwhile, overhead, the aerial battle continued.
"Fusion Flare!"
The power behind that attack was genuinely terrifying.
"Extreme Speed!"
Shadow Lugia's massive black form demonstrated incredible agility, like some dark phoenix weaving through the sky, moving faster than should be physically possible.
After dodging Fusion Flare, it barrel-rolled inverted.
Reshiram tried countering with Dragon Claw, but before it could even finish the swing, Lugia exploited its superior speed advantage and slammed into the white dragon.
"Brave Bird!"
The impact sent Reshiram tumbling backward.
But that wasn't the end.
Normally after using Brave Bird, momentum should carry Lugia forward, requiring it to slow down and turn before attacking again.
Instead, Lugia somehow arrested its momentum instantly and accelerated faster than before, launching into another Brave Bird.
Reshiram got hammered again.
Still not finished. Lugia accelerated once more, appearing around Reshiram from yet another angle.