"Lilli—lilli!"
Guided by Mothim, Lilligant's graceful figure moved swiftly across the battlefield.
The moment it saw Rhyperior fall into the magma below, it was instantly startled, letting out a panicked cry.
Rhyperior had been one of the very first Pokémon to follow Aven, just like Lilligant. The bond between the two was extremely deep, and now that it saw Rhyperior in danger, Lilligant immediately grew anxious.
However, Mega Tyranitar's massive figure stood firmly in its way. The raging sandstorm it stirred up made it impossible for Lilligant to approach the crater, completely cutting off any chance of rescuing Rhyperior!
"Lilli—lilli!"
Lilligant's figure came to a halt in midair.
At this moment, it was frighteningly calm, yet faintly, one could sense intense energy fluctuations surging within its body.
Gently closing its eyes, everything within Lilligant's consciousness seemed to vanish. In its place appeared waves upon waves of dense, rich life energy.
Once this life energy emerged, it began to flow continuously within Lilligant's awareness, changing and evolving according to some unknown pattern!
This process of life energy transformation was precisely the same as that experienced by the four Pokémon on the field who had undergone Mega Evolution. In essence, Mega Evolution itself was also a form of life transformation!
"Lilli!"
Suddenly, Lilligant opened its eyes.
At that instant, the life energy of the entire natural world began surging rapidly toward Lilligant…
Now having entered a state of complete unity with nature, Lilligant could freely control the life energy of the natural world itself!
As this life energy flowed into Lilligant's body, it followed an inexplicable path of circulation, causing its body to faintly undergo what seemed to be another profound transformation!
Whooo—whooo—
On the battlefield, fierce winds howled as the sandstorm raged, carrying countless chunks of solid rock as it swept toward Lilligant.
Yet just as the sandstorm was about to engulf it, countless vines suddenly sprouted around Lilligant's body, wrapping around it completely and blocking the sandstorm in its entirety.
Immediately afterward, flowers and grasses burst forth from the ground surrounding Lilligant, and a brilliant green radiance instantly enveloped the entire area.
Within that light glow, Lilligant's figure emerged once more. However, it now appeared noticeably taller and more majestic. The grassy skirt that once adorned its body had elongated, trailing along the ground like an elegant evening gown. The golden flower atop its head was now fully in bloom, its petals spreading outward in all directions, while the crown-like golden pistil elevated it like the sovereign of all flowers!
At this moment, Lilligant still looked like Lilligant—but for some reason, Aven felt that it was completely different. This sensation was strikingly similar to that of Mega Evolution, as though its very life level had once again undergone a profound metamorphosis.
"Lilli—lilli!"
Lilligant opened its eyes. With every movement, every gesture, it stirred the surrounding natural and life energies, as if it had transformed itself into a part of nature itself!
The feeling was indescribably wondrous. Lilligant could clearly sense that the life energy flowing within its body was identical to the life energy coursing through Mega-Evolved Pokémon—a method of awakening hidden power through the activation of life energy.
From a certain perspective, Lilligant had indeed completed a form of Mega Evolution. The difference was that other Pokémon relied on Key Stones and Mega Stones, while Lilligant relied on the power of nature itself, completely merging with the life energy of the natural world and becoming an inseparable part of it!
Whooo—whooo—
In the distance, Mega Tyranitar was also astonished by the changes occurring in Lilligant, but it did not stop its assault. With a wave of its hand, flying sand and stones condensed into countless rock blades, wrapped in surging sand, and slashed toward Lilligant!
This time, however, Lilligant did nothing more than gently wave its hand.
In an instant, the raging sandstorm vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a few rock blades, which were instantly crushed into dust by a burst of green light!
At this moment, Lilligant was like the embodiment of nature itself. Every move it made carried the might of the natural world, and since sandstorms were merely one form of nature's manifestation, they naturally had to obey Lilligant's command!
With another casual wave of its hand, the gloomy, dust-filled sky instantly turned into a clear, cloudless day. The sandstorm disappeared completely, and no matter how hard Mega Tyranitar tried to activate its Sand Stream ability, it was utterly useless—like trying to oppose the entire natural world itself, an effort doomed to fail!
"Lilligant… has it mega evolved?" Aven murmured from afar, naturally noticing the changes.
Confusion flickered in his eyes. Even he, someone from the future, had never imagined that Lilligant could undergo yet another transformation.
However, after a brief moment, realization dawned on him. What Lilligant had achieved wasn't evolution—it was a breakthrough.
Ever since Lilligant had sensed the life energy of nature through Magikarp, it had been striving to merge itself with the life energy of the natural world.
Now, Lilligant had finally completed that final breakthrough, fusing itself entirely with the life energy contained within nature and successfully becoming a part of it!
This state was even more wondrous than Mega Evolution. Though both involved the use of life energy, unity with nature also allowed the manipulation of natural energy itself—making it far more powerful!
"I never thought Lilligant would break through at this moment!" Aven clenched his fist tightly.
Rhydon evolving into Rhyperior had been within his expectations, but Lilligant's breakthrough was a truly unexpected delight.
Originally, even Rhyperior alone would have struggled to deal with the current situation. But now that Lilligant had successfully broken through, his chances of victory had increased dramatically!
On the other side, the brown-robed Grand Sorcerer stared in disbelief as his Mega Tyranitar was completely suppressed.
Lilligant was simply too strong. Even after Mega Evolution, Tyranitar was no match for it. Could it be that Lilligant had also Mega Evolved?
The thought crossed his mind, but he immediately shook his head. He could see no Mega Stone on Lilligant, nor a Key Stone on Aven—so Mega Evolution was impossible.
Yet, the resemblance to Mega Evolution was undeniable. His eyes flickered as a thought surfaced.
He recalled the legends of Mega Evolution passed down in the Kalos region—the origin of everything lay with Xerneas, the God of Life, who was also known as the Tree of Life!
Looking at Lilligant's current state, the image of the Tree of Life suddenly emerged in his mind. In a sense, Lilligant now looked strikingly similar to that legendary existence!
"Lilligant, Solar Beam!" Aven suddenly commanded.
Under Lilligant's influence, the battlefield had once again become bright and sunny, completely dispelling the sandstorm weather!
"Lilli—lilli!"
A milky-white glow appeared around Lilligant as rich solar energy surged through its body!
In the next instant, all the solar energy gathered before it, suddenly condensing into a brilliant milky-white beam that shot forth, causing the heavens and earth to momentarily dim!
This Solar Beam not only contained immense solar energy but was also infused with natural energy, fully carrying the might of nature itself and pushing the power of the attack to its absolute limit!
"Mega Tyranitar, Rock Tomb!" the brown-robed Grand Sorcerer's expression changed drastically.
"ROOOAAR—!"
Mega Tyranitar reacted swiftly, rapidly condensing Rock-type energy throughout its body. It slammed a heavy punch into the ground, causing massive rocks to erupt from below and form layers of solid stone walls in front of it!
BOOM!
In the next moment, the Solar Beam struck the stone walls.
After a brief stalemate, a tremendous explosion erupted, shattering the rock walls into countless fragments!
Even so, Mega Tyranitar managed to block the brunt of the Solar Beam.
Just as the brown-robed Grand Sorcerer let out a sigh of relief, he suddenly noticed a vast amount of green light surging in midair.
The green light gathered rapidly, forming a massive energy sphere filled with surging life energy!
"Lilli—lilli~"
Lilligant floated in the air, one hand raised as life energy flowed continuously through its body.
Relying on its absolute control over life energy, it condensed the life energy of nature itself into an energy sphere infused with natural power!
With a downward wave of Lilligant's hand, the enormous energy ball plummeted from the sky like a falling comet, dragging a long, luminous tail behind it!
(End of Chapter)