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Lucario carefully lifted the Grimmsnarl from its weakened state and turned to Roy with a questioning look.
"How should we handle this?" Lucario asked telepathically.
Roy considered the situation for a moment before responding, "We should follow the established rules of this place."
Although King Calyrex possessed a gentle and compassionate nature, he never showed mercy to enemies and held great respect for established regulations. It would be unwise to carelessly break the agreement between the League and the legendary Pokémon.
Lucario nodded in understanding and raised one paw toward the injured Grimmsnarl, channeling energy through Heal Pulse. While Lucario wasn't particularly skilled with healing moves, the technique proved sufficient to restore some vitality to the long-haired creature.
Given this Grimmsnarl's rare professional-level strength, finding a way to survive in the wild shouldn't prove too difficult.
"You know, the Pokémon in this region are quite impressive," Roy observed thoughtfully.
Most safety zones had been established for over a decade, and their overly comfortable environments typically resulted in weaker wild Pokémon populations. The White Mountain Safety Zone served as a perfect example of this phenomenon—even a common Torkoal could establish itself as a Totem there due to the lack of serious competition.
However, the Crown Tundra presented a completely different scenario. This region featured unique Dynamax phenomena that created an environment where wild Pokémon thrived. Whether they directly absorbed Dynamax energy or faced increased survival pressure from Dynamaxed opponents, the local Pokémon displayed remarkable activity and exceptional potential.
Numerous pack leaders in this area had achieved professional-level strength, which explained Cole's warnings about approaching energy points carelessly. When a professional-level Pokémon underwent Dynamax transformation, it could unleash devastating power comparable to master-level opponents.
Apart from Roy and Henry, very few students possessed the capability to handle such encounters.
The Grimmsnarl stirred back to consciousness, initially appearing disoriented before quickly recalling recent events. It clasped its hands together and bowed deeply, expressing both gratitude and apology to Roy and his team who had defeated it. Through gestures, it indicated its willingness to assist them if needed.
Despite its intimidating appearance, the creature demonstrated genuine kindness. Roy decided to test a theory: "Have you recently consumed any unusual mushrooms? Something particularly large?"
The troll considered the question carefully before nodding affirmatively.
"Grimmsnarl" it responded, indicating a powdery white mushroom of considerable size.
Roy's suspicion proved correct. The creature had consumed a Max Mushroom, a rare mutant variety that only grew in areas saturated with Dynamax energy. These incredibly scarce specimens were essentially natural treasures.
Pokémon possessing Gigantamax potential could unlock this ability by consuming Max Mushrooms, though the fungi had no effect on species lacking such potential. Grimmsnarl happened to be among those Pokémon naturally capable of Gigantamax transformation.
With the mystery solved, Roy waved dismissively. "It's fine. You can go now."
The Grimmsnarl appeared eager to make amends, but Roy repeatedly declined its offers of assistance. Eventually, the well-meaning creature departed to rejoin its pack.
Once the Grimmsnarl had left, Roy led his Pokémon team toward the energy point. As they approached the crimson energy beam, both Roy and Lucario experienced increasing pressure and rising irritability, accompanied by destructive impulses.
The violent will of Eternatus permeated the Dynamax energy. Even legendary Pokémon risked being overwhelmed if they attempted to absorb such corrupted power directly.
"Blast!" Blastoise trembled with fear, covering its face with both hands in a pose reminiscent of Munch's famous painting "The Scream."
The Water-type stared at Roy with obvious concern, as if asking whether they should abandon this dangerous plan entirely.
"Look at you being such a coward," Roy chuckled, raising his left wrist to reveal the Dynamax Band. "With this device, we can absorb and convert the unstable Dynamax energy into manageable Galar particles."
After Eternatus's defeat, its body had shattered and scattered across the Galar region in the form of Wishing Stars. The Dynamax Band represented advanced technology created by combining human innovation with the power of these stellar fragments.
Using Eternatus's remains, the device eliminated the violent consciousness within Dynamax energy. While the underlying principle seemed straightforward, the technological complexity far exceeded Earth's current capabilities. Even if Roy provided the band to laboratories for analysis, mass production would prove extremely challenging.
Many technologies from the Pokémon world appeared as incomprehensible innovations when viewed from Earth's perspective.
"I believe it works like this," Roy murmured, touching the Dynamax Band's screen interface with his right hand to activate the collection system.
Immediately, the crimson energy began flowing toward the wristband until it reached full capacity.
"This only provides enough energy for a single Dynamax transformation, and the stored power gradually dissipates over time, so it can't be preserved indefinitely," Roy noted with slight frustration.
Unlike Mega Evolution and Z-Moves, which could be activated anywhere at any time, Dynamax required proximity to specific energy sources. Fortunately, Roy had anticipated this limitation and had developed potential solutions that required testing.
For now, however, his priority was Blastoise's Gigantamax transformation.
Roy opened his system interface and exchanged points for an item labeled "Max Soup," which cost thirty million points—a substantial investment.
Max Soup was a specialized potion crafted from three Max Mushrooms. Compared to consuming the mushrooms directly, this refined preparation offered greater stability and eliminated potential side effects.
"The only way to enable Blastoise's Gigantamax ability is by processing Max Mushrooms into soup," Roy mused, unable to suppress his amusement at the culinary parallel.
Blastoise examined the Max Soup curiously before drinking it in one gulp.
"Blast!" The delightful flavor caused Blastoise to burp contentedly, warmth spreading throughout its body. When it looked at the energy point again, it felt an unexpected sense of familiarity and connection.
"Let's begin," Roy announced, raising his left hand.
The Galar particles stored within the Dynamax Band surged toward Blastoise in a brilliant display. A crimson beam of light erupted from the Water-type, piercing the sky and expanding outward until darkness enveloped the entire area like nightfall.
As the light beam expanded, Galar particles completely surrounded Blastoise, causing its body to grow rapidly until it reached an impressive height of over fifty meters.
The massive shell had undergone significant upgrades, now featuring thirty-one water cannons distributed across its surface. At the center sat a colossal Hydro Pump surrounded by twelve cannons capable of adjusting their trajectory independently.
Whether targeting opponents in the sky or on land, nothing remained beyond its impressive range. Blastoise had transformed into a fully-armed mobile fortress, both majestic and terrifying in appearance.
Three red clouds circled the Gigantamaxed Pokémon, which glowed with crimson energy like a mythical titan from ancient legends.
"BLAST!" Blastoise's voice created powerful sound waves that echoed across the landscape.
Roy struggled initially to understand the meaning behind the enthusiastic roar, but eventually translated it as pure excitement and exhilaration.
Roy couldn't help but smile, understanding his partner's overwhelming joy. After all, who hadn't dreamed of becoming a giant hero during childhood?
The naturally show-off Blastoise preferred the spectacular visual impact of Gigantamax over Mega Evolution. In an arena setting, all spectators would crane their necks upward in amazement, creating an unforgettable spectacle.
However, as a trainer, Roy focused more on the practical applications of Gigantamax transformation.
Blastoise, experiencing its first Gigantamax, remained captivated by its new form, constantly examining its transformed body and wishing for a mirror to fully appreciate the change.
Roy patiently waited for the initial excitement to subside before asking with genuine curiosity, "How does it feel?"
"Blast," Blastoise responded honestly, sharing its assessment.
Compared to both standard combat and Mega Evolution forms, the most significant difference lay in attack coverage and area-of-effect capabilities.
In simpler terms, Gigantamax excelled at wide-area damage.
Mega Evolution proved more suitable for precise long-range attacks and concentrated bombardments against specific targets.
Gigantamax, conversely, specialized in large-scale devastation across extensive areas.
In terms of raw power, both transformations were comparable, but they developed along different tactical approaches.
However, one significant drawback became apparent.
"The energy consumption rate is much faster than Mega Evolution," Roy observed thoughtfully.
In competitive battles, Gigantamax transformations typically lasted only three turns. Blastoise estimated it could maintain this form for approximately three minutes—reminiscent of certain tokusatsu heroes with similar time constraints.
From this perspective, Gigantamax carried considerable limitations. While the transformation provided impressive size and power, its brief duration and dependence on energy points created strategic challenges.
Nevertheless, the technique offered distinct advantages. Many Pokémon species could potentially achieve Gigantamax, making it widely accessible. Additionally, Gigantamaxed Pokémon could access exclusive signature moves.
Blastoise's signature technique was particularly devastating.
"G-Max Cannonade!" Roy commanded, eager to witness this special attack.
Blastoise instinctively understood how to execute this powerful technique without any prior practice. Water-type energy merged seamlessly with Dynamax power, reaching incredible intensity levels before manifesting as an exclusive move.
Like a genetic memory, the move's proficiency had instantly reached expert level.
The fortress-like shell unleashed torrents of high-pressure water from all thirty-one cannons simultaneously, creating an aerial tsunami of unprecedented scale.
Water flooded the surrounding area within seconds, completely submerging the landscape. The deluge formed a massive vortex centered on Gigantamax Blastoise, continuously circulating with tremendous force.
Any opponents caught within this watery maelstrom would face constant battering from the relentless currents, unable to escape the devastating whirlpool.
The display of power left no doubt about Gigantamax Blastoise's capabilities as a formidable force on any battlefield.