When Roy first made that statement, Caroline didn't expect it at all.
After a moment of silence, Caroline spoke up.
"Are you sure?"
Roy thought Caroline seemed a bit nervous, so he gave her shoulder a reassuring pat.
"Relax and go ahead."
"You'll be fine."
The corner of Caroline's mouth lifted slightly when Roy patted her shoulder, but the expression disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
"Then I'm going."
"Yeah, good luck."
Roy found a spot where he wouldn't be affected by the battle, pulled out some snacks and distributed them to his three Pokémon.
However, was this distance really safe for an Elite-level battle?
Roy was so absorbed in the excitement of watching an Elite-level battle up close that he didn't think much about these concerns.
This oversight would lead to both joy and regret once the battle actually started.
When Kommo-o saw that it was Caroline who stepped forward to conduct the trial, he felt somewhat disappointed.
He glanced at the small Gardevoir, remembering how she had looked after her Mega Evolution at the Altar of the Sunne.
Well, she was a rival not to be underestimated.
The glaring sunlight penetrated through the layers of dense foliage and shone down on Kommo-o's scales, reflecting a dazzling light.
He coveted battles to find the strength to drive away the darkness.
Caroline stood still, and Gardevoir floated not far from her, her slender form swaying gently with the breeze, which looked quite graceful.
It would have been even more picturesque if you could ignore the large gray dragon on the opposite side who was solely focused on fighting.
With the clanking sound of the scales on Kommo-o's chin and tail, the battle began!
Kommo-o wasn't in any hurry. He slowly opened his mouth and let out a loud roar, startling the Flying-type Pokémon in the surrounding woods.
Noble Roar.
Kommo-o used this move as an opening skill to reduce Gardevoir's Attack and Special Attack stats.
This technique worked particularly well against Psychic-type Pokémon, and it had the same effect on Gardevoir.
The sound of flapping wings nearly drowned out Caroline's voice.
The Key Stone on the Trainer resonated with Gardevoir's Mega Stone.
The light of Mega Evolution instantly enveloped this small area of the forest.
Gardevoir's shape gradually elongated. The long dress that had been elegant at the hem transformed into a more refined white gown, and her long arms that had originally been green became normal white, as if wearing long gloves.
Mega Evolution!
Gardevoir entered her Mega Evolution state.
Kommo-o's gaze sharpened as he realized that the Gardevoir before him wasn't exactly the same as the one he had encountered before.
Under the same level conditions, this Mega Evolved Gardevoir seemed even stronger.
Kommo-o's eyes drifted toward his Trainer.
Was there something special about this human?
Naturally, it was because Caroline's Psychic abilities gave Mega Gardevoir a mental boost, and Gardevoir's strength increased several times in an instant.
"Use Psychic."
Mega Gardevoir gently raised her slender arms, centering her palms as energy gathered in a concentrated area.
With a slight movement of her palm, a massive wave of purple psychic energy surged toward Kommo-o.
Naturally, Kommo-o wouldn't simply take hits passively. When facing a fragile Psychic-type Pokémon that relied on long-range attacks, all he needed to do was close the distance.
As long as he got close enough, he could finish the battle with a single uppercut.
So even though he had a double weakness to Fairy-type moves, Kommo-o gritted his teeth and pushed forward, relying on his thick scales to endure the attack.
At the same time, something seemed to fall off Kommo-o's body, and his heavy frame immediately became much faster in an instant.
While Roy was still puzzled about what had happened, he looked more carefully and noticed that Kommo-o's facial expression had become extremely frightening—to the extent that it could stop a crying child instantly.
If a mother saw it, she would definitely threaten to feed her child to Kommo-o if the child cried again at night.
Autotomize.
Scary Face.
With Scary Face, Kommo-o glared at his opponent with a terrifying expression, frightening her and greatly reducing Mega Gardevoir's Speed.
This was what Kommo-o was counting on.
Otherwise, no matter how powerful his Fighting-type moves were, it would be impossible to get close to a Psychic-type Pokémon with Teleport.
What's more, that Psychic-type Pokémon was a Mega Gardevoir.
Mega Gardevoir had originally calculated Kommo-o's speed in her mind, planning to dodge using Teleport before continuing with her next energy-based move.
But Kommo-o's sudden acceleration caught Mega Gardevoir off guard, and when she saw Kommo-o's terrifying facial expression, Mega Gardevoir was momentarily stunned.
She couldn't dodge in time.
Caroline frowned, not understanding why Mega Gardevoir had frozen in place.
She hurriedly called out a reminder.
"Mega Gardevoir, use Teleport!"
The Trainer's voice could obviously snap Mega Gardevoir back to her senses, but it was clear that Kommo-o, who had seized the moment of Mega Gardevoir's hesitation, didn't intend to let her escape so easily.
In the last dozen meters or so, Kommo-o's speed increased once again as he rushed toward Mega Gardevoir's position with an uppercut.
Autotomize, again.
Sky Uppercut.
When Kommo-o raised his speed yet again, alarm bells rang in Mega Gardevoir's mind. She immediately abandoned all the energy she had been gathering and instantly used Teleport.
But Mega Gardevoir, who had obviously fallen into Kommo-o's trap, didn't dodge in time. At the last possible moment, her figure brushed against Kommo-o's fist.
Mega Gardevoir was launched into the air like a kite with its string cut, lifted vertically from the ground. Fortunately, the attack had only struck her left shoulder, so the injury wasn't too serious.
Mega Gardevoir took advantage of the moment she was airborne to quickly gather energy. Opening her palm while still in mid-air, she simultaneously released a charming sound toward Kommo-o.
The white energy in her hand rushed toward Kommo-o, who had just come to a stop and hadn't yet changed his position, with lightning speed.
Moonblast.
Disarming Voice.
Seeing that he couldn't avoid the attack, Kommo-o had no choice but to raise one arm covered with gleaming scales, attempting to use his proudest armor to resist this strike.
"Boom!"
The Moonblast slammed into Kommo-o's body with tremendous force, causing even his perfect scales to become covered with dust.
Blood began to seep slightly from the wound.
Roy sat off to the side enjoying his snacks, and the dust from the aftermath of the Moonblast splashed onto Lucario's face, which showed just how powerful this move was.
Even Kommo-o's defense, with his Totem-sized armor, had been breached.
From the very start of the battle, Mega Gardevoir had been at a disadvantage.