"Heh, there's no need for such trouble, I said... I won't lose! For the first challenge, I'll choose the Elite Level!" Ash said decisively, he didn't plan to use Gary's method to take shortcuts because he really didn't need to.
He believed in his own strength... The version of himself in the parallel world is still himself, there's no problem with that.
He would fight the first round seriously, treating it as training. If he couldn't win, there would be experts to cover for him.
"Elite Level... What a coincidence, I only have one Elite Level Pokemon and it's Elite Advanced Level." With that, Giovanni threw out a Pokeball, and a giant Pokemon appeared in the arena — Rhyperior!
This is the evolved form of Rhydon, requiring special items to evolve, mainly gray in color, covered with large orange rock-like armor pieces. The shape and arrangement of the armor give a sense of solidity and power, emitting a fierce aura that can make a three-year-old child cry.
Rock and Ground attributes, and Elite Advanced Level, basically block Charizard and Pikachu's entry. If it were at Junior levels, Ash might attempt to challenge with negative attributes, but at Elite Advanced level, immune to Electric Type Moves, and quadruple restraint against Charizard, those two Pokemon can't even brush against it.
Giovanni clearly has done extensive research on Ash, knowing the two most powerful Pokemon Ash has. By locking those two Pokemon, Ash is essentially crippled.
If Pikachu and Charizard can't be used, does Ash have any other methods to confront an Elite Level Pokemon?
Behind the barrier, Misty and Brock were extremely worried, while Gary was unaware of Ash's specific situation. However, based on his understanding of Ash, if Ash were truly in an irreparable disadvantage, his current expression wouldn't be as confident and composed as it is now.
"You think by locking Pikachu and Charizard I have no other solutions? This is specially prepared for you, transported from Oak's Research Institute! It's decided, Venusaur!" Ash threw the Pokeball, it burst in the air, and immediately a colossal creature landed on the ground, causing a massive roar.
Strong limbs, gigantic blossom, this is one of Ash's Three Starter, Venusaur!
Since capturing Bulbasaur, Ash only used it in a Gym battle during that Top-tier booster event once. Aside from that battle, Bulbasaur, even after evolving to Venusaur, hasn't been in another battle with him.
However, at Oak's Research Institute, Venusaur's strength has improved not any slower than Charizard and the others.
Charizard, who is currently at the Elite Junior Level, reached this level due to battling Glaceon. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, it would still be at the Professional Peak Level like Gardevoir.
Venusaur is also at this level now. Although it's far from Elite Advanced Level, Venusaur also possesses divine strength within, making its ability to fight beyond rank just slightly weaker than Charizard.
"Venusaur... this must be the Bulbasaur from back then? I didn't expect it to have evolved into Venusaur now; I'm just not sure if its power has evolved along with its size. Can you still create that miracle, Ash?"
Facing the quadruple restrained Venusaur, Giovanni showed no panic at all, rather leisurely commenting.
With his sharp eye, he quickly discerned that this Venusaur's level hasn't reached Gym Level. At such a level, even with quadruple restraint, it poses no threat to Rhyperior.
Moreover, Rhyperior is not as simple as it appears; its overall strength is no different from the Elite Peak Level.
Thus, Ash is essentially using Professional Peak against Elite Peak in the battle.
So unless Ash shows the miraculous performance he did against Koga, even if Bulbasaur evolves to Venusaur, with significant improvement, it still won't be a match for Rhyperior.
"To deal with this, we won't even need Victini's blessing. Let's go, Venusaur... MEGA Evolution!!" Ash raised his right hand high, with a bracelet on it, a colorful stone bursting into brilliance!
The next second, a massive gem emerged from Venusaur, and soon the light from the giant gem and colorful stone connected, causing Venusaur to begin transforming.
The light quickly dissipated in less than a second, unveiling Venusaur's new form, with even thicker limbs and an additional pink flower on its head, with a strange pattern appearing on it.
Moreover, the flower on its back became even bigger, with more robustly growing leaves and stalks.
This is Venusaur's MEGA Evolution form, MEGA Venusaur!
The smile hanging on Giovanni's face, as if everything was under his control, stiffened at this moment, staring at MEGA Venusaur as though an epic earthquake surged within his pupils, violently shaking.
"What is... this thing?!" Giovanni tremulously uttered the words, while Misty and others gasped, surprised that Ash had this hidden card.
They certainly knew about MEGA Evolution, but didn't know when Ash acquired Venusaur's MEGA Evolution Stone; this kid started keeping secrets again!
"This kid, always scaring!"
"Hey, this guy just loves worrying people."
"With MEGA Evolution, the odds should be better, but what's so special about Venusaur's MEGA Evolution?"
Three people chimed in, visibly more relaxed.
Since Ash already managed to hold his own against an Elite Peak Glaceon with a Professional Peak Charizard back then, now with a MEGA evolved Venusaur, quadruple restraining Rhyperior, while the opponent is only Elite Advanced Level, isn't this more advantageous than those against Lorelei?
This battle, the odds are great!
...
Outside Viridian Gym, Agatha and Lorelei both stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, looking at the scene in the footage with disbelief.
Since the camera was at Ash's collar, they didn't see the Key Stone on Ash's hand but clearly heard the words Ash uttered — MEGA Evolution!
This didn't seem like an accidental evolution achieved by Ash, but rather an evolution that already had a name, meaning Ash had discovered this evolution a long time ago.
"Venusaur can evolve again, what kind of evolution is this? Lorelei, didn't you travel with that young man for a while? Didn't you discover this?"
Lorelei rolled her eyes helplessly, her beautiful face showing a look of resignation: "I only traveled with him for a week, and we mostly focused on training, how would I know about this?"
Judging by Ash's actions, this is evidently a controlled evolution used during battles, Ash wouldn't have his Pokemon evolve without reason outside of battle?
"It seems like this should be akin to Dynamax, applied during battles as a combat system, with the Pokemon reverting after battle or after using three Dynamax Moves. I wonder if this so-called MEGA Evolution would also revert after battles or certain conditions." Agatha tapped her cane and analyzed earnestly.
"If this evolution can indeed revert, it would be an unprecedented impact on the Pokemon Realm's development!" Lorelei said with a sigh.
A freely controlled evolution's impact on the world would far surpass that of Dynamax!