The white glow surrounding Metagross dimmed at a visible rate.
It was a clear sign that the defensive boost from its triple Iron Defense was being steadily crushed under Slaking's overwhelming brute strength.
A flicker of pain flashed through its crimson eyes. Its four metallic limbs dug deeply into the ground, trying desperately to hold its position, yet it was still forced backward inch by inch.
The harsh grinding of metal against the battlefield floor produced a piercing screech, leaving four long gouges etched into the ground.
Theo's brows tightened, his heart surging with shock. This was no longer a gap that tactics or move could bridge.
The difference in raw energy and reserves between Metagross and Slaking was simply too vast.
To put it in simpler terms, it was like a level gap in a game from his previous life.
This battle was akin to a level forty Metagross facing off against a level eighty or ninety Slaking.
No matter how powerful the moves or how perfect the strategy, such a gulf was nearly impossible to overcome.
The livestream audience was completely stunned by the scene:
"So this is Gym Leader Norman's Slaking? Terrifying beyond belief!"
"This is ridiculous! What kind of defense is that? It tanked triple defense boosted Body Press without a scratch?!"
"What happened to type advantage? Fighting should be super effective against Normal types, right? Why does it feel completely useless?!"
"Is this the strength of an Elite Four-level trainer? I already thought the streamer was strong, but now…"
At that moment, Slaking suddenly grinned, revealing rows of white teeth, and reached out with one massive hand to grab one of Metagross's metallic arms.
"Not good!"
Theo's heart tightened as he was about to command Metagross to break free, but Slaking moved faster.
"Whoosh!"
Metagross was lifted effortlessly, as if it weighed nothing at all. In the next instant, Slaking swung it through the air in a wide arc, accompanied by a roaring gust of wind, before smashing it heavily into the ground.
BOOM!
The dull impact sounded like a hammer striking directly against everyone's hearts. The battlefield floor caved in, forming a deep crater.
Metagross lay at the bottom, its silver body dulled, trembling uncontrollably from the sheer force of the blow.
"Metagross!"
Theo reached for the Poké Ball at his waist, intending to recall it.
But Metagross struggled to lift its head and shook it firmly at him. In its crimson eyes, there was no trace of retreat, only stubborn determination.
Before Theo could say anything further, Metagross suddenly forced itself upright, its entire body erupting in a blazing red glow.
That was… Meteor Mash.
A massive phantom of a meteor appeared behind it, blazing brilliantly.
The crimson light intensified as the move's attack-boosting effect fully activated within Metagross.
Dragging its battered body, it gathered every last ounce of strength and charged once more at Slaking.
Some spectators in the stands could not bear to watch:
"It's still fighting even like that?"
"Just surrender, Metagross! Stop fighting!"
"Metagross is incredible! That kind of willpower…"
"Damn it, I'm actually tearing up… The gap is so huge, but it's still pushing forward…"
"Slaking, please show mercy! Stop already!"
Slaking looked at the Metagross charging toward it despite knowing it could not win, and a trace of admiration flickered in its eyes.
Admiration aside, battle was still battle.
Slowly, Slaking drew its right fist back, taking on an exaggerated stance as it gathered power.
A dazzling white light began to bloom around its fist, growing brighter and brighter, accompanied by a faint humming sound as the surrounding air compressed.
Mega Punch.
BOOOM!!!
The meteor phantom of Meteor Mash collided head-on with the blazing white light of Mega Punch.
The clash of the two overwhelming forces detonated at the center of the battlefield, forming a visible shockwave that spread outward in all directions.
The audience in the stands was forced back by the gusts of energy, many shielding their eyes in shock.
When the light faded, the sight that greeted them left everyone speechless.
Slaking still stood exactly where it had been, its feet unmoved even by a fraction. Only the glow on its right fist slowly dissipated.
As for Metagross, it was like it had been struck by a speeding train. It was blasted completely out of the battlefield, slamming heavily into the steel barrier in front of the spectator stands.
With a loud metallic crash, even the barrier was bent out of shape.
Metagross slid down along the railing and collapsed onto the ground. It tried to push itself up, but its strength failed it, and it fell back down, barely able to stand.
"Metagross!"
Theo no longer cared about battle rules and rushed forward.
Almost at the same time, Larvesta chirped anxiously as it ran after him, its tiny legs moving as fast as they could to reach Metagross's side.
Milotic followed close behind. With a flick of its tail, countless green Life Dew droplets condensed and fell like rain onto Metagross, restoring its injuries.
The healing energy seeped into Metagross, gradually calming its trembling body.
After a long moment, it finally managed to push itself up slightly and let out a low hum toward Theo, its eyes carrying a hint of apology.
Then, struggling with all its might, it rose to its feet.
Step by step, it dragged its battered body back toward the battlefield and stood firm once more.
Its metallic body was covered in scratches and dents, but the burning fighting spirit in its crimson eyes had not diminished in the slightest.
Slaking watched as Metagross returned to stand before it again. This time, it smiled and raised its hand, no longer making a mocking gesture.
Instead, it gave Metagross a clear thumbs-up.
Standing at the edge of the field, Norman watched the scene unfold, a look of approval appearing on his face.
"Theo, your Metagross is truly impressive. Let's end the battle here."
His voice carried a gentle tone.
"It has already done extremely well. To hold out this long against my old partner is remarkable."
Theo paused, then quickly understood.
Norman had voluntarily ended the match.
Looking at Metagross, battered yet still standing tall, a complex emotion welled up inside him.
This was the first defeat he had experienced on the battlefield.
So this… was the terrifying power of Elite Four-level strength.
At that moment, Slaking slowly began to walk forward, step by step, toward Metagross.
"Lar!!!"
Seeing this, the Larvesta thought the opponent was about to make another move and immediately panicked.
The little fellow shook its head vigorously, flinging off the small fireball hat it was wearing, then rushed out from behind Theo and planted itself directly in front of Metagross.
The five feelers around its head erupted with blazing flames as it let out sharp warning cries toward Slaking.
The stance it took made it look as though it was ready to use its own body to shield its companion behind it.
Slaking lowered its head and looked at the Larvesta standing in its way, and instead of anger, its expression became even more delighted.
It reached out with its right hand, and with a gentle pinch of its fingers, lifted Larvesta up as easily as if it were picking up a kitten.
Dangling in midair, Larvesta kicked its six tiny legs frantically, chirping anxiously as the flames on its feelers flared even higher.
Then it opened its mouth and unleashed a stream of fire, using Flamethrower directly at Slaking.
The sudden burst of flames made Slaking frown slightly. With its other hand, it casually flicked Larvesta on the forehead, instantly interrupting the Flamethrower.
After that, it no longer paid any attention to Larvesta. Instead, it continued forward, extending its left hand to gently pat Metagross on the body, carrying a sense of approval in the gesture.
It was like a senior praising a junior.
After patting it, Slaking even nodded solemnly at Metagross, and the meaning in its eyes was very clear.
You are quite good. Worthy of recognition.
By this time, Larvesta had already been set back down. Seeing that Slaking had no intention of attacking Metagross again, it finally let out a sigh of relief.
It hurried back to Theo's side, picked up the small fireball hat it had dropped earlier, and looked at it with a pained expression after noticing it had been dirtied by dust.
Milotic watched this scene and could not help but feel both amused and exasperated. With a doting look in its eyes, it gently swayed its tail and manipulated the moisture in the air to clean Larvesta's hat.
Once the little hat was spotless again, Larvesta happily bounced around and rubbed affectionately against Milotic.
"Even though it lost, Metagross really didn't embarrass us!"
"Why do I suddenly feel like Slaking is kind of cute? The way it picked up Larvesta was so gentle!"
"Larvesta is way too well behaved. I'm tipping, definitely tipping!"
At this moment, Theo walked up to Norman and gave a deep bow.
"Thank you, Gym Leader Norman. Today's battle helped me understand what a true strong trainer looks like."
Norman smiled and waved his hand.
"You're already excellent. There is still a long road ahead. Your Metagross has great potential. Given time, it will definitely surpass mine. Keep working hard."
He paused, then turned to look at the audience.
"Alright, that's it for today's match. Theo has earned the Balance Badge. Let's give him a round of applause!"
Once again, the arena erupted into enthusiastic applause.
Norman signaled the staff to prepare the next challenger, then walked over to Theo and lightly patted his arm.
"There are other trainers waiting for their Gym battles, so I won't keep you any longer. How about this, are you free tomorrow? I happen to have some time. Come over to my house and we can have a proper chat."
Theo's eyes lit up. Being invited by Norman was undoubtedly a rare learning opportunity, and he nodded immediately.
"Thank you for the invitation. I'd be happy to!"
"Then it's settled."
…
After the battle ended, Theo had barely reached the Gym entrance when he was surrounded by a crowd of fans.
Some were long time supporters, while others had just become fans after watching the battle. They all held up their phones, asking for photos.
"Streamer, can we take a picture together?"
"Metagross was so cool! Even though it lost, it's the champion in my heart!"
"Larvesta is so cute too! Can I pet it?"
Theo smiled and agreed to each request, patiently taking photos and signing autographs.
Larvesta, meanwhile, was bouncing around energetically at the side. The earlier tension from facing Slaking had long been forgotten.
It even carefully adjusted its little fireball hat, then posed in all sorts of playful ways for the photos.
After all, it had dressed up specially just for this moment.
The livestream audience was also completely captivated by Larvesta's current antics.
"Larvesta is way too adorable!"
"Haha, it's seriously so cute!"
Metagross, on the other hand, remained inside its Poké Ball. The fans understood that it was probably feeling down after the loss, so no one insisted on it coming out for photos.
They simply asked Theo to pass along their encouragement, telling Metagross that everyone thought it had done an amazing job.
Theo nodded one by one in response.
It took quite a while before he finally managed to send off the last group of fans. Only then did he leave the Gym with Larvesta and Milotic, returning to the hotel.
As soon as they entered the room, Larvesta immediately pestered Theo to start a video call, connecting to Cynthia's side.
The moment the screen lit up, Tyrantrum's large, tooth filled face filled the entire display. It roared excitedly, asking Larvesta about today's Gym battle.
"Lar larr! Laaar Lar!"
Larvesta immediately jumped in front of the screen, gesturing animatedly.
One moment it imitated Slaking's posture, the next it mimicked Metagross being flung away, chirping nonstop as it vividly recounted the entire battle.
When it described how powerful Slaking was, Larvesta even lowered its voice dramatically, its little face full of exaggerated awe.
After listening, Tyrantrum puffed out its chest and patted itself proudly with its short claws, declaring that once it returned, it would definitely challenge that Slaking.
After all, it had learned a great many moves from Garchomp, even learning Outrage. It could also use Sandstorm and Dragon Dance.
When the time came, it would help Metagross get revenge.
While Larvesta and Tyrantrum were chatting, Theo and Milotic were comforting Metagross.
Theo walked over and sat beside it, picking up a piece of ore and handing it over.
"Still feeling upset?"
Metagross did not turn around, only letting out a soft hum.
"You already did really well today."
Theo placed the ore near its mouth, his voice gentle.
"How many years has Slaking been with Norman? At least over a decade. The battles it has experienced and the experience it has accumulated far exceed yours.
And how long have you been with me? Being able to hold your ground against it for this long has already exceeded everyone's expectations.
Battles always have winners and losers.
Losing today doesn't mean you're not strong. It just means we still have room to grow.
As long as we keep working hard, one day you will reach or even surpass its level. A single loss doesn't mean anything…"
Metagross's body shifted slightly, as if it had taken some of the words to heart.
At this moment, Larvesta dragged the phone over. Seeing that Metagross was still feeling down, Tyrantrum on the screen immediately started shouting.
"Tyraaant! Rant! Raant!"
(Don't be sad! I'll get revenge for you when I come back! I'm really strong now. Even Garchomp praised me!)
Metagross turned its head and glanced at Tyrantrum, clearly conveying one thought.
You still can't beat it.
"Tyrant?!"
(What do you mean I can't?!)
Tyrantrum instantly got worked up, stomping around in circles.
"Tyrant! Tyraant!"
(I haven't been slacking off! I've been training with Garchomp all this time. I've learned Outrage, I can use Sandstorm, and Dragon Dance too. I…)
At this moment, Garchomp, who had been listening nearby, sensed something off and immediately questioned what Tyrantrum had just said.
Tyrantrum's eyes widened as it tried to come up with an explanation, while Larvesta also chimed in through the screen, insisting that Garchomp must have misheard.
Seeing Tyrantrum acting so flustered, Metagross finally let out a faint laugh, its earlier gloom fading as it joined in to reassure Garchomp that it had indeed misheard.
With both Larvesta and Metagross saying so, Garchomp scratched its head, starting to feel that perhaps, maybe, possibly, it really had misheard.
Off to the side, Cynthia watched this group ganging up to fool Garchomp and could not stop herself from covering her mouth as she laughed quietly.
…
Meanwhile, while Theo was on the video call with Cynthia, far away in the Alola region, the Elite Drake was in the midst of an intense and grueling battle…
(End of Chapter)