"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Dull impacts rang out repeatedly as the two Pokémon engaged in the most direct and brutal form of combat. Fire Punch and Ice Punch collided fiercely again and again.
Flames and freezing energy exploded the instant the attacks met, forming a shockwave of fire and ice that spread outward. The surrounding heavy snow was blasted away in every direction.
Dragonite and Abomasnow were both pushed back several steps by the force behind the opponent's strike, their feet carving deep tracks into the icy battlefield.
"Biggie, are you alright?"
"Draa!"
Giant Dragonite let out a roar and shook its body, scattering the ice crystals that had formed on its scales. It was clearly unharmed.
Across from it, Abomasnow was in slightly worse condition. The layer of unmeltable ice covering parts of its body had begun to soften under the intense heat. Warm water from the melting ice ran down along its arms.
However, due to the continuous snowfall, its body was quickly covered by another layer of frost.
"Well now, what a passionate battle!" Wulfric laughed heartily.
He reached up and removed the button near his chest, slowly opening it to reveal the Key Stone hidden beneath.
At the same time, beneath the thick white fur covering Abomasnow's chest, its Mega Stone began to shine with brilliant light.
"Show your fangs and freeze everything with your power. Mega Evolution!"
"Abomasnow!"
A dazzling pillar of light wrapped around Abomasnow. Within the light, its body rapidly expanded while the ice crystals on its surface grew larger and sharper.
Mega Abomasnow had arrived.
Compared to before, Mega Abomasnow had undergone significant changes.
Its body had nearly doubled in size, and four massive ice pillars sprouted from its back like newly grown shoots.
Almost tangible ice type energy surrounded it, forming a miniature frozen storm centered on its body.
The snowfall already present on the battlefield grew even more violent, evolving into a true hailstorm.
The falling precipitation was no longer soft snowflakes but chunks of hail of various sizes, and the temperature within the gym dropped rapidly.
If the battle continued long enough, one could even boldly speculate that the temperature might approach absolute zero.
The light of Mega Evolution faded.
Mega Abomasnow stood proudly on the battlefield, radiating an overwhelming presence. The icy surface beneath its feet cracked slightly from the pressure of its power.
"What an incredible Pokémon."
As one of the officially recognized eight gyms of Kalos, Wulfric's ace Pokémon, once Mega Evolved, clearly reached the level of an Elite Four tier trainer's main Pokémon.
Narrowing his eyes, Silas removed his coat and wrapped it around Cinccino before placing the little Pokémon safely by his feet.
Then he raised the Key Stone on his wrist.
If that was the case, then Mega Abomasnow would serve as the perfect opponent to test Giant Dragonite's full strength.
"Biggie, let Gym Leader Wulfric witness our fighting spirit. Mega Evolution!"
"DRAAA!"
A miraculous light of Mega Evolution enveloped Giant Dragonite.
Even a veteran trainer like Wulfric could not hide his surprise at the sight.
"Well… Dragonite can actually Mega Evolve too. That is truly unbelievable!"
A newly discovered Mega Evolution was making its first appearance on the battlefield.
Instead of fear, excitement filled Wulfric's body. His pupils seemed to burn with fiery enthusiasm.
Mega Abomasnow sensed its trainer's intense fighting spirit and roared loudly, slamming both arms against the ground with a thunderous crash.
The light of evolution faded.
A completely new Dragonite appeared on the battlefield.
Now the match had become Mega Abomasnow versus Mega Dragonite.
The clash between Mega Evolutions had begun again.
"Cin!" (You must win!)
Cinccino wrapped its fluffy tail tightly around its body while cheering loudly for Giant Dragonite.
"Aurora Veil!"
"Interrupt it. Extreme Speed."
Aurora Veil was an ice type move that could only be used during snowy weather. Its effect was essentially a combination of Light Screen and Reflect, reducing both physical and special damage by half for a period of time.
It was an absolutely essential move for hail teams.
If Abomasnow successfully used it, Giant Dragonite's offensive power would be severely weakened.
The moment Silas finished speaking, Mega Dragonite's wings spun violently above its head, generating a swirling gust.
Its body transformed into a streak of pure white light and shot forward.
In an instant it appeared beside Mega Abomasnow.
The opponent simply could not react fast enough to keep up with Mega Dragonite's incredible speed.
A heavy punch slammed directly into Mega Abomasnow's abdomen.
Then countless smaller punches followed like a storm of rain.
The continuous barrage forced Mega Abomasnow backward step by step. The damage was not extremely high, but it prevented Abomasnow from successfully using Aurora Veil.
Mega Abomasnow was not the type of Pokémon that would simply endure attacks without fighting back.
It crossed its arms to block most of the blows and stabilized its footing despite being pushed backward.
With a low roar, freezing energy erupted from both of its fists.
Light blue ice crystals rapidly formed, creating two enormous spiked Ice Punches.
Mega Abomasnow swung its arms in a powerful horizontal sweep, the strike tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound as it aimed directly at Mega Dragonite.
Mega Dragonite instantly leaped upward.
With a single flap of its wings it rose into the air.
The Ice Punch barely missed its feet before crashing into the frozen ground, shattering the ice and creating a crater several meters wide. Cold energy spread through the cracks, freezing everything nearby into icy sculptures.
But Mega Abomasnow's assault did not stop there.
Centered on its body, ice type energy burst outward wildly.
The hail covering the battlefield suddenly accelerated, transforming into countless sharp ice blades.
The raging wind and snow condensed into a massive blizzard vortex.
The storm carried terrifying cold, like a greedy beast attempting to freeze everything in its path as it rushed toward Mega Dragonite.
With the hailstorm enhancing it, Blizzard covered the entire battlefield.
Both the sky and the ground were sealed off, leaving Mega Dragonite with no room to dodge.
Silas's command rang out, steady and calm.
"Protect."
A light green barrier unfolded in front of Mega Dragonite.
The blizzard slammed against the shield but could not penetrate it. Mega Dragonite remained completely unharmed.
Even the most violent storm would eventually weaken.
The moment the blizzard began to fade, Silas spoke again.
"Scale Shot."
Facing the remaining storm head on, Mega Dragonite burst forward at maximum speed.
In a flash it appeared beside Mega Abomasnow.
Abomasnow sensed the movement, but it was already too late to react.
A faint golden glow covered Mega Giant Dragonite's body as it spun rapidly.
Sharp scales like blades flew outward one after another, shooting toward Mega Abomasnow like meteors.
The scales sliced through the air with piercing whistles before striking Abomasnow precisely.
"Aboma…"
Mega Abomasnow groaned in pain.
Four cuts of varying depth appeared across its body where the Scale Shot had struck.
Dragon type attacks were naturally powerful against Mega Abomasnow, and the damage dealt was considerable.
After landing the attack, Mega Dragonite did not remain in place.
It immediately retreated, avoiding Abomasnow's attempt to counterattack.
Once it created a safe distance, Mega Dragonite smoothly began using Dragon Dance to strengthen itself.
Its high speed advantage became obvious here.
Mega Abomasnow attempted to interrupt the move.
However, the Ice Shard it threw had not yet reached Mega Dragonite before the dragon dance had already finished.
Giant Dragonite's speed and attack both increased by one stage.
Now they had seized the initiative.
It was time for them to launch their own offensive.
Silas raised his hand and quickly issued the next command to Mega Dragonite.
(End of Chapter)