Sweat beads on Steven's forehead had gathered into streams, sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto his collar.
The mental power consumption required to maintain Mega Evolution was terrifying; he felt as if his brain was soaked in lemon juice, sour and stinging, and every time he issued a command, it was accompanied by a wave of mental dizziness.
He had undergone the top-tier mental power special training, and his teacher asserted that with his talent, maintaining Mega Evolution for twenty minutes was his limit.
But it had only been ten minutes, and he already felt his nerves stretched to the limit.
He looked at Ariel opposite him.
That guy... what's going on?
The wind blew through the bangs on Ariel's forehead; his expression was terrifyingly calm, without even a single drop of sweat.
He just stood there, hands in his pockets, as if he were enjoying a performance that had nothing to do with him.
He's faking it!
He must be holding on!
Steven gritted his teeth and told himself inwardly.
"Metagross, Bullet Punch!" Steven forcibly suppressed the dizziness in his brain and launched another attack.
Another five minutes passed.
Fifteen minutes now.
Steven's vision began to blur slightly, and the tsunami-like cheers from around the arena became somewhat distant, as if separated by a layer of frosted glass.
He looked at Ariel.
The other party still had that calm and indifferent look, and he even... even yawned?
Steven was so angry he almost exploded.
What Ariel was thinking at this moment was:
"Fifteen minutes, logically Steven should be about to reach his limit."
"I originally wanted a big battle, didn't expect to win just by stalling for time."
"What should I eat after this match?"
"Maybe I should treat myself..."
You have to know, Ariel, through his mental power training with Calm Mind, had maintained Mega Gyarados's Mega Evolution for a full 40 minutes before feeling any burden.
And although this was a high-intensity battle, only 15 minutes had passed.
At this very moment, he felt absolutely no mental burden; if one had to say there was any burden...
This feeling was like someone massaging his head; it was even somewhat comfortable...
The battle remained intense, Mega Gyarados's offensive was becoming even more ferocious, while Mega Metagross's movements, influenced by its Trainer's waning mental state, showed a slight lag.
The genius Trainer Steven, that Steven who could always command his Pokémon to make the fastest reactions, his command was 0.5 seconds slow.
When experts clash, this 0.5 seconds is an unbridgeable chasm!
Finally, as time approached the twenty-minute mark.
Steven felt the whole world spinning; his vision went black, and an intense feeling of nausea surged into his throat.
He wanted to open his mouth to issue another command, but found that he had lost even the strength to do so.
The mental bond connecting him to Mega Metagross, after a sharp, intense pain, snapped with a "pop."
"Thud."
Under the gaze of tens of thousands of spectators, Steven's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving violently as he gasped for air.
At the same time, on the battlefield, that majestic Mega Metagross's body suddenly trembled, the silver radiance covering its body receding like a tide, reverting to its original form, floating powerlessly in mid-air, its state listless.
The whole arena was dead silent.
The wind stopped at this moment.
Ariel looked at the collapsed Steven, then at the Metagross that had exited Mega Evolution and was weak in breath, and finally, cast his gaze toward the Mega Gyarados in front of him, which still maintained its Mega Evolution form, roaring at the sky with monstrous ferocity.
His pupils suddenly constricted.
The opportunity had arrived.
But at the same time, he had a few thoughts in his mind.
He had to win this match!
But he couldn't win too easily!
"Cough... cough..."
Ariel suddenly bent over, coughing violently, his face turning pale at a visible speed, as if he too had reached his limit.
He braced one hand on his knee, his body trembling slightly, as if even standing had become extremely difficult.
"Gyarados..."
His voice was hoarse and dry, carrying a trace of imperceptible weakness, as he struggled to squeeze out two words from his throat.
"Dragon Dance!"
Mega Gyarados let out a low roar, its massive body circling and dancing on the spot, a dark red aura rising from within it, its power and speed climbing once again!
Immediately after, Ariel's next command was almost roared out, carrying a sense of desperation as if he were giving it his all.
"Crunch!"
Mega Gyarados, like a black bolt of lightning, instantly crossed the distance of tens of meters, opening its massive maw capable of crushing steel, and bit fiercely towards the already exhausted Metagross!
"Snap!"
The piercing sound of metal shattering rang throughout the arena!
Metagross, already covered in wounds, couldn't even let out a cry under this blow; the light in its eyes completely extinguished, and its massive body fell straight from mid-air, crashing onto the field with a "boom," kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Metagross is unable to battle!"
The referee announced loudly.
And at the very moment the referee's voice fell, Ariel seemed unable to hold on any longer; his body staggered, one hand covering his forehead, and he collapsed heavily onto the ground.
He gasped for air, cold sweat covering his forehead, looking like he was in pain from excessive mental power overdraw.
This sudden display of acting made the slight uproar that had just risen in the spectator stands instantly suppressed.
So... Ariel had reached his limit too?
Steven lifted his head with difficulty, seeing Ariel also collapsed on the ground, that pained expression not looking fake.
He couldn't maintain it anymore?
Indeed!
A flash of realization crossed Steven's eyes, immediately replaced by deeper regret.
Ariel really was just holding on! This guy's limit was also twenty minutes!
If he had... if he had just held on for even ten more seconds, would the outcome have been rewritten?
Steven couldn't help but smile bitterly.
This guy, he was too good at enduring, too good at faking it!
Even though he was also suffering to the extreme, he had maintained a calm and indifferent appearance from beginning to end; those calm eyes, that steady commanding, invisibly exerted a mountain-like heavy pressure on him, making him constantly doubt himself, ultimately leading to his command error.
What a great psychological tactic!
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