Bathed in the light of evolution.
Gabite's body began to change within the light, its bones lengthening and its frame growing taller.
Its finlike forelimbs grew long and powerful, its tail extended, and fine scales emerged along its spine.
The light lasted for over ten seconds.
Then, with a boom, the light burst apart.
A brand-new Pokémon appeared before everyone.
Garchomp.
But it was different from an ordinary Garchomp.
Its body was a deep blue, darker and richer than an ordinary Garchomp's.
Its limbs were long and powerful, every muscle holding terrifying explosive strength.
Faint Dragon-type energy shimmered along the edges of the two finlike structures at the end of its tail.
After long, grueling training, traveling to hone its skills, and challenging powerful opponents across the land, Garchomp finally underwent its transformation at Lu Chen's farm.
Garchomp had taken the final step, becoming a fully evolved pseudo-legendary!
Staring at the Garchomp before him, Ash's mouth fell open in surprise.
Gary even took an instinctive step back.
Garchomp lowered its head and looked at its new body.
It raised its forelimbs, spread its claws, then closed them again, feeling the power surging within.
This time, it had not merely evolved. Garchomp had also broken through the Elite Four bottleneck in the process.
It had become an Elite Four-level Pokémon!
Then it raised its head and looked at Lu Chen.
Its eyes held gratitude, shock, and an indescribable fervor.
"Chaaa!!!"
Garchomp let out a long howl.
The sound pierced the twilight and echoed over Pallet Town.
Looking at the completely transformed Garchomp before him, Lu Chen's lips curved slightly upward.
"Now you're starting to look like a pseudo-legendary Garchomp."
Garchomp's howl was still echoing over Pallet Town, but the atmosphere on the farm had already quietly changed.
Professor Oak stood on a field ridge, gazing up at the transformed Garchomp.
Professor Oak said in amazement,
"Gabite evolving into Garchomp... that in itself isn't anything unusual."
"But how long has it been since Lu Chen caught it? Just over two months. Just over two months."
"To raise a Gym Leader-level Gabite to Elite Four level in that time, that pace..."
Professor Oak shook his head, banishing that frightening thought.
Then another question occurred to Professor Oak.
Was the "surprise that would surpass every Garchomp of this era" Lu Chen had mentioned earlier really just evolution?
The newly evolved Garchomp was certainly strong.
Its aura was powerful, its muscles sleek, and its dark gold scales gleamed coldly. One look was enough to tell it was top-class.
But Professor Oak kept feeling that things were not so simple.
Knowing Lu Chen, mere evolution would not have made him go out of his way to build up so much suspense.
"What else is this guy hiding?"
Meanwhile, Ash and Gary's reactions were much more straightforward.
"What a powerful aura!" Ash's eyes shone, his fists clenched tight.
"That's Lu Chen's Garchomp for you!"
Gary said nothing, but his hand unconsciously pressed against the Poké Ball at his waist.
He was all too familiar with that oppressive feeling.
Just like the armored Pokémon he had faced at the Viridian Gym that day, it was an overwhelming disparity in sheer strength.
Lu Chen paid no attention to the gazes around him.
He walked up to Garchomp and looked up at it.
"How do you feel?"
Garchomp raised its forelimbs high, opening and closing its claws as it felt the power surging within.
It gave a short, forceful growl, its voice brimming with excitement.
"Chomp!"
It felt better physically than it ever had before.
Every muscle was filled with explosive strength, and every bone was unbelievably tough.
And...
Garchomp suddenly paused.
It lowered its head to look at its claws, then felt the flow of energy within its body again.
There was a power it had never possessed before.
Deep within its body, some dormant circuit had been fully opened by the medicine.
An instinctive battle dance, etched deep into its genes, was awakening in its muscles and nerves.
Watching Garchomp's reaction, Lu Chen's lips curved slightly upward.
Of course Lu Chen knew what had happened.
The Secret Medicine.
In ancient times, Trainers had mixed medicines from various precious materials to teach their Pokémon certain specific moves.
Simply put, Secret Medicine was the ancient equivalent of TMs.
And the most important, most irreplaceable ingredient in the medicine for the move Dragon Dance was scales from the Garchomp line.
Yet in modern times, plenty of Pokémon that were not Dragon-types could learn Dragon Dance.
Meanwhile, the most authentic users of Dragon Dance, the Garchomp line, somehow could no longer learn it.
At that thought, Lu Chen could not help grumbling inwardly.
This feels just like some tasteless joke the creator god Arceus played on the Garchomp line.
It was as though the great hand of fate were silently exerting its influence.
Looking at Garchomp, which was bursting with energy after evolving, Lu Chen turned toward Ash and Gary nearby.
"You two, want to have a Pokémon battle?"
Gary's ears pricked up, and his eyes instantly lit up.
Gary instinctively started to agree, but swallowed the words just as they reached his lips.
Because the Elite Four-level Garchomp before him instinctively reminded Gary of what had happened not long ago.
The sight of himself overestimating his abilities and challenging the Viridian Gym, only to be struck by a Pokémon that the armored Pokémon had lifted with Confusion.
His whole body had hurt terribly, his bones feeling as though they were about to fall apart.
He had spent ages in the hospital before being discharged, and had even needed to lean against the wall to walk.
And... Gary glanced at his Poké Balls.
Blastoise, Arcanine, Nidoking... every one of them was still recovering.
If they suffered serious injuries again, he could forget about attending the Pokémon League tournament.
Gary gritted his teeth, and reason prevailed.
"No. The Pokémon League tournament is coming up soon. I'm afraid my Pokémon might get seriously hurt."
Lu Chen nodded without saying anything more.
Ash, however, was completely different.
"Then let's do it, Lu Chen!"
Ash did not hesitate for even a moment.
Even though Gabite had swatted him into the ground with one claw not long ago, even though he knew Garchomp was a whole tier stronger than Gabite.
There was still not a trace of retreat in Ash's eyes.
As far as Ash was concerned, he did not even know the meaning of fear.
Never mind facing Lu Chen's Garchomp-even against the creator god Arceus, Ash would dare to send Pikachu into battle.
That was Ash.
Lu Chen found it quite interesting as he looked at the two, who had made completely opposite choices.
"All right, let's have Ash give it a try." Lu Chen thought for a moment, then added,
"But to be safe, I'll have Garchomp refrain from using attacking moves. How does that sound?"
"No moves?!"
Ash's eyes suddenly lit up.
If he had only agreed to battle earlier because of his refusal to admit defeat, now he truly saw hope of winning.
"You said it, Lu Chen!"
Ash took a Poké Ball from his waist and hurled it hard.
"Go, Charizard!"