Julian's nine main Pokémon launched a simultaneous assault, each unleashing powerful moves that even caused the surrounding space to tremble slightly.
Facing this barrage, Tapu Bulu sneered, summoning its wooden hammer to smash through the attacks.
However, the moment its hammer made contact with the attacks, its previously dismissive expression shifted—the sheer force behind the combined strikes nearly shattered the weapon.
With a grunt, Tapu Bulu steadied itself, barely managing to block everything.
However, the clash between the two sides remained in a deadlock.
Julian knew that if they couldn't shatter the hammer with the first strike, they likely wouldn't be able to do it afterward either.
"Scatter and attack," Julian's voice echoed telepathically in his Pokémon's minds.
In an instant, all but Mega Aggron who stayed in place spread out, surrounding Tapu Bulu from all sides.
"ROAR!"
Dragonite bellowed as its body transformed into a blazing blue dragon, energy surging through its veins. The sheer density of draconic energy made the sky itself tremble.
Sacred Sword!!
Kartana appeared at Tapu Bulu's left flank, its milky-white blade radiating a serene yet lethal glow. The air itself seemed to split under its edge.
Tapu Bulu swung its wooden hammer and met the Sacred Sword head-on.
With a loud—CRACK!, Kartana's Sacred Sword shattered and turned into sparkling fragments of light.
But the blade-wielding Pokémon didn't falter. Its limbs turned into flashes of sharp light, slashing at Tapu Bulu again and again.
Yet, the gap in their levels made it easy for Tapu Bulu to dodge every strike.
Then—Dragonite's Dragon Rush descended like a meteor.
Tapu Bulu reacted instantly, smashing its hammer into Kartana first, sending the lightweight warrior crashing into the ground like a discarded ragdoll.
Then, in the same motion, it swung the hammer upward, meeting Dragonite's attack head-on.
BOOM!
The draconic aura dispersed—revealing Dragonite gripping the hammer with both hands, muscles straining. But Tapu Bulu simply pushed harder.
BAM!
Dragonite was slammed into the earth, cratering the ground beneath it.
Boom!
Taking advantage of the opening Kartana and Dragonite had created, Moltres' Flamethrower engulfed Tapu Bulu, turning it into a writhing fireball.
"Luca!"
Mega Lucario barked a command at Steelix.
Nodding, Steelix slammed its tail into the ground, causing jagged pillars of rock to erupt one after another. Mega Lucario leapt between them, using the rising platforms to gain altitude—until the final stone pillar shot up directly beneath Tapu Bulu.
With a powerful kick that shattered the rock beneath it, Mega Lucario shot upward like a bullet.
"BULU—!!"
Tapu Bulu let out a furious roar, dissipating the flames engulfing its body with the cry—just in time to face Mega Lucario's Meteor Mash head-on.
"Mel!"
Meanwhile, from behind, Melmetal stretched its liquid-metal arms to an incredible hundred meters, its massive fists glowing with steel-type energy.
Double Iron Bash!
Trapped between Mega Lucario's Meteor Mash in front and Melmetal's crushing steel fists from behind, Tapu Bulu had nowhere to dodge.
BOOM!!
Both attacks landed in rapid succession, the force of the blows sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.
"Bulu—!"
Yet, Tapu Bulu's cold, unflinching gaze locked onto Mega Lucario. The Fighting/Steel-type's heart sank—its Meteor Mash hadn't done much damage to the Island Guardian.
Before it could react, Tapu Bulu's left fist clenched, and a devastating Rock Smash slammed straight into Mega Lucario's chest.
A Rock Smash from a Champion-level Pokémon was too much for a level 75 Mega Lucario to withstand.
The sound of shattering bone echoed as the Pokémon was sent hurtling toward the ground like a meteor, its Mega Evolution forcibly undone mid-fall.
One hit. That was all it took to take down Mega Lucario.
Julian's expression turned grim. He shot a glance at Mega Metagross, who vanished in a flash of teleportation, reappearing just in time to catch the falling Lucario before it could crash.
If Lucario had hit the ground in its current heavily injured state, the results would've been catastrophic.
Julian recalled the unconscious Lucario into its Poké Ball, gritting his teeth against the mental backlash of forcefully getting a Mega Evolution undone.
"Steelix—Mega Evolve!"
In a burst of light, a level 75 Mega Steelix emerged, its colossal body spinning rapidly like a drill as it launched into the air with Drill Run.
Meanwhile, before Melmetal could retract its extended arms, Tapu Bulu grabbed them. With terrifying strength, it hoisted Melmetal off the ground completely.
Then, with a powerful swing, it hurled Melmetal straight at the airborne Mega Steelix mid-Drill Run.
To avoid injuring its teammate, Mega Steelix was forced to cancel its attack, and both Pokémon crashed to the ground together.
But Tapu Bulu didn't give them a chance to recover.
In the very next instant, it appeared in front of the fallen duo—left fist crushing Melmetal with Rock Smash, right fist hammering Mega Steelix with another Rock Smash.
Two more Pokémon down.
"META!"
Mega Metagross appeared in a flash. Its swift Meteor Mash came crashing down from above, slamming Tapu Bulu straight into the earth like a hammer driving a nail.
But this time, before Tapu Bulu could be fully buried, a pulsing emerald energy erupted from its body, wrapping around Mega Metagross like vines.
Mega Drain.
Unlike the weaker (pseudo-Champion) Leech seed used earlier, this Champion-tier Mega Drain was far more vicious. Even Mega Metagross's immense stamina wasn't enough—a wave of exhaustion washed over it as its energy was siphoned away.
"ROOOAR—!!"
With earth-shaking footsteps, Mega Aggron lumbered forward, its massive two-meter-long foot rising before crushing down on Tapu Bulu's head with a devastating Stomp!
BOOM!
This time, Tapu Bulu's entire body was forcefully plunged deep into the ground.
Any normal Pokémon would've been knocked out instantly from a hit like that—but Tapu Bulu barely seemed fazed.
It looked up at Mega Aggron like it was nothing more than a giant energy bar.
Mega Drain!
A surge of emerald energy erupted from Tapu Bulu, siphoning nearly half of Mega Aggron's stamina in one go.
The colossal Steel-type staggered, its legs wobbling—it had never felt this weak before.
"GRRR—!!"
Arcanine snarled, its fangs bared in fury. Seeing its comrades fall one by one had unleashed its primal rage.
Flames wreathed its jaws as it lunged for Tapu Bulu with Fire Fang—
WHAM!
A wooden hammer materialized in Tapu Bulu's hand, smashing straight into Arcanine's face with a sickening crack.
Then, without missing a beat, the hammer swung upward, slamming into Mega Aggron's armored stomach.
BOOOOM!
Mega Aggron was sent flying—yet, against all odds, it endured.
Julian had always called it "The Strongest Shield"—and today, it proved him right, surviving a Champion-level strike that would've annihilated any other Pokémon at its level.
Even Tapu Bulu was slightly stunned for a moment.
"Gen~"
And in that split second of distraction—
Gengar struck.
Having lurked in absolute invisibility the entire battle, even Tapu Bulu's heightened senses couldn't detect it.
Now, its crimson eyes flared with ghostly energy as it unleashed—Hypnosis.
Caught completely off guard, Tapu Bulu's expression grew dazed. Its vision… began to blur.
*****
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