In battles, when a Trainer's command skills and a Pokémon's strength are similar, the side that has a type advantage holds a significant edge over the other.
For instance, among the 18 top Elites in Drakoria, the Dragon Elite triumphed over the other 15 Elites during the first Elite Challenge.
Among the three Elites who remained unbeaten, two were the Ice-type Elite and the Fairy-type Elite.
Ice-type Pokémon deals double damage to Dragon-types, while Fairy-types are even more formidable, as they are immune to Dragon-type moves entirely.
The last of the undefeated Elites was Julian's grandfather, John, who managed to defeat the Dragon Elite through sheer strength.
Speaking of John, he currently holds the title of the No. 1 Elite among the 18 in Drakoria.
Why is Steel-type Elite John regarded as the strongest of the 18? He is the only Trainer who defeated all 17 other Elites using only Steel-type Pokémon during the first Elite Challenge.
Even the Ground-type and Fire-type Elites, who typically have an advantage over Steel-types, couldn't match his skill.
Unless one side has an overwhelming advantage in strength, defeating an opponent with a type disadvantage is quite unlikely.
Will felt confident that he would win this match. He had seen his opponent's previous battle and understood Venusaur's abilities. He believed Venusaur was weaker than his own Charizard and he also had a type disadvantage against it.
Under these circumstances, he truly did not believe he could lose.
"Venusaur, Mega Evolve!"
As Will launched a Flamethrower, the opponent suddenly raised his sleeve, revealing a brilliantly colored gemstone.
A dazzling light streamed from the gem toward Venusaur, which also emitted its own vibrant glow. The two lights intertwined in the air.
At the same time, a massive white light enveloped Venusaur. When the light faded, a Pokémon larger than the original Venusaur stood before the audience.
The appearance of Mega Venusaur and its previous form were similar, but the flower on Mega Venusaur's back was larger, and the "trunk" below the flowers had thickened.
The sight of Mega Evolution astonished the audience. Many had only seen such an event on video screens and had never witnessed it live.
On the broadcast, comments began pouring in.
"Mega Venusaur is amazing!"
"Wow, the scene of Mega Evolution is breathtaking!"
"Why hasn't Charizard Mega Evolved?"
"Charizard: I wish I could Mega Evolve too, but I don't have a Mega Stone!"
Venusaur's Mega Evolution captivated many viewers, with some even cheering for Mega Venusaur, including those who had previously supported Charizard.
"What's the deal with this guy? Where did he get a Mega Evolution Stone?" Zosh asked, puzzled.
Mega Evolution Stones are rare resources, whether in Drakoria or other regions, and cannot be bought with money. One could trade a pseudo-legendary Pokémon for a Mega Evolution Stone, but the reverse is not guaranteed.
This highlights just how scarce Mega Evolution Stones truly are.
The head teacher, Sam, didn't know the background of the opposing Trainer and turned to Julian for answers.
"I'm not sure either, but this Venusaur seems very well-trained. Maybe it's someone from the Grass-type gym," Julian replied.
It was a nationally recognized gym, much like their own Steel-type gym.
There are two national gyms in Yale Province: Steel and Grass.
"If it's from the Grass-type gym, Will might be in trouble," Shen said, concern etched on his face.
Pokémon: Venusaur (Mega Venusaur)*
Ability: Overgrow (Thick Fat)*
Moves: Petal Blizzard, Petal Dance, Vine Whip, Seed Bomb, Growth, Sunny Day, Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Sleep Powder, Poison Powder
Move Discs: Giga Drain, Magical Leaf, Protect, Hyper Beam, Grassy Terrain, Venoshock, Bulldoze, Body Slam, Earthquake, Power Whip
Genetic Moves: Ingrain, Nature Power, Energy Ball, Leaf Storm
After Mega Evolution, Venusaur's level increased by ten, and its ability became Thick Fat. This ability halves the damage taken from Fire-type and Ice-type moves.
This shift made things even harder for Charizard, as its type advantage had effectively disappeared.
Mega Venusaur flicked its Vine Whip, easily deflecting Will's Flamethrower.
"Venusaur, Power Whip!"
Will, momentarily stunned, snapped back to reality and shouted, "Charizard, dodge!"
But Power Whip was faster. Just as Charizard began to flap its wings, it was struck by Mega Venusaur's powerful vines.
It felt like being hit by a meteorite, and Charizard crashed to the ground.
"Venusaur, Body Slam!"
Charizard reluctantly opened its eyes to see a massive figure looming overhead. Darkness engulfed its vision, followed by a sharp pain, and then everything faded to black.
"Charizard is unable to battle; Venusaur wins!"
The referee looked pitifully at Charizard, who lay fainted beneath the weight of the attack. If it had been hit harder, it would have been a much worse situation.
Will walked off the stage, while his rival stayed put, clearly eager to continue the battle.
"He's strong," Will admitted to Julian, who was getting ready to take the field next.
"Just for you," Julian replied.
Upon hearing this, Will instinctively paused, looking at Julian's back as he whispered, "You won't die, if you stop pretending."
Julian knew he could wait until his opponent could no longer hold on, thus releasing the Mega Evolution.
According to the rules, when one player finishes, the next must enter the arena within three minutes. As long as they start battling within that time, it's all within the regulations.
Looking at his opponent now, it seemed unlikely they could last even two minutes. Although Mega Evolution is powerful, it requires a deep bond between Trainer and Pokémon to succeed.
Moreover, Mega Evolution is a significant test for the Trainer as well. During Mega Evolution, both the Trainer's mental and physical strength are drained continuously.
A normal Trainer with a Mega Evolution Stone can only maintain that form for about five minutes.
Of course, five minutes can be enough to change the outcome of a battle in a regular match, but if you're in the wild or a secret realm, failing to resolve a conflict during Mega Evolution can leave you vulnerable once it ends.
At that point, if you need to escape, you may not have the strength left to do so.
So if you face opponents in the wild or in secret realms, Mega Evolution should only be used as a last resort.