Pokemon: The Gameboy Effect-Chapter 211: Tower of Mastery

"Only one Pokemon?" John muttered, encountering a dungeon with special rules for the first time.

His strongest Pokemon right now was his shiny Gyarados, cloaked in its swirling Hurricane veil. But after some thought, John hesitated. Gyarados had a crippling quadruple weakness to Electric-types. If he ran into one inside the Tower of Mastery, it'd be game over.

He finally decided. "Garchomp, you're up."

The world around him shifted, and suddenly, he was standing inside Tower C of Lianzhi. The first floor was eerily empty, save for a spiraling rock staircase leading upward. Voices echoed faintly from above.

John climbed the stairs.

The second floor opened into a vast training space. In the center, an elderly man with sharp white brows sat cross-legged in a white martial arts uniform, guiding a young girl in a sports protector suit. Beside them, a Lucario sat perfectly still, meditating.

"Breathe in softly," the old man instructed, his voice calm and measured. "Adjust your focus, align your rhythm with Lucario's aura. Clear your mind—only then can you truly connect."

The girl, Korrina, exhaled deeply, her focus unwavering.

John's footsteps echoed as he reached the top. The old man's eyes flicked open, a knowing smile on his face.

"Let's wrap up here, Korrina," he said, standing. "We have a challenger."

Korrina opened her eyes and stood quickly, turning to John. "Trainer, are you here to challenge the Tower of Mastery?"

"No." John's answer was immediate and flat.

Korrina blinked, taken aback. Wasn't he supposed to nod and accept the challenge like everyone else?

"Then... why are you here?" she asked, confused.

"I'm here for the Key Stone," John replied bluntly. He wasn't interested in formalities—he wanted results.

The old man chuckled, stroking his beard. "Then you'll need to battle. Defeat my granddaughter, Korrina, the Gym Leader of Sala City, and I'll grant you a specially crafted Key Stone and a Mega Evolution set."

John sighed, pulling out a Gameboy-red Pokeball. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

He knew exactly who he was up against. The old man was Gurkinn, a master of Mega Evolution, wielding not only Mega Lucario but also Mega Blaziken and Mega Alakazam. Rumor had it he even had a Mega Heracross and Mega Gengar tucked away somewhere.

Korrina clenched her fists, fired up. "Alright! Let's do this!"

"I'll be the referee," Gurkinn announced, stepping aside. "This is a one-on-one match. When a Pokemon faints, the battle ends."

"Got it."

Both trainers released their Pokemon.

John's Garchomp emerged with a fierce snarl, its scales gleaming. It carried the Orb of Abundance, a powerful item that doubled the range and power of Ground-type moves. Plus, it had absorbed the Sky-Splitter Dragon Fang from its mother, giving its moves a potent weather-boosting edge.

Korrina sent out her ace—Lucario, standing tall and calm.

"Let's go, Lucario!" she called.

Before the battle even began, Korrina raised her gloved hand. Embedded in the glove was a shimmering Key Stone. It glowed, its light enveloping Lucario.

In a flash, Lucario's form shifted. Its aura exploded outward as it transformed into Mega Lucario. Its fur darkened with jagged black streaks, red-tipped paws glowing with fierce energy. The spikes on its forepaws sharpened, and the hair at the back of its head grew longer, flowing like a warrior's mane.

"Mega Lucario... LV65," John noted. "Suggested difficulty was 70, but I get it now."

He admired the transformation. "Man, I need one of these... preferably a Shiny 6V. Wonder where I can find one."

Gurkinn raised his arm and sliced it down. "Battle begin!"

"Garchomp, Earthquake! Start strong!" John barked.

Garchomp roared, slamming its foot into the ground. Instead of shattering, the floor rippled like disturbed water, sending a towering shockwave outward in a circular blast.

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The raw force was immense—this wasn't an ordinary Earthquake. It had been supercharged by Garchomp's Orb of Abundance.

Gurkinn winced. "Careful! Don't bring the tower down!"

"Lucario, jump!" Korrina commanded.

Lucario leaped high into the air, narrowly avoiding the shockwave as it tore through the battlefield. But John smirked. Exactly what he wanted.

"Garchomp, Fire Blast! Now!"

Garchomp snarled, inhaling deeply before releasing a massive fireball. It shot upward, exploding into the shape of a blazing kanji—the mark of Fire Blast—right beneath Mega Lucario.

"Aura Sphere! Counter it!" Korrina yelled.

Lucario crossed its arms, channeling energy into a glowing blue Aura Sphere. It hurled the attack downward, aiming to pierce through the flames.

But it wasn't enough.

The Fire Blast detonated with overwhelming force, engulfing Mega Lucario mid-air. The explosion sent shockwaves through the tower, causing dust and debris to rain down.

When the smoke cleared, Mega Lucario plummeted to the ground.

In mid-air, Mega Lucario quickly condensed a huge azure blue Aura Sphere with both hands and smashed down from mid-air.

The attack collided with the remnants of the Fire Blast, creating a brilliant explosion that lit up the entire tower.