While Aoki was healing their Pokémon, everyone else, having nothing to do, summoned their own Pokémon. Fortunately, the area was spacious enough to accommodate all of their Pokémon with some room to spare.
The arrival of the Church put a lot of pressure on them, but sometimes pressure also served as motivation. They diligently adjusted their Pokémon to their best state, so they could better face the upcoming battles.
Therefore, Aoki also found owners for the last two Mega Stones he had that were unowned.
It must be said that their luck was really good; these two Mega Stones actually had matching Pokémon present.
Hearing Aoki's words, Steven and the others immediately gathered around.
Having witnessed the explosive increase in speed of Aoki's Salamence after Mega Evolution, and having seen Lance's targeted expression after Steven's Mawile Mega Evolved, everyone was very interested in which Pokémon these two Mega Stones could allow to Mega Evolve.
Aoki smiled and scanned everyone present and their Pokémon.
If it had been before, Aoki would never have taken out these two Mega Stones. Even if his relationship with Lance and Cynthia was very good, he wouldn't have.
Because their value couldn't be measured by simple money.
Moreover, once Aoki announced the existence of Mega Evolution in the Pokémon world, these two Mega Stones would probably be sold at sky-high prices, and still be unobtainable.
But at this critical moment, with the Church invading and them being at a disadvantage, any increase in strength would greatly help them.
A single Mega Stone could bring about a qualitative improvement. For example, Aoki's Gengar, after Mega Evolving, would temporarily possess strength that had broken through the first barrier of the Champion level.
Aoki didn't believe that everyone who entered from the Church would have such strong abilities, so the sudden increase in strength of any Pokémon would be a great improvement for them.
However, to be honest, Aoki also felt a bit of a pinch, or rather, a significant pinch, because the value of these two Mega Stones was not low at all. At least, they were worth more than the Mawile Mega Stone he gave to Steven. If Aoki hadn't already had Lysandre collect a large number of Mega Stones in advance, he would have been quite reluctant.
Aoki's gaze finally rested on Lance and Cynthia.
Among those present, besides Aoki, the Pokémon capable of Mega Evolving were:
Steven's Shiny Metagross, Aggron, Steelix, Aerodactyl, and the already Mega Stone-equipped Mawile.
Wallace, who specialized in Water-type Pokémon, only had a Gyarados that could Mega Evolve among his Pokémon.
Lance, known as the Dragon-type Elite Four, had quite a few Pokémon that could Mega Evolve: Charizard, Aerodactyl, and Gyarados!
Phoebe, who specialized in Ghost-type Pokémon, had two Pokémon that could Mega Evolve: a Sableye and a Gengar, but neither of these Pokémon had reached the Champion level yet.
Cynthia also had two Pokémon that could Mega Evolve: her ace Pokémon, Garchomp, and a Lucario whose strength was considerably greater than Aoki's Lucario.
Finally, Diantha. She had two ace Pokémon: her favorite Gardevoir, and the Pseudo-legendary Pokémon of the Kalos region, Goodra. It's just a shame that Goodra, like the Kanto region's Pseudo-legendary Dragonite and the Unova region's Pseudo-legendary Hydreigon, cannot Mega Evolve.
The six people Aoki faced had only a few Pokémon that could Mega Evolve.
Finally, Aoki placed the two Mega Stones in his palms and pushed them in front of Lance and Cynthia.
He said with a smile, "You two are really lucky. These two Mega Stones are yours. To be honest, I'm feeling a bit of a pinch."
Aoki was genuinely feeling the pinch, without any pretense, because these two Mega Stones belonged to Charizard and the Pseudo-legendary Pokémon Garchomp, respectively!
One can imagine how much pain Aoki was feeling inside right now.
However, you can't catch a tiger without entering the tiger's den. Aoki believed that these two extremely valuable Mega Stones would definitely bring back ample returns.
Lance and Cynthia stared blankly at the glistening Mega Stones in Aoki's palm, feeling the allure these magical stones held for them, especially after knowing they could allow their Pokémon to undergo a miraculous evolution.
Aoki looked at them, still stunned, and continued, "The Mega Stone in front of Lance belongs to Charizard, and the Mega Stone in front of you, Cynthia, belongs to Garchomp!"
"Charizard (Garchomp)?" Lance and Cynthia spoke simultaneously, their eyes unconsciously gleaming with an uncontrollable light.
Meanwhile, Steven and the others showed envious expressions. Even Steven, who already possessed a Mawile Mega Stone, couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
The Charizard Mega Stone was one thing; Steven and the others might not fully understand its value. However, they did understand how precious the Garchomp Mega Stone was.
Anything that could be linked to a Pseudo-legendary Pokémon often had an incredibly high value.
But their lack of understanding of the Charizard Mega Stone's value didn't mean Aoki didn't understand it.
Charizard, as one of the few Pokémon in the Pokémon world with two Mega Evolution forms, was, in Aoki's opinion, just as valuable as the Garchomp Mega Stone he was about to give to Cynthia.
Don't underestimate Charizard just because it's a common starter Pokémon. The inherent value of the three Kanto starter Pokémon cannot be understood by simple typing and base stat totals.
Whether it's Charizard, Venusaur, or Blastoise, in Aoki's view, among these three excellent starter Pokémon, Charizard is superior to the other two. This isn't to say Charizard is necessarily stronger than them, but rather a sentiment from Aoki as a former Earthling.
Especially after Charizard gained two Mega Evolution forms.
However, Lance and Cynthia could still feel Aoki's solemnity and his genuine heartache.
This might be the first Charizard and Garchomp in this world to undergo Mega Evolution.
Lance, with a serious expression, slowly grasped the Charizard Mega Stone from Aoki's palm. Looking directly into Aoki's eyes, he said, "I know the value of this Mega Stone absolutely cannot be measured by money. I can also feel the value of this Mega Stone!
Therefore, I promise you, in the future, whenever you need my help, as long as it doesn't touch the fundamental interests of the Dragon Clan and the League, if you ask, I will absolutely not hesitate!"
Lance couldn't promise Aoki too many things. The only thing he could offer at the moment, and something he considered to be of significant value, was his solemn promise, and one that was almost without many restrictions.
As the first direct heir of the Dragon Clan and the Dragon-type Elite Four of the Kanto region, and with his identity and status still rising, potentially becoming the Clan Head of the Dragon Clan and a Champion of Kanto or Johto in the future, the favor of such a person would undoubtedly be priceless!
Seeing Lance speak like that, Cynthia on the other side didn't hesitate either, and likewise said with a solemn expression, "I owe you a favor."
It wasn't as grand as what Lance said, but this simple sentence conveyed Cynthia's seriousness regarding the matter.
Aoki let out a long sigh in his heart. Getting promises from two future Champions, this time it was worth it!
However, watching the Mega Stones in his hand go into someone else's, Aoki still felt a sense of loss.
But he quickly recovered. What needed to be done now was to first improve their individual strengths. Only by ensuring their own safety could they respond to the Church's objectives.
He took out two more Key Stones and handed them to the two.
"Steven has already demonstrated Mega Evolution to you once, so I believe you have a general understanding of it. I'm confident that your synchronization with your respective Pokémon should be up to standard, so I won't test you.
Give the Mega Stone to your Pokémon, then you control the Key Stone. Use your will and all your conviction to sense the Key Stone. At the same time, your Pokémon will feel your will, and you will also be able to feel the truest thoughts in your Pokémon's heart.
It's somewhat like a human-Pokémon fusion. Who wants to go first?" Aoki gave them the final instructions.
"I'll go first!" Lance looked eager to try.
Charizard was his starter Pokémon. Although many people who knew him only remembered his Dragonite after he got it, Charizard was actually the companion who had accompanied him in his growth until now. Although it might not be the strongest or the most outstanding, it was absolutely the one Lance trusted the most.
"Feel my heart, Mega Evolve, Charizard!" Lance and Charizard gazed at each other, the surge of emotion causing him to involuntarily shout out.
"Roar!!!" At this moment, Charizard felt Lance's most sincere heart. A mysterious energy burst forth from the Mega Stone Lance had just given him, enveloping him.
Charizard has two Mega Evolution forms. Depending on the Mega Stone, it will evolve into two different forms, and both forms have their respective advantages.
For these two forms, the simplest distinction is the color of their appearance: one is Mega Charizard X, which is entirely black with blue flames, and the other is Mega Charizard Y, whose body color is similar to its original form, just slightly darker!
Aoki was very much looking forward to seeing what form Lance's Charizard would evolve into, and Cynthia and the others were anticipating it with him.
At this moment, Lance had already closed his eyes, carefully feeling Charizard's inner thoughts.
If there are no sudden circumstances, it's best for the first Mega Evolution process to be slow. This not only allows for a more careful understanding of the true thoughts between the Pokémon and trainer but also helps with adapting to Mega Evolution.
Like Steven, who was forced to use Mega Evolution for the first time in a hasty battle, and it was even a double Mega Evolution, it was absolutely good luck that he survived.
Slowly, the seven-colored light of Mega Evolution finally dispersed, revealing the Mega Evolved Mega Charizard that had been enveloped by it!
It looked similar to the original Charizard, but the creamy part started from its lower jaw.
A third horn grew behind its head, this horn being longer than the original two. Its neck and mouth became shorter, while its four limbs, tail, and wings all became longer.
Small wings grew on its wrists, the edges of its back wings became more irregular, three small spikes grew at the end of its tail, and a long spike grew on its back.
Additionally, Mega Charizard's tail flame burned even more intensely. Its sharp horns, elongated tail, and enlarged wings gave it flight capabilities superior to jet planes.
Mega Charizard Y!
From its appearance, Aoki immediately recognized the Mega Evolved form of this Charizard and finally knew that the Mega Stone was Charizardite Y.
For some reason, Aoki's heart quietly let out another sigh of relief.
But actually, in Aoki's opinion, Mega Charizard Y might be more suitable for Lance at this time.
Charizard was originally a Fire/Flying-type Pokémon, and its type did not change after Mega Evolution, remaining as Lance was familiar with.
Furthermore, Charizard was inherently a Pokémon with stronger Special Attack than Physical Attack. Although it had many physical attack moves, the special damage from fire was its foundation. Mega Charizard Y, after Mega Evolution, significantly boosted its Special Attack and Special Defense.
Mega Charizard Y, which is better at flying, and has become better at fire attacks, can be said to be a mobile artillery platform, and one that flies rapidly through the sky!
If Aoki also had a Charizard and had to choose which form to evolve his Charizard into.
Aoki would definitely choose... Mega Charizard X form!
Alright, it's just because it looks cool, and Mega Charizard X further develops both Physical Attack and Special Attack, achieving a certain balance, and its type changes to Fire/Dragon, activating the Dragon-type bloodline originally hidden within Charizard.
Of course, one is a balance of Physical and Special Attack, and the other is extreme Special Attack. It's not to say that one form is necessarily weaker; it's purely a matter of personal preference.
Anyway, Aoki chooses Mega Charizard X!
Pokémon: Charizard (Blue) - Mega Evolution Y Form
Gender: Male
Level: 83 (85)
Type: Fire + Flying
Ability: Drought
Held Item: Charizardite Y
Egg Moves: Crunch, Dragon Dance, Dragon Pulse, Bite
Basic Moves: Wing Attack, Flare Blitz, Heat Wave, Dragon Claw, Shadow Claw, Air Slash, Scratch, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen, Dragon Rage, Fire Spin, Slash, Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Inferno, Heat Wave
Learnt Moves: Blast Burn, Outrage, Tailwind, Iron Tail, Focus Punch, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Snore, Fire Pledge, Defog
TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Water), Dragon Claw, Hyper Beam, Roost, Earthquake, Fire Blast, Aerial Ace, Steel Wing, Swords Dance, Rock Slide, Dragon Tail
Lance's Charizard, whose strength reached the limit of Level 83, officially possessed the strength of the first Champion-level threshold after Mega Evolution. For him, this was a qualitative leap.
Aoki actually had some thoughts about Mega Charizard Y, mainly because after Charizard Mega Evolved into Mega Charizard Y, its ability became Drought.
And the Drought ability was the core of Aoki's envisioned Sun Team, just like the Sand Stream ability in a Sandstorm Team.
Under the Drought ability, if combined with five or six Grass-type Pokémon that could use Solar Beam, the scene would be too beautiful for Aoki to imagine.
Lance walked over to the side of Mega Charizard. He still didn't know that Charizard actually had two Mega Evolution forms. At this moment, he was just overwhelmed with excitement.
Standing beside Mega Charizard, Lance even raised an eyebrow at Steven. Although his Mega Mawile heavily countered Lance's Dragonite, Mega Charizard was a strong counter to Steven's Mega Mawile. As the saying goes... what goes around comes around!
Aoki walked forward with a smile, "It seems Mega Evolution was a success. Based on my understanding of Pokémon and Mega Evolution, your Mega Charizard should still be Fire and Flying type, but its ability has changed. I guess it's very likely to be Drought."
"If you don't have any ideas for now, I suggest you try comparing its current physical and special attack stats. You should get some useful information." Aoki gave Lance some pointers.
To quickly improve strength and to allow Lance's Mega Charizard Y to unleash its potential as soon as possible, Aoki gave him some hints, enabling Lance to develop Charizard's abilities faster and better.
Hearing Aoki's words, Lance nodded thoughtfully, a certain idea forming in his mind.
Then, everyone shifted their gaze to Cynthia and her Garchomp.
In fact, compared to Lance's Charizard, they were more curious to see what Cynthia's Garchomp would look like after Mega Evolving.
Cynthia took a deep breath. She was also a little excited inside. Having seen Aoki's Salamence, Steven's Mawile, and just now Lance's Charizard, it was only normal for Cynthia's heart to be restless at this moment.
She glanced at the Garchomp beside her. At this moment, Garchomp was also looking at Cynthia. The mutual understanding between the trainer and the Pokémon was clearly visible even before the Mega Evolution.
Cynthia closed her eyes, following Aoki's instructions and mimicking Lance's earlier demonstration, "Reflect my heart, Garchomp, Mega Evolve!"
As her words fell, the familiar seven-colored mega evolution light reappeared, enveloping Garchomp.
Aoki wasn't as excited about Garchomp's Mega Evolution because he knew what Garchomp would look like after Mega Evolving and what changes would occur.
However, Garchomp is a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, and their Mega Evolution boost can be said to be the most cost-effective among all Pokémon.
After Mega Evolving, Garchomp's attack and defense will both increase to varying degrees, pushing this Pokémon, which was already proficient in physical attacks, further down the path of physical attack without turning back. Of course, this is a good thing, and after Mega Evolution, even its special attack shows some improvement, allowing the use of some special attack moves to achieve unexpected effects.
The only downside, and one of the few Pokémon that experience a stat decrease after Mega Evolution, is that Garchomp's speed stat slightly decreases.
Although the decrease is not significant, for a Pokémon like Garchomp, which relies on close combat and does not have excellent defensive capabilities, the impact is still considerable.
Although the ten points of speed stat that were lost were added to other stats, Garchomp would actually prefer other stats to be slightly lower rather than its survival-dependent speed decreasing.
This is the shortcoming of Garchomp's Mega Evolution.
However, the flaws do not obscure the jade. As a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, Garchomp, known as the "Earth Dragon," will not be dragged down by Mega Evolution.
No matter what, Mega Evolution is a boost for it.
The light of Mega Evolution faded, revealing the successfully evolved Mega Garchomp!
Mega Garchomp's appearance didn't change much from its original form. The overall look and style changes after evolution were not significant. The biggest change was probably that its two dragon claws became more like scythes.
Mega Garchomp's body is taller than before Mega Evolution, and its head and shoulders become leaner. Five pairs of white bone spikes grow on both sides of its abdomen, and a pair of red spikes grow on its knees.
Due to excess energy, Mega Garchomp's hands and wings melted, transforming into massive scythes.
At this moment, Mega Garchomp looked even more imposing, and standing next to Cynthia, there was an extreme contrast of beauty and beast.
Cynthia looked at Mega Garchomp's appearance and was very satisfied. From her eyes, it could be seen that the communication of will and thought between the trainer and the Pokémon seemed to be quite good.
Aoki took the opportunity to scan Mega Garchomp's current data.
Pokémon: Garchomp (Dark Blue) — Mega Evolved Form
Gender: Female
Level: 83 (85)
Type: Dragon + Ground
Ability: Sand Force
Held Item: Garchompite
Egg Moves: Dragon Breath, Outrage, Double-Edge, Metal Claw, Iron Tail
Basic Moves: Crunch, Dual Chop, Fire Fang, Tackle, Sand Attack, Dragon Rage, Sandstorm, Take Down, Sand Tomb, Slash, Dragon Claw, Dig, Dragon Rush
Learnt Moves: Draco Meteor, Stomping Tantrum, Earth Power, Dragon Pulse, Stealth Rock, Aqua Tail, Iron Head, Outrage, Earth Power, Snore, Dragon Pulse
TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Fire), Earthquake, Flamethrower, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Double Team, Rock Tomb, Aerial Ace, Shadow Claw, Giga Impact, Swords Dance, Substitute
This was the data of Mega Garchomp displayed before Aoki at this moment.
Aoki squinted for a while. He had to admit that Cynthia had trained her Garchomp exceptionally well. And as a Dragon-type Pokémon with originally few basic moves, Garchomp was able to fill its move set through move tutors and TMs, which Cynthia also did very well.
Aoki could find few faults with this Garchomp. If he were to train it, it would probably end up looking much the same.
It was evident that Cynthia had given Garchomp almost all the best things she could offer, and Garchomp had not disappointed her.
After Mega Evolution, the original Sand Veil ability changed to Sand Force, making Mega Garchomp more suitable for battling in sandstorms.
Sand Force: During a sandstorm, the power of Rock, Ground, or Steel-type moves increases by approximately 30%.
This is a terrifying boost. If this Mega Garchomp were to cooperate with Aoki's Mega Tyranitar, the two pseudo-legendary Pokémon helping and supporting each other, the combat power unleashed would be incredibly frightening.
If you add the boost from Swords Dance, Aoki felt that Mega Garchomp would even have the strength to challenge Pokémon that had broken through the second hurdle of the Champion rank.
This Mega Garchomp could perfectly complement Aoki's sandstorm team.
If you add Cynthia's Lucario and the Water/Ground-type Gastrodon, the combat power unleashed by these two people could rival several others. If they encountered people far less powerful than them, they might be instantly turned to dust.
Aoki, with a glint in his eyes, said to Cynthia, "The Mega Evolution boost for pseudo-legendary Pokémon is terrifying. Judging by the aura of your Mega Garchomp now, it should have already broken through the first hurdle of the Champion rank. I believe you also understand what a Mega Garchomp with such strength represents."
Hearing Aoki's words, smiles appeared on everyone's faces.
The stronger their power, the more initiative they could grasp when facing the cult, and the more self-security they would have.
When going out to find other companions, they would also feel more confident.
Now, with Lance's Mega Charizard Y, Cynthia's Mega Garchomp, and Aoki's Darkrai and Mega Gengar, there are a total of four Pokémon with the strength to break through the first hurdle of the Champion rank. If you also count Kommo-o and Togekiss, which Aoki doesn't fully control, that makes six.
As for the Jolteon and Leafeon obtained from others, they were not within Aoki's consideration.
Adding their other Pokémon, if they could cooperate with each other and increase their mutual understanding, as long as the cult members didn't appear in large numbers, Aoki felt that their self-preservation should be fine for a short period.
Of course, the premise is that Lance and Cynthia can fully familiarize themselves with and control Mega Charizard Y and Mega Garchomp.
"Aoki, tell us your analysis of Mega Garchomp." Just as Aoki was lost in thought, Cynthia spoke up.
Looking at the dazed Aoki, she wondered what he was thinking.
"Ah? Oh, oh, I'm sorry, I was lost in thought." Aoki reacted.
He walked not far from Mega Garchomp, rubbing his chin with one hand, feeling the soft fine hairs on his chin, and slowly said, "After Mega Evolving, Garchomp's size has increased significantly, and its body looks stronger. I estimate its strength and explosive power should be greater. Cynthia, you can try to further develop its physical attacks."
"However, judging by its current situation, its speed should have inevitably decreased to a certain extent. I hope you are mentally prepared for that."
Aoki spoke, everyone listened, and Cynthia, like Aoki, looked at Mega Garchomp and nodded thoughtfully.
"But you might also try its special attack. Mega Garchomp at this moment should not disappoint you," Aoki said again.
"Special attack?" Hearing this, Cynthia was stunned. When did Garchomp even have special attack as an attack method?
Aoki nodded, "Although it might not be as impressive as its physical attack, it can still play a certain role in specific situations."
Cynthia nodded, her eyes showing more and more thoughtful expressions, clearly pondering how to further train it.
The emergence of Mega Evolution had largely influenced their future training goals and directions for their Pokémon.
"Mega Garchomp's type hasn't changed, it's still Dragon and Ground, but its ability should have changed. I guess... it's very likely to be Sand Force!"
"It pairs well with my sandstorm team. This is a good thing. With our cooperation, Cynthia, we should be able to deal with many people," Aoki slowly rubbed his chin.
Sand Force?
Cynthia's mind recalled her understanding of the Sand Force ability.
As an Elite Four member known for his sandstorm team, if it was the Sand Force ability, it could indeed be combined very well.
It just requires a certain amount of cooperation and understanding, and it would be best to try a simple combination before battle.
After Cynthia fell into deep thought, this display of Pokémon Mega Evolution came to an end.
During this process, Aoki gained a better understanding of their strength, and he also understood more clearly what they could achieve when combined, as well as their current individual limits.
If Aoki had a Mega Stone for Steven's Shiny Metagross now, it would probably be another huge boost to their strength.
Steven's Steel and Rock type Pokémon could combine very well with Aoki's sandstorm team, and with Cynthia's several Pokémon, they could barely form a sandstorm army!
"Let's leave it at that for now. Lance and Cynthia, although you two have obtained Mega Stones and completed Mega Evolution, you are not yet familiar enough with your respective Pokémon's situations. So, I suggest you both adapt to each other first. Trainers need to adapt to their Pokémon's changes, and Pokémon themselves also need to adapt to their own changes."
"To fully utilize the advantages of Mega Evolution, such a short time is not enough."
"Of course, Steven, the same goes for you. I just happened to have researched the Mega Evolution of Pokémon like Mawile, so I can give you more advice than them. But I think you'd best continue to work on your bond with your Mawile."
"Have you ever thought about what would happen if your opponent was also a handsome guy?"
Aoki first gave some advice to Lance and Cynthia, and then suddenly asked Steven a question that made everyone's expressions begin to change.
Steven, of course, knew about his Mawile. If the opponent was indeed a good-looking man, then...
In an instant, Steven had a very bad feeling, but at the same time, a sense of urgency arose in his heart, an urgent desire to help Mawile correct a certain habit.
And so, under everyone's half-smiling expressions, Steven was the first to turn and take his Mawile to "train."
Lance and Cynthia also separately took their Mega Charizard Y and Mega Garchomp to find a corner for more communication.
As for Aoki and the remaining Wallace, Phoebe, and Diantha, their eyes held an undisguised envy. However, Aoki had no immediate solution, so he could only offer to make some special energy cubes for their Pokémon to slightly compensate for their envious feelings.