"Blastoise is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner of this match is Ash Ketchum!"
After confirming the status multiple times, the referee blew the whistle and announced the final result.
"Roar!" Charizard unleashed a jet of flame into the sky like a celebratory firework.
"Won? I won?" Ash stared blankly at the fallen Blastoise, a sense of unreality washing over him. "Am I dreaming?"
"Pika-pika-pi!" Pikachu hopped onto Ash's shoulder and pinched his cheek hard.
Feeling the sharp sting, Ash finally realized it wasn't a dream; it was real. He had truly defeated the genius Gary Oak and secured his ticket to the next round.
"Alright!" Ash yelled, hugging Pikachu and spinning in circles.
"Ash!" Misty and Brock ran over from the sidelines, their faces beaming with joy.
"Ash, that was an incredible battle!"
"Thanks, guys! But it wasn't just me, it was my Pokémon. They helped me so much and gave it their all." Ash released all the Pokémon that had participated in the match.
"Butterfree, Bulbasaur, Kingler, Pikachu, Tauros, and Charizard, thank you so much!" Ash bowed deeply to them, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Ash, you're a big boy now, why are you crying?" Misty teased on purpose.
"You're seeing things! I'm not crying!" Ash quickly wiped his eyes.
"Go on, Ash. Go enjoy the cheers of the crowd. You've earned it," Brock said, giving Ash a gentle push on the back.
"Yeah." Ash raised both hands, waving to the stands as he basked in the glory of his hard-earned victory.
In the audience, the Team Rocket trio was busy peddling their merchandise, while Delia wept tears of joy, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
"Ash has really grown. To think he started out as just a kid who liked to oversleep... his future is limitless," Professor Oak remarked. He then looked toward his grandson, Gary, and shook his head. "Gary, failure isn't a bad thing. I hope you can learn from this defeat and work even harder to improve yourself."
Unlike Ash, who was currently the center of attention, Gary, as the loser, stood alone. He silently recalled Blastoise, took one last look at the jubilant Ash, and turned away with his hands in his pockets, disappearing into the tunnel with his head lowered.
Sensing something, Ash turned around just in time to see Gary's retreating figure. His smile faltered, and he sighed softly, "Gary..."
"Aren't you going to congratulate Ash?" Sabrina asked, standing by her seat and looking at Aomori.
"No, there's no rush. It won't be too late to congratulate him once he wins the championship." Aomori wasn't surprised by the result. An obedient Charizard was already formidable, not to mention it had been undergoing special training with Aomori's Shiny Charizard. Its strength was leagues ahead of most other Pokémon. While Gary's Blastoise was well-trained, it simply couldn't close the gap.
"Let's go, it's time to leave," Aomori said.
"Leave? You're not watching the rest of the tournament?" Sabrina asked, puzzled.
"No need. Seeing this match was enough." Aomori looked up at the sky and smiled. "I've stayed here too long already. There are many things waiting for me to do."
"Alright then. I'm coming with you."
"Don't worry, I won't sneak off without you."
Aomori gently took Sabrina's hand, and in an instant, their figures vanished.
…
Lumiose City, located in the Kalos region, is one of the most prosperous cities in the world. Its beautiful boulevards attract a massive number of tourists every day. On this particular day, the Pokémon Research Lab on the southern side of the city welcomed three guests.
"Professor Sycamore, someone is here to see you."
"Coming! I'll be down in a second!"
Following a series of thumping footsteps, a charming, mature man appeared. He had black curly hair, a bit of stubble, and wore a white lab coat over an unbuttoned blue shirt. This was Professor Sycamore, the renowned Kalos region professor whose primary focus was the study of Mega Evolution.
Professor Sycamore's eyes lit up when he saw his visitors. The man leading the group was just as handsome as he was, with a friendly smile that immediately set people at ease. Beside him stood two beautiful women, one with a cool, stoic demeanor and the other sweet and wearing a maid outfit.
'Is he a young master from a prominent family?' Sycamore wondered. He stepped forward with a welcoming smile. "I am Professor Sycamore. How can I help you three?"
"I'm Aomori. This is Sabrina, and that's Kobeni." Aomori shook his hand and offered a brief introduction. "We've heard much of your reputation, Professor. We are quite interested in Mega Evolution, so we took the liberty of visiting."
After leaving Kanto, Aomori had traveled directly to Kalos on the Hikōkyū to find Mega Stones for Absol, Pidgeot, and his other partners. He theorized that nearly all Pokémon possessed the potential for Mega Evolution, and the fact that only a few dozen species could do so in the "games and anime" of his past life was likely just a matter of limited documentation. In theory, Darkrai or even Ditto might be able to master it.
"I see. Why don't we head inside and talk?"
"That would be great."
Professor Sycamore led them to a tea room. An assistant set out tea and a variety of sweets.
"Since it's your first time in Lumiose City, you must try our macarons and Lumiose Galettes," Sycamore offered warmly.
"Mmh, they really are excellent," Aomori praised after a bite.
"Yummy, yummy!" Latias (disguised as Kobeni) began a frantic sweep of the sweets, her cheeks stuffed full.
Sabrina's expression softened as she nibbled on a macaron. She ate daintily and stopped after a few pieces.
"Aomori-san, if you don't mind me asking, where did you hear about Mega Evolution? I'm just curious, as it's a topic mostly discussed among researchers; outsiders rarely know of it," Sycamore asked once they had finished.
"In fact, I've seen a Trainer's Pokémon perform a Mega Evolution before," Aomori said nonchalantly over a sip of black tea.
Sycamore, however, lost his cool. He bolted upright, leaning across the table toward Aomori. "Is that true?! Do you have their contact information? Where are they? What is their name?"
Aomori leaned back slightly. "I'm afraid I have to keep that Trainer's identity confidential. My apologies."
Giovanni was likely facing prison time now; even if he gave Sycamore the contact info, it wouldn't do much.
"No, I should be the one apologizing. I got ahead of myself," Sycamore sat back down, taking a sip of tea to mask his embarrassment. He sighed, "I've heard rumors of certain Trainers mastering Mega Evolution, but I've never been able to track them down. If I had such a Trainer to assist my research, progress would be much faster."
"I see. Well then, Professor Sycamore, how about me?" Aomori reached into his pocket and pulled out a rainbow-colored gem.
"Is that a Key Stone?!" Sycamore leaned in closer, his voice filled with delight. "Does this mean you've mastered Mega Evolution, Aomori-san?"
"No. I have the Key Stone, but I lack the corresponding Mega Stone. That's why I haven't tried it yet."
In reality, Aomori had both a Key Stone and a Mega Stone, both "donated" by Giovanni. However, the Mega Stone was a Beedrillite, which didn't fit Aomori's team, so he had given it to Mewtwo for research.
"You don't have a Mega Stone? Well, I do!" Sycamore stood up again, urgent. "Aomori-san, please follow me."
"Of course."
Sycamore led them to the main research wing. The area was filled with researchers in white coats and various Pokémon. One Pokémon with sharp fangs and claws caught everyone's eye.
"A Garchomp," Sabrina noted. She remembered Aomori had one as well.
"Don't worry, it's very gentle," Sycamore said, scratching the Garchomp's neck, causing it to close its eyes in contentment.
"I know. It looks like the gentle type. I have a Garchomp as well." Aomori released his own Garchomp. It appeared, bowed respectfully to Aomori, and then sized up its kin. Aomori's Garchomp was noticeably larger, standing half a head taller than the Professor's. The two Pokémon exchanged greetings and seemed friendly.
Seeing this, Sycamore relaxed. "Wait here a moment, I'll go get the Mega Stones."
A moment later, he returned carrying a small safe. Inside were several stones of various colors.
"These are the Mega Stones I've found over the years. I've confirmed eight of them so far. Charizardite, Blastoisinite, Venusaurite... and Absolite."
"Absolite..." Aomori stared at the stone. "I'll take the Absolite and the Charizardite."
Aomori had a Blastoise and a Venusaur too, but their bond wasn't quite there yet, so he prioritized Absol and Charizard.
"Two? Fantastic! That increases our chances of success." Sycamore was ecstatic. "Let's head to the garden and try them out."
In the back garden, Aomori took the stones and released his Absol and Shiny Charizard.
"What a massive Charizard! And it's black, absolutely stunning. The Absol is impressive too," Sycamore marveled.
"The Trainer carries the Key Stone, and the Mega Stone must be held by the Pokémon." Sycamore helped fasten the Absolite, which was set into a necklace, around Absol's neck.
Aomori adjusted the necklace on Charizard's neck, looking thoughtful. "Is this secure? I'm worried it might fall off during battle. Maybe I should just have them swallow it? That would be foolproof."
"Er, wouldn't it just... come out the other end eventually?" Sycamore explained. "The chain is made of a special material; it's quite durable. You don't need to worry."
"Oh, is that so?" It might be enough for this world, but in other worlds with high-intensity combat, a simple necklace might not cut it.
Putting that thought aside, Aomori looked at his Shiny Charizard. "Pay close attention. There's going to be a test on this later."
"Roar!" Charizard nodded eagerly.
"Absol, let's start with you!"
"Sol."
"Aomori-san, Mega Evolution is very difficult. You should be prepared for repeated fail—" Before Sycamore could finish his cautionary advice, Aomori had already begun.
Aomori had studied the Key Stone extensively and knew exactly how to tap into its energy. He shouted, "Mega Evolution!"
The Key Stone in his hand emitted a brilliant light. The Mega Stone around Absol's neck resonated, bursting with its own radiance. Within the light, Absol's fur began to grow, wings sprouted from its back, and its scythe-like horn grew larger as a second, smaller horn emerged.
Thanks to their previous experience with Bond Evolution, Absol successfully Mega Evolved on the very first try.
"Incredible! Success on the first attempt!" Sycamore couldn't believe his eyes. "It's simply magnificent!" He suddenly turned pale. "Oh no! I didn't record this! What a blunder!"
"It's fine. We've mastered it now; you can record it as many times as you like later," Aomori said while checking the stat changes on his system panel.
"True! But I don't want to miss the Charizard's first time." Sycamore ran back to the lab to grab a camera.
"Not bad. Its stats are comparable to Pidgeot after eating a Devil Fruit," Aomori noted with satisfaction. As his first Pokémon, Absol's raw combat power had fallen slightly behind, usually serving as support. This evolution finally brought it back up to the main force's level.
"Alright, Absol, use Razor Wind!"
Absol shook its head, launching dozens of shimmering silver wind blades into the sky. After testing several skills, Aomori had a clear grasp of its new strength.
"Okay, Charizard, your turn. Did you see all that?"
"Roar..." Charizard replied half-heartedly. It had happened so fast; how was it supposed to see anything? But there was no escaping it, the "test" was mandatory.