It has been less than a month since the last Alola Friendship Tournament, yet media from all over the world are once again flocking to Alola.
At tomorrow's press conference, Alola League Champion and the league's top scientific genius, Stephen, will announce a new form of evolution.
This news immediately became the hottest topic across the entire league.
Not only media reporters, but representatives from various regions have also arrived in Alola once again.
Stephen, who was sleeping with Karen and Mary, was woken up early in the morning by a phone call.
Seeing the caller ID, Stephen answered, "Uncle?"
["Did I wake you up too early? Sorry, Stephen-kun, but I had no choice. Goodshow is eager to boost Lance's battle strength,"] said Giovanni helplessly on the other end of the line.
After hearing that Steven's Metagross had returned to peak condition, even surpassing its former state with the help of Xerneas, Goodshow couldn't sit still.
Although they successfully pushed Lance to the Champion's throne of the Indigo League, without his ace Dragonite, Goodshow honestly doubted that Lance could hold off Team Rocket lurking in the shadows.
Upon learning that Stephen had discovered a method to rapidly enhance Pokémon's strength in the short term, Goodshow immediately rushed over with his people.
["I came along as well, claiming I'm interested in this MEGA Evolution and taking the opportunity to retrieve Beedrill,"] Giovanni added.
During the last Alola Friendship Tournament, after Stephen temporarily stabilized Pryce with information about Sheena and Dialga, Giovanni handed Beedrill over to Stephen.
Now that the MEGA Evolution stone for Beedrill had been acquired, it was time for Giovanni to take it back.
"Where are you guys?" Stephen asked, stretching as he got up.
["At your doorstep,"] Giovanni replied.
"Huh?"
Stephen opened a small gap in the curtains and, sure enough, saw several familiar figures disembarking from a cruise ship at the Aether Paradise harbor.
"Has the League arrived?" Karen asked, yawning as she stretched.
"Steven's Metagross and Lance's Dragonite were the two Pokémon most heavily injured in the previous Indigo League battles. Now that Steven's Metagross has returned to peak condition, Lance must be feeling the pressure," Stephen said while putting on clothes.
"What a pity. Xerneas' power grants vitality, but it probably does not affect Aptx4869, right?"
Karen didn't have any particular opinion about Lance.
"Don't worry; you can keep sleeping. I'll go handle this," Stephen said.
As expected, other regions' representatives would likely arrive as well.
After all, MEGA Evolution significantly enhances Pokémon strength.
Not to mention, Team Rocket has been putting considerable pressure on the League lately.
The League's strongest trainers were also looking for ways to enhance their powers.
As soon as Stephen went downstairs, Goodshow greeted him warmly. "Stephen-kun, long time no see!"
"Didn't we just meet last month?" Stephen asked with a smile.
"Hehe, this old man is just being polite," Goodshow chuckled mischievously.
"Welcome, welcome. Oh, Mr. Giovanni, this is the first time we're meeting face-to-face, isn't it?"
"Haha, I'm a little interested in MEGA Evolution, so I shamelessly came along," Giovanni said with a smile.
The two sly foxes exchanged knowing grins.
"Everyone, don't just stand at the door. Please come in," Stephen said, inviting them in.
Goodshow and the Indigo Elite Four were the first to enter the pristine white mansion. As Giovanni passed by Stephen, he discreetly took a Pokéball from Stephen's hand without saying a word.
Just as Stephen was about to head inside, he suddenly heard the sound of another cruise ship engine coming from the harbor.
"Hey! Dr. Stephen!"
Steven enthusiastically walked up to him and gave him a bear hug. With Metagross back at its peak, Steven's mood was through the roof.
Behind him, Wallace's expression was oddly complicated.
His girlfriend was gone, and now it seemed like his friend might be gone too.
"And this is…?"
Stephen released Steven and was immediately drawn to a middle-aged man with a prominent belly standing behind him.
"Haha! Nice to meet you, Dr. Stephen. I'm Professor Birch," the man said with a kind smile, shaking Stephen's hand. Beside him was a tomboyish girl who had a slightly mischievous aura.
"Oh, this is my daughter, May. Come on, girl, say hello!"
"Hello!"
A girl around Ash's age shouted energetically.
Stephen scratched his head.
He thought to himself, Does Haruka not exist in this world?
What a pity—he had a pretty good impression of Haruka.
Of course, not in a romantic sense, but purely in admiration of her as a Trainer.
After all, Haruka was one of the most capable female companions in the anime.
And she didn't inherit Ash's bad habit of refusing to evolve his Pokémon.
Her Torchic, Bulbasaur, and other Pokémon all evolved to their final forms.
Even her Squirtle eventually evolved into Wartortle—it seemed only a matter of time before it became a Blastoise.
Meanwhile, Ash's Kanto starters—except for Charizard—were still unevolved babies even when he became champion.
"There's an inflatable castle in the reserve. Let the kid go play there," Stephen suggested.
Not long after, Professor Oak also arrived with Gary.
Gary's starter Pokémon was a shiny Stufful and a Swablu.
They were practically the tagalongs of Stephen's Bewear and Altaria.
Whenever the two senior Pokémon trained, the little ones followed suit.
But rather than mentoring disciples, Bewear seemed more like babysitting—always holding the shiny Stufful in her arms and cuddling it.
The MEGA Altaria also had a good temper and would occasionally guide the Swablu.
Lance, who wasn't very familiar with Steven, proactively struck up a conversation with him.
Steven, still troubled, said, "I can't guarantee that the method used on Metagross will work on Dragonite. After all, Mr. Lance, your Dragonite's condition is different. Strictly speaking, Dragonite's situation isn't even an injury."
"Xerneas should be wandering around Kalos right now. If we locate her, we'll notify you," Steven added.
At that moment, Diantha arrived.
Compared to their last meeting, a gemstone pendant now adorned her snow-white neck. The embedded stone was none other than a Key Stone!
Meanwhile, Steven had fashioned his Key Stone into a lapel pin, which he wore on the upper pocket of his suit.
"Dr. Stephen, Steven, Miss Diantha, and Elite Four Drasna," Wallace mused, stroking his chin. "These four are currently the ones on the continent who have mastered MEGA Evolution, right?"
"No, Morgan has it too," Stephen replied with a smile. "I left in such a rush last time that I accidentally swapped her Poké Balls with mine. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise—Morgan's Houndoom gained the power of MEGA Evolution as well."
"So, the Pokémon with MEGA Evolution potential include Metagross, Gardevoir, Altaria, and Houndoom?" Professor Oak asked curiously.
"With just these clues, it's hard to deduce which other Pokémon have MEGA Evolution potential. It seems like we'll have to research one step at a time."
"Dragonite definitely has it!" Lance growled through gritted teeth.
Representatives from other leagues began to arrive.
When the private jet bearing the Macro Cosmos logo landed on the artificial island's airstrip, it wasn't Chairman Rose or Champion Leon who stepped out first.
Instead, Macro Cosmos employees in work uniforms disembarked, unloading crates of fine wine and gourmet food.
In an instant, the plaza on the artificial island took on the lively atmosphere of a festival.
"To celebrate Dr. Stephen's groundbreaking accomplishments in the scientific community, please accept this humble gesture," Rose announced as he finally stepped off the plane.
The atmosphere reached a fever pitch.
Many couldn't help but share a common thought: What a sycophant.
Will, who hadn't obtained MEGA Evolution for his Pokémon, drank quite a bit. He jumped onto a table, crying and shouting, "Stephen, you traitor! You care more about women than your bros!"
In Sonia's arms, Mew found Stephen's Zoroark also disguised as Pikachu by his feet. Taking out Sonia's second-generation Pokédex, it telepathically declared:
["Rookie! I caught a new Pokémon! You're finished this time!"]
Stephen's Zoroark-disguised Pikachu wasn't intimidated. It grabbed Stephen's second-generation Pokédex and retorted:
["Bring it on! My Toxtricity is raring to go!"]
["Toxtricity? Does that look like a hero to you? Evolve it one more time before you come at me!"]
…
…
The next day, at the Manalo Stadium next to the artificial island, even though this was just a press conference, the thousands of seats in the arena were filled.
Not only ordinary spectators, but media from all regions also filled the stands, their cameras and equipment lined up like an army.
Amid Stephen's wave of greeting, a thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd.
As they saw Stephen's gesture, Diantha, the new Champion of Kalos, and Steven, heir to the Devon Corporation, emerged from the players' tunnels on either side.
"Huh? Is it Champion Diantha and Steven doing the exhibition match? I thought it would be Brother Stephen and Miss Diantha—two regional champions."
In the audience, Gary was a little surprised.
Yesterday, while playing at Aether Paradise, he overheard the adults saying there would be an exhibition match during today's press conference. Stephen had a permanent MEGA-evolved Altaria, and Gary had even brought his own Swablu to the event, hoping to learn a thing or two.
"Well, according to Dr. Stephen's research, Key Stones and MEGA Evolution Stones can only be found in Kalos and Hoenn. This is probably a way to show goodwill and promote those two regions. Plus, Miss Diantha can use this opportunity to prove her strength, and Mr. Steven mentioned he wanted to showcase the full resurgence and next-level power of Metagross on this grand stage," said Leon, smiling from a row above.
"Makes sense. After all, a lot of people online question whether Miss Diantha is at champion level. She probably wants to use this chance to silence them," added Shauntal, the Unova Elite Four member, who had a good relationship with Diantha thanks to Cynthia.
"Using MEGA evolution to prove herself? That power was gifted to her by Stephen, not something she trained for herself. What's there to be proud of?" Lorelei coldly.
In her view, relying on external items instead of personal training to force a breakthrough was essentially cheating.
In the stands, elite trainers from all regions and representatives from various league high commands were watching with rapt attention, their eyes dazzled by the spectacle.
Television commentators rattled off the names of each powerful trainer in attendance like reading off a menu, though even a trainer of Leon's caliber only received less than a second of screen time.
All eyes were now focused on the arena.
Whether it was Steven in his sharp suit or Diantha in her signature winged gown, the two trainers themselves were already captivating enough.
But now, the world's attention was entirely drawn to the Key Stone pendant and chest pin each wore prominently on their necklines.
Diantha smiled politely: "Speaking of which, I haven't thanked Mr. Steven yet. Thank you for buying us some time during the Yveltal incident."
Steven waved it off, indicating it wasn't a big deal. "Not at all. I benefited from it in the end, didn't I? If we're going to thank anyone, let's thank Dr. Stephen together."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two turned and walked back to their respective command platforms.
"Let's show them the strength of our bond, Gardevoir!"
"Your first opponent after your comeback will surely be worthy of you, Metagross!"
Both trainers simultaneously sent out their ace Pokémon.
Just like their trainers, Gardevoir and Metagross now sported new accessories—Gardevoir wore a pendant, and Metagross had a leg guard strapped to its right foreleg.
Each was embedded with a dazzling gemstone, significantly larger than the trainers' Key Stones, which were only the size of a fingernail.
"So those are the Key Stones and Evolution Stones required for MEGA evolution?" Lance asked with interest.
All around the world, audiences craned their necks in anticipation.
"Gardevoir, MEGA evolve!"
"Metagross, MEGA evolve!"
Diantha extended her right hand, her finger lightly touching the MEGA pendant, while Steven removed his chest pin and brought it to his lips as if to kiss it.
"Is Steven turning feminine after spending too much time with Wallace?" Winona teased with a raised eyebrow.
The next moment, the Key Stones on the trainers and the Evolution Stones on their Pokémon began to emit dazzling multicolored light.
The lights connected and converged, growing brighter and brighter.
Under the close-up footage of the drones, the world could faintly see Metagross and Gardevoir inside, expanding and transforming.
"Hoooh!"
"Ka-meh!"
The rainbow light symbolizing MEGA evolution finally dissipated.
Gardevoir and Metagross reappeared in their new forms.
Gardevoir now looked as if it were wearing an even more elegant princess gown, exuding an aura of grace and nobility.
Metagross, on the other hand, had bulkier arms, hovered mid-air in an "X" shape, and had four short legs folded like thrusters on its back.
"They evolved again?!" Alder exclaimed in astonishment.
"To make Pokémon that have already reached their final form evolve further… is this what MEGA evolution is?" murmured Cynthia in awe.
"Their presence is completely different. How much stronger have they become? It's exciting to think about," said Bruno, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
At that moment, countless trainers from Galar and Alola instinctively reached for their Pokédexes and pointed them at their television screens.
Of course, there were also exceptions—like a certain group from Pallet Town in Kanto.
"MEGA Gardevoir: After freeing its heart, it can unleash even more powerful psychic energy."
"MEGA Metagross: Upon MEGA evolving, its brain becomes stimulated, and it adopts a cold, ruthless personality, doing whatever it takes to achieve victory."
Hearing the freshly updated entries from the Aether Foundation, Ash muttered softly: "So this... is MEGA evolution."
...
...
"I'm going to step in without holding back, Champion Diantha."
Steven's lips curved into a faint smile.
Right now, he was utterly thrilled. Not only had his partner recovered its health, but it had also gained even greater power.
And to top it off, they could showcase this newfound power on such a grand stage.
He was as exhilarated as he could be.
"Comet Punch!"
Mega Metagross's four massive fists simultaneously gleamed with dazzling starlight.
In the next instant, it shot forward like a rocket.
"So fast!"
Caitlin, who had a Gothitelle, suddenly looked alarmed.
Although her Gothitelle had not yet evolved into a Metagross, she knew very well that Metagross was not known for its speed. It was often considered somewhat sluggish. But this level of speed...
"It's already faster than my Garchomp, isn't it?" Cynthia murmured.
"Hey, hey, do you think Gardevoir can even stand after taking that hit? This is just an exhibition match! Isn't Steven going way overboard?" Raihan from Galar exclaimed, his mouth wide open.
He often participated in exhibition matches with Leon and understood that the outcome of such matches didn't matter. The point was to entertain the audience, right?
Yet Steven was about to knock his opponent out right at the start—what kind of exhibition was this supposed to be?
Boom!
Mega Metagross's Comet Punch landed, but it didn't hit Mega Gardevoir. Instead, it struck a transparent energy barrier far in the back.
On the other side of the barrier, people like Gary and Lana, who saw the thin cracks forming on it, couldn't help but widen their eyes.
What immense power!
"That was... teleportation just now."
Noticing Mega Gardevoir now standing behind Mega Metagross, many elite trainers immediately figured out what had happened.
"Diantha's Gardevoir has become even sharper," Cynthia, Diantha's close friend, muttered in amazement.
"Mystical Fire!"
Following Diantha's command, Mega Gardevoir teleported again, this time appearing directly above Mega Metagross. Its hands formed a pose resembling a Kamehameha.
In an instant, a column of flames burst forth from between its palms, blooming and exploding like a fiery flower.
"Champion level!"
At that moment, not just the elite trainers present, but even many casual viewers watching on TV, couldn't help but exclaim those words in unison.
Previously, many had doubted Diantha's strength, thinking she was merely a trainer at the peak of the Elite Four level who didn't truly deserve her Champion title.
But with just those two moves from Mega Gardevoir, it was undeniable—this was Champion-level battling!
Was it just the boost from Mega Evolution?
"Psychic!"
Steven spread his palms outward, mimicking a signature pose.
Mega Metagross's eyes glowed with a faint purple light. Shortly after, translucent, purple, wave-like light burst from its entire body, clashing with the Mystical Fire in midair.
In that instant—
The scorching flames and the pale purple psychic waves battled fiercely, refusing to give an inch to the other.
Ultimately, the collision erupted into a massive spectacle, blanketing the sky over the Manalo Stadium.
"This is incredible! Truly a battle between Champions!"
In the commentary booth, Mary, acting as the audience's voice, shouted excitedly.