Mega Evolution, a concept that was nigh on impossible for me to comprehend. A power that relies upon the bond of trainer and pokemon, as well as the usage of a Mega Keystone and a Mega Stone, two very rare stones and the other half of what powers Mega Evolution. The fact that Brock was able to use such a powerful gimmick meant that he was much more powerful than what I had given him credit for.
"Steelix, Mega Evolve!" Brock shouted as the light coming from his Keystone intensified in brilliance, white tendrils of light emanating from it, making their way towards Steelix.
"Steel!" Steelix roared in response. I'd just noticed the giant collar that Steelix was wearing around its neck, which held its Mega Stone in the middle. The stone shone like steel and had the same strand of DNA engraved in the middle of it. The stone glowed with the same otherworldly radiance as Brock's Keystone, tendrils of white light coming out of it in the same fashion.
As if displaying the strong bonds between the duo, the tendrils began to intercept each other, interlocking until they were connected, making the already bright light show even more luminous than it was before.
When the lights interconnected, Steelix became enveloped in the same ethereal glow, beginning to change and warp in appearance as its transformation began.
After the changes, Steelix shed the white light, bursting out of it with a bellowing "Steelix!" displaying its transformation for all to see, allowing its might to be shown.
Its body became longer, becoming almost double its mass, gaining more refined features than before. Steelix's eyes turned blue, its lower jaw becoming more heavily armored with a round, curved shape. A third pair of ridges appeared on its lower jaw, as well as two sharp and flat structures consisting of three conjoined projections on each side. The gray, rock-like spikes and its tail point became prism-like crystalline spikes, reflecting the phosphorescence of the sun that peered through the holes in the roof and walls. The segments where the spikes protruded were also much larger. A mass of metallic-looking scraps constantly rotated around its neck, as if Mega Steelix was harnessing centrifugal force.
All in all, Steelix became much more majestic than before, sparkling like the clearest and purest crystals ever found in a cave, roaring with ferociousness as its even bigger bulk towered over Aerodactyl nearly ten times over.
This was Mega Evolution. This was the bonds of evolution.
Trinity and I had our breaths stolen away witnessing such a sight, unable to do anything more than gape in awe as the sheer display of power toppled everything we had ever seen before.
"Let's finish this, Steelix." Brock said calmly.
"Steelix," Steelix grunted, staring intently at Aerodactyl, boring its crystal-like eyes at it with a menacing look.
Accepting the silent challenge, Aerodactyl bellowed and charged at Steelix, sinking its talons into the ground, seemingly about to use Stone Edge again.
Seriously, it could use such a powerful move in quick succession? Why was everything we fought so stupidly powerful? Who accidently turned on Nightmare difficulty?
The ground began to shake, giant spikes of rock coming out of the earth violently, making their way to Steelix, who stood steadfastly.
"Take it, Steelix." Brock said.
Standing still, Steelix waited as the Stone Edge ran its course, hitting it with enough force to shake the entire room, the rumbling almost causing Trinity and I to fall on our asses, struggling to regain our balance.
"You know, the hardest thing in a Pokemon Battle is always damage control," I retorted as I almost fell down for like the fifth time that battle.
"Ee... vee..." Eevee was trying her hardest not to fall off my shoulder, which proved to be an arduous task.
One look at Trinity confirmed that she and Pikachu were in a similar state.
Meanwhile, Brock was unfazed by the violent tremors, standing like an impenetrable wall that could not be knocked down by any means.
Mega Steelix, on the other hand, was still surrounded by huge spikes, rendering it impossible for us to see it. There was no way it could withstand such a powerful attack.
Once again, I underestimated a Gym Leader.
When the spikes disappeared, Mega Steelix's figure was finally revealed, showing that it was... completely unharmed.
"How could it be fine after such a strong attack?" Trinity questioned with an awed look.
Brock chuckled at the question. "Mega Steelix is harder than steel, making it nearly impervious to damage. Only the strongest attacks can do damage to it."
"So, this is Mega Evolution..." I whispered.
Steelix looked at Aerodactyl with indifference, which caused the latter to let out a confused "Aero?" probably wondering how Mega Steelix could shake off its attack with ease.
"Let's show it what a real Stone Edge looks like." Brock said, his lips curling up into a grin.
Trinity and I recoiled as we realized the implications. "Wait no—" we tried to shout, but as always, our efforts were fruitless.
"Pika—"
"Eevee—"
Our pokemon tried to strengthen our complaints, desperately trying to not have to deal with the rumbling again. Like their trainers, their voices were drowned out.
With a roar, Mega Steelix slammed the floor with its tail, releasing a wave of glowing blue spikes that ripped the ground up, as if hungry to devour Aerodactyl. The move was tremendous, proving to be almost three times bigger than Aerodactyl's Stone Edge. The Aerodactyl was engulfed in a sea of barbs, taking the monstrous attack head-on, crying out in pain as Mega Steelix's overwhelming attack took hold of it.
Of course, that also meant that the tremors were also three times stronger. As the ground was ripped apart, the vibrations that emanated from it knocked us all over, making it impossible for us to regain our footing.
The good news: we weren't hurt. The bad news: Trinity somehow fell on top of me.
My vision was covered with a red curtain, and I only realized two seconds later that it was Trinity's hair. It kind of hurt when she landed on me.
"Get off me..." I groaned.
"I'm trying to!" Trinity was desperately trying to get off me, but due to the tenacious rumbling, every time she tried to stand up, she would fall back on top of me again.
Her hair smelled like... vanilla? Okay, this was getting weird.
"Pika..." Pikachu groaned, unable to get up as well, his lightning-shaped tail was writhing from side-to-side.
"Eevee..." Eevee was sprawled next to Pikachu, lying on her back, her little paws flailing in the air as she tried to get up.
When the tremors finally subsided, we were finally able to stand up. Me, being a guy, beckoned Trinity to get off me. When she did, I quickly stood up, pretending like that never happened.
Trinity looked embarrassed. "Sorry," she said.
I sighed. "That never happened, alright?"
She nodded frantically.
Pikachu and Eevee tiredly jump on our shoulders, sighing in relief.
That Stone Edge was so ridiculously powerful, what the hell!
"Oh yeah, I saw that happen by the way," we heard Brock say, chuckling to us as he walked toward to where we were, Mega Steelix behind him.
"Oh, goddamnit." I sighed.
Trinity was concerned with other things. "Where is Aerodactyl?"
"Hmm? Oh, right over there." He pointed at the Aerodactyl that was currently laying limp on the floor.
"Steelix," Steelix grunted with confirmation. He flashed with silver light for a second, and when it dissipated, it was back to its normal appearance.
"What?!" Trinity and I exclaimed at once.
"Pikachu?!"
"Eevee?!"
Our pokemon were shocked as well.
"How hell did you beat that thing in one attack?!" I exclaimed.
Brock shrugged, "It was weaker than I expected. I think Mega Evolution was a bit overkill."
"Whoa, really?" Trinity sarcastically asked as she motioned at the tremendous damage that was done to the museum, a testament to the monstrous strength that Steelix and Aerodactyl wielded. Multiple cracks littered the ground, making it look as if an earthquake teared through the museum. It looked ready to collapse.
"Reconstruction is going to be a pain in the ass, huh?" I whistled as a number appeared in my head, estimating the price of rebuilding this place.
"Very much so," Brock grimly agreed. "I'll help out. This museum is very important to Pewter City, almost as much as the gym."
"By the way, where did that researcher go?" I asked, looking around.
With comedic timing, the researcher came rushing in. "I found help!"
Behind him, a group of trainers ran to the scene, about to throw out their pokeballs when they realized that the Aerodactyl was already down.
The researcher scrunched his nose in confusion. "Oh, it's already knocked out." He finally noticed that Brock was with us. "Oh! Gym Leader Brock, you were here... well, that's a relief."
"Good thing I got here in time," Brock said, walking over to him.
"We are very fortunate." The researcher turned back to the trainers. "Well, nothing to see here."
The group of trainers voiced their disappointment but ultimately left the museum.
"Here is your Aerodactyl," Brock said to the researcher. "Make sure it doesn't go out of control again."
"We will make sure to have that in mind..." the researcher trailed off as if he was thinking about something. "Say, how about you take the Aerodactyl?"
"Really?"
The researcher nodded. "You are a Rock-type expert, so if anyone were to take care of it, it should be you. Besides, we have a myriad of Aerodactyls anyway."
Brock chuckled. "Very well then." He pulled out a pokeball and threw it at Aerodactyl. It shook three times before clicking, signaling its capture. He picked up the pokeball and clicked it into his belt. Satisfied, Brock started to walk toward us.
"He's just on a whole different level," I said.
"Eevee..." Eevee agreed.
"We really are just beginner trainers," Trinity sighed.
"Pika..." Pikachu said solemnly.
Brock stopped in front of us, Steelix in tow. "You two did a good job holding off Aerodactyl while I got here. And you did some damage to it, something that no other new trainer could do."
"But we still have a long way to go..." I admitted.
"We are still so behind our peers." Trinity chimed in.
"The beginning of a journey is always like that," Brock said. "But you two have potential. I believe that you two will reach further heights." He grinned encouragingly.
The two of us widened our eyes, surprised by Brock's confidence in us. He truly believed in our abilities as Pokemon Trainers.
"Heh," I chuckled. "Then I'll be the greatest, just you watch."
"Naturally," Brock said with mirth.
"Nah, I'll be the greatest." Trinity said.
"You two are rivals, so push yourselves to the limit," Brock said.
"Right," we nodded.
"Steelix," Steelix nodded at us in approval.
"How come you didn't use Steelix in our Gym Battles?" I asked.
"As I said before, I have pokemon ready for challengers that either are reattempting the Indigo League, or already have badges. There really is no specific order for challenging Gym Leaders, except for Viridian City, you need seven badges to challenge it. My Steelix is reserved for particularly strong trainers." He explained. "There was one trainer named Gabriel who had a very powerful Venusaur that defeated my entire team, including Mega Steelix, by itself. He didn't even Mega Evolve."
Trinity and I winced at the mention of Gabriel. "Did you say Gabriel?" Trinity asked.
"Yeah, why do you ask? Do you know him?" Brock questioned.
The two of us looked at each other warily. "What did he look like?" Trinity inquired.
"Hmm," Brock thought for a second. "Well, he had shaggy red hair and green eyes. Thinking about it now, he looked a lot like you, Trinity."
"Then the trainer that you fought was my brother."
"Your brother?" it was Brock's turn to be surprised. "Then battling must run in your blood."
"Very much so," Trinity said nervously.
I listened to the conversation with a sense of trepidation. How could Gabriel be this strong? I knew that he was considered a prodigy trainer, but... how can he defeat powerful Mega Evolved pokemon with a base form Venusaur?
I had a lot of work cut out for me if I wanted to beat Gabriel. And I would, no matter what.
"Now then, I have to oversee construction, so you two should go rest at a Pokemon Center," Brock said.
Agreeing, we said our goodbyes and headed to the Pokemon Center, our spirits low but not greatly so.
"We need to get stronger." I broke the silence as we walked, looking at the sky.
"Yeah," Trinity said softly. "We got our first badge; seven left to go."
"So, we'll have to work even harder," I concluded.
"We'll get stronger together," Trinity said eagerly.
"It's a promise."
I looked at Eevee. "We'll get stronger together, won't we?"
Eevee looked at me cutely, before exclaiming cheerfully, "Eevee!"
I smiled. "I'll take that as I yes." I petted her, which she seemed to enjoy.
"Us too, Pikachu." Trinity said.
"Pika, Pika!" Pikachu's tail moved back and forth as he agreed.
Trinity giggled and stroked his tail.
Silence enveloped us once again as we walked. We must have been at the museum for hours; the sun had yet to set, but it was getting kind of late.
When we got to the Pokemon Center, we left our pokemon with Nurse Joy and waited for them to be healed.
After five minutes, Nurse Joy smiled at us. "Here you go, Eevee and Pikachu should be better now."
We thanked her and headed to the cafeteria, glumly emptying our wallets some more as we once again paid a ridiculous price for our food. Come on, these prices were outrageous!
When we finished our meal, the sun had started to set. We had nothing better to do, so we went back to our room to rest.
I didn't remember falling asleep. Light streamed from the curtains, hitting me directly in the eyes despite me being on the top bunk. I winced, trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes. Eevee, who was on top of me, stirred slightly. She slowly opened her brown eyes, staring right at me.
"Good morning, Eevee." I rubbed her head, which caused her to squeal with delight.
"Eevee..."
"Ready for another day?"
"Vee!" she said excitedly, probably wondering what the day would entail.
I smiled, finding her cheerfulness contagious. The love in her big brown eyes was obvious, a prospect that made me genuinely happy. Her presence in my life has really made me feel better about myself, almost making me forget about the past.
Almost...
Meanwhile, in Route 3.
A girl with golden blonde hair was standing at a grassy patch in Route 3, her eyes cold and apathetic as she stared at the trainer she had just defeated. She was wearing a strange black cloak that had a pink R symbol engraved on the breast pocket. Next to it was another symbol that resembled an upward arrow made out of wind with two stars on either side. As a sharp contrast to her dark cloak, she wore a frilly purple skirt underneath. She topped it all off with black sneakers. Her eyes were dark to the point where they looked black, devoid of emotions and life. She was quite beautiful, looking to be sixteen to seventeen-years-old.
"Dragonair..." the trainer she defeated looked at his Dragonair with sad eyes, probably feeling distressed over his loss. In her eyes, the trainer was very weak.
"Let me give you a piece of advice," the girl said to the trainer. "Give up on being a Pokemon Trainer. You're pathetic, so don't let your pokemon suffer because of your incompetence." Her eyes were cold and cruel, uncaring to the emotional pain she was inflicting upon the boy.
"What do you know?!" the boy angrily said, clenching his teeth at those harsh, but true, words.
"You have a pseudo-legendary, yet you were easily defeated," she said calmly.
"What's a pseudo-legendary anyway?"
She scoffed. "You don't even know what a pseudo-legendary is? Wow, you really are terrible Pokemon Trainer. Let's go Absol, we don't have time for this pathetic excuse of a trainer."
"Absol," her partner, Absol, agreed, giving the trainer and his Dragonair one more last scorning look, before allowing them to contemplate on their worthlessness, turning his back to them as he followed his trainer.
The Absol was a very beautiful creature. He was a quadrupedal, mammalian creature with a white body that had some dark blue coloration. Absol had a ruff around its neck and chest and a tuft on the top of its head, which was adorned with a single blue-black oval. He had a feline face with almond-shaped red eyes, a scythe-like tail, and a scythe-shaped horn on the right side of his head. His broad feet were equipped with three claws each, and dewclaw-like spikes protruding from the heels of his hind legs and the elbows of his front legs. He radiated a powerful dark power that gave it a very gorgeous but terrible look.
The pair were making their way toward Mount Moon for a very important mission, one that was entrusted to her by her boss.
Speaking of her boss... her Rotom Phone began to ring, which she picked up immediately because she knew it was him.
"Yes?" she said with no prelude.
I trust that it's going well.
"I'm near Mount Moon. I've had some delays due to insufferable trainers begging to battle me."
He chuckled. At least you aren't like those useless henchmen with the talking Meowth who never seem to understand that I don't want the weak pokemon they are trying to steal for me.
She scoffed at the mention of those three morons. "Let's not talk about them."
Very well. You know your mission; we are getting close to finding the truth. We will take their power and usurp that blasted organization that took control of us.
"Very well," the girl said.
Don't fail me, Amina.
The girl, who was named Amina, closed her eyes. "I would never fail you... father."
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Our heroes witness the power of Mega Evolution, intimidated to the fact that there are such powerful trainers out there. They are determined to get stronger, as the Pewter Gym was but their first obstacle. What will happen next, I wonder?
Meanwhile, a mysterious girl called Amina is also heading to Mount Moon, where our heroes are heading to next, for ambiguous reasons. And to top it all off, she called the leader of Team Rocket her father? Who is she, and why is she important?
Find out, as the journey continues.