Mega Evolution.
The potential for unlimited power that lies within many Pokemon. Many exist, yet few can only truly obtain it via the double stones that test the bonds between trainer and Pokemon.
Mega Evolution is still an untapped mystery that is even just as mysterious as the world of Pokemon itself. But what isn't a mystery is the insurmountable and boundless power that Mega Evolution gives to those that share a powerful bond. One that cannot be broken so easily.
One that cannot be broken. But to achieve Mega Evolution is to truly put the bonds between trainer and Pokemon to the test. A true test of trust.
Ponyville, Rarity's Carousel Boutique. Day.
"See? Have a gander at this." Rarity was speaking to her friends as she used her magic to hold up a flier. On the flier, it said Mega Evolution Camp.
"Mega Evolution Camp?" The rest of the Mane 6 said.
"Precisely. A little something I was made aware of during the Pokemon Festival a few weeks ago. And the name says everything. A camp all about Mega Evolution. And of course, they hold Mega Stones."
"Mega Stones?!" Rainbow Dash grabbed the flier. "Rarity, how'd you get your hooves on this?"
"Being an actor at Pokestar Studios has its perks and benefits. Although...the camp is actually at Hoenn but that's beside the point." Rarity let out a confident smirk.
"This is what we need..." Twilight gazed at the flier. "I've gone over which Pokemon are capable of Mega Evolving from what I have in my lab."
"And those are...?" Spike turned to face Twilight, wondering which Pokemon could Mega Evolve.
"I've found out that most of our Pokemon can Mega Evolve. Well, most. Fluttershy already has a Mega Stone and Pinkie Pie..."
"Aw! Are you saying that I don't have a Pokemon that can Mega Evolve?" Pinkie pouted with Spinda and Mew.
"Sorry." Twilight squeed. "But the rest of us do. Absol. Altaria. Sceptile. Ampharos and Salamence. Oh, and Rarity's Lopunny. We're all friends with those Pokemon, after all. This is our chance to really take our strengths as Pokemon Trainers to the next level."
"And even better. It seems today's a special event." Rarity showed the back of the flier. "An exclusive chance to challenge the guardians of each Mega Stone. That's all it says but I'm sure we can make it out, right?"
"Right! What are we waiting for? We're heading straight for the Mega Evolution Camp in Hoenn! Sootopolis City!" Twilight declared as she stamped her hooves on the table. "Is Ash coming?"
"Ash is already aware and will help lead the way to Sootopolis City for us." Rarity said.
"Great! Then let's go!"
"Espeon!"
Sootopolis City. The mystical city where history slumbers.
This city, which rises from the crater of a great meteoroid crash, can usually only be reached through the sea or from the sky. But there are some exceptions and easier shortcuts not many people know about. And Ash knows one of those shortcuts indeed.
They arrived at the city via a ship, stopping by the Sootopolis City harbour. Now all they needed to do was head to the Mega Evolution Camp, which was located right next to Sootopolis Gym in the form of a brand new island that had sprouted up years ago.
"I can't wait to get those Mega Stones...!" Rainbow Dash was getting giddy. "I'm gonna have myself a Mega Altara soon!"
"You're extra lucky, Rarity," said Applejack. "You got two Pokemon that can Mega Evolve."
"Mhm." Rarity nodded. "Although, I haven't really been interacting with Lopunny as much. She's a bit of a fussy Pokemon actually. But if I can get the opportunity to also get her Mega Stone along with Ampharos then it's all fine."
"Maybe getting the Mega Stones will solve the whole visions we both keep having about them, huh Absol?" Twilight spoke to Absol.
"Absol." He nodded in response.
"Ash, Fluttershy and I will be cheering for you the whole way!" Pinkie wrapped her hoof around Ash's neck.
"Actually...Ash has two Pokemon with him that can Mega Evolve. And more of them back at Professor Oak's Lab. Why isn't he joining in?" Rainbow Dash asked Twilight.
"Mmm?" Twilight shrugged. She and the others weren't sure why Ash wouldn't take the opportunity to obtain some Mega Stones.
But aside from that, they had finally arrived at the location of the Mega Evolution Camp via the island up ahead. The surrounding area had a few other isles. It was a mildly small, rocky and steep island covered by lush vegetation, both bright yellow and green. And to get to the island, you wouldn't need a boat. There's a nice little grassy slope that connects to it.
And there, many tents and cabins could be seen, resembling an actual camp that young children would go to for summer mostly. And speaking of children, a majority of the trainers here were incredibly young with only a select few being around teenage years and even adult.
And scattered across the camp were massive flags that had Mega Evolution symbols on them on each corner as well as a larger one that was tree-sized.
"Yep! That's the place!"
"Pika!"
"We're only spending one day here, right?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"We're just here for the exclusive event against the guardians of the Mega Stones." Rarity looked at the flier. "So, we'll only be here for a few hours at best. Hopefully."
"Well, what are you all waiting for? Those stones are waiting for you!" Ash went ahead, sliding down the slope with Pikachu.
"Pika-Pika!"
"Catch ya there!" Rainbow Dash went next as she bolted off, leaving behind a shockwave. As for everyone else, they either just simply flew, trotted or bounced ahead.
But before they all fully went there, Pinkie Pie decided to hide Mew first from the public. They had already done that on the ship. Pinkie knew how special Mew was considering how many people in the Pokemon World have always been searching for Mew with little success.
It's a Pokemon that has a lot of popularity behind it, despite its rare appearances. "Okay, Mew. Transform into um...a Pichu! Don't want anypony spotting you."
"Mew!" Mew understood as he transformed himself into a cute little Pichu, joining Spinda inside of Pinkie Pie's playful mane. "Pichu!"
"Spinda!"
With that out of the way, they could head over to the camp without anyone noticing or suspecting Mew. That is if Mew doesn't cause too much of a scene or gets so excited to a point that he reverts to his original form.
But other than that, they had arrived at the camp. And the campers there were already going through trails and camp activities at the moment.
Arriving there, Rarity spotted a familiar face. The same lady from the Pokemon Festival who first made Rarity aware of the Mega Evolution Camp after their encounter at the Pokestar attraction. And the lady there recognized Rarity as well. A truly perfect first glance moment.
"Ah, Rarity, is it?!" The lady waved at her, yelling. "You actually made it! Welcome to the Mega Evolution Camp!"
"Hellooo~!" Rarity whistled, waving back.
"Are you here for the normal camp activities or the exclusive event?" The lady asked.
"The event." Rarity showed the flier. "That'll be all and we'll be on our way after that. Is that boss of yours you spoke of before here?"
"Oh, no. He's not here at the moment. Busy on his own Mega Evolution Trial." The lady shook her head. "I see you've brought some friends over. Very familiar actually..."
"Yeah. We're here for the exclusive part and those stones, pronto!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"It'll make us stronger for sure. And help us protects our family and friends even more." Twilight stepped in.
"Ah...I see." The lady nodded in understanding. "Well, this is a first for sure. A new reason for trainers to involve themselves in this camp."
"New reason? What were the other reasons?" Fluttershy asked.
"Well, all of the campers here are trainers that don't exactly know what Mega Evolution is. They've heard of it, but have never experienced it. And you'd be surprised how many trainers don't know about Mega Evolution. That's why my boss started this camp. To help trainers understand Mega Evolution and possibly get a Mega Stone themselves. It also helps with trainers and Pokemon who don't exactly see eye-to-eye with each other." She explained.
"Oh..." The Mane 6 nodded gently together.
"But, wanting to protect those that you love is just as good if not greater!" The lady clapped her hands. "So, how many of you are joining in? All of you?"
"Just us." Rarity pulled Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Spike in since they were the main ones in need of a Mega Stone. "That's all."
"Mhm. Alright then. We can begin." The lady turned around. "You're all already aware of the guardians from the flier, right?"
"Yeah. Who are the guardians exactly?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew up.
"Simple. The guardians of the Mega Stones are all Pokemon that belong to my boss. Specifically, Pokemon that can also Mega Evolve. If you want the Mega Stone of your choice, you'll have to get past them. And it won't be easy, that's for sure."
"Where do we find 'em?" Applejack navigated her head around the camp.
"There are a ton of cave systems in this island just up ahead. And they all diverge together to create one single pathway to the inner part of the island. All of them have different Pokemon inside. I wouldn't go for the single pathway since that's where the boss's strongest Pokemon resides. Unless the Mega Stone you want is there, that is."
"So we just go through the caves and find them, huh? Easy enough." Spike said.
"But before that, a quick question. I already know Rarity has an Ampharos, but do the rest of you have Pokemon with you that can Mega Evolve?"
"We do!" Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight and Spike said together.
"Excellent. Then in that case, if you have other Pokemon with you, I'll need to keep them here." She held her hand out.
"Keep them here? Why?" Rainbow Dash tilted her head.
"The trial is only between the trainer and their Pokemon when facing the guardian. No other Pokemon substitutes can be used for this. Previous trainers have tried that before to have an easier time with the trial. Unless you have another Pokemon that can Mega Evolve then that's an exception."
"I have a Lopunny as well." Rarity raised her hoof.
"Okay then. Don't worry, I'll keep your Pokemon safe with you here, alright?"
"Yeah, that's fair." Twilight nodded as she used her magic to take out the rest of her Poke Balls. "Off you go, Eve."
"Espeon." Eve went over to the lady, standing by her side as Twilight brought over Ninetales's and Minccy's Poke Balls.
"You gotta go too, Castform." Rainbow Dash looked at her saddlebag.
"Castform!" The Weather Pokemon understood as she flew out of the bag. Rainbow Dash rolled her Poke Balls out of her saddlebag, sending them towards the lady.
"Alright, you." Applejack took her hat off, revealing Golett. "You've latched on for a long time now. Time to separate."
"Gol?"
"I'll be back, don't you worry." Applejack placed Golett on the ground.
"Golett..."
"Off you go, pal." Spike patted Axew on the back.
"Axew!" Axew understood, running to Eve's side.
The rest of Rarity's Pokemon were sent to the lady in good hands. Now it was only their Pokemon that could Mega Evolve that stood by their side. But before they could head out, there was one final thing that needed to be done, yet again.
"One last thing. I have to instruct you on which cave to take and which guardian you need to battle." The lady raised her finger. "That means looking at all of your Pokemon."
"Oh, right." Rainbow Dash sent out her Altaria while Rarity sent out her Ampharos and Lopunny and Spike brought out his Salamence.
"Altaria!"
"Ampharos!"
"Lopunny."
"Salamence!"
"Hm..." The lady narrowed her eyes, scanning all of the Pokemon from a first glance. And with that first, glance, she was able to tell which cave and Pokemon they should approach. "Alright! It's settled."
"Absol. You'll take the middle cave that leads to Lucario."
"Ampharos and Lopunny. You'll go for Steelix in the far left cave."
"Altaria will take Abomasnow on the far right cave."
"Sceptile will take Blaziken on the right cave next to the middle."
"And finally, Salamence will tackle Glalie on the left cave next to the middle. Those are the Pokemon you need to take on!"
"And the stones for our Pokemon are there?" Twilight asked.
"We keep a lot of stones with each of the guardians depending on type matchups. So yes. There's a 100% guarantee that they're there. After all, you'll be going up against Pokemon that are strong against your own."
"It's gonna be tough. But we'll make it through. Right, Salamence?" Spike patted his partner.
"Salamence!"
"You can now advance to the caves. Good luck and do your best!" The lady gave a thumbs up.
"We'll be cheering for you all the way." Ash nodded with Fluttershy, Pinkie and the rest of the Pokemon.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu and the other Pokemon cheered. Wishing them all good luck with their battle against the guardians of the Mega Stones.
The 5 caves.
The first to arrive at her cave was Twilight. All the other caves nearby lead to the Pokemon they need to defeat to obtain their Mega Stones. A simple and short task that won't be easy and will take minutes, possibly even hours to accomplish.
They all stared each other in the eyes as they stood before their selected caves. They knew that when entering these caves, they would most likely end up having a rough battle considering the Type Matchup. But, if Ash has taught them all anything, it's that it doesn't matter if your opponent has the type advantage. Skill and trust are what truly matter in a Pokemon Battle.
Having Ash's knowledge by their side, they all stepped forward, entering their respective caves with their Pokemon ready to do their best and make their trainers proud. Everypony else went along, searching for their caves while Twilight held her breath, prepared to enter the middle cave.
By entering the cave, she had come across what she and Absol needed to achieve. The inner system of the caves all revealed large chambers with solo paths leading to the stones of their choice. The cave systems all had waterfalls along with glowing gems beside them.
But the one key thing they all really shared in common was that there was a wide radius of ground in the middle. Obviously, it was meant to replicate the traditional Pokemon stage.
In the middle cave, Twilight spotted the Absolite. Applejack saw the Sceptilite. Rarity saw both the Ampharosite and Lopunnite. Rainbow Dash found the Altarianite and Spike spotted the Salamencite.
All of them were lined up with other Mega Stones meant for other Pokemon, encased in amber while plastered on the walls of the caves. Along with that, there were also cameras in the cave, allowing the lady, Ash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and the Pokemon to view this battle via a tablet that was connected to all of them.
And of course, the Pokemon guarding the stones had revealed itself.
"Lucario!" From above, Lucario came crashing down, landing before Twilight and Absol, startling both of them. But mostly Twilight.
"Oh!" Twilight gasped.
"Absol...!"
"Lu." Lucario stood up as its Aura was already overflowing with high amounts of energy, essentially telling Twilight and Absol that it would not hold back against them at all. "Cario."
"Bit scared..." Twilight whimpered as she gulped. "But I have Absol by my side, so it's fine. Are you ready, Absol?"
"Absol!"
"Okay, Absol! Use Night Slash, go!"
"Absol!" Absol attacked first. By bolting off the ground, his horn lit up with a dark aura surrounding it.
"Lu!" Lucario stood tall as it put its arms together in an x-shape. Lucario narrowed its eyes as Absol slashed his horn onto the Aura Pokemon. With Lucario's arms being up, it was able to block the Night Slash.
"Sol...!" Absol growled as he was pushing his horn forward, trying to break through Lucario.
"Ca!" But, Lucario quickly separated itself from Absol by emanating its Aura, sending a shockwave that pushed Absol far back.
"Ab!" Absol went flying as he quickly recovered by landing on his feet.
"Use Night Slash one more time! And then use Quick Attack! Go!"
"Absol!" Having another go, Absol ran in with a second Night Slash. This time, he merged it with Quick Attack to gain some extra speed.
"Rio!" Lucario, staying on its footing and keeping its focus as opposed to Absol's feral and wild nature when battling. Absol started swinging his horn violently while using the speed of Quick Attack to his advantage.
But, even with his speed, Lucario had an answer. The Aura Pokemon swayed its body to the side, easily avoiding Absol's wild and aggressive slashes as it also used the steel spikes on its hand to block any slashes that came close to really landing a hit.
"Sol! Sol!" Absol was getting frustrated that he couldn't land a clean hit on Lucario no matter how fast or hard he swung his horn.
"Lu!" Lucario then put a stop to Absol's violent slashing as it found an opening by reading Absol's movements with Aura. The Fighting-Steel-Type took that opening as it used Close Combat, smashing Absol in the face with a single strike.
"A-Absol!" One hit and Absol was sent flying across the ground, leaving a skid mark as he tumbled along. "Ab!"
"Ah! Absol!" Twilight gasped.
"Sol!" But Absol was persistent and stubborn as he was violent. He quickly recovered from that super-effective hit by rolling on the ground and jumping up. "Absol!"
"Lucario!" Now it was Lucario's turn to strike as it was about to get up-close and personal. The Aura Pokemon used a better version of Quick Attack. Extreme Speed. It used Extreme Speed to rush towards the Disaster Pokemon, ready to land some heavy hits on him.
"Quick! Dodge with Quick Attack and use Dark Pulse!"
"Sol!" Absol snarled as he also used a speedy Normal-Type move. Absol quickly dashed to the side to avoid Lucario, but the Aura Pokemon was one step ahead of him. Extreme Speed was superior to Quick Attack as Lucario also dashed to the side, appearing in front of the Disaster Pokemon.
"Luca!"
"Absol?!" Absol gasped.
"Lucario!" Lucario then did a back kick, striking Absol in the face while using Close Combat to do so. As Absol was stunned from that one kick, Lucario followed up by getting on one hand and spinning around, sweeping Absol off his feet.
"Ab?!"
"Absol! Get out of there with Quick Attack, quick!" Twilight yelled. But it was too late. Lucario was already outpacing Absol and her in terms of reaction time.
As Absol was knocked off his feet with a sweep, Lucario then kicked Absol in the stomach, sending the Disaster Pokemon flying. But Lucario wasn't done yet. By using Extreme Speed, the Fighting-Steel-Type pursued Absol.
"A-Ab!"
"Luca-ca-ca-ca!" Lucario, once it got close to Absol, began using Close Combat in front of him. Multiple repeated strikes were thrown towards Absol. From his face and stomach with kicks and punches.
"A-Absol!"
"Lucario!" Lucario then gave an uppercut to Absol, sending him high into the air as he was about to crash into the ceiling of the cave.
"Now, Absol! Dark Pulse!"
"Sol!" Absol's eyes flashed as he wasn't about to lose so pathetically. The Disaster Pokemon opened his mouth as an orb of darkness formed in front of it.
"Lu...!" But of course, Lucario had an answer to that. And the only accurate answer in the form of Aura Sphere. By putting its arms together, Lucario formed a ball of aura in front of it, aiming it directly at Absol.
"Aura Sphere might break through...!" Twilight thought to herself, thinking of the worst-case scenario right now. "Maybe If I just change it up...Absol! Fire from behind!"
"Sol!" Absol understood what Twilight was aiming for. The Disaster Pokemon then began to fall as he turned his head around, firing Dark Pulse in the opposite direction instead of towards Lucario. "Ab...Sol!"
"Luca?" Lucario narrowed its eyes, wondering what they were planning. It was quickly revealed when Dark Pulse hit the ceiling of the cave. Upon contact, an explosion happened and that prompted large rocks to fall from above. "Ca?!"
"Ab!" Absol then jumped on the rocks, using them as platforms as he jumped all the way back to Twilight while the rocks were heading straight for Lucario.
"Lucario!" Lucario wasn't about to let itself get hit as it instead fired Aura Sphere at some of the falling rocks. But, that's what Twilight was hoping for. With Lucario distracted with the rocks, she could capitalize with Absol.
"Now! Dark Pulse!"
"Absol!" Absol quickly fired a short burst of Dark Pulse from his mouth, sending it towards the Aura Pokemon.
"Luca-" And with one eye facing the corner, Lucario noticed that Dark Pulse was heading straight for it. But it was too late to stop it since it was a short burst. Thus, Lucario had been hit by Dark Pulse.
With a dark explosion occurring on where Lucario stood, the rocks had been destroyed as well because of the radius of the explosion.
"Yes!" Twilight jumped for joy. "Direct hit!"
But it wasn't time to be cheering and celebrating a minor hit. Lucario was still standing with little damage done to it. It emanated its aura, blowing the smoke away. Lucario was actually impressed as it let out a small smirk to show that. "Luca."
"This might take a while, but we'll definitely take Lucario down for sure. Stay sharp, Absol!"
"Absol!"
As Twilight and Absol's battle with Lucario for the Mega Stones was just getting started, everyone else was gradually approaching their caves with the guardians potentially waiting for them.
There is no guarantee that any of them are going to make this a cakewalk. Lucario is already formidable enough. So there's a good chance the other Pokemon that belong to the owner of this camp are just as formidable. Aside from Eternatus, this will be the day that Twilight and her friends will have their skills really put to the test as the journey continues.
Chapter 374 End.