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Mewtwo unleashed its Will-O-Wisp at blinding speed—but Mega Metagross reacted just as swiftly.
Almost the moment Mewtwo conjured eerie blue flames, a transparent barrier materialized before Metagross, firmly blocking the disruptive attack.
Lucian exhaled in relief.
'Didn't expect Mewtwo to know this move… but then again—it's Teacher Azure's Pokémon. Of course it's reasonable.'
He'd grown accustomed to Aiden's unpredictability.
"Metagross—create distance!"
With the immediate threat neutralized, Lucian chose retreat over pursuit—ordering Metagross to fall back to safety.
After Will-O-Wisp, Lucian realized Mewtwo might hold other Fire-type moves. A surprise attack from Aiden could cripple Metagross.
Besides, Will-O-Wisp could be used repeatedly—Protect could not.
At close range, dodging Mewtwo's ambushes relied on luck.
In a tense 3v3 singles format, a burned Metagross would be worse than a KO'd one…
So Lucian opted for caution.
"Metagross—use Substitute to mislead the opponent!"
Once Metagross retreated, Lucian's razor-sharp mind devised a counter.
Substitute, in actual combat, was often more valuable than Protect—though it demanded trainer ingenuity.
When mastered, this pure-energy decoy could both obscure the real body and intercept troublesome moves.
As an energy construct, it effortlessly blocked all status conditions without negative effects. At worst, it bought a crucial turn of stall.
The sole drawback was the HP cost—but overall, it was a guaranteed profit.
"Meta—!"
Metagross halted its movements, closing its eyes.
Before spectators' eyes, its body split cleanly into two—indistinguishable copies leaving no clue to the original's location.
"Mewtwo…"
Aiden instinctively began commanding—aiming to shatter the decoy and return to Mewtwo's favorable stalling position.
But at that exact moment, Mewtwo—its gaze locked on Mega Metagross—spoke.
"Aiden… I'm ready."
Metagross's evolution mechanism was simpler than Mewtwo expected.
Every Pokémon's deepest instinct was to bring victory to its trainer—to earn their praise.
This humble desire forged the perfect key to build a psychic bridge between trainer and Pokémon.
In other words…
The Key Stone and Mega Stone were merely catalysts. True resonance required no objects—just perfect unity of thought.
When trainer and Pokémon became one, Mega Evolution would follow naturally.
Thinking this, Mewtwo glanced back at Aiden.
"I understand how Metagross achieved Mega Evolution…"
"With my current strength… I can do it too."
Though still uncertain whether Aiden saw it as just a Pokémon…
Executing Aiden's will—fighting to win for him—was effortless.
'To earn his recognition, my fighting spirit rivals any Pokémon's!'
Hearing Mewtwo's resolve, Aiden's eyes lit with delight.
Its meaning was clear. The cat-and-mouse game could end now.
"Lucian—I acknowledge your ace, Mega Metagross, is formidable. But…"
Under Lucian and Metagross's wary gazes, Aiden stepped forward, his expression turning playful.
"Mega Evolution isn't exclusive to you."
"Now, Mewtwo and I will show you… the pinnacle of Psychic power!"
Lucian's heart lurched.
'Teacher Azure's implying… could it be…?'
'No—it can't be. Mewtwo's already this strong without Mega Evolution, trading blows with my Mega Metagross.'
'If it surpasses its limits… how terrifying would it become?'
Lucian swallowed hard, praying Aiden's words were mere psychological warfare—that he had no hidden cards left.
Reality defied his hopes.
Everyone knew: Aiden loved surprises, but never lied.
"What's happening? Why did Lucian freeze after Aiden spoke—and why does his Metagross look so tense?"
Commentary booth—Walnut voiced the audience's burning question.
"Exactly! What did Teacher Azure whisper? So quiet—might as well play Pokémon!"
"Could it be some dark, under-the-table transaction? The untold story between Teacher Azure and his fans?"
"HURRY UP, TEACHER AZURE—I'M ABOUT TO BECOME A RAGING GARCHOMP!"
Only Lance beside Walnut remained grim-faced, brow furrowed, eyes darting between Aiden and Lucian.
'If Lucian's playing defense… why is Aiden pausing too?'
'He should seize this perfect offensive chance—his battle instincts never miss!'
As Lance wondered, Aiden moved.
"Mewtwo."
"I'm ready."
A simple exchange. Then Aiden surged forward—left fist clenched, right hand's two fingers thrust skyward.
Lance froze mid-thought.
'That gesture… it's for revealing the Key Stone—showcasing Mega Evolution's full spectacle!'
'Wait—could it be…?'
'Does Mewtwo have a Mega form even Team Rocket never discovered???'
As one of the few who knew Mewtwo's origins—besides Team Rocket and Aiden—Lance struggled to accept this.
Mainstream theory held Mega Evolution awakened dormant ancestral traits—a brief reversion.
But Mewtwo was artificial. Did it even have ancestors?!
Unless…
'Mew!'
Lance realized—just as Aiden began his performance.
"Reveal your stronger self, Mewtwo!"
Aiden inhaled sharply, snapped his fingers—then roared:
"MEGA EVOLUTION!!!"
Dazzling white light erupted over Mewtwo. Radiant beams wove around its body like silk threads, slowly consuming it.
'We're doomed!' Lucian despaired inwardly.
'Teacher Azure… you really hid this?!'
'I thought Mega Lucario was your ace—who expected it'd be Mewtwo?!'
'Mewtwo's already universally recognized as a stats monster. Evolving further—I can't even imagine!'
But reality demanded acceptance.
He had forced Aiden's full power—but not as he'd envisioned…
"Metagross—charge forward! Use Knock Off to drain its HP before it finishes evolving!"
Seizing Mewtwo's evolution immobility, Lucian couldn't afford passivity.
'This might be dishonorable… but it's my last chance to win!'
"Metagross!"
Real and fake Metagross surged forward in sync—blurring toward the light-enveloped Mewtwo, aiming to cripple it mid-evolution.
A solid plan—except…
As Metagross's steel fists closed in, mere inches from striking—
Aiden's radiant light vanished. A Pokémon stood there—skin divided into stark white and purple halves.
Post-evolution, Mewtwo Y's frame was smaller, sleeker. A springy, tail-like tendril curled from its head.
Visually, it radiated zero intimidation.
Yet no one in the arena dared underestimate this seemingly soft, cute form.
The reason was simple.
Mewtwo's crimson eyes now blazed with blue psychic light. A single glance unleashed suffocating pressure—pure psychic force locking Metagross's eight steel arms mid-swing.
The fists froze inches away, immobilizing both real and decoy Metagross.
"Metagross—so close! Pour everything into this strike!"
Lucian's desperate shout carried through the Key Stone—fueling Mega Metagross's resolve.
For an instant, the psychic bonds strained. The eight arms inched forward with agonizing slowness.
But against the reborn Mewtwo Y, this effort was futile.
A glare. A surge of power. Mewtwo's psychic blast hurled both Metagross copies skyward, flipping them backward.
Simultaneously, Aiden commanded:
"Mewtwo—Blast Burn—press the advantage!"
As Mew's genetic heir, Mewtwo lacked its progenitor's absurd versatility—but could still master nearly any move, even those of other types.
Watching Mewtwo gather searing flames, aiming to engulf Metagross, Lucian panicked.
Metagross's steel body granted incredible defense—but terrible Fire resistance.
Worse—this was Mega Mewtwo Y, power unknown. He couldn't risk Blast Burn's lethality.
"Metagross—use Substitute to block the attack!"
"Metagro…"
Mid-air, Metagross twisted—only to see Blast Burn bearing down.
Survival instinct took over. Without thought, it swapped places with its Substitute, using the decoy as a shield against the potentially fatal blow.
"Naive."
Mewtwo smirked coldly. Right hand slashed down—then flicked up.
Following its gesture, Blast Burn veered sharply downward—skimming past Metagross and its Substitute—before whipping 180 degrees to strike Metagross's completely exposed back.
BOOOOM—!
Scorching flames erupted into a perfect "大" character. Heat and impact surged through Metagross's body.
The Substitute bloated grotesquely—then dissolved into mist.
Sealing its fate…
"Against overwhelming odds, Aiden revealed his hidden ultimate technique!!!"
"Mega Mewtwo Y—a monster of unimaginable power—defeated Lucian's equally mighty Mega Metagross in a single move!"
As Metagross crashed down—cratering the floor—Walnut declared the result.
On the big screen, Lucian's first Poké Ball icon dimmed—signaling total imbalance.
"Mewtwo's Mega Evolution…"
In the stands, Cynthia murmured, glancing down at the "Sylveon" in her lap.
"You taught him this too, didn't you?"
Anyone who'd watched Aiden's "Mythical Lore" video on Mew would gasp at Mewtwo Y's form:
'It looks just like Mew!'
With a tail instead of a tendril, it could pass for a "Mew Pro Max."
Naturally, Cynthia linked Mega Mewtwo's emergence to Mew.
"Mew~?"
"Sylveon" shook its head, equally baffled.
'When did this happen?!'
'While I wasn't looking, Aiden and Mewtwo secretly practiced this awesome ultimate technique!'
'And they hid it from me—that's just mean!'
"This guy… does he get stronger every match???"
Caitlin sighed beside her. She was grateful she'd accepted their talent gap before this revelation.
Otherwise—seeing Aiden unveil an even scarier Mega Mewtwo—she'd have utterly broken down…
'Heh—too bad!'
'I won't compare myself to Aiden anymore. That's just asking for misery!'
Caitlin smirked for a second—then frowned, studying Aiden's "sunny" smile behind Mewtwo.
"Something's been bothering me…"
After contemplation, she whispered:
"During Mewtwo's entire Mega Evolution… Aiden's Key Stone never glowed, right?"
"Normally, shouldn't Mega Evolution start with the trainer channeling power through the Key Stone to unlock the Pokémon's potential?"
Caitlin brandished her own Key Stone as proof.
"That's true."
Cynthia nodded.
As fellow "beta testers" of Mega Evolution, Caitlin's confusion was valid.
In fact, Mega Evolution's unique mechanics meant trainers felt severe energy drain—and mental exhaustion—when maintaining it in prolonged battles.
Even Cynthia sensed this when practicing with her Garchomp.
"But Aiden… he doesn't look tired at all…"
"Could he have mastered a superior technique to reduce trainer stamina consumption?"
"After this match, I will ask him!"
Caitlin resolved—then muttered under her breath:
"How is his brain even wired? Is this what they call the 'Innate Trainer Holy Body'?"
"Existing alongside someone like him… must feel cruel to other trainers…"
Cynthia chuckled softly, sharing her perspective:
"But I think… having such an opponent might make the future very interesting."
"…"
Caitlin sighed after a pause.
"Alright—you're right."
"As trainers, not seeing someone stronger than ourselves would bring loneliness. Having no rivals… would be terrifying!"
"Especially for Champions like you—Aiden must be the ideal opponent…"
The two friends fell silent, letting the topic rest.
Glancing again at the triumphant figure below, Caitlin sighed.
"Reluctant as I am to admit it… Aiden's path to Champion—and beyond, to Legend—will likely surpass our wildest imaginations…"
Thinking this, her gaze at Aiden hardened with resolve.
'But even so—I must never fall behind Cynthia and him. I'll chase them with everything I have!'
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