Super Evolution, however, was a different story altogether.
Bond Transformation couldn't really be considered true Super Evolution.
If you insist that Bond Transformation is part of the Super Evolution system—
Fine, go ahead and try it yourself!
If you can pull it off, I'll concede the point!
As for who would undergo Super Evolution this time—
Naturally, it would be her faithful partner, Lucario!
And why Lucario, you ask?
Aside from the fact that Ash had just obtained a Lucarionite…
In Cynthia's own team, Lucario ranked solidly among her top three strongest Pokémon—
An absolute ace!
Most importantly, among Cynthia's Pokémon, only Garchomp and Lucario were capable of Mega Evolving.
Letting Garchomp undergo Bond Transformation instead of Mega Evolution would make no sense at all—
That would be putting the cart before the Rapidash.
"Miss Cynthia, what kind of reward did you get?"
Ash, having tucked away his Revive Crystal, leaned curiously toward her.
He'd been dying to know what kind of prizes the livestream distributed—
After all, Cynthia was the only one he knew who'd actually received one.
Gary didn't count—there was no way that guy would ever share his rewards with Ash!
Catching Ash's inquisitive gaze, Cynthia lifted the lipstick in her hand with a small, knowing smile.
Without reservation, she showed Ash exactly what she'd received from the livestream.
Ash's eyes sparkled even brighter.
Their friendly closeness pierced straight through Misty and Brock, who stood not far away.
Why did watching them together suddenly make their chests ache? What was this weird feeling?!
Time passed in a flash—three days went by quickly.
During the downtime before the next livestream countdown, almost every League in the world was in motion, deploying new strategies.
Across all regions, the same command went out simultaneously—
Invest in Ash.
It was becoming clear: a legendary Trainer was about to rise.
He was now marching toward his very first championship trophy—
And the chance to befriend someone who might one day rival Leon himself was something no one could turn down.
Originally, the Silver Conference's final stage featured one full 6v6 match per day starting from the quarterfinals.
However, due to the livestream countdown, the schedule was condensed into four matches per day—
The quarterfinals and semifinals were all wrapped up within just three days!
The intensity of the battles had the audience on the edge of their seats.
But it was Ash's matches that truly ignited the Silver Conference.
In the last semifinal match, Ash's Charizard took the field—
And together with Pikachu, the duo swept through Hoenn's rising star Ye Yue with unstoppable might, earning a spot in the finals!
The moment that seared itself into everyone's memory, though, was when a brand-new form appeared before the world for the first time—
A black silhouette.
Blue flames burning like the edge of the heavens.
Mega Charizard X had descended.
At that instant, the entire world held its breath in anticipation for the final match.
But…
Those who had come to Silver Town hoping to witness the grand finale in person were in for disappointment.
Because today—the fourth day—
Was also the day the livestream countdown resumed!
Ash rose early, drank a cup of warm water, straightened his jacket, and placed his red-and-white cap firmly on his head.
Knock knock knock.
The door rattled as he scooped up Pikachu and opened it.
Outside stood Misty cradling Togepi, and Brock with his ever-present backpack.
They were ready to go.
"Let's move."
"Right!"
No more words were needed—they set out together for Silver Town's central plaza.
This time, unlike the hurried gatherings before, the plaza had been better prepared—rows of chairs filled the square, and three people could be seen maintaining order in the distance.
"One chair, five hundred Poké Dollars! We're making bank!"
"Funds! Funds! Funds!"
"Such a wonderful feeling, nya~!"
Though their behavior was odd, Ash didn't pay them much mind.
He simply raised his hand and waved.
"Miss Cynthia!"
At the very center of the plaza, a man and a woman had been waiting for quite some time.
Hearing Ash's voice, Cynthia looked up and waved back with gentle warmth.
Recognizing her immediately, Ash and his friends hurried over.
As they drew closer, Ash noticed another person beside her—a silver-haired young man.
Meeting Ash's gaze, the man stood, placed a hand over his chest, and bowed slightly.
"Hello, Ash. My name is Steven—Steven Stone."
Indeed, this silver-haired man was none other than the Champion of the Hoenn Region—
Known widely as the Gentleman of Hoenn, Steven Stone himself.
"Hello, Mr. Steven."
Ash's eyes gleamed again—Another Champion!
He could hardly contain himself. How he wanted to battle him right here, right now!
Cynthia caught the eager light in his eyes and curved her lips in amusement, clearly predicting what was coming.
Sure enough—
"Ash, please battle me!" Ash declared, eyes blazing.
Steven blinked in surprise, then chuckled and nodded.
So this was Ash—just as impulsive and battle-hungry as he'd appeared on the livestream!
Seeing trouble brewing, Misty and Brock quickly dragged Ash aside.
Now was not the time for a Pokémon battle.
Before Ash could shake free of them, the sky suddenly erupted with a booming roar—
The light curtain shimmered to life once more.
At once, Ash's desire to battle vanished.
Because let's face it—watching the countdown was way more exciting!
The group hurried back to their seats as the words appeared across the glowing screen:
[This Countdown — "Battle of the Space-Time Tower"]
[Also known as: Darkrai VS Dialga VS Palkia]
[This broadcast includes a reward quiz! After the countdown ends, the livestream will pose questions. Those who answer correctly will receive exclusive prizes!]
[Special event — rare rewards! Don't miss the chance!]
[Note: After this special broadcast, "The Path of the Legendary Trainer (Part III)" will officially begin! Stay tuned!]
[Countdown livestream — begin!]
This broadcast was different from the previous ones—
This time, it even had an alternate title.
"Battle of the Space-Time Tower" didn't reveal much…
But "Darkrai VS Dialga VS Palkia"?!
What on earth was that supposed to mean?!
All the past broadcasts had revolved around Ash—could this one really be unrelated?
The titles didn't seem to include him at all.
Could it be… that someone other than Ash would take center stage this time?
Impossible!
Everyone knew by now—the "Legendary Trainer" clearly was Ash!
Surely Darkrai, Dialga, and Palkia couldn't outshine him, right?
While some viewers were confused, others were already breaking into a cold sweat.
At the center of Silver Town's plaza, Cynthia's expression turned grave.
While most people didn't recognize the names in the subtitle, she did.
As a scholar of Sinnoh's ancient myths, she knew them all too well.
The Nightmare Pokémon—Darkrai.
The God of Time—Dialga.
The God of Space—Palkia.
The latter two, especially, were entities of unimaginable power—
Deities who governed time and space themselves!
But why… why were they fighting each other?!
And why was Darkrai listed alongside them, as if it were their equal?
What in the world had happened…
And what did it have to do with Ash?
Meanwhile, in Sinnoh's Celestic Town—
Inside the research lab of Professor Carolina, Cynthia's grandmother and one of the world's foremost scholars of Pokémon mythology—
The elderly professor was frantically leafing through piles of ancient manuscripts.
If three divine names appeared together, it could only mean one thing:
A cataclysm of world-shaking proportions.
Especially since both Dialga and Palkia were known to appear only in Sinnoh—
That narrowed the possible locations dramatically.
"...The Space-Time Tower…"
Her hands trembled as she found an old sketch depicting a pair of twin spires.
"Found it!"
But her expression wasn't one of joy—
Because the records she'd uncovered were terrifying.
It spoke…
Of a disaster capable of destroying the world itself.
As the words faded from the screen, the dark light curtain flickered—
And then, an image appeared.
On a battle platform shaped like a Poké Ball, a figure darted across the field, accompanied by a soft, high-pitched "Mew~!"
The camera pulled back to reveal a small, pink Pokémon with gemlike blue eyes—
The Mythical Pokémon, Mew!
The audience: "!!!"
Before anyone could react, the image shifted again—
Mew zipped out of frame, and in its place appeared a towering figure with a striking resemblance—
Yet far more imposing and powerful.
The Man-Made Legendary Pokémon — Mewtwo!
Crackling blue lightning gathered between Mewtwo's hands, condensing into a sphere of pure destructive power.
Even through the screen, its pressure was suffocating.
Mewtwo's existence was a forbidden one—
A human attempt to seize the power of the gods themselves.
And the most terrifying part?
They'd succeeded.
Even those who didn't recognize it could feel its overwhelming presence.
What kind of monster could possibly withstand such might?!
Mewtwo launched the attack.
The dark sphere of energy ripped through the air—
But before it could strike its unseen target, a radiant white silhouette burst into the frame.
Wings wide as the heavens, pink light shimmering between them, the newcomer summoned a barrier of light to meet the oncoming blast.
The explosion shook the entire field.
Smoke engulfed the screen.
And then—
From within the darkness, the white figure emerged once more, its cry echoing across the world—
The Guardian of the Seas — Lugia!
The crowd erupted in disbelief.
Lugia too?!
Within moments, more appeared—
From the sunlight breaking through the storm clouds soared three familiar shapes:
Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno!
The three Legendary Birds of Kanto had joined the fray.
Then came swarms of Unown, flooding the screen in a flurry of shifting symbols—guardians of ancient power, protectors of secrets.
Lance: Wait, I'm confused—what is this countdown?! It's been only a few minutes and we've already seen half a dozen Legendary Pokémon!
Bruno: Does anyone recognize that one after Mew? It looked so cool!
Lorelei: Huh… it looks familiar somehow…
Ash: I know! That's Mewtwo! It's a man-made Pokémon—super strong, too!
Steven: A man-made Legendary Pokémon? If it can stand alongside Mew and Lugia, it's no ordinary creation. Has humanity already mastered artificial Legendary technology?!
Ash: Yeah! Team Rocket made it!
The chat exploded.
Team Rocket—that Team Rocket—created this?
If that were true, they were on a whole different level than the other villainous teams!
While others chased after Legendaries, Team Rocket had apparently decided to make their own.
Lance: Don't tell me that "classified project" was about Mewtwo…
Cynthia: It seems so. But it's telling that, despite creating such a being, Team Rocket never boasted about it. That alone proves they couldn't control it. Mewtwo may have been made by humans, but it was never theirs to command.
Cynthia's insight was spot on—as always.
The screen shifted again.
The Unown vanished, and another Legendary appeared—
Entei, one of Ho-Oh's guardian beasts!
It roared in fury, unleashing spiraling flames toward a small, green, star-speckled Pokémon—
Celebi, the Mythical Pokémon said to travel through time!
The vortex of fire engulfed Celebi, but the little Pokémon remained calm.
Even faced with a move that should have overwhelmed it, Celebi closed its eyes and released a wave of brilliant light—
The flames vanished instantly.
Celebi rose into the air, its form fading—
Revealing yet another figure descending gracefully from the sky—
Suicune, the embodiment of purity and water, another of Ho-Oh's sacred beasts.
It landed softly on the earth—
And then, two more streaks tore across the sky, one red, one blue—
Their elegant forms spiraling together in flight.
Latias and Latios, the twin guardians of Alto Mare!
As their shapes crossed the horizon, the ground below began to quake—
A deep, rumbling tremor spreading through the land.
An earthquake—
Caused by yet another Legendary awakening…
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