The presidential suite of the best Cerulean Hotel looked less like a place to sleep and more like a dragon's hoard.
The expensive rug was completely covered. Hundreds of evolution stones, shards, and strange minerals were scattered across the floor, organized by color, size, and energy frequency.
Steven Stone was in his element. He was on his knees, a jeweler's loupe pressed to his eye, examining a jagged piece of Thunder Stone with the intensity of a surgeon.
"The refractive index on this one is unusual," Steven muttered, more to himself than to Enzo. "It's not just a standard evolution catalyst; it has traces of ancient energy. Devon could use this for the new engine prototypes..."
Enzo was sitting on the edge of the bed, juggling a Fire Stone in his hand. But his attention wasn't on the treasure. It was on the corner of the room.
Zorua was standing in front of the full-length mirror.
Usually, the small fox was mischievous or relaxed. But tonight, he was vibrating.
Steven lowered his loupe and looked up, noticing the strange behavior. He adjusted his glasses, his expression shifting from curiosity to concern.
"Enzo, look at him," Steven said, pointing his device at the Pokémon. "His bio-readings are spiking. His cellular structure is... unstable. It's fluctuating rapidly. He's not just agitated; he wants to evolve."
Enzo stood up and walked over to his partner. He crouched down, looking into Zorua's blue eyes. They were wild, filled with a desire for power that matched Enzo's own.
"You feel it, don't you?" Enzo whispered. "You're tired of being the small one."
Zorua barked and looked at Enzo, waiting for the command.
Enzo smirked. He didn't hesitate.
"Go ahead," Enzo said, his voice commanding. "Unleash yourself."
BOOM.
A shockwave of dark energy exploded from the small fox, blowing the curtains back. A blinding white light engulfed Zorua's small frame, but it wasn't the gentle glow of a normal evolution. It was violent.
The silhouette inside the light twisted and elongated. The quadrupedal stance shifted, rising onto two legs. The small tuft of fur exploded into a massive, flowing mane. Claws sharpened. Shoulders broadened.
When the light finally shattered like glass, the small fox was gone.
Standing in his place was a monster.
A Zoroark.
He stood tall, his grey and black fur looking like armor. His massive red mane floated behind him as if suspended in water, and his claws were long, crimson, and ready to tear through steel. He flexed his hands, looking at his new form with a sinister grin.
Enzo's eyes flashed blue as the system interface triggered instantly.
[ SYSTEM SCAN — TARGET IDENTIFIED ]
Species: Zoroark (VIRUS ACTIVE)
Level: 30
Potential: BLUE
Bond Indicator: "Increased proximity to host detected."
Ability: Illusion.
Moves: Scratch, Leer, Quick Attack, Pursuit, ...
Obs: "High adaptability. Muscle density increased by 40%."
Enzo let out a breath, and he reached out, not to pet the creature, but to grip its shoulder. The Zoroark didn't flinch; he leaned into the touch, a silent acknowledgment of their hierarchy.
"Good Job!" Enzo said.
Behind them, a red flash illuminated the room. Enzo had released Krookodile as well. The desert predator, who had evolved just hours ago, loomed over the bed, his red scales glistening under the chandelier light.
Suddenly, the luxury hotel room felt very small. It was filled with two apex predators and two dangerous trainers.
"Alright, both of you," Enzo commanded, looking from the massive Krookodile to the sinister Zoroark. "Start moving. Stretch your legs and get used to the new weight. I don't want you stumbling over your own feet tomorrow."
Steven watched the scene, impressed.
The euphoria of Zoroark's evolution slowly settled, replaced by the methodical clicking of stones being sorted on the hardwood floor.
Enzo's hands moved fast, his eyes scanning the pile with desperate focus. He wasn't looking for value; he was looking for power. Specifically, a stone with a dark, hellish hue. Houndoomite.
He sifted through Fire Stones, Sun Stones, and shards of Everstone. Nothing. The frustration bubbled in his chest. Without that stone, Houndoom's ceiling was capped.
Suddenly, his fingers brushed against a cold, spherical orb. It was a deep, sinister purple with a reddish core.
Enzo froze. He recognized it instantly from his past life.
Gengarite.
He glanced at Steven, who was busy examining a fossil. Enzo quickly palmed the stone, slipping it into his pocket with the sleight of hand of a magician.
"This one seems... unstable," Enzo lied smoothly, patting his pocket. "It's giving off weird radiation. I'm going to keep it separate to study it later so it doesn't contaminate the others."
Steven didn't even look up. "Good idea. Safety first."
Enzo breathed out. He couldn't let Steven know he had a Gengar, not yet.
He went back to the pile, pushing aside a Moon Stone, until his hand closed around something heavy. It was a jagged, silver stone that felt cold and dense.
Aggronite.
Enzo weighed it in his hand. He knew exactly what this was. Steven, however, had no clue.
"Hey," Enzo called out, tossing the heavy stone across the room.
Steven caught it with one hand, almost dropping his loupe. "What is this? It's heavy."
"It feels compatible with steel," Enzo said, keeping his knowledge vague. "I think that's the one for you."
Steven looked at the stone, then at the raw Key Stone he had found earlier. His eyes lit up with scientific curiosity.
"Let's test the theory," Steven said, standing up. He grabbed a Poké Ball. "Come on out, Metagross!"
The massive steel spider materialized, floating in the center of the room. Steven held the Key Stone tight, pressing the silver Mega Stone against Metagross's.
"Metagross... connect with me!" Steven commanded, closing his eyes.
Silence.
The Metagross looked at Steven, confused. The stones remained dull. There was no reaction.
"It's not working," Steven muttered, disappointed. "Maybe the frequency is wrong?"
Enzo, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, shook his head. "Maybe you're just picking the wrong partner. Try the tank."
Steven looked at Enzo, then at the stone. He recalled Metagross and threw the Ultra Ball.
"Aggron!"
The iron dinosaur landed with a thud that shook the hotel floorboards. He roared, filling the cramped space.
Steven approached his Pokémon. He didn't need to press the stone this time. He just held it out. Aggron lowered his massive head, looking at the silver rock, then looked deeply into Steven's eyes.
"Trust me, Aggron," Steven whispered, clutching the raw Key Stone in his fist until his knuckles turned white.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then, BOOM.
A violent shockwave of energy erupted from the connection point. It wasn't just light; it was pressure. The air in the room became heavy, suffocating. The symbol of DNA flashed in the air.
Aggron roared, but the sound changed. It became metallic and distorted. His armor shifted, expanding, thickening. Plates of steel grew over plates of steel. He became wider, heavier, a literal walking fortress.
Mega Aggron.
The sheer presence of the Pokémon cracked the floor tiles beneath his feet.
Enzo shielded his eyes from the blinding light, a grin spreading under his mask. There it is.
But as quickly as it started, Steven gasped.
"Argh!" Steven grabbed his head, stumbling back.
The light flickered. The connection broke.
With a hiss of steam, Mega Aggron reverted to his normal form. The massive armor vanished.
Steven collapsed to his knees, panting heavily, sweat pouring down his forehead. He looked like he had just run a marathon in a blizzard.
"It... it stopped," Steven wheezed, clutching his temples.
Enzo checked his watch.
Thirty seconds. Not bad for a rich kid's first try, Enzo thought.
"You did it," Enzo said aloud, walking over to the pile of loot. "That migraine must be the price."
Steven groaned, giving a weak thumbs-up from the floor. "Worth... it."
Enzo ignored his partner's pain and crouched down to pick up one last stone. It was beautiful—a pale blue gem.
Greninjite.
Enzo's eyes narrowed. He didn't have a Greninja yet, but in this world, having the stone was half the battle.
"Hey, Steven," Enzo said, holding the blue stone up to the light. "Can I keep this one?"
Steven, still on the floor, waved his hand dismissively while massaging his temple.
"Take it... take whatever you want," Steven groaned, closing his eyes. "Just... please... find me some aspirin."
Enzo zipped up the heavy duffel bag, feeling the weight of a fortune resting on his shoulder.
"Rest up, Steven," Enzo said, pulling his cap down low.
Steven just nodded from the floor, defeated by the exhaustion of the Mega Evolution.
Enzo slipped out of the hotel room, moving through the corridors like a ghost. He avoided the security cameras and bypassed the Devon Corp guards with the ease of someone who knew every blind spot. He exited through the service entrance, stepping into a dark, damp alleyway in Cerulean City.
Once he was sure he was alone,
"Porygon2," Enzo whispered. "Teleport us home."
The digital duck materialized in a flash of blue data. It let out a computerized chirp, its body glowing intensely. In the blink of an eye, the alleyway was empty. The air where they had stood crackled with the displacement of mass.
ZAP.
Enzo materialized in the center of his private room inside the military tent in the warehouse.
The silence was absolute.
Enzo let out a breath and tossed the heavy bag onto his tactical planning table. Finally, he could drop the act.
For the past few hours, alongside Steven, he had to play the role of the "talented rookie," feigning surprise and ignorance about what these stones were. He had to ask, "What is this?" when he knew the answer perfectly well. But here, in the shadows of his territory, the mask fell off.
He unzipped the bag. The stones glittered under the harsh light of the desk lamp. He didn't just see colored rocks.
With the confidence of a veteran, Enzo plunged his hand into the loot.
First, his fingers closed around a spherical, yellow, and black stone.
Beedrillite.
Enzo held it up to the light, a calculating smile forming on his lips. "This isn't for me," he thought. "Giovanni has a Beedrill as one of his signature Pokémon. This stone is pure politics. If I ever screw up big time or need an impossible favor from the top, delivering this personally to the Boss wipes the slate clean. It's my life insurance."
He set it aside and searched again. This time, he pulled out a heavy, rugged grey stone that felt like compacted iron.
Steelixite.
"For Ronnie," Enzo decided. "He has an Onix. If he keeps working well, he deserves to evolve that beast into a Steelix and access this power."
Finally, Enzo's eyes gleamed as he found the real prize. He pulled out a dark stone that emanated a suffocating heat, swirling with deep blue and black hues.
Charizardite X.
Enzo weighed the stone in his hand, feeling the heat radiate from its dark core. He knew exactly how the future market would develop. "In a few years, the Charizardite Y will be the standard," he thought, running his thumb over the jagged surface. "It will be expensive, sure, but common enough for the elite. But this? The moment the world witnesses the X evolution, when they see the black scales and the blue flames, the public will lose its mind. This stone is destined to become one of the rarest, most expensive mega stones on the entire market. A true treasure."
Before closing the bag, he quickly grabbed 5 raw Key Stones.
"It's done," Enzo said,
He straightened his jacket and opened the tent flap to step out into the warehouse. The Boss was back at work.
He headed straight to the back, toward the solitary reinforced steel shipping container sitting in the loading bay. He slid the heavy steel door open.
Inside, the darkness smelled of fear and stale sweat. The Team Aqua Grunt was curled in the corner. He looked broken. Dressed in dirty rags, his eyes were hollow from days of isolation.
"Water... Please..." the prisoner croaked, shielding his eyes from the sudden light.
Enzo stared at him with eyes as cold as ice.
"Not yet," Enzo said flatly.
He slammed the viewing port shut and locked the heavy deadbolt, turning his back on the muffled sobbing from inside.
Enzo walked to the far end of the warehouse floor, where a narrow, rusted metal staircase led down into the darkness.
He grabbed the cold iron railing and began to descend. His boots clanged heavily against the metal steps, the sound echoing into the depths. As he went down, the air changed. The sterile cold of the surface was replaced by the sharp, chemical smell of reagents and the hum of high-voltage machinery.
Enzo reached the bottom of the stairs, stepping onto the concrete floor of the Basement Level. He ignored the laboratory side for now and turned left, toward the Nursery sector.
From the shadows of the stacked crates, Hypno descended, floating on psychic waves to greet him.
Enzo didn't waste time. He swung the heavy duffel bag off his shoulder and tossed it to the psychic Pokémon.
"Secure this," Enzo ordered. "Deep storage. Behind the psychic barriers."
Hypno caught the bag with his mind, floating it gently into the air. "It shall be done, Master. Also, the incubation is complete. You should see."
Enzo raised an eyebrow and followed Hypno to the active incubator section.
The glass case was open. Inside sat a small, orange lizard. Its tail flame flickered weakly, but its scales were immaculate, a perfect, vibrant shade of orange.
It was the yellow potential Charmander.
He tapped the button. The Charmander was sucked inside without a fight. The ball clicked instantly. Enzo pocketed the asset with a satisfied smirk.
With the business concluded, Enzo finally turned his attention to the other side of the basement, the Laboratory.
Leni, the nervous scientist, was hunched over a microscope, completely absorbed in his work. He hadn't noticed Enzo walking down the stairs or the conversation with Hypno.
Enzo walked up silently behind him.
"Leni," Enzo said.
The scientist jumped, nearly knocking over a tray of vials. "Ah! Boss! I... I didn't see you come down!"
"Status," Enzo demanded, staring at the bubbling tanks.
"The... uh... special orders," Leni stammered, wiping his glasses frantically. "The chemical compounds are stabilizing. Everything will be ready by the end of the week. I promise."
"Good."
Enzo didn't leave immediately. He walked further into the lab, and he stopped next to a workstation cluttered with blueprints and genetic sequencers, leaning casually against the cold steel table.
He watched Leni work for a few seconds, letting the silence stretch until it was uncomfortable.
"One more thing, Leni," Enzo said, his voice deceptively casual. "How is Professor Oak's 'Project Pikachu' coming along?"
CRASH.
He turned slowly to face Enzo, his eyes wide with terror.
"How..." Leni stammered, his breath hitching. "How... how do you know about that? That project is classified Level 10!"
Enzo didn't answer. He just stared.
Leni swallowed hard, adjusting his glasses with shaking hands. "It... It's dead, Boss. Canceled."
"Why?" Enzo asked. "Did the subjects fail?"
The League," Leni spat the word with frustration. "They have no vision. Their policy for experimentation is strict: Two Negative Results. That's the limit. We had two subjects overload and burnout during the initial battery tests. Two failures. And that was enough for them to pull the plug.
Leni ran a hand through his messy hair, looking genuinely distressed by the scientific loss.
"It's a catastrophic waste of Pokédollars! We spent millions breeding them. Now they have a surplus of hundreds of high-quality, genetically superior Pikachus sitting in containment, and we can't do anything with them because the board is afraid of bad PR."
Enzo let out a low, cynical chuckle.
"That's the difference between the League and us," Enzo muttered, shaking his head. "If this were a Team Rocket operation, we wouldn't stop at two failures. We'd burn through twenty subjects before lunch if it meant getting results. But the League... they play safe."
He looked at Leni, his eyes narrowing.
"So, they have an army of high-stat Pikachus just sitting there, gathering dust?"
"Yes, that was the situation before I left Pallett," Leni sighed. "All pokemon there is being scheduled for release. A complete waste."
Enzo absorbed the information. This was an opportunity. A surplus of powerful electric types that the government was about to throw away? That sounded like free inventory.
He pulled out his phone as he walked toward the stairs. He typed a quick, encrypted message to Proton.
Enzo hit send. He was exhausted. The adrenaline of the tournament, the evolution, and the business management finally caught up to him.
"I'm going to sleep, Leni," Enzo called out over his shoulder without looking back.
He climbed the metal stairs back to the main floor and headed straight for his tent. He collapsed onto his cot, fully clothed, and was asleep before his head hit the pillow. Tomorrow was war.
Enzo woke up to an alarm. Feeding time used to be simple: a small bowl for a fox, a small bowl for a desert croc. Now? It was different. Enzo watched them eat, satisfied. They were expensive to maintain, massive, and dangerous. Just the way he liked it.
The sound of heavy, wet boots squelching on the concrete floor outside announced a visitor.
Ronnie stumbled in.
He looked like a shipwreck survivor. He was wearing a stolen Team Aqua Grunt uniform, the ridiculous blue and white striped shirt and bandana, but it was completely soaked. He smelled strongly of salt, seaweed, and exhaustion. A puddle of seawater immediately formed around his boots.
"Enzo!" Ronnie gasped, leaning against the tent pole for support, shivering slightly. "It went smoothly. Caught exactly what you asked for. No witnesses. The disguise worked like a charm.
He wiped sea spray from his forehead, his eyes drooping with heavy fatigue.
"Look... another successful night, right? So... I'm off the clock now? I'm gonna go crash for like... twenty hours. I can't feel my legs."
Enzo didn't even look up from mixing his instant coffee.
"No."
The word hung in the air, cold and absolute.
"You rest when you're dead," Enzo said, taking a sip from his metal mug and locking eyes with his lieutenant. "Go change out of those rags and get your team ready. I want you to train until your muscles fail. D-Day is coming, and I need you sharp."
For a second, Ronnie looked like he might collapse. Then, a twisted, masochistic grin spread across his face. He seemed to feed off the pressure. He stood up straighter, snapping a salute.
"Yes, Boss!"
Then Enzo left the base.
Enzo walked through the streets of Cerulean, the stadium looming in the distance like a modern colosseum. His phone buzzed against his thigh. He pulled it out without breaking stride.
[ Lilian Jenny ]: "Good luck today."
Enzo typed back with one hand, his thumb moving fast.
[ Enzo ]: "I don't need luck. Don't forget our deal."
(Seen ✔✔).
He pocketed the device. Sentimentality was for people who didn't prepare.
As he got closer to the stadium, Enzo noticed something strange. The crowd wasn't just wearing the usual colorful fan merchandise.
Dozens of teenagers were dressed in all black. They wore tactical vests, dark cargo pants, and face masks. They were mimicking him; he was a counter-culture icon in Kanto.
The moment he reached the athlete's entrance, the sharks smelled blood. A swarm of reporters thrust microphones into his face, blocking his path. Their tone was patronizing, as if he were a contest winner who had already overstayed his welcome.
"Enzo! Enzo! How was the experience of participating in a tournament of this level?"
"Who is your favorite for the final? Do you think Bea's fighting style can overcome Steven's defense?"
They didn't even ask if he thought he could win. They assumed he was done against Bea; in reality, this was just a tactic on their part to irritate Enzo.
Enzo stopped. The cameras flashed blindingly. He reached up and slowly pulled down his black face mask, revealing a sharp, predator-like grin. "Are you people joking?" Enzo asked, his voice cutting through the chatter. The reporters went quiet.
"I didn't come here to 'participate.' I came here to clean house," Enzo declared, looking directly into the main camera lens. "You think this is Bea versus Steven? Wrong. I am going to crush Bea to avenge Brock for Kanto. I'm going to avenge the humiliation Misty suffered in our city, even if Steven is my friend. Then I'm going to show everyone that Cerulean trainers mean business."
He pulled a marker from his pocket, signed the tactical vest of a stunned fan standing near the barrier, and walked through the glass doors without looking back.
The tension inside was suffocating.
The air inside the waiting room was thick enough to choke on. It wasn't just nerves; it was the pressure of millions of eyes waiting outside.
Enzo pushed the doors open and stepped in.
Steven Stone was sitting on a bench, his posture elegant but rigid. He was rhythmically polishing a Beldum Poké Ball with a velvet cloth. Swish. Swish. He didn't look up, lost in his own mental preparation.
In the far corner, Bea sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, breathing in deep, measured rhythms. She looked like a statue carved from granite, radiating a terrifying focus.
Nessa leaned against the lockers, looking him up and down with a smirk. She caught his eye and gave him a slow, seductive wink.
Brock stood near the monitor. He didn't need to speak. He simply caught Enzo's eye and gave a firm, solemn nod. He had heard Enzo's interview.
But amidst them, there was a void.
One chair sat empty.
Misty wasn't there.
Steven glanced at the empty seat, a shadow of guilt crossing his face. He felt responsible for how brutally he had crushed her in the previous round. He looked at Enzo, then back at the chair.
"I went too hard," Steven thought to himself. "If we find a Water-type Mega Stone... I need to make this right."
Suddenly, the lights in the room flickered red. The speakers crackled to life, and the booming voice of Lt. Surge echoed through the walls, shaking the dust from the ceiling.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE TIME HAS COME!"
The crowd outside roared, the sound vibrating through the floor.
"SEMI-FINAL MATCH! SUDDEN DEATH RULES! REPRESENTING CERULEAN CITY: ENZO! VERSUS... THE GALARIAN PRODIGY: BEA!"
Enzo stood up slowly.
The Poke Ball holding Zoroark vibrated intensely on his belt. The illusion fox was eager for his first appearance.
Enzo looked at the tunnel entrance. He adjusted his gloves. A calm, arrogant smile played on his lips. He wasn't nervous. Why would he be?
He had lived this life before.
"Bea thinks this is a standard 2 vs 2 battle," Enzo thought, stepping into the dark tunnel. "But I know the rules are about to change. And my strategy is already five moves ahead."
He walked into the light.