Chris stood in front of a massive wooden gate, painted red. Upon passing through it, Chris had entered Snowbelle City. Three massive mountains enclosed the city, with heaps of snow accumulating on the sides of the street. Despite Snowbelle being called a city, the streets were desolate without another person in sight. Chris and Charlotte, whom was now walking on her own, approached the center of the city, where an array of benches were. Chris sat on one of them, admiring the natural landscapes.

"It's beautiful," he whispered to himself.

Chris' sight seeing ended abruptly when a familiar Pokemon blocked his view. Standing in front of him was an Abomasnow, awfully similar to the one back at Frost Cavern. It tapped Chris on his shoulder harshly, by accident.

"Wulfric," he said to the Pokemon. Immediately, Abomasnow grabbed Chris' arm similar to how it did back in the Frost Cavern, dragging him to the gym, Charlotte trailing behind them.

Abomasnow returned to the gym, but Chris and Charlotte were missing.

"Where are they?" asked Wulfric. Abomasnow stared at him, unsure as to where the two went.

Just moments later, the two arrived bickering with one another.

"I told you it was west of the city!" exclaimed Charlotte.

"You said east first! I said west!" responded Chris.

"No I didn't!"

"Yes you did!"

"ENOUGH!" exclaimed Wulfric. "You two arguing back and forth like children… Do you want to train or pout?"

Chris straightened himself upon seeing him.

"Yes sir, I'd like to train," he said clearly.

"Good…, and what of you?" asked Wulfric looking at Charlotte. She took a step back initially.

"Me? Well I'm just traveling with Chris."

"Yes I know that, but he's prepared to take a dangerous path…are you?"

"Well I-"

"Are you?" repeated Wulfric. Charlotte took a deep breathe before answering.

"Yes sir. I'm ready."

"Good then you'll train with him."

"What?" they asked in unison.

Wulfric nodded his head.

"So…when does training start?" asked Chris.

"Right now…," responded Wulfric. "But! You will use only one Pokemon, your Aggron."

"But my Aggron's fainted," responded Chris.

Wulfric tossed a revive to Chris, whom used it on his Pokemon immediately.

"Ready to battle now?"

Chris sent in Aggron, but Wulfric didn't send in any Pokemon, instead nudging his fingers slightly ordering Abomasnow into the battle.

"He's gotten to like you two," said Wulfric looking at Abomasnow.

"Wait, why do you only want Aggron to fight?" asked Chris.

"Because…I don't care about you beating my team or not…you've done that seven times now. If you want to become stronger… you have to master Mega Evolution."

"But Beedrill can Mega Evolve as well?"

"It can?" asked Wulfric surprised.

"Then lets see it. First Beedrill then Aggron."

Aggron left the battlefield as Chris sent out Beedrill. Immediately he tapped the stone on his Mega Bracelet, but nothing happened. Abomasnow then tackled directly into Beedrill inciting a battle. Though Beedrill was initially angry, the stone Beedrill had or the stone in Chris' bracelet didn't react. Abomasnow continued attacking Beedrill.

"Mega Evolution is the ultimate bond between a trainer and his Pokemon. A bond formed during the heat of battle that only lasts a short time," said Wulfric.

"Maybe the battle isn't intense enough…," mumbled the gym leader to himself. He then tapped his Mega Stone, mega evolving Abomasnow. A rainbow aura surrounded Abomasnow briefly. Once it had faded, Abomasnow sunk onto all fours, its fur much thicker, with massive pillars of ice expanding from its back. The Pokemon began blasting multiple shards of ice at Beedrill, most of which caused Beedrill to faint.

"Alright…start over," said Wulfric tossing Chris a revive.

Hours had passed as the two continued to battle.

Wulfric tossed his tenth revive to Chris to use on Beedrill only for the bug Pokemon to faint once again. Hours of training wore down the elder Wulfric.

"Alright, lets try the other Pokemon now," said Wulfric pointing to Aggron. Chris pulled the bug Pokemon out of the battle, sending in Aggron.

"Beedrill can Mega Evolve I promise," said Chris.

"I'm sure he can," responded Wulfric. "But it won't in this battle, and fighting it again is futile... Use Aggron."

"Iron Head, Aggron!" called out Chris immediately after. The steel behemoth charged towards Abomasnow with its head lowered, but the ice type Pokemon grabbed it by its horn, then tossing the Pokemon back towards Chris. As Aggron rose to its feet, Abomasnow surrounded its fist in ice, hooking the left side of Aggron's face. Aggron fell to the ground, irritated. Upon rising back to its feet, steam burst from its nostrils, as Chris noticed the stone in his Mega Bracelet glowing minimally. He tried tapping it, but the stone didn't respond.

"Something's not right here," thought Wulfric. "How is it not Mega Evolving yet? Is the bond between him and his Pokemon not strong enough?"

Then an idea came to his head.

"Ice Shard, Abomasnow," he called out. Wulfric then winked to the Pokemon, scaring Abomasnow. "Do it," he ordered. Abomansow forged one shard of ice, and fired it…directly at Chris. Reacting instinctively, Aggron forced itself in front of Chris, deflecting the shard, and saving his life.

"What the hell are you doing!?" exclaimed Chris.

"Check the stone!" responded Wulfric. Aggron stared down Wulfric angrily, the stone now glowing. Chris tapped the stone once more, a rainbow aura now surrounding Aggron. Once it had faded, Aggron still remained in its same form. Wulfric groaned.

"Alright! Stop the fight!" he called out. He then motioned to Charlotte. "I wanna see if you're having the same problem."

Chris watched in the background as Charlotte and Wulfric scrimmaged. Blastoise struggled to hold its own due to a lack of type advantage, but the Pokemon managed. On Charlotte's first attempt to Mega Evolve the Pokemon, it failed with Blastoise fainting shortly afterwards. When the two rematched, Abomasnow fired off its frozen breathe into the moisture filled air, causing icicles to form above Charlotte and began to fall. Chris reacted, racing towards Charlotte.

"Don't come near her!" demanded Wulfric. To protect its trainer, Blastoise fired off a blast of scalding hot water at the icicles, causing them to melt. Charlotte's Mega Bracelet began glowing. She slammed her palm onto the stone surrounding Blastoise in a rainbow aura for multiple seconds. When it subsided, Blastoise had taken on a new form. The two cannons on its back were now shifted to its wrists with a single massive cannon laying on its back. Wulfric smiled at the sight of it. Shortly afterwards, Charlotte gave an order.

"Flash Cannon, Blastoise!" Blastoise lowered its already massive body, aiming its massive cannon at Abomasnow. A blast of flashing light was fired off at Abomasnow, the attack causing Abomasnow to faint.

Wulfric applauded Charlotte.

"Well done! You have a close bond with your Pokemon, and it showed. It did take some struggling the first time, but you managed to overcome it."

Chris looked at the two in the distance, envious. Wulfric now turned to him.

"I can't tell for the life of me what is wrong with your Pokemon…unless."

"What?" asked Chris.

"Unless…your bond isn't strong enough with them."

Chris looked insulted.

"Of course its strong enough," responded Chris pridefully.

"Don't let your pride cloud your mind," responded the elderly gym leader.

Chris now looked at Aggron and Beedrill. Doubt began to fill his mind.

"It can't be that…," he muttered.

"Let's test it again, then."

Chris sent in Aggron, on Wulfric's demand. Wulfric used a revive, bringing his Abomasnow back to fighting form.

"Iron Head, Aggron!" Aggron charged towards Abomasnow intentionally looking to avoid the Pokemon's arms. In response, Abomasnow raised its right arm, surrounding it in a green log-like shape and slamming it down on Aggron. The steel Pokemon was slammed to the ground, but rose to its feet instantly after, hauling a barrage of punches at Abomasnow, all doing minimal to damage the ice Pokemon. Abomasnow then surrounded its arms both now in the green log-like shape, whipping Aggron multiple feet back towards Chris. He now noticed the Mega Bracelet beginning to glow. Despite seeing it, Chris waited, thinking that if he pressed it too early, Aggron wouldn't Mega Evolve. As the steel type rose to its feet once again, it took its right arm, beating it over its chest.

"Rock Slide, Aggron!" called out Chris. Aggron got down on all-fours, roaring at Abomasnow as a barrage of boulders began piling up on Abomasnow. The ice Pokemon began to shatter the boulders as Aggron began charging towards Abomasnow with its iron head tilted down. As the steel Pokemon charged directly into Abomasnow, the two were sent flying opposite directions. Aggron rose to its feet, while Abomasnow didn't. Aggron roared, a clear smirk on Wulfric's face.

"Now," thought Chris to himself.

He tapped the Mega Stone, the rainbow aura began surrounding Aggron like it did Blastoise. A layer of steel could be seen surrounding Aggron, but the aura faded too quickly and its metamorphosis was seized. Despite the failure to Mega Evolve, Aggron had successfully defeated Mega Abomasnow.

Wulfric returned the ice Pokemon to its Pokeball, now walking towards Chris, his fist closed. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breathe. Once he opened his fist, he revealed the eighth gym badge, handing it to Chris.

"But…I failed?" said Chris.

"True... You may not have been able to Mega Evolve your Pokemon yourself, but… your Pokemon did show grit and strength to defeat a Mega Evolved Pokemon… I believe you're ready. Go get your name cleared, son."

Chris thanked the gym leader, now looking at the badge. It seemed bitter sweet to him. Though he had all eight gym badges, he felt that he failed what Wulfric ultimately was testing him for. Once they left the gym, Charlotte nudged him on the shoulder.

"What now?" she asked. Chris looked to his phone reading the time, '5:42'.

"We clear my name," he responded, the two smiling at each other.

Chris and Charlotte headed west of Snowbelle City which took the two to Route 21, a connection route to Route 22, which lead to Santalune City. Chris sent out Talonflame, Charlotte sent out Jigglypuff, and the two flew back to the Pokemon League to meet with Diantha and the remaining Elite Four. As Chris entered the massive building, immediately something was off.

It was silent, as if it were abandoned. Chris called out.

"Diantha!"

No response.

He now approached the dining hall where he could hear the faint sounds of groaning. He now began to rush into the room, his mind racing.

As he entered the dining hall, it was in shambles. Burn marks were seen distinctly on the marble floor and columns. The wooden table was burned to a crisp as all the elite four members lay on the ground, one groaning. He was a blonde-haired man with his water Pokemon around him charred and unconscious. Chris approached the man, seeing a burn mark on his chest.

"What happened?" asked Chris.

"Malva..," he whispered. "Malva took the film…" He groaned with pain as Chris set him down, his heart sunk.

"Malva?" asked Chris. "Malva…the fire type user... The Elite Four member..."

The blonde-haired man nodded. Chris immediately banged his fists continually on the marble floor.

"What is it?" asked Charlotte rushing to Chris now.

"They took the film," said Chris defeated. "Its probably burned up somewhere…"

"But you know who took it don't you?" said Charlotte.

"Forget it... they have the film... I'm a murderer forever now."

Charlotte scanned the building, now approaching the blonde-haired man.

"Where's Diantha?" she asked.

"She went after Malva," he said still gripping his wound. Chris now rose to his feet, heading towards the exit.

"Call an ambulance," said Chris to Charlotte.

"But the police," she responded.

"I'll be long gone by then," said Chris.