"Well, here we are."

Korrina looked around nervously as she and her friends sat together at the Pokémon Center. They were looking at her in concern as they awaited the arrival of her mother.

"Don't worry, Korrina," said Ash. "I'm sure it will all be fine!"

"Pikachu!"

"Yeah!" said Serena. "Even if you have issues, she's still your mom, so she still loves you!"

"Of course!" said Brock. "And we can help you and your mom fix any issues you might have!"

"Cario!" Lucario barked as he placed a paw on Korrina's shoulder. Seeing her friends encouraging her finally managed to bring a smile to the blonde girl's face.

"Yeah, you're right," she said finally. "I just need to be confident that everything is going to be fine! And then we'll work everything out!"

She then frowned slightly.

"Just one thing before she get here."

To everyone's surprise, she grabbed Brock by the collar and pulled him close. The brown haired trainer began to sweat as he was met by Korrina's glare.

"Brock," she said in a calm voice that hid a dangerous edge, "if you try to flirt with my mom, there are no words to describe the horrible things I will do to you. Are we clear?"

Brock whimpered for a moment, before squeaking out "crystal clear!" Satisfied, Korrina let him go, and he sat back in his seat, still clearly terrified.

"Was that really necessary?" Serena asked as Brock tried to call down.

"I'd rather not take chances," said Korrina. Serena looked at Ash, and they both shrugged.

Afterwards, there was silence for a brief moment. Then, the Pokémon Center's door opened, and a woman walked in.

"Here we go," Korrina said quietly, not even needing to look at her friends to know they were shocked.

It was one thing to know that Korrina's mother was breathtaking. It was quite another to actually be in front of her. Everything about her gave an air of confidence, power, and wisdom, something that every other trainer aspired to be.

Much like her daughter, she had blonde hair and gray eyes, although hers were a slightly darker color than Korrina's. She was dressed almost entirely in black, most notably the long black coat that reached below her knees and covered up her black shirt and pants. Finally, she had a pair of hair clips that looked rather similar to a Lucario's aura feelers, one of which seemed to contain a key stone.

"Hello, Korrina, Hello Lucario," she said with a smile. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

"Hey Mom," Korrina said as she did her best to smile back. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Cario, Lu," Lucario said with a small bow.

"Indeed," her mother said. "How has your progress on trying to achieve Mega Evolution been going?"

"Oh! That's been great! Just great!" Korrina said, now clearly nervous, causing Lucario to roll his eyes.

"I see," her mother said, a neutral expression on her face. She then smiled as she looked at the rest of the group. "And I see that you're traveling with some friends now. Would you mind introducing them?"

"Oh, yeah!" Korrina said quickly, eager to change subject. "So Mom, this is Brock, Ash, and Serena. Guys, this is-"

"Cynthia Shirona?!" Ash said in shock. "Your mom is the Champion of the Sinnoh League?!"

"Pika Pikachu?!"

"One of the greatest Pokémon trainers in the world, who is able to defeat even other Champions without effort?!" Serena added.

There was then a loud thumping noise, which caused the group to look down. To their surprise, they found that Brock had fainted, and was now lying on the floor.

"Well," Cynthia said with a bemused look on her face, "yes, that would be me."

She then smiled. "Anyway, I'm glad to meet you all! It's good to see that my daughter has met such great friends!"

"Yes," Korrina muttered as she glanced towards Brock. "Just great."

"So, what brings you here, Miss Shirona?" Ash asked once Brock had gotten back up. "Or would it be Miss Shalour? Also, would you mind having a battle with me?"

"Just Cynthia is fine," said Cynthia. "And I'd rather have a battle with my daughter today."

Ash groaned and facefaulted as the rest of the group laughed.

"In any case, I want to see just how far along my daughter has gotten on her mission to master Mega Evolution."

"Oh, that!" Korrina said nervously. "Yeah, I've been doing great! Amazingly great!"

"I see," said Cynthia. "So, did you finally get that 100 win streak you were trying to achieve?"

"Oh!" said Korrina as she forced a smile on to her face. "Well, I've been doing great with that! Yup, that's been fantastic! Totally fine!"

Cynthia raised an eyebrow, causing both Korrina and Lucario to sweat. Finally, she sighed.

"Well, I suppose we could take a look and see how well you're doing."

"What do you mean?" Korrina asked.

Cynthia said nothing, electing simply to get to her feet and walk towards the exit. Confused, the rest of the group got up as well and began to follow her. As they left the building, they soon realized she was leading them to the battlefield.

"So, what do you have in mind, Miss Cynthia?" asked Serena.

"You'll see," Cynthia said as she reached into her pocket. "Korrina, I'd like to see how well Lucario does in battle."

"Oh," said Korrina. "I mean, I'm not sure I'll do that well, not to mention that my win streak might-"

"And I wanted to see how the two of you handle this."

At this, Cynthia handed something to Korrina. Surprised, the younger trainer looked down at the object her mother had given her, and let out an audible gasp.

"Is that…"

"Lucario's Mega Stone," Cynthia confirmed. "Lucarionite."

The rest of the group quickly turned their attention to the item Korrina was holding. It was a yellow spherical object with a curved, red and blue design in the center. Lucario in particular was eyeing the item with an excited look.

"I wish to see if you two are capable of battling with Mega Evolution," said Cynthia. "I think that it would be helpful to you in your journey to become the next Shalour Gym Leader."

"Yes!" Korrina said as her face lit up. "I'd love to!"

"Lucar!" Lucario barked as he took the Lucarionite in his paw.

"Then it's settled," said Cynthia. "You will show us what you've got."

She walked to the other side of the field, then pulled out a Pokeball.

"Just so you know," she said, "I won't be holding back, so you had better not do so either!"

Cynthia then tossed out her Pokeball, revealing a dark blue sharklike Pokémon with razor sharp teeth.

"Garchomp!"

"Oh wow!" said Ash. "Cynthia's using her Garchomp!"

"Pikapika!"

"It looks even stronger in person!" said Brock.

"I don't think Korrina and Lucario are going to stand a chance!" said Serena.

Korrina chuckled. While she could admit to being intimidated by her mother's Garchomp, she would never give up without a fight.

"Let's give it everything we've got! Are you ready, Lucario?"

"Car! Lucario!" Lucario barked affirmatively. Filled with confidence, Korrina lifted her hands and touched her keystone. In a flash, both her keystone and the Lucarionite began to glow.

"Lucario! Respond to my heart! Mega Evolve!

Lucario howled as his body glowed with orange energy. His body began to shift, becoming shaggier and taller as his aura feelers became longer. Finally, the glow dissipated and revealed Lucario's new form.

"Lucario, Lu!"

The aura Pokémon looked around his body in awe, admiring the transformation that had just taken place. His aura feelers were longer and curlier, and were now colored red at the tips. His paws were also tipped with red, and the spikes on his body had grown larger and more numerous. The yellow fur on his chest was now much shaggier, and had extended to cover his tail. Not only had his body changed radically, but he could feel that he had grown in physical strength as well, and his aura was also much more powerful.

"How does it feel, Lucario?" Korrina asked, just as amazed as her partner.

"Lucario, Lu," the blue canine replied.

"Well done," said Cynthia. "But achieving Mega Evolution is just the beginning. You must also show that you are able to fight with your new power. It's time for you to show us what you're capable of!"

"You got it!" said Korrina. "We're going to show off just how strong we are together! Right, partner?"

"Lucar-cario!"

Both trainers locked gazes as their Pokémon got into fighting poses, ready for battle. Meanwhile, the rest of the group had moved to the sidelines, and were watching excitedly.

"This will be a one-on-one battle between Korrina and Cynthia. The battle will be over when either Pokémon is no longer able to continue. Begin now!"

Immediately, Korrina called out an attack.

"Use Bone Rush!"

"Counter it with Crunch!"

Lucario lunged forwards as a bone made of blue energy formed in his claws. He swung it forwards, only for Garchomp to grab it in her jaws and break right through it.

"Now use Dragon Claw!"

"Block it!"

Garchomp roared as its claws extended out and were covered with blue energy. The aura Pokémon held out his paws to block out the attack, but was still knocked backwards by several feet.

"Wow!" said Ash. "Garchomp is amazing!"

"Pika!"

"Yeah!" said Serena. "I mean, even after Mega Evolving, Lucario's still having trouble keeping up with her!"

Back on the field, Korrina was thinking the same thing, and was ready to give her next command.

"Lucario! Try a Power-Up Punch!"

"Dodge it!

Lucario's fist glowed as he rushed towards Garchomp, only for the mighty dragon type to take off into the air, flying upwards out of reach.

"Now use Dragon Rush!"

The mach Pokémon changed course, rushing towards Lucario at blinding speed. The aura Pokémon barely had any warning before he was slammed by the dragon type attack; he was sent flying, landing several feet away, right in front of his trainer.

"Lucario!" Korrina cried. "Are you okay?"

"Luuuu..."

"Oh, thank Arceus you're okay!" Korrina said with a relieved look on her face. However, as she looked at her partner, she realized that something was very, very wrong.

"Luuuu..."

"Lucario?" Korrina said worriedly. The aura Pokémon's pupils had shrunk down to pinpricks, and he was baring his teeth in a frightful manner. In addition, he was shaking violently, his fists twitching in preparation to battle.

He then lunged forwards.

"Lucario!" Korrina cried in shock. "I didn't say you could go!"

If Lucario heard his trainer, he didn't show it, as he charged towards Garchomp with his Metal Claw attack ready. The mach Pokémon caught it with her Dragon Claw attack, effortlessly blocking the move. Enraged, the aura Pokémon switched to Bone Rush and swung around wildly to his his opponent, only for Garchomp to deflect each attempt with her glowing claws.

"Stop it, Lucario!" Korrina called desperately. "What are you doing?!"

"Lucario's out of control!" said Ash.

"Pikapika!"

"But why?!" said Serena. "They battled so well before!"

"I don't know," said Brock, "but if this doesn't end soon, things are going to get really bad!"

Back on the field, Cynthia seemed to be thinking the same thing as Brock.

"Very well. Garchomp! Use Earthquake!"

Garchomp stopped blocking Lucario's attacks and slammed her right arm into the ground. The resulting shockwave knocked the out-of-control Pokémon off his feet and made him cry out in pain.

"Finish it with Dragon Rush!"

Garchomp roared as she lunged forwards, glowing with energy. Stunned by the previous attack, Lucario was powerless to block or dodge, and was slammed by the mighty dragon type.

"Lucario!" Korrina cried.

The aura Pokémon groaned as he landed in front of his trainer. His body glowed for a moment before reverting back to its original form.

"Lucario is... unable to battle," Brock said, still shocked by what had just happened. "Cynthia wins."

Immediately, the group rushed up to Korrina's side, worried for her and Lucario.

"Korrina!" said Ash. "What just happened?"

"Pika!"

"Yeah!" said Serena. "That was scary!"

"How did Lucario lose control like that?"

Korrina didn't answer. She simply stared at her partner in shock, wondering what had gone wrong. The rest of the group stared at her in turn, unsure of what else to say.

It was then that they were interrupted by the sound of Cynthia clearing her throat.

"If we can get back inside, I think I may have some ideas."

Some time later, the group were sitting in the Pokémon Center's lobby as they waited for Lucario to be healed.

"So, do you know what's going on with Lucario, Miss Cynthia?" Serena asked.

"Perhaps," said Cynthia. "But before I explain anything, I'd like to know what you know about Mega Evolution."

The group looked at Cynthia in surprise before considering what they knew.

"Well," said Brock, "it's like a unique form of normal Evolution that certain Pokémon who are fully evolved can undergo."

"And it makes Pokémon way stronger than they would normally be," said Ash.

"But it wears off after battle," said Serena.

"And it requires a strong bond between a trainer and their Pokémon," Korrina concluded.

For a moment, Cynthia looked downwards with a blank face. She then looked back up at them with a small smile

"Yes, all of that is correct. However, that is merely scratching the surface of what Mega Evolution is. You see, Mega Evolution allows Pokémon to gain powers and abilities that they would never be able to achieve otherwise. However, in order to unlock this power, both trainer and Pokémon must understand each other incredibly well, and have absolute trust in one another. If there are any issues that have not been worked out... things can get ugly."

"What do you mean by that?" Korrina asked worriedly.

"You see," Cynthia explained, "while Mega Evolution makes Pokémon very powerful, it can also make them much more aggressive."

"Mega Evolution makes Pokémon more aggressive?" Ash said in surprise.

"Pika?"

"I know this one!"

At that moment, Rotom popped out of Ash's pocket.

"Hey guys! Did I mention that I also have plenty of information on Mega Evolved Pokémon too?"

Cynthia blinked. "Is that a Pokedex?"

"It is," said Ash, "and it has a Rotom living inside."

"Ah," said Cynthia. "That makes sense. Well, sort of."

"Anyway," said Rotom, "Did you know that Mega Gengar tries to take the lives of anyone around it, including its trainer?"

Ash's face turned pale. "What?"

"Oh, and Mega Gyarados loses all function except the desire to burn down everything! And all the spikes coming out of Mega Aerodactyl's body are so painful that it begins attacking anything around it! And Mega Tyranitar's back splits open from the sheer power, so it becomes so fierce it doesn't even hear its trainer's orders!"

The group, with the exception of Cynthia, stared at the possessed Pokedex in horror.

"Yes, that is correct," Cynthia said. "Mega Lucario in particular has been known to become completely merciless in battle."

"Is that what happened out there?" Korrina asked worriedly. "Does that mean that my bond with Lucario isn't strong enough?"

"Perhaps," Cynthia said simply. "With that being said-"

Before she could continue, she was interrupted by the sound of the Pokémon Center tone.

"Korrina, your Pokémon are now fully healed!"

Gasping, the blonde haired trainer quickly got up and rushed to the counter.

"Thank you for waiting! Lucario is fully healed and ready to go!" Nurse Joy said with a smile.

"Thank you so much!" Korrina said as she grabbed Lucario's Pokeball.

"You're welcome," said Nurse Joy. "Now, is there anything else we can do for you?"

Korrina was about to answer when Cynthia walked up to the counter.

"No thank you. If it's all the same to you, I'd like to take a moment to speak with my daughter."

Korrina blinked in surprise as her mother looked right at her.

"Shall we?"

Korrina swallowed, then nodded. With that, Cynthia began to walk away, leading the younger trainer out of the Pokémon Center and back out towards the battlefield. Ash, Serena, Brock, and Pikachu watched the two leave, both curious and worried.

"You think Korrina's going to be okay?" said Serena.

"I hope so," said Brock. "It must be pretty hard to see your partner lose control like that."

"I know," said Ash. "I can't imagine what it would be like if Pikachu ended up like that."

"Pikaaa..."

For a moment, the group sat together in silence, just staring back towards the door. Then, they were interrupted by Nurse Joy's voice.

"Well, if they're going out, can I help any of you?"

Immediately, Brock rushed up to the counter and grabbed a surprised Nurse Joy's hands.

"Yes, you can heal my broken heart! I know you normally only treat Pokémon, but I'm sure it's okay for you to make an exception for-"

Before Brock could finish, Rotom flew up to him and unleashed a Discharge attack.

"MEEEEEEEEE!"

The hapless Pokémon Breeder fell to the floor as Rotom giggled.

"So, if you can make an exception," Rotom said in a cheeky voice as he turned to Nurse Joy, "how much would it cost to have him neutered?"

Outside the Pokémon Center, Korrina and Cynthia walked together around the battlefield. While both seemed calm, there was an air of tension that surrounded them.

"So, your friends seem nice," Cynthia said in a jovial tone, clearly wishing to break the ice.

"Yeah, they are," Korrina said, doing her best to smile. "Serena's from Vaniville Town, and Ash and Brock are from Kanto. Ash wants to battle in the Kalos League, so he's collecting all the badges. I'm pretty sure that the next one is the Shalour City Gym."

"Well, I'll definitely be looking forward to that," said Cynthia. "And so will your grandfather."

"Yeah, I'm sure," said Korrina. "Anyway, Brock is a Pokémon Breeder, and he used to be a Gym Leader in Kanto. And Serena wants to be a Pokémon Performer. Her first performance didn't go so well, but she's doing her best to make sure her next one is a lot better."

"That's good to hear," said Cynthia. "So, how did you meet?"

"Well, me and Lucario were looking for trainers to face off, becuase we were looking to improve our winning streak," Korrina explained. "So we came across them, and then stuff happened, and here we are."

"That's nice," said Cynthia. "So you're still working on those 100 wins?"

Korrina smiled nervously as she looked up at her mother.

"Er, yeah, I am. Although... I haven't really gotten there yet..."

For a moment, Cynthia looked back at her daughter, considering what she was going to say.

"Tell me, Korrina. Why do you think you and Lucario were unable to control Mega Evolution?"

Korrina looked down at Lucario's Pokeball worriedly.

"I... guess it was because the bond I have with Lucario isn't as strong as I thought it was?"

"Not necessarily," said Cynthia, causing Korrina to look up in surprise. "You see, if a trainer and Pokémon do not have a strong bond, they will not be able to achieve Mega Evolution at all. The fact that Lucario was able to change should be proof that you truly have a strong bond."

"Oh," Korrina said in surprise. "Then what went wrong?"

"If I had to guess," said Cynthia, "there is something on either your mind or Lucario's that is preventing you from fully controlling Mega Evolution.

"Somehting weighing on my mind?" Korrina said in confusion. She then scratched her head, wondering what issues she or Lucario might have could be preventing them from achieving Mega Evolution.

It was then that Cynthia answered her question.

"I can't help but feel that I may be somewhat responsible for this."

Korrina looked up at her mother in surprise.

"What?! But how-"

"I know that I haven't been the best mother, Korrina. I've tried my best to raise you and Verity to the best of my ability, but... I focused too much on trying to shape you both into the same kind of trainer I was. Fortunately, you were always a lot like me, and you always strived to reach my expectations so that you could be worthy of being the next Shalour Gym Leader. But that's not the kind of person your sister is. While I have no doubt that she could become a great trainer on her own, my attempts at helping her may have done more harm than good."

Korrina stared at her mother in shock, hardly able to believe the words coming out of her mother's mouth.

"I know you are much more agressive battler than she is, but I would be surprised if the pressure of living up to me didn't weigh heavily on your mind. Perhaps it's not at the forefront of your mind, but it's certainly there when you and Lucario attempt Mega Evolution, and it's most likely inhibiting the transformation."

The older trainer looked downwards for a moment, considering what to say next. She then turned to her daughter.

"Tell me, Korrina. Why did you attempt your 100-win streak in the first place?"

Korrina blinked in surprise.

"My win streak?" she asked. "Well, I wanted to prove that me and Lucario had a strong bond and could win a lot of battles together."

"And what else?"

Korrina couldn't help but sweat slightly at her mother's words.

"Well... I wanted to prove that I was as much of a great trainer as you were," she said finally. "I mean, you've been the Champion of Sinnoh since before I was born. And... I'm your daughter, so I should be able to win any battles without trouble. I guess I thought that if I could have as many wins as you, I might be worthy of being the Gym Leader of Shalour City."

The young trainer looked downwards, worried to look into her mother's eyes. While she was trying hard, she could feel a hint of moisture forming in her eyes, and shut them tight to avoid letting any tears fall out. Fortunately, before she could, she felt the gentle touch of Cynthia's hand on her shoulder.

"Korrina, you don't have to be as strong as me to be a great trainer. You may be my daughter, but that doesn't mean you're me. You and Lucario are strong together, regardless of whether or not you win every battle you take part in. Even I lost plenty of battles back in my day, but I had faith in myself and my partners, and we grew and learned together, and eventually I became the Champion of Sinnoh."

Korrina turned up to see her mother giving her a kind smile, and slowly began to smile back.

"I... think I get it," said Korrina. "I shouldn't try to be so much like you, but try to be more like me?"

"Exactly," said Cynthia. "You and Lucario need to find your own path. I know it may sound like a challenge, but I know that the two of you can do it."

"Right!" Korrina said with a smile. She then got up and tossed out Lucario's Pokeball out. The Aura Pokémon shook himself lightly as he emerged, then smiled as he greeted the two trainers.

"Lu-Lucar!"

"Hey, Lucario," said Korrina. "How are you doing?"

Lucario's smile vanished as he remembered the events that had transpired before. He then looked downwards in shame.

"Hey, cheer up," Korrina said as she patted him on the shoulder encouragingly. "It wasn't your fault that your Mega Evolution didn't go so well. We'll just have to keep working on it to make sure the next time turns out better!"

The blue canid looked up to his trainer and began to smile once more.

"Lucario! Lu!"

"Yeah!" said Korrina. "We'll figure it out together!"

The two laughed together for a moment, now feeling significantly better about theif failed attempt at achieving Mega Evolution. It was then that Cynthia cleared her throat to catch their attention.

"Well, I have no doubt that the two of you will be able to pull it off. Before you do so, however, I think you should keep this."

Korrina and Lucario both gasped in surprise as they saw what the older trainer was handing them.

"The Lucarionite?" Korrina sais in amazement. Not only was her mother handing her the Mega Stone, it was even enclosed in a protective sleeve to help Lucario carry it.

"I know that you don't quite have it yet," said Cynthia, "but I think you'll be able to wield it well."

"Are you sure?" said Korrina. "I mean, isn't this yours?"

"Well, not exactly," Cynthia said, and Korrina was surprised to note the slightest tinge of sadness in her voice. "You see, this Lucarionite... It was the same one your father used."

Korrina's heart skipped a beat.

"This... was dad's?" she said, the slightest hint of a tear appearing in her eyes.

"Indeed," Cynthia said as she looked down at the stone. "He was a master at using Mega Evolution, and I think he would have wanted you to use if when you became the Gym Leader."

"Oh," Korrina said as she grabbed the stone. She then turned to her partner.

"Hey, Lucario," she said, her voice trembling. "This was dad's Mega Stone. Do you think we'll be able to use it?"

"Luuu..." Lucario said as he looked at the stone in fascination. For a moment, both trainer and Pokémon stood there staring at it, unsure of what to do. Then, slowly, the aura Pokémon stretched out his paw, and Korrina pulled up the sleeve with the stone over his arm.

"There," said Korrina, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "I just hope we'll be able to live up to dad's example."

"Lucar-Lu!" said Lucario.

With a smile, Korrina turned back to her mother, smiling once more.

"Mom... thanks."

"You're welcome, Korrina," said Cynthia. "And good luck trying to master Mega Evolution."

Korrina blinked.

"What do you mean, 'good luck?' Are you leaving already?"

"Unfortunately, I have business elsewhere," Cynthia said as she began to walk away. "But I heard that you were nearby, and so I decided to wait so I could meet with you."

"You... heard I was here?" Korrina said in surprise. "Where?"

"Oh, and old friendof yours mentioned you were coming."

Korrina groaned.

"Not her," she moaned as her mother and Lucario chuckled.

"Yes, Astrid mentioned your little run in," Cynthia said as she stopped walking and smiled at her daughter. "I was quite impressed that she'd found a piece of Absolite. In any case, I'm happy I was able to find you, especially since I managed to give you that Mega Stone."

"I guess so," said Korrina. "Are you sure you can't stay any longer, mom?"

"I wish I could," said Cynthia. "But I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon. While I can't say much, there are some interesting things going on in Kalos, and I intend to keep an eye on them."

"Oh," Korrina said, curious about what her mother was talking about, but also hopeful that she'd be able to see her again soon. "So, if we meet again, do you think we'll be able to battle?"

"Maybe," said Cynthia. "If you and Lucario can master Mega Evolution, we'll see. For now, though, you and Lucario keep on training together."

With that, Cynthia walked off, leaving her daughter behind. For a moment, she and Lucario looked towards the older trainer in awe. Then she smiled and shouted out.

"We'll do it, mom! We'll be the best Mega Evolution trainers ever!"

"Lucario! Lu!"

The two then looked at each other, both smiling determinedly. Even if they had trouble wielding Mega Evolution today, the encouragement that Cynthia had given Korrina gave her hope that they would be able to pull through. And they were determined to show her that strength the next time they met.

A/N: Welp, have a new chapter! Just in time for Super Smash Bros!

Surprisingly, much like Astrid being Korrina's Rival, Cynthia being Korrina's mom wasn't originally planned. However, early on in the writing of the story (Specifically, back when Astrid made her debut), the idea popped into my head and appealed to me. It didn't hurt that I'd already introduced elements from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and even Alola, so Sinnoh seemed to be the logical next step. Makes me wonder what I could introduce from Unova...

Anyway, see you next time!... Presumably once I put Smash down.