Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Author Notes: I have an extremely important announcement: This chapter has artwork bundled with it! You read that right!

The artwork that comes with this chapter will be revealed on my Discord Server on Sunday, July 11th at about 4 PM CST! So, be sure to join if you don't want to miss out on that! You can find a link to it on my profile!

Chapter 28 — Mega Unleashed

"Latios, keep track of that and dodge it!" Ash called out, confidently waving an arm as he voiced his command.

Latios growled as he narrowed his eyes and readied himself, keeping track of the incoming threat.

Crobat whizzed through the air at astonishing speeds, his four wings flapping swiftly as he approached the dragon. Abruptly, the front edges of his two upper wings began to ooze a vile purple liquid that shimmered unnervingly. Crobat shot forward so fast that his form blurred out to most of the onlookers.

However, Latios' powerful eyesight easily kept track of the poison-type's movements. Once Crobat's speed essentially forced him to commit to a set attack angle, Latios reacted. The dragon flared the energy that fueled his levitation, causing him to shoot upward in a quick and seamless motion.

Crobat passed through the air where the dragon had been a mere instant ago while crossing his upper wings with such force that it created a purple 'X' pattern of light in the air and sent out a circular shockwave which blasted away dirt and dust on the ground below.

Brock smirked. "Good dodge of that Cross Poison. But we're not done yet! Crobat, use Shadow Ball!" he commanded.

Ash gasped. "Wait, what? Crobat knows Shadow Ball now!?" His hands closed into fists as an eager grin formed on his mouth. "Latios, let's test your Dragon Pulse to counter that!"

Crobat whirled around in midair and aimed upward while opening his mouth, a black orb of shadows intensely crackling with purple energy beginning to form within it. Latios immediately spun around and opened his jaws, growling and focusing his power, forming a vibrant sphere of green draconic energy in front of his open mouth.

Both Crobat and Latios let out a fierce shout and thrust their heads forward, throwing their respective energy spheres at each other. Both attacks surged rapidly through the air and collided in midair. They struggled against each other for an instant before detonating into a powerful blast that spread green fire and murky smoke in all directions.

Latias' eyes glowed a faint shade of blue, exerting her psychic powers to cast an azure telekinetic shield around the blast to contain most of it. The blast harmlessly dissipated within it, though the shockwave rattled nearby trees and bushes slightly. Once the blast had dissipated, her eyes dimmed back to normality.

"Not bad," Pikachu commented with an approving nod while idly munching on some of his favorite Pokéfood. He reached down to grab another bite, but his paw only grazed the empty surface of his bowl. "Huh?" Pikachu glanced to the side and tilted his head in confusion at the sight of his empty food bowl. He could swear there had been more. He glared to the side, noting that Larvitar was eating from his bowl with an expression that seemed far too mischievous.

"Well done, Latios!" Ash praised, giving the dragon a thumbs up. "Your Dragon Pulse looks great!" He glanced at Brock, who was standing opposite of him in their makeshift battlefield. "Hey, you almost had me there."

Brock laughed. "Hey, I tried. Latios is too fast to catch by surprise." He smirked. "But I did give the two of you a spook."

Ash smiled. "Yeah. I didn't know your Crobat learned Shadow Ball. When did that happen?"

Brock reached down and pulled a plastic container out of his backpack, from which he took out several treats that he knew were Crobat's favorite. Seeing this, Crobat eagerly flew down and landed next to his trainer. Brock patted the poison-type's head affectionately while crouching down and offering him some of the treats. As Crobat carefully picked off the food from Brock's hand with precise bites, the older trainer explained, "After we separated on Kanto, I stayed a while at the Pewter gym training my Pokémon and Forrest, who was set to take over the gym for me. During that time, I helped Crobat get the basics of Shadow Ball and then left for Hoenn. My siblings finished teaching him while I was gone."

"I see, so that's why," Ash commented. "So, he's gonna stay with us now?"

"Yeah," Brock answered. "I originally wanted to start fresh with just Forretress. But, after what happened a couple of days ago, I think our travels through Hoenn may be a bit more dangerous than I anticipated. Especially since we're dealing with these villainous teams and are going to travel to this Sky Pillar place and all that. I decided to have Crobat and Onix rejoin my team for safety." Brock glanced at the colossal rock-type, who was lazily dozing off nearby. "They've gotten stronger with the training my siblings and I gave them before coming here. I didn't want to leave Forrest without veteran support, though, so I left Forretress with him."

"We shouldn't be in any danger at Sky Pillar, if any of you are worried," Latios pointed out as he levitated down to Latias' side. "But, having them around doesn't hurt, I guess. We don't know how long it'll take Rayquaza to deal with Team Aqua and Magma. We also don't know if we'll run into any more poachers or other dangers."

"Yeah, that's the point," Brock responded as he stood up. "Just in case." He walked over to the table he had set up and picked up some containers.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Ash agreed. "Thanks for the quick warm-up, Brock. It'll help get Latios ready for the battle later today." He smirked. "I'm so excited about that."

"No problem, Ash," Brock replied with a smile. He turned around and walked over to Latios and Latias, placing two large bowls with their own respective Pokéfood on them. "There you go." He looked around and observed that all of Ash's Pokémon, his own, and Bianca's were eating. "Good to see everyone is enjoying their meal."

Ash walked toward the former gym leader as he reached into one of his pockets. He took out a piece of paper and handed it to him. "Here's where we have to go this afternoon, by the way."

Brock grabbed it and unfolded it. "Sometimes your luck is astounding, Ash," he commented as he read the contents. "You wander off and happen to end up fighting alongside Steven Stone of all people. It'll be an honor to meet him. He's one of the strongest league champions that's ever lived."

Ash blinked. "So, you've heard of him?"

"Of course, I have. Gym Leaders, by profession, tend to be well informed about the gym leaders and champions of other regions," Brock answered. "And even without that, Steven Stone's tenure and status as invincible is legendary, even beyond Hoenn's borders."

"Well, he told me a bit about himself yesterday. Sounds about right," Ash noted positively. "And today, I'll be battling him."

"Oh, Ash," Bianca said with a slight giggle as she shook her head in amusement. "Well, of course you'd challenge this invincible legendary champion guy to a fight. That's so you."

"Yep!" Latias agreed with a merry laugh. "That's so Ash! And we wouldn't have it any other way."

Ash chuckled. "What can I say? I am what I am. But hey, look at it this way, it'll be a great way to measure the distance between him and myself if I ever hope to become that strong. You only become the best by challenging the best." He walked over to the rest of his Pokémon and sat down in front of them, watching them eat with a fond expression. "One day, we'll have fame like Steven's."

Phanpy ran up to Ash and happily jumped into his lap, eagerly nuzzling against his chest. "And we'll help you get there, daddy!" he called out joyously.

Ash laughed and gently pet his surrogate son. "And I'm grateful for that." He glanced up, smiling as he looked over his Pokémon. Pidgeot was currently roosting under the shade of a lush tree further back, eating comfortably. Treecko was quietly sitting next to her, eating from his own bowl. Meanwhile, Pikachu and Larvitar were sitting next to each other, with Phanpy's empty bowl next to theirs. He grinned, determination shining purely in his reddish eyes. "We can do it. I know we can."

Brock double-checked the piece of paper that he was holding. "Yeah, this looks like the place," he confirmed with a nod. "Not that we could be off, anyway."

Bianca looked from one side to the other, taking in the length of the elegant fence that stood before them. "Yeah, I mean, I don't think there's much margin of error here. This place is huge."

Latios snorted. "Imagine if someone told you to come by their house and you somehow miss it, despite the house being a huge mansion."

Ash laughed. "Even I wouldn't miss it with my bad sense of direction." He stepped toward the main gate, looking for any kind of doorbell. He noticed a black pad with a small screen and a button next to the gates. He pressed the button.

The device buzzed to life, its screen lighting up to show a security guard. "Hello, welcome to the Stone estate. How may I help you?" he asked politely.

Ash focused on the screen, allowing the camera to get a good look at him. "My name is Ash Ketchum. I was told to come here by Steven."

The security guard looked to the side, presumably to check a guest list. "Indeed, Mr. Stone left a notice that you'd come. You may enter."

"Thank you." Ash took a couple of steps back as the gates opened automatically. "Well, let's go in, guys," he said as he walked past them.

The rest of the group followed after him. "Wow, this place is really impressive," Brock commented, glancing at the beautiful gardens on either side of the ornamented walkway that led to an elegant three-story mansion.

Bianca nodded in agreement, taking in a deep breath to enjoy the lovely scent of the abundant flowers and greenery surrounding her. "Yeah, it very much is. Is this place owned by that Steven fellow or by his dad?" she asked curiously, glancing at Ash.

"I'm fairly certain Steven said it was his dad's," Ash responded as he looked around with a pleased smile. "They're really friendly people, too," he added. He stopped at the front door and proceeded to knock on it a couple of times. "Hello!" he called out loudly.

"Huh, neat. This door looks like it's actually big enough for Latias and I to fit through," Latios speculated, eyeing it with interest.

"Looks like it," Latias agreed. "I wonder why that is. It's rare to find doors this big."

"Well, if a Pokémon trainer like Steven lives or used to live here, they likely made it so the doors are bigger than normal to accommodate Pokémon," Brock guessed, gazing at the door's spacious and stylish frame. "Pokémon Gyms often do that. I imagine someone like Steven would keep his Pokémon at his own place rather than with a Pokémon professor."

The door clicked and opened, revealing a very tall, gorgeous woman with long blond hair that reached down to her knees. She was wearing a simple and comfortable-looking light blue top and black slacks. "Hello," she greeted politely, giving the group at the doorstep a kind smile and a friendly wave. "Can I help you?"

"Hello," Ash greeted her in return, with Pikachu echoing his greeting. "We're here to see Steven. Is he home?"

Brock let out a surprised gasp and froze on the spot. "Woah."

"Brock, behave," Bianca reprimanded sternly, putting her hands on her hips while giving him a sideways glare.

"No, not that," Brock replied quickly, waving his arms defensively in front of him. "I wasn't about to do anything, I swear."

Bianca raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe you. She's very beautiful, there's no way you weren't planning on—"

"I wasn't," Brock interrupted. "First, I know she's taken already. Second, she commands way too much respect to try that with her." He paused, focused his attention on the woman, and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Oh, uh, sorry you had to hear that conversation." He bowed respectfully. "It's an honor to meet you."

Bianca blinked in confusion, looking between Brock and the woman with a perplexed expression. "Really?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah, he sounds pretty genuine this time around," Latias noted with an unseen shrug. "So, I guess we can believe him. This time."

"Let me guess, you don't know who she is!?" Brock cried incredulously, glancing at Bianca in disbelief.

"I don't," Bianca admitted with a nervous laugh. She gave the woman an apologetic look. "Should I?"

Ash looked at his friends and frowned. He glanced at the woman who had opened the door and tapped his chin with a finger. "Uh, can't say I do."

The woman raised an eyebrow at them. She shook her head and giggled in amusement. "You guys are a funny lot. I quite like you." She paused, waiting for them to focus their attention back on her. "It's fine, I'm not from this region anyway, so it's understandable. I'm only on a quick visit." She stepped back and motioned them to come in, closing the door behind them once they were inside. "In any case, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cynthia."

"Pokémon League Champion of the Sinnoh region," Brock whispered, voice full of respect and admiration.

"Indeed, I am," Cynthia confirmed with a slight smirk.

Ash gasped in surprise. "Wait, she's a league champion? Of Sinnoh?"

"Yeah," Brock answered with an affirmative nod. "She's been its reigning champion for nearly a decade now."

Ash's jaw dropped slightly. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Cynthia. But, if you're champion of another region, what are you doing here in Hoenn? Shouldn't champions stay in their own regions? Do they? Honestly, I'm not too sure how that works," he admitted.

"Champions are not explicitly required to stay in their regions all the time," Cynthia answered with a short laugh. "But it's definitely expected of us. And, often, busy itineraries mean we have to do so anyway. As for what I'm doing here…"

"She came to visit me," a familiar voice spoke up, prompting everyone to look up and see Steven walking down the main staircase of the foyer. Instead of his usual elaborate black suit with purple accents and metallic ornaments, he was wearing a simple pair of black jeans and a casual silver polo shirt. "That's why I had to leave so urgently yesterday, Ash. I had to go and receive her," he explained. He gave everyone an amiable greeting wave as he arrived at the bottom of the staircase.

"Visit? Visit? I came to check up on you and make sure you didn't get yourself killed," Cynthia corrected, giving the opposing champion a knowing stare. "I received an urgent call to check the news. When I did, I found Rustboro City under attack and saw a massive explosion almost wiping it out." She sighed and shook her head. "I just knew you were inevitably going to be caught in the middle of this." She put her hands on her hips. "A call would've been nice to ease my mind a bit!"

Steven gave her an apologetic look and scratched the back of his head. "Well, as you can imagine, I was really busy. It honestly didn't cross my mind. By the time it did, you were already on your way to Sinnoh's airport."

Cynthia rolled her eyes, though the look in them softened to one of mirth. "Oh, that's your preferred excuse? You can do much better than that."

Steven walked up to her, grabbed her hand, and kissed it. "My apologies."

Cynthia laughed. "Okay, I guess you can't."

Bianca looked between the two, finding their interactions amusing. She gasped, her eyes widening as realization dawned on her. "Oh!"

Brock nodded. "Correct. Took you long enough."

Ash frowned, giving his two friends a confused stare. "What's going on? I feel like I'm missing something."

Steven laughed, turning to face them. "Ash, you just met my wife."

"Oh, she's your wife?" Ash asked in realization, hitting his palm with a fist. "That explains a lot, actually."

"I see you caught on." Steven looked at the rest of the group. "Greetings to the both of you as well, welcome to the Stone estate."

"Hello," Bianca responded kindly. "My name is Bianca."

"And I'm Brock, a former Kanto gym leader," Brock said, introducing himself. "It's an honor to meet you both."

"It is for us as well," Steven responded graciously.

"Likewise," Cynthia agreed. She focused her attention on Ash. "I saw your exploits at the Johto Silver Conference, and, Steven told me of what you did two days ago. Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me. I'd like to thank you for saving the city, and my husband and his family."

Ash smiled. "It was no problem, though it's my Pokémon who deserve all the credit. They're the ones that did it. I just watched from the tower."

Cynthia stared at him for a moment, letting a pleased smile form on her lips. "Steven was right in the way he spoke about you. Very commendable."

Ash blinked. "How so?"

"Most trainers often fall for the trap of 'I did it' and don't recognize the effort their Pokémon put through," Cynthia elaborated. "While the trainer is indeed the leader and the one responsible for training and managing the Pokémon, they're the ones that do all the actual work. They're just as important, if not more, than the trainer. It's always refreshing to see a trainer who recognizes that. In any case, they also have my gratitude."

"My Pokémon are my family," Ash said resolutely as he reached to his side and seemed to pat empty air. "Hey, you can show yourself. Everything should be fine here."

"Alright," Latios replied. He took a deep breath and dropped his invisibility. His blue and light grey plumage lit up in a dazzling veil of bright blue sparkles as he appeared out of thin air. He gave both Cynthia and Steven a polite nod of acknowledgment.

Another mass of lively blue sparkles began to glimmer at Ash's other side as Latias also dropped her invisibility, causing her to appear out of thin air as well. She looked at Steven and Cynthia and offered them a smile and a soft coo of greeting.

"Magnificent," Steven commented in awe. "The Pokémon heroes of Rustboro City."

Cynthia smiled, looking back and forth between both legendary dragons. "I must say, you two are wonderful." She took a deep breath and stepped forward, her posture calm and relaxed. She paused and slowly reached forward with a hand.

Latios watched her warily, observing her movements, but stayed firmly in place. She was different, he could tell, as if her mere presence induced pure awe and respect. Seeing the dragon's hesitance, Cynthia courteously stopped and looked at him respectfully. Latios stared at her, appreciating her gesture of respecting his boundaries, and gave her a small nod. Cynthia nodded back at him and resumed her hand's movement, gently placing it on his forehead and giving him a soft pet and a head scratch. "Thank you," Cynthia said gratefully, lowering her hand.

"You're welcome," Latios replied, pulling back slightly.

Bianca glanced between the two in surprise, eyes widened slightly. "Wow, Latios has never allowed that before."

"He says you're welcome, by the way," Ash translated.

"So, it is true you can understand Pokéspeech," Cynthia noted with interest. "Steven commented on it, but I found it hard to believe."

"I can," Ash responded.

"May I ask, how did that happen?" Cynthia queried.

Ash looked at Latios and Latias for a moment. He gave the Sinnoh champion a nervous laugh. "It's… a really complicated story," he said finally.

Cynthia hummed, picking up the definite cue in the trainer's mannerisms. "I see, it had something to do with how you met Latios and Latias?" she asked, though her tone implied her question was more a statement than a query.

"Yeah," Ash admitted. "Though, that's a very private and personal matter that we'd rather not discuss outside of our group. Sorry about that."

Cynthia nodded in understanding. "Very well. I must say, I'm very impressed a trainer as young as you has two Legendary Pokémon with him, much less have them be so devoted to your cause."

"As I said, my Pokémon are my family," Ash replied. He gently wrapped his arm around Latias' neck and hugged her, prompting the dragoness to nuzzle him affectionately. "I didn't catch them. We went through a lot of hardships and I befriended them in the process. They opted to come with me voluntarily after that."

"That's wonderful," Cynthia commented approvingly. "Pokémon caught through friendship are often special." She hummed. "I can definitely see what you mean when you say they're your family. You three remind me of my favorite quote, actually."

"Your favorite quote?" Ash asked curiously. "What's that?"

Cynthia cleared her throat and placed a hand over her heart. "When every life meets another life, something will be born." She paused, letting it sink in for her onlookers. "It's a quote from Sinnoh's Time-Space legends, one that's always been with me. It references the everlasting bonds that can be formed between individuals who meet."

Ash looked at the champion for a long moment, thinking over what she had just said. He smiled at Latios, who simply returned his smile. Thinking of Cynthia's quote, Ash could easily see the parallels it had with him and Latios, and their acquired bond after the events of Alto Mare. "You know, Cynthia, you have no idea how correct you are."

"I hope so, and I hope the teachings of that quote stay with you. Keep being so faithful and sincere to what you believe in, Ash, and you will reach new heights." Cynthia looked at Latias, who was in Ash's arms, and then glanced at Latios. "I'm overjoyed to meet you two, and what a lovely pair you both are."

Latias gently nudged her way out of Ash's arms, beamed at her, and let out a soft coo of approval, to which Cynthia responded with a friendly smile.

"Indeed, and an excellent trainer they've chosen," Steven agreed with an admiring nod. "By the way, come on in, let's take a seat in the sitting room." He turned around and walked into a long hallway, prompting everyone to follow after him.

"Though, Latias is registered as my Pokémon," Bianca pointed out as they walked into a large living room with numerous elegant silver sofas. "While Latios is with Ash. Not that it matters to us, though." She sat down on a double sofa along with Brock. Latios, meanwhile, simply chose to leisurely levitate at Bianca's side.

"Yeah," Ash agreed as he took a seat on another large double sofa. "We don't care who they're registered to." Latias glided down and nestled on the other side, gently pressing her head into Ash's side. Ash laughed briefly and wrapped his arms around her neck again. "See? they're both our family and a part of the group, and would battle for either of us regardless of who belongs to who."

"I see," Steven said as he took a seat along with Cynthia on another sofa. He glanced at Bianca. "You didn't take part in the tower battles, though."

Bianca shook her head. "Oh no, I'm not ready for anything like that. I just became a trainer and my only other Pokémon is weak and untrained. The way you guys have described it, that battlefield was no place for me, I'd have just gotten in the way. I just let Latias go with Ash instead."

"It worked out well in the end, at least," Ash commented with a sigh of relief. "We stopped Team Aqua."

"And I can't thank you enough for that," Steven said gratefully. "As does my father, even if he's not here at the moment."

Brock looked at the pair. "May I ask, what are you two planning on doing about them?"

Cynthia frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Team Aqua," Brock elaborated. "You two are easily the two most powerful trainers in the world. Are you going to do something about them?"

"Oh, that. Well, personally, I won't be doing anything," Cynthia responded while shaking her head and closing her eyes.

"No? Why not?" Bianca asked in confusion. "I'd understand if you're furious about what happened."

"Oh, I am," Cynthia said as she opened her eyes. "But, I'm the reigning champion of the Sinnoh region. My trip here is outside of any diplomatic or competitive scope, it's merely a personal trip to visit my husband. I have to be back to Sinnoh in a few days," she explained. "I trust Hoenn's League and authorities to have it covered. Besides, a region won't take kindly to a powerful champion from another region operating loosely within its borders."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Brock admitted.

"What about you, Steven?" Ash questioned.

"I'm not the vengeful type," Steven answered. "I'm angry, yes. But at the moment, I'm not planning to go out of my way to punish Team Aqua. I did leave a formal offer to the Hoenn League that should they decide to take any actions against Team Aqua, I'm ready to assist. But, first, I'll let Sidney and the league investigate. Plus, I have to wait to see what decisions my father makes as well, as he's heavily involved with this too. We have to sort everything out on our end first before I decide what to do."

"That works, I guess," Ash replied with a nod. "Though, if you two went after Team Aqua, they would certainly be in trouble."

Cynthia laughed. "Oh, just one of us is more than enough. Both of us? That's overkill. I do hope the Hoenn League asks Steven for help. I'm sure his Pokémon would enjoy it."

"That reminds me. You're undefeated, right?" Bianca recalled.

Cynthia nodded. "Indeed, though it's not something I actively brag about or showcase. I've never lost a battle since I became champion."

Bianca glanced at Steven. "But, you're also undefeated, correct?"

"I am," Steven responded with a nod. "I also haven't ever lost a battle since I became Hoenn's champion, even after stepping down last year."

"Wait, if both of you are undefeated, have you two never fought?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow. "That'd probably remove the undefeated title from one of you and finally settle it."

"Yeah, that's where I was going," Bianca added with a laugh. "You can't both be undefeated." She paused. "Uh, can you?"

"We have fought, a few times actually," Steven admitted. "In fact, it was through one of these battles where we met and formed our relationship."

"That sounds interesting," Bianca said. "I'd love to hear how that happened."

"So, your tales of invincibility and how you met are both tied together?" Brock wondered. "If you don't mind us asking, how did that happen?"

Cynthia laughed briefly. "It's a wonderful story!" She looked at her significant other and gently placed her hand on his, squeezing it affectionately. "You see, Steven and I became the champions of Hoenn and Sinnoh around the same time, over a decade ago. We quickly forged our titles of invincibility, ushering an era of domination of our respective regions. Both of us were young and hadn't met each other yet. We just knew each other as 'that other strong champion' from another region."

"Naturally, that drew comparisons from the media, leagues, and general population," Steven added. "So, after several years of nonstop gossip, the Sinnoh and Hoenn leagues organized a challenge between us, to determine who was the stronger champion. A round trip battle, full six versus six, one in each of our regions before our home crowds. Naturally, pride meant both Cynthia and I accepted the challenge." Steven closed his eyes and smiled fondly. "The first battle took place in Hoenn's Ever Grande City, with a roaring crowd that was completely on my side."

"Indeed, it's the most hostile crowd I've ever faced," Cynthia recalled. "Steven and I each went with our absolute strongest team. For several hours we fought ferociously, until we both lost five Pokémon, leaving only our invincible aces standing. With everything on the line, his Metagross and my Garchomp took to the battlefield."

Ash, Bianca, Brock, Pikachu, Latios, and Latias leaned in. "What happened next?" Ash asked eagerly. "The battle had to end someway, or else, how are both undefeated?"

"That's the thing, Ash," Steven said while fighting off a grin as Cynthia beamed broadly at his side. "The actual fight didn't end." Steven laughed. "It was a draw."

Bianca blinked. "A draw?"

"A draw," Cynthia repeated with a giggle. "Finally, my Garchomp found a match. But, at the same time, his Metagross also found a match. With only them left, Steven and I fought. Garchomp and Metagross clashed with a ferocious intent rarely ever seen in a Pokémon battle for hours upon hours, taking our battle well into the night. At sunrise the next day, with neither of our Pokémon looking like they were ever going to admit defeat or looking close to fainting, the officials decided to call off the fight."

Ash, Bianca, and Brock gasped. "You fought overnight and into the next day? That's insane!" Bianca cried.

"I can't imagine how tough that was on both of you as well. Being a trainer and standing on that battlefield is much harder than people give it credit, and you two had to do it for a whole day," Ash commented with a wince.

"Indeed," Steven agreed. "Both Cynthia and I were speechless, drained, and exhausted, as were our aces. But neither of us broke and the battle ended in a draw. For the second battle, this time in Sinnoh's Lily of the Valley Island before a crowd that was overwhelmingly supporting Cynthia, we took to our second fight. This time, Cynthia and I had privately agreed to not use either of our aces, so we could finally settle the score and avoid another endless battle."

"And let me guess, you guys still couldn't break the tie," Bianca guessed off-handedly.

Cynthia looked at Steven fondly and nodded. "Correct. This time, we used our second strongest Pokémon as our aces, my Lucario against Steven's Mawile. After a hard-fought battle that lasted several hours…" She snorted. "They knocked each other out simultaneously. That means our second match also ended in a draw."

"You know, after seeing how strong your Mawile is, it's shocking to hear of another Pokémon who can knock her out one on one," Ash commented. "She was amazing a couple of days ago against Team Aqua. They stood no chance against her."

"Oh, trust me, Cynthia's Pokémon are just as powerful as mine, and for every one of my members, she has someone who can match them," Steven acknowledged. "Anyway, with that, the challenge ended and we both kept our undefeated records. The general populace kept calling each other out on who was the stronger and better champion for years to come. However, that was public. Privately, the challenge profoundly affected both of us."

"Profoundly affected you both? How so?" Ash asked, intrigued.

"Remember the phrase I said?" Cynthia began, raising a hand to her mouth while she cleared her throat. "When every life meets another life, something will be born." She paused and let her gaze drift over the group gathered around her. "It's what happened. When we met, something was born. For once, we saw in each other someone who shared our ambition, our willpower, our strength. Someone who could truly be each other's equal in every way possible. Shortly after those exhibition matches, we arranged a meeting in private. Out of the prying eyes of the public. Not as champions or representatives of our regions, or even as Pokémon Trainers. Just as ourselves. As just people."

Steven let out a nostalgic sigh. "And so, after getting to know each other outside of our titles, we very swiftly discovered how alike we were as individuals. We discovered that we have so many shared interests beyond just Pokémon battling, such as archeology, history, and mythology, and much more! We'd spend hours talking and debating all kinds of things, just enjoying each other's presence and shared interests. We grew close very quickly, started dating, and within a few years, we married," Steven finished, looking at Cynthia and giving her a loving smile, which she returned. "That's how we met."

Bianca clasped both of her hands together. "Aww, that's so cute! It's so wonderful that you two found each other the way you did! It's like you two were made for each other!"

Latias looked at the two, letting out a soft sigh of content at the emotions of love and affection she could pick up from the two of them with her empathy. "I agree, I'm so happy for them."

Ash smiled. "That's very lovely. I agree."

"Indeed, especially since the two of you look really happy together," Brock mentioned.

"We are," Cynthia agreed. "We don't see each other as often as we'd like given my duties as champion and Steven's ties to Hoenn as well as his hobbies, but ever since he resigned as Hoenn champion, we've had a lot more time together."

Steven glanced at her mirthfully. "Unless we're doing said hobbies together, like that time we spent two days stuck on Mt. Coronet arguing about rocks and ruins," he commented, barely stifling a laugh. "It happens."

"There's that, yeah," Cynthia admitted with a giggle. "But, anyway…" She looked at everyone else present in the room with them. "That's our history."

Brock gave the two a sappy look. "And what an amazing history it is."

"Speaking of our tales of invincibility, I may have to fight Champion Leon soon," Cynthia announced. "I hope you all root for me!" She gave them a poorly faked threatening look. "Or else."

"Champion Leon?" Ash asked curiously. "From which region?"

"Galar," Steven answered. "It's another distant region. Leon became its champion a couple of years ago, and like us, he hasn't ever lost a battle. So, naturally, Galar and Sinnoh are talking about it. I haven't met him, though. Is he strong?" He glanced at Cynthia.

"Oh yeah." Cynthia nodded. "I got the chance to meet him at a gathering in Kalos. His ace, a Charizard, gave Garchomp the same vibes Metagross does. He may be invincible like our aces. I may be in for another endless battle if he has our drive."

"Oh, a Charizard?" Ash asked, interest thoroughly piqued. "I'm definitely seeing that if it happens. I'm excited at the prospect of a Charizard as powerful as you guy's Pokémon!"

Cynthia laughed. "Of course, you'll support my opponent."

"Hey, he has a Charizard!" Ash pointed out.

"We'll see when it happens, we'll try to contact you guys if that's the case." Steven hummed and reached into his pocket, taking out his PokéNav. He fiddled with it for a few moments before putting it away. "Alright, it's ready." He stood up. "Come, follow us."

Cynthia stood up and went along with him, the others following suit.

"So, where are we going?" Ash asked curiously.

"Well, to our backyard," Steven answered. "It's where we'll be battling soon, Ash."

Ash grinned eagerly. "I can't wait for that."

Steven led them past several hallways and a few lavish rooms before arriving at a small waiting room with an elegant double door at the end that led to the backyard of the massive Stone estate. He walked over and opened the doors. "Behold," he announced as the orange hues of the evening sunlight shone into the room, revealing an elegant paved walkway that went for several dozen feet until it reached a large battlefield almost as big as the mansion itself. The arena was framed by paved walkways and a few ornamented benches, as well as copious bushes and large trees that stretched into a vast woodland around the estate, with its edges marked by a large perimeter fence far beyond their eyesight.

"Woah, this is amazing," Brock commented in surprise, glancing around with awe as he stepped out. "This is bigger than the one I've got at the Pewter Gym, even!"

"I didn't know your father's mansion had a battlefield. Is he a trainer as well?" Ash asked as he followed his friends out. "This looks really impressive and well kept," he added, clearly impressed.

"My father doesn't own Pokémon, no. When I was little and firmly told him of my decision to pursue a career in Pokémon training, the next day he ordered this built for me so I could prepare for my journey," Steven answered fondly, a touched smile forming on his lips. "It was the best day of my life. I was terrified my father would deny my dreams of being a trainer. He's a wealthy businessman, after all. I'm fairly certain he was expecting me to follow in his footsteps and take over the family business once I came of age. But instead, he allowed me to embrace my dreams without any opposition."

"That's really nice of him," Bianca noted, clasping her hands together. "I've heard so many stories of parents forcing expectations and career paths on their children. That never ends well."

"Indeed." Steven stepped forward and slowly walked to the center of the arena. He turned around and spread his arms to motion to his surroundings. "It's here that I trained long before I turned ten, from sunrise to sunset, along with my very first Pokémon."

"Your Metagross?" Ash guessed while scratching his chin. "He's your ace, after all."

"Nope," Steven answered with a short laugh. "Ace doesn't mean starter. So, it's not Metagross. I didn't meet them until a year or so into my journey."

The earth rumbled slightly and the foliage surrounding the arena rustled. The sound of steel scraping along dirt resounded through the arena as Steven's Steelix emerged from the greenery, gently pushing aside the treetops with her huge head while slithering forward. She lumbered over to the humans, towering over them imposingly, yet wearing a friendly smile on her rugged face.

"That would be her," Steven added while looking up at her affectionately. "I met her when I was little. My father had a business trip to Dewford Island and he allowed me to tag along." He let out a nostalgic sigh. "He knew I loved the wonders of nature, so I was allowed to explore the island while he was busy. I met her as an Onix while exploring Dewford's vast cave system, and somehow, she decided to come along with me. She's not my strongest anymore, no. But she's the very first Pokémon who believed in me."

Ash looked between the two, a touched smile forming on his lips. He subconsciously reached up to rub Pikachu's chin, eliciting a gentle murmur of content from the electric-type. In the way Steelix and Steven locked eyes, he could easily see himself and Pikachu. "You know, it's great to learn how other trainers started," Ash commented with interest. "I imagine you weren't as powerful back then?"

"Definitely not," Steven answered with a laugh while shaking his head. "I even failed to gather my eight badges on my very first attempt at the Hoenn League." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I blame a couple of specific gyms in Hoenn for that."

Ash gasped in shock. "Whoa, really? I've always managed to successfully get all my badges, even in my first year. I think Brock's mentioned this before, but I keep thinking it's easy and that every trainer can do it."

Brock shook his head, prompting Ash to glance at him. "Yeah, as a former gym leader, I can tell you that you'd be surprised by the number of trainers who fail to beat us and thus fail to gather the needed badges for the leagues. For every success story, there are a hundred failures no one hears about."

"Indeed," Steven agreed, looking up to the evening sky as he recounted old memories. "On my first year, I was one of those failures people never hear about."

"You mentioned a couple of specific gyms were at fault for that," Ash observed. "Which ones?"

Steven let out a chuckle, while Steelix let out a bemused scoff. "Oh, I won't spoil the surprise. While both gyms have gone through generational shifts by now, if they kept their traditions, I'm sure you'll instantly know you're there when you visit them." Steven evocatively glanced at Steelix and then at the battlefield surrounding them. "Despite the failure, my father encouraged me to not give up. Steelix refused to even let me mope about it. So, I didn't." He gave the massive steel-type a determined smirk, which she diligently returned. "I trained even harder and tried again to far more success. For years I worked my way up to the top, all the while having a great time with my Pokémon and enjoying the bonds that I was forming with them. My first few years were rather rough and unimpressive but I kept improving until I became who I am today."

"That's pretty cool," Ash commented thoughtfully, going over the former champion's tale repeatedly on his mind to see what he could learn from it. "Maybe I need to train harder. Sure, I travel a lot, but maybe I need to work harder in that regard. The gap between us is huge."

"Don't be too hard on yourself if you're drawing a comparison between us," Steven warned him calmly. "You're on a good path. You're a very peculiar success story, even. At only twelve years old, you placed third in a league and you've got a powerful and devoted team which includes a Legendary Pokémon."

"You know, despite what you see today, my start wasn't so good either," Ash confessed while nervously scratching the back of his head. "Pikachu didn't trust me, didn't even like me. I had to drag him with a rope and rubber gloves so he would follow me around. And I won a few of my first badges more out of favors than actually winning the fights."

Pikachu snickered in amusement, idly noticing that Steelix threw him an approving glance. "I still can't believe I made you do that. Oh, the memories."

Steven chuckled. "While it sounds… tragic, look at you two now," he pointed out. "You're inseparable."

Ash nodded. "We are! We've been through so much together that I don't see it being any other way. By the way…" He turned to face the reigning Sinnoh champion. "Hey, I'm curious. What about you? How did you start out?"

Cynthia let out a dismayed sigh and gave a downward glance. "My start is not something I'm the proudest of. But I'm happy who I've grown into and what I've risen above."

Ash frowned, a look of concern flashing across his face. "What's wrong? Did you also fail to get your eight badges?"

Cynthia shook her head and remained silent for a few moments. "I got them all and qualified for the league on my first year, much like you did, Ash," she answered, lifting her face to give him a saddened smile.

"I don't see what's so bad about that," Ash commented, perplexed. "You look rather down all of a sudden."

"There's more to Pokémon training than just getting your badges. Far more." Cynthia looked to the side, noticing the rustling leaves from numerous large bushes part away to reveal a great and intimidating dragon. Dark blue scales glistened lustrously under the orange rays of the evening sunshine as sharp claws clicked on the ground with every daunting step she took. Her sharp yellow eyes quickly took in those present on the battlefield with a quick glance, though her posture remained relaxed.

Ash looked at the arriving Pokémon and gasped in delight. "Oh, that's a really cool Pokémon!" He eagerly took out his Pokédex from a pocket and pointed it at the approaching dragon.

"Pokémon unknown. No information available," the Pokédex said in a robotic feminine voice.

Steven snorted and shook his head in disapproval. "I never got why professors region-restrict the Pokédex, it makes no sense to me."

"Same," Cynthia agreed as the dragon stopped at her side, towering over her by nearly half a body. "Everyone, meet the Pokémon you heard about in my earlier tales." She raised a hand and kindly rested it on one of the dragon's large fins. "This is Garchomp," she introduced her. Garchomp regarded those present and gave them a civil and acknowledging nod.

"One of the Pokémon who bears the title of strongest trainer-owned Pokémon in the world," Brock noted in awe. "It's an honor to meet one of the most renowned Pokémon ever."

"Well, she looks tough, that's for sure," Bianca murmured. "You really did her justice in your earlier tales, Cynthia."

Cynthia smiled. "Thank you."

Latios looked at the powerful dragon, eyeing her intently. 'Her presence alone is so strong, even if she's relaxed. She's extremely powerful. The only one who comes even close to rivaling this feeling is Steven's Metagross,' he thought in shock. Latios blushed in embarrassment and quickly looked away when he noticed Garchomp's gaze abruptly focus on him.

"Well…" Ash smirked confidently. "One day I'll be taking that title and defeat the both of you, you'll see," he promised adamantly.

Cynthia smiled in glee. "I love your determination and look forward to that," she said candidly. Garchomp looked at him and gave him an encouraging smirk. If anything, she appeared thrilled at the prospect.

"Anyway, is she your starter? Is that how you got eight badges on your first try?" Ash questioned.

"Garchomp was my very first Pokémon, yes," Cynthia confirmed curtly. "She played a key role in helping me obtain all eight badges when I was just a ten-year-old girl. And, while I got them and qualified for the league, it's how I did it that I'm not very proud of. You see, I had a very different mindset than what I have now."

"Different mindset? How so?" Ash wondered.

"When I started Pokémon training, I used to dream of nothing other than becoming more powerful through being victorious in battle. I trained endlessly, from sunrise to sundown, and valued my Pokémon purely by their win rate and how hard they worked. Nothing else mattered to me, not my wellbeing, not the wellbeing of my Pokémon, not our relationships, not our experiences or adventures, nothing. Only raw numbers, battle performance, and victory percentages that I tabulated on spreadsheets for each of my Pokémon." Cynthia let out a nostalgic and saddened sigh. Garchomp looked at her and gently placed one of her fins on the champion's back in moral support, prompting Cynthia to raise a hand and gently place it on the dragon's lower neck in return. "Thank you."

Ash frowned at her. "That's really harsh… and doesn't sound like a good way to train."

"Yeah, it sounds like you viewed training Pokémon like a chore or a job, not an adventure," Bianca added. "And that you viewed Pokémon as just means to an end. Like… tools."

Cynthia nodded in regret. "You're not wrong. My Pokémon kept abandoning me because of how hard I overworked them and how little care I gave them, and while this got me good short-term results as my Pokémon were very competent, I could never get past the league quarterfinals. I lacked something and that frustrated me greatly, which led to me overworking my Pokémon even more. It was a vicious cycle."

Brock gasped, completely taken aback. "That sounds nothing like you right now. It's like you're talking about a completely different person."

"That sounds awful," Ash admitted, idly scratching Pikachu's chin. The thought of treating any Pokémon like that made him cringe.

"It was," Cynthia acknowledged. "That's why I said I wasn't proud of my earliest years. Shortly after being eliminated from my third league, I got lost and found myself in a small town in Sinnoh, which housed some ruins from Sinnoh's storied past. There, I found a mural with the emblems of Sinnoh's Legendary Pokémon and the quote I recited earlier. I stopped and kept reading it over and over for several hours. It changed my life when I understood what it truly meant."

Brock nodded slowly. "It's a beautiful quote, especially once you think hard about it and understand its true meaning."

"Yep. That quote made me see the true value of Pokémon. I realized that two of the same species of Pokémon could be vastly different based on personality. Every Pokémon is as unique an individual as any human. I realized that mentality and personality matter for Pokémon too." Cynthia took a deep breath, her face shifting to a happier expression. "And thus, I decided to get to know all my Pokémon on a personal level and completely changed my approach to training, which slowly made me into the champion you have met today," she explained. Cynthia smiled at Ash, Bianca, and Brock. "And that is the biggest tip I can give to any young trainer seeking glory. Get to know your Pokémon, become one with them. A well-trained Pokémon is a powerful opponent. A well-trained Pokémon that also believes in their trainer, has faith in them, and is completely devoted to the trainer's goals, is unstoppable."

Steven applauded. "Very true. That was an amazing speech, my dear."

Cynthia rolled her eyes and gave him a funny look. "You say that as if you didn't already know all of this."

Steven laughed in amusement. "Of course."

Ash looked at the two champions for a few moments. He ran his hand across his belt, caressing the six Poké Balls currently hooked to it. "I wholeheartedly agree. That sounds a lot like how I am. I've always viewed my Pokémon as my friends and family. Hopefully, they believe in me as well." He glanced at his shoulder, where Pikachu was seated as usual. "Isn't that right, buddy?"

Pikachu gave Ash a sincere grin. "Hey, it's why you won me over. And Charizard, even. He was worse than I was."

Latios let out a wistful frown. "I admit I wasn't the most thrilled at leaving Alto Mare to join a trainer's team at first. I even said some very mean things to Latias when we argued over it," the dragon confessed. "In fact, I was vehemently opposed to it. But you've definitely won me over, Ash. I couldn't have asked for a better trainer."

"Aw, shucks," Ash responded in embarrassment, scratching the back of his head while a slight blush lit up his cheeks.

Cynthia looked at their interactions with a touched expression. "And I can see you take it to heart. You're most certainly a great trainer with a bright future ahead of you."

"Thank you, Cynthia." Ash smirked at her. "And hopefully, that means one day I'll get to battle you."

Both Garchomp and Cynthia returned the boy's smirk. "I look forward to that, but not today." Cynthia glanced at her husband. "You have a different opponent."

"I do!" Ash acknowledged. He looked around, admiring the immaculate battlefield they were on. "So, is this where we'll be fighting, Steven?" he asked.

"Correct," Steven answered with a nod. "However, before we battle, there is something very important that must be done first," he announced.

"Oh?" Ash paused, patiently waiting for the former champion to elaborate.

"It's about the gift I had you pick yesterday," Steven explained. "It was finished on time." He turned to face the mansion and waved his arm a couple of times. Metagross suddenly levitated from one of the mansion's side courtyards. The powerful white steel-type leisurely flew toward the group and landed at their side. An elegant silver suitcase rested on top of them, which Steven retrieved.

"What's that?" Bianca asked curiously, leaning forward to get a better glance.

"It's something that Steven bought for me yesterday," Ash explained. "Well, not just for me. You'll see."

Steven smiled and set the suitcase on the ground in front of Ash and his friends. "Like I said yesterday, Ash. This is a thank you gift from both myself and my father for everything that you did for us during Team Aqua's attack. We will never forget that and I hope this shows the extent of our gratitude." Steven smirked. "You have earned this wholeheartedly. However, before you open that suitcase, I'm fairly certain that you know exactly what you need to do."

Ash stared at the silver suitcase with piqued interest for the longest time. "I admit that I had a slight suspicion yesterday, but I didn't want to make any hasty guesses and just decided to let it play out with an open mind."

"I think that was for the best," Steven noted. "While my gift was obvious, I couldn't conceal it any further than I did lest I risk missing the mark. It's meant to be special for you."

Ash nodded, reached down to his belt and retrieved a single Poké Ball from it, and held it at his side. "Pidgeot, come out." The device activated and released Pidgeot from its confines in a bright flash of white light, materializing at his side.

Steven walked back to give the trainer space, joining his wife's side. "This brings back memories," he murmured longingly. Metagross quietly moved back as well, joining their trainer's side and settling down next to the towering Steelix.

"It does," Cynthia agreed, idly glancing at Garchomp's left jet-like horn, which held a decorated metallic ribbon-like band that housed a distinct blue stone with a red and orange sigil within it. Garchomp looked at the scene with interest from her trainer's side.

Latios, Latias, Bianca, and Brock all moved closer, surrounding Ash, Pikachu, and Pidgeot. Ash crouched down and slowly undid the suitcase's two locks. He grabbed the rim and with confidence lifted the lid, opening the suitcase and revealing its contents for them to see. Everyone gasped at the sight that greeted them.

The suitcase had two distinct contents in it, held delicately on a thick frame of soft purple cloth. The first item was a diminutive multicolor spherical stone embedded with a leaf-like sigil held on a golden frame with a simple hook at its top.

However, what grabbed everyone's attention was the other item. It was a lustrous dark-yellow spherical crystal with two flowing leaf-like red and cream-colored sigils running through its length, which they all recognized instantly as a Mega Stone. The stone was held on the center of an elegant golden pendant that had two beautiful wings of gold proudly flaring at each of its sides. Two brown leather straps with a stripe of gold flowed from behind the pendant. "Woah," Ash breathed out, completely speechless. "Is this…?"

"Indeed, it is," Steven answered from afar. "That, Ash, is a Pidgeotite. It's the Mega Stone that allows a Pidgeot to undergo Mega Evolution."

Ash reached down and delicately picked up the pendant, looking at it with widened eyes and a frozen expression, as if he was in a trance. He remembered yesterday, how he had seen the winged pendant on the store's shelves and how it had immediately grabbed his attention. It appeared mostly the same, though he could tell it had been slightly modified to house the large stone at its center. He knew by heart it was what he had selected.

"That looks very beautiful," Bianca commented in awe, clasping her hands together.

"Definitely," Brock agreed with a jubilant grin. "That collar looks beautiful."

"That's gorgeous!" Latias marveled. She glanced at the large avian and smiled. "It's going to look lovely on you, Pidgeot." Latios and Pikachu nodded in agreement.

Pidgeot observed the piece of jewelry, completely stunned. She could feel the stone calling out to her, causing her to focus on it with a mesmerized expression. She could feel its energy radiating vibrantly, brushing against her in a near-magical way that felt both surreal and perfectly natural at the same time, like it had always belonged with her. "I…" she mumbled, unable to find her words.

Ash reverently removed the pendant and stood up, turning to face her. He looked at the collar for several moments and then held it out for her. "I picked this for you, Pidgeot," he said at last. "I hope you like it."

Pidgeot fixedly stared at the collar and its held pendant, taking in its features and details with utter fascination. She looked at Ash and leaned forward, gently nuzzling him with adoration. "Thank you, it's perfect!" she gushed ecstatically.

Ash let out a short laugh and pressed against Pidgeot's affective touch, enjoying the sensation of her soft feathers on his cheek. "You're welcome, Pidgeot." Ash took a step back, prompting Pidgeot to pull back as well. "So, shall I?" he asked.

Pidgeot gave him a soft look. "Go ahead."

Ash stared at the collar in his hands, focusing on the leather straps to take note of how they were meant to be fastened. He reached forward with his arms, lifting them so they were level with Pidgeot's neck, and wrapped the collar around her neck. He leaned in and fiddled with the two metallic locks until they clicked loudly, signaling the collar had been successfully tightened around her neck.

Pidgeot's eyes widened briefly as she felt a rush of pure power course throughout her body. A veil of energy briefly flashed from her, lighting up her plumage in a pulsating glow of multicolor light that faded away fairly quickly. "Wow," she breathed out in astonishment, blinking a couple of times. "That… was something else."

Ash frowned in concern and took a step back. "What was that?" he asked, looking toward the two champions for an answer.

"It means the Mega Stone has successfully bonded to her," Steven answered. "It's ready to use."

Ash nodded slowly. "Oh, that's good." He locked eyes with his Pokémon. "How do you feel, Pidgeot?"

"Odd," Pidgeot admitted with a shrug. "I felt an intense rush of power, but now it's mostly gone." She gave her trainer a grateful look, closing her eyes in delight. "Don't worry, it's lovely!" Pidgeot opened her eyes and extended her wings, flexing them a few times to make sure the collar didn't interfere with her body's movements. "It fits perfectly and doesn't get in the way." She flapped her wings and took off into the air, flying in a wide circle around the battlefield to test out the balance of her flight with her new collar on. "So, how do I look, guys?" Pidgeot asked as she elegantly spun around in place before her friends, extending her wings gallantly and extending her legs fiercely under her, making sure the afterglow of the beautiful sunset shone magnificently behind her.

Latias laughed in delight. "You look amazing, Pidgeot!" she praised.

Pikachu grinned. "Definitely!"

"You look great!" Ash exclaimed happily as Pidgeot gracefully landed in front of him. Ash looked her over for a moment and then glanced at Steven. "So, how exactly does this work? I've never done this before."

"Take the Key Stone from the case. I had a small hook included on the ring it's on so you can strap it to your necklace. After that, just call it out and it'll activate. If you eventually want to come up with a catchphrase, that's up to you," Steven explained, taking a deep breath before continuing. "On Pidgeot's end, the Mega Stone will activate and mega evolve her upon your command. Don't worry about the collar. Part of the reason it took a while to get it ready is that it has to be treated with a special energy process that allows it to bond with the Mega Stone it holds. That way, it can melt into the Pokémon along with the Stone itself when the process starts."

Pidgeot winced, her beak dropping open slightly. "Wait, it does what now?" she asked disturbed.

Ash cringed. "That sounds painful. Are you sure it's safe?"

Steven chuckled. "It kind of does, but you don't have anything to fear. It's perfectly normal and natural. That's how Mega Stones work in nature, all that we do is enable the apparel that holds them to do the same."

Pidgeot unfolded one of her wings and reached inward with it, lightly running her wingtip along the collar. "I guess it's fine."

Ash walked over to the case and reached into it. He picked up the Key Stone and hooked it onto his necklace, between the Latios and Latias figurines. "So, want to do this, Pidgeot?" Ash asked as he turned around.

Pidgeot took a deep breath to relax herself and nodded once. "Let's do this."

"Ash, a bit of a heads up. A Pokémon's first Mega Evolution can be very rough. So, be sure you're ready for anything," Steven called out as he began to walk away, prompting both of his Pokémon to follow him. He stopped and glanced at Ash's friends. "I advise you both do the same," he suggested seriously before resuming his stride.

Bianca and Brock looked at each other and complied, walking away along with Steven. Latios and Latias looked at each other, wondering if they should leave as well. However, with Steven's words still ringing on their minds, they gave each other a single nod and elected to stay put.

"Listen, Ash," Cynthia began, catching the young trainer's attention. "Remember, Mega Evolution relies on the bond between trainer and Pokémon. It's a burden you must share with Pidgeot. Don't leave her alone or she will take it badly. It'll be hard to focus on it at first since you don't know what to look for, but you must do it. You're Pidgeot's support. Without it, she will fall." She stepped away along with her Garchomp to join her husband and Ash's friends, leaving the young trainer alone with Pidgeot, Pikachu, and the eon siblings.

"I don't like how this is looking," Bianca murmured worriedly. "Will they be alright?"

"I don't know," Steven admitted. "Different Pokémon react differently to their first attempt at Mega Evolution. Some take it well and some take it badly, but this is something Ash must face on his own."

Ash reached to his necklace and held his Key Stone between two fingers, admiring it. His eyes narrowed as determination filled them. "Let's do this, Pidgeot."

Latios and Latias flew backward to give them a bit of extra space, though they looked at the scene warily. "Be ready for anything, Latias," Latios instructed, to which she nodded in response.

Ash took a deep breath and relaxed. "Pidgeot, Mega Evolve!" he shouted resolutely. The diminutive stone began to glow in a soft aura of multicolor light, which spread toward Pidgeot in the form of several beams of dazzling energy.

The Mega Stone on Pidgeot's collar pulsed vibrantly and released a potent flash of radiant multicolored light throughout her body, emanating several beams of energy that clashed with the ones emanating from Ash's Key Stone, connecting them in a crackling clash of radiance.

Ash's eyes widened and he sucked in a sharp breath. The moment the beams connected, he felt a crushing weight and a powerful presence suddenly fall on his consciousness, causing him to wince and almost fall down.

Pidgeot let out a shriek of overwhelmed shock as an immense power sprouted from deep within the Mega Stone, flooding into her mind like a never-ending tidal wave of raw energy that drowned everything around her and blacked out her senses. A thick shroud of crimson and golden-colored energy emanated out of her Mega Stone and enclosed her entire body, the collar melting away into the luminance. Pidgeot began to grow larger, prompting Ash to gasp and take a step back as her height doubled. Her breast grew bulkier and her wings broadened in equal proportion to her enlarged body. The crest on her head grew thicker and a billowing plume grew from it until it extended far behind her. With her transformation complete, the shroud of red and golden light erupted outward in a powerful blast that knocked Ash onto his butt and left a small crater on Pidgeot's feet, finally emanating the multicolor leaf-like sigil of Mega Evolution proudly above her.

Ash gawked at her, admiring Pidgeot's new form which now imposingly towered over him. Her coloration, he noted, remained largely identical except for the cyan feathers adorning the tips of her wings and tail, and the magenta-colored plume waving behind her. "Woah…" he breathed out, completely speechless.

"So, that's a Mega Pidgeot," Latias muttered in awe. "She's huge now, and so much more powerful than before."

Latios' eyes widened with surprise. "She's so different now," he noted. "Yet so familiar at the same time. It's weird."

Pidgeot let out a series of sharp and ragged breaths as the world around her spun in a mangled mess of incoherent sounds and hazy visuals, causing her to blink repeatedly and look around erratically as if trying to understand her bearings and make sense of the distorted information her senses gave her.

Cynthia's eyes narrowed. "This isn't good," she mumbled, shaking her head.

Ash winced in pain as the heavy presence on his mind pushed down on him like a metaphorical sack of bricks, preventing him from standing up. He gritted his teeth and fought hard to focus his gaze on her eyes. "Pidgeot, are you okay?"

Pidgeot let out a sharp screech as the piercing sound of his voice ripped through her mind and sent a thundering tremor through her bearings. Frightened, she lifted one of her large wings high above her, which was coated with a sheen of white light as it hardened to steel-like properties. Ash sucked in a sharp breath as Pidgeot's apparent fear resounded on his own mind, causing him to cringe visibly.

"Latias!" Latios shouted immediately as he surged forward, eyes glowing brightly in a hue of blue light as he released a powerful burst of his psychic powers.

"On it!" Latias responded instantly, her own eyes erupting in a fiery glow of psychic energy.

As Pidgeot brought her Steel Wing down like a hammer on her perceived threat, Ash's eyes widened in horror. However, before the wing could make it to him, a thick blue aura surrounded it. Pidgeot's hardened wing was stopped dead in its tracks, its leftover momentum causing a gust of wind to blow all around them and blow Ash's hat off.

Pidgeot let out a guttural growl and struggled against the psychic powers holding off her wing, causing Latios and Latias to wince at the backlash their minds faced from the sheer strength behind Pidgeot's movements.

Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and ran up to her, glaring while his cheeks sparkled vividly with bright yellow electricity. "Calm down, Pidgeot!" he ordered firmly. "Please!"

Pidgeot let out an aggrieved shriek and shifted her attention to him. She let out a fierce squawk and lifted her other large wing, which was free from the eon twin's psychic grip.

Pikachu let out a ferocious shout and released a potent discharge with his Thunder attack, obscuring Pidgeot's body behind a dazzling yellow blanket of electricity and violently shocking her. Pidgeot let out a shrill screech of pain, however, that wasn't enough to stop her. She brought down her other wing, which was coated in a raging gale of wind that blasted away Pikachu's electricity. As she flapped her wing in a wide arc, a massive crescent blade of razor-sharp wind was fired from it straight at the electric-type.

Latios suddenly darted forward, defiant eyes glowing intensely as his body was coated in a white luster of psychic energy. He flew between Pidgeot and Pikachu and bravely braced for impact. Pidgeot's Air Slash collided against his defensive Luster Purge violently, exploding with such force that the two were blasted backward, leaving a deep gash carved into the ground below and causing them to roughly land in a heap on the other side of the field. However, despite the painful hit, Pikachu and Latios recovered quickly and stood up. Latias growled and flew forward, flying to Ash's side while glaring at Pidgeot, ready to take any defensive action that was needed to protect him.

As Ash's Pokémon fought amongst themselves and struggled against Pidgeot, Garchomp glanced at Cynthia. Metagross and Steelix glanced at Steven out the corner of their eyes.

"Don't interfere," Steven instructed, prompting Metagross to nod once and refocus on the battle. Steelix calmly gazed back at the fight, not uttering a single word.

"Stay put," Cynthia ordered, making Garchomp lower her arms and relax her posture.

"Wouldn't it be a good idea to help them?" Brock asked urgently, looking at the two champions with a dumbfounded expression. "Ash is in trouble. Your Pokémon should be able to easily stop Pidgeot!"

"He's in trouble, yes," Cynthia recognized. "But this is a trial he must overcome on his own, without our intervention, if he is to master Mega Evolution. Have faith in them."

Bianca looked at the two champions unhappily and then focused back on the field, her face reflecting intense concern. "Please, be alright, Ash…" she whispered.

Latios flew back to Ash's side and glared fiercely at the mega evolved Pidgeot. Pikachu, who was on the dragon's back, echoed his glare with sparkling cheeks. They, along with Latias, readied themselves to engage Pidgeot once more. Pidgeot, eyes searing red and unfocused, let out an aggressive shriek and spread her wings wide, towering over them dauntingly and ready to resume her onslaught.

"Stop!"

The single shouted word—full of resolve, grief, and power—froze all four Pokémon in their tracks.

Ash slowly stood up, picked up his cap, dusted it off, and placed it back on his head. He took a deep breath and wrapped his fist around the Key Stone dangling from his necklace. Ash glared up at Pidgeot, firmly locking eyes with her. His defiant eyes refused to waver, even under the immense weight of Pidgeot's errant glare and the crushing weight of her presence in his mind. "Pidgeot, stop," he repeated firmly. "I'm your trainer, we're your friends. Relax, just relax. Everything's alright and you're safe," he whispered, voice softening into a soothing tone.

Pidgeot remained frozen on the spot and stared at him. Her body posture remained aggressive and wayward. However, she had stopped moving entirely and just focused on the comparatively small human talking to her.

"Latios?" Latias asked uncertainly, choosing to use telepathy to avoid making any physical noises that could upset Pidgeot further.

"Something's happening, don't interfere," Latios instructed, making sure his telepathic reply also sounded in Pikachu's mind. "But be ready to defend him at any moment if needed."

Ash took a tentative step forward. The boy wheezed in exhaustion as the enormous toll of the bond with Pidgeot began to make itself apparent in his young mind. However, he gritted his teeth and remained steadfast. 'I will be the greatest Pokémon trainer one day. I can do this, we can do this!' he thought as his grip on the Key Stone tightened, prompting the stone to glow brightly under his fist. "Relax, Pidgeot. You're safe, you're with us," he repeated.

Pidgeot remained frozen still, staring at the human with an unfocused and unreadable expression that immensely worried the other three Pokémon. However, they too remained still, trusting Ash wholeheartedly.

Ash took another step forward, this time with far more confidence. And then another. And another. With eyes full of ironclad willpower, the trainer walked up to her and stopped only a couple of feet in front of her. He looked up at her face and slowly extended his free arm, offering it to her. "Pidgeot," he spoke soothingly. "Everything's gonna be fine."

Pidgeot finally moved. Slowly, she began to extend one of her wings forward, prompting Latios, Latias, and Pikachu to get into fighting stances that would allow them to spring into action immediately. However, it was ultimately unneeded. Pidgeot's eyes softened, with the reddened hue receding to reveal wine-colored irises that sharply focused on the trainer before her. Pidgeot tenderly placed her wingtip on Ash's hand.

Ash smiled and gently wrapped his hand around her wingtip, squeezing it affectionately. "There we go, Pidgeot. Welcome back." The two remained unmoving, holding each other and gradually growing accustomed to the sensation of the powerful bond uniting them.

On the sidelines, Steven nodded in approval. "He did it. It was rough, but he's got it."

Cynthia clapped her hands, noticeably impressed. "That's astounding. It's difficult for trainers as young as him to successfully mega evolve a Pokémon and get them under control on their first try. Yes, it was a bit spotty for a first attempt, but still, very remarkable. I was fifteen when I tried my first Mega Evolution and it went pretty much the same."

Bianca looked at Ash and Pidgeot, giving the pair an admiring look. "It's fantastic that they got it, then. I was worried, but they pulled through. Those two are amazing."

Latios, Latias, and Pikachu relaxed and cautiously began to approach them. "Are you okay, Pidgeot?" Pikachu asked nervously. "Are you with us?"

Pidgeot briefly glanced at him. "I am," she responded amiably. She paused and blinked, noting her voice sounded deeper. "Weird. I feel so odd. Everything about my body feels so different, but at the same time, very familiar," she added uncertainly. "I have a pretty bad headache, too."

Ash reached ahead with his other arm, also wrapping his free hand around Pidgeot's wingtip. "I'm happy you're back to your senses," he commented elatedly. "Don't worry about what happened. What's important is that we made it."

Pidgeot focused her attention back on him, fondly extending her other wing to join both of his hands. "It was thanks to you." She tilted her head, giving him a funny look. "Also, you're so much shorter now," she teased, bemused.

Ash laughed, shaking her wings a bit with his hands. "No, you're just that much taller."

Latias giggled. "Yep, she's totally back."

"Yeah, what a big relief," Pikachu said with an exhale.

Ash let go of her wings and frowned. "Better get you back to normal for now. So, how do I deactivate this?" he asked curiously, glancing at the onlookers.

"You have to will for it to happen, Ash," Steven instructed. "Hold the Key Stone and will it."

Ash nodded and grabbed his Key Stone. He looked at Pidgeot and narrowed his eyes, thinking hard about her original form. He let out a sigh of relief when Pidgeot's body started glowing. Pidgeot closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She exhaled and let her body relax, allowing a vibrant rainbow glow to spread throughout her form, which began to shrink down as her Mega Evolution ended. The glow coalesced around her neck and faded away to reveal the golden collar that held her shining Mega Stone. Ash blinked, focusing his attention on it. "Wow, Steven was right. The collar's perfectly fine."

Pidgeot let out a weary exhale, reaching up with a wing to double-check it was indeed there. "Thankfully." She looked at Ash fondly. "Because I very much loved it. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Pidgeot," Ash responded, reaching forward to gently caress Pidgeot's wing, taking advantage of how she was once again easily reachable to him.

The two turned to the side when they heard clapping, noting Steven, Cynthia, and their friends approaching. "Despite the hardships, you did it. Congratulations, Ash," Steven praised. "That was a good first attempt."

"Indeed, it was," Cynthia agreed. "However." Her tone turned stern. "I suggest you withhold from using Pidgeot's Mega Evolution until both of you have mastered it. The fact you were able to control her is very good, because that means you can continue practicing her Mega Evolution on your own, without our supervision. However, you should still be cautious." Cynthia looked at the crevices Pidgeot's earlier Air Slash had carved onto the battlefield, prompting Ash and his friends to follow her gaze. "As you saw, the power of Mega Evolution is immense. Without perfect control, the heat of battle could still cause you to lose your bond with her," she continued.

"If that happens, there's a serious chance she could injure or kill her opponent. So, use Mega Evolution only after you've mastered it and against opposition that truly warrants its use," Steven suggested. "How you use this gift is ultimately up to you, though. But, take this counsel to heart."

Ash looked at the two champions, letting their words sink in. He gave them a resolute look and nodded once. "I will." He turned to face Pidgeot and grinned. "Don't worry Pidgeot. We'll perfect this, and when we do, we'll be unstoppable!"

Chapter 28 End

Author Notes: I want to give a shout-out to all the people that have supported me so far! Very special thanks to Syrup-Waffle and Roasted Cashew! And much thanks to Coolgamer, Zeusdog17, and Delta4Phoenix! Lastly, thanks to Aya, space Magikarp, Man-O'-War, caitou zzzzzz, StoCazzo02, guardian lucario, and ShyGuyWarrior! Also, thanks to my two beta-readers, Ri2 and Shakari!

Finally, don't forget to leave a REVIEW with your thoughts about the chapter! I'd love to hear them!

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