"It seems Steven has already used his last hidden card... there's no other choice." Cain made a decision in silence.
He removed a stone from Aggron that was shining with a strange light.
Aggron's Mega Stone!
That's right, Cain's plan was very simple. If Irene was suppressing Steven by relying on the Sacred Church's pseudo–Mega Evolution, then for Steven to counterattack, he only needed to possess the same ability—or an even stronger one.
And the only solution Cain could think of was to temporarily lend him a Mega Stone.
With his current capacity, Cain could only maintain the Mega Evolution of three Pokémon for a short period of time. Tyranitar's and Blaziken's were indispensable, while Aggron's was not quite as crucial.
If necessary, he could even have Gengar Mega Evolve, so Aggron did not need its Mega Evolution for the moment. It was better to lend it to Steven temporarily!
Moreover, with the rapport between Steven and his Aggron, achieving Mega Evolution would not be a problem. But a single Mega Evolution would not be enough to change the course of the battle.
Cain reflected for a moment, then with a slight twist of his hand, three more stones appeared.
Two of them were Key Stones, and the remaining one was another Mega Stone.
This stone had been obtained a long time ago, but after testing it, Cain discovered that it did not belong to any of the Pokémon he carried with him.
However, due to the length of time it had been in his possession, Cain had long since confirmed which Pokémon it corresponded to.
It was Mawile's Mega Stone!
That's right, Mawile.
That was why, upon seeing that Mawile so closely attached to Steven, Cain had been drawn to it.
A Pokémon that not only did not reject humans, but was so close to its trainer, could develop affinity and synchronization with great ease. Once captured, it could quickly be transformed into real combat strength.
Cain knew that after the Sinnoh tournament, Steven had chosen a Mawile egg as his reward, but it had not yet been fully trained, and in the short term it still lacked something to perform at its peak.
However, anticipating what was to come, Cain wanted to keep a champion-level Mawile. With minimal training and supplemented by Mega Evolution, Mega Mawile, with its Huge Power ability, was a Pokémon capable of turning the tide of a battle.
Even so, the number of Mega Evolutions a single person could control had its limits. Even someone as talented as Cain could only sustain three temporary Mega Evolutions, or two for a somewhat longer period.
Therefore, if they wanted to increase their overall power, they needed more people and more Pokémon capable of Mega Evolving.
This would be Steven's first time. Cain thought that at most he could control one, but one alone would not be enough... everything would depend on whether this future champion proved himself up to the task.
A fine stream of sand wrapped around the four stones in Cain's hand and silently sent them out of the battlefield.
At the same time, his psychic power carefully spread outward. Thanks to the cover of the red sand, he managed to make contact with Steven; otherwise, doing so in front of Jacob and Irene, both powerful psychics, would have been almost impossible.
"It's me. Don't show too much reaction, don't let them notice that I'm contacting you," Cain's voice echoed in Steven's mind.
The message startled Steven, but since he was already accustomed to Cain's telepathy, he managed to control his expression and avoid arousing suspicion.
"Cain, I..." Steven thought.
Through the mental link, Cain felt Steven's helplessness. It was the first time that prodigious genius had been pushed to such an extreme.
He had used all his cards... and still failed to achieve the expected result.
Even when he had competed with Cain for a spot in the Elite Four, although he lost, he still had resources left unused. That time it had been a friendly duel, but now Irene was dominating him without mercy.
Only then did he realize that he had retreated all the way to Cain's battlefield, even affecting his fight.
But he no longer had the strength to break through. Guilt, frustration, and a sense of uselessness hit him head-on.
Cain had seen this kind of case countless times: brilliant talents that shattered after a single defeat. Although Steven would not be like that, a temporary slump was inevitable.
"It's fine, don't say anything—listen to me. My battle is complicated, but I have a certain advantage. If you give me time, I can resolve it."
"I know your situation: you can't get out of there. So I'll temporarily lend you a very special ability to reverse the situation. It's something that has never appeared in the League. When it becomes public, it will shake the entire League and even the Pokémon world."
"That's why I need you to keep this secret. I trust you, but remember: you can't even tell your father."
Cain's words resonated firmly in Steven's mind.
Steven's frustration dissipated somewhat; his spirit lifted.
Cain had the advantage.
If he could hold on, everything could be resolved.
And if Cain said that this ability would work, Steven believed him without reservation. It was trust forged through years of shared battles.
Silently, two Mega Stones and two Key Stones wrapped in red sand appeared in Steven's hands.
As a lover of stones, he immediately recognized the Key Stones—he himself had once gifted one to Cain long ago. The others seemed strangely familiar, but he could not recall where he had seen them.
They were rare... and mysterious.
Could the situation really be reversed with them?
Steven hesitated, until Cain's voice sounded again.
"Two of these stones are familiar to you. They're called Key Stones, and they're used to activate a mysterious energy. The other two are called Mega Stones. Inside them is a power capable of shaking the Pokémon world, and they can only be activated with Key Stones."
"Each one corresponds to a Pokémon. Yours are for Aggron and Mawile. This is your chance to turn things around."
Steven understood the words... but did not yet grasp their true meaning.
Like in a math class: it seemed clear, but putting it into practice was another matter entirely.
Just then, Cain mentally showed him a scene: Aggron Mega Evolving under his control.
Steven's eyes shone brightly.
It was obvious that Cain's Mega Aggron was more stable and powerful than Irene's.
Immediately after, the sand carried the stones to Aggron and Mawile.
"Before using Mega Evolution, one final warning. It doesn't just require affinity and synchronization; your minds will connect. For a trainer, this is an enormous burden. Using two Mega Evolutions at the same time is extremely taxing. Prepare yourself mentally."
"After driving Irene back, keep only one Mega Evolution active and hold her off. I'll finish my opponent as quickly as possible."
Steven nodded solemnly. He didn't need to win; he only had to hold her back.
"Final reminder: Mega Aggron gains tremendous defense and becomes pure Steel-type. Mega Mawile gains attack and defense, and its ability becomes Huge Power. You know well how to combine it with Swords Dance."
The confident smile returned to Steven's face.
"Aggron! Mawile! Mega Evolve!"
Double Mega Evolution right from the start!
Seeing that Steven had successfully activated Mega Evolution, Cain returned all his attention to Jacob.
He had nearly made a mistake by being distracted... but now, the battle was entering its decisive phase.
(End of chapter)