The item that Venusaur brought out made Ash hesitate from his initial thought of refusal, as the thing he presented held extraordinary significance for him!
The smooth and transparent treasure pearl contained a transparent gene chain, this appearance... Isn't it a MEGA Evolution Stone?
Encountering a MEGA Evolution Stone here?! What kind of lucky break is this?
Just as Ash was thinking this, the faint guidance that had existed in his mind quietly faded away unnoticed.
The moment the guidance disappeared, Ash realized it. He looked at the Evolution Stone before him and thought of the guidance that vanished from his mind. Instantly, he understood that this was part of the guidance, too?
Ash took the MEGA Evolution Stone from Venusaur's Vine Whip and examined it closely... He saw nothing.
He only recognized the MEGA Evolution Stone but wasn't familiar with the types of MEGA Evolution Stones, so he couldn't tell whose Evolution Stone it was. Specifically, he'd have to ask the experts in the group.
"Ash, why does this gem look so much like the one we found in the cave back then? It's just the color of the pattern in the middle that's somewhat different." Brock asked Ash thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
Back in the cave, although the environment was dim, he still saw the gem's appearance clearly, and the current gem is almost identical to it.
And when Ash acquired these two gems, he showed joy on his face. Could it be that Ash knows the purpose of these two gems?
"The type is the same, but the usage type is different."
"What do you mean?"
"Hey, this is still in the research phase, not convenient to disclose. You'll know when the time comes, Brock." Ash put away the MEGA Evolution Stone and teased Brock and Misty.
Ash didn't plan to keep the MEGA Evolution thing a secret from them. We're all partners living together, so even if he tries to hide it, it can't stay hidden, and sooner or later MEGA Evolution will appear in reality. Therefore, keeping secrets from his partners doesn't make sense.
However, saying that there is another layer of evolution beyond the ultimate Pokemon would probably make the two think he's gone crazy.
So it's better to show them the truth.
If this Evolution Stone is one he can use, it may come in handy at the next Gym.
Misty and Brock, although somewhat puzzled by Ash's enigmatic behavior, still showed understanding, because Ash always liked to keep some surprises which he revealed unexpectedly during battles.
Probably this is another item capable of enhancing Pokemon, leading to another performance of battling above his level.
Hmph, if he thinks he can surprise them with this, then he's gravely mistaken!
They are not the same as before! No matter what outrageous things Ash does now, they won't be shocked!
...
After collecting what he wanted, Ash and the others bid farewell to Venusaur and left.
Those Ivysaurs returned to nature or to their own Trainers.
On the way back, Ash and they saw many Trainers asleep on the ground, who were apparently trying, like them, to find out the true face of the Incredible Garden.
But they failed to pass the protective barriers of the Incredible Garden and ended up collapsing on the ground. Misty and Brock might have ended up the same without Ash's help.
Upon returning to the campsite, Misty and Brock immediately slid into their sleeping bags.
After experiencing so much, dawn was almost breaking!
Earlier, the giant tree in the Incredible Garden radiated brilliant light, making them momentarily forget it was still the middle of the night.
They returned after 4 a.m., in two more hours, dawn would break.
After everything ended, they felt utterly exhausted, so they couldn't resist sleeping as soon as they returned to the tent.
Ash then went into the group chat, to inquire whom this Evolution Stone belonged to.
The answer he received was a delightful surprise: the Evolution Stone could actually be used by a Pokemon he owned!
And it could be used immediately.
Ash exited the chat and, while Misty and the others were asleep, snuck out to test MEGA Evolution with that Pokemon, the result was — a success on the first try!
Aside from requiring two items, MEGA Evolution also requires the bond between Trainer and Pokemon, which was unquestionably strong for them.
This success was indeed inevitable.
After evolution, the power increase far exceeded Ash's expectations.
The boost in power was almost parallel to the partner form, and in the future, Ash could have two Pokemon with double buffs.
Double buffs in effect, even Elites could be defeated!
After the test, Ash returned to the tent, Pikachu and Misty, and the others were still in a deep sleep. Tonight, although they did nothing, just the night-time outing was enough to exhaust them.
Not everyone is a freak like Ash.
After lying down, Ash entered the chat group again, firstly to report his findings to the big shots there, secondly to inquire how to cultivate Venusaur.