"The first MEGA Evolution stone… huh."
Overall, MEGA Evolution and Gigantamax each have strengths. At lower levels, MEGA Evolution gives a bigger push. At higher tiers, Gigantamax has the edge.
Brock rubbed his chin.
"But Gigantamax can only be used once per battle… and it needs time to recharge. MEGA Evolution doesn't have that limit, right? If a Trainer could use five MEGA evolutions and one Gigantamax in a single battle… that would be outrageous."
His eyes sparkled as he imagined it.
Multiple MEGA Evolutions. One massive Gigantamax. A lineup overflowing with raw power.
Gary actually paused, then slowly nodded.
"Yeah… if you think about it, Gigantamax has too many conditions. It needs the right battlefield, special energy, a Dynamax Band. MEGA Evolution just needs the stone pair and enough bond. No location limit."
"And," he added, "MEGA Evolution looks cooler."
He raised his arms theatrically.
"Just picture it, a stadium, thousands watching… you lift the Key Stone and shout, 'MEGA EVOLVE!' and your Pokémon transforms in front of everyone in bright light! Goosebumps!"
Gary shivered dramatically.
Blaine immediately smacked him back to reality.
"What nonsense are you imagining? MEGA Evolution's real value isn't theatrics."
"The biggest importance of MEGA Evolution… is this: it allows a Pokémon to break past its natural limits."
Misty blinked.
"Isn't that just a power boost? Like Gigantamax?"
Blaine shook his head.
"You still don't understand. Right now, your Pokémon are growing quickly. But once they hit a certain point? Most Pokémon stagnate. Some break through with luck, talent, or ridiculous effort. But many… stay stuck there for life."
His expression dimmed slightly.
"That's the reality of being a Trainer."
"But MEGA Evolution changes the story. Evolving again, even temporarily, reignites the potential inside a Pokémon. It gives them a path forward when they've hit a dead end."
Everyone froze.
It wasn't about battle power. It was about future growth.
He continued:
"And more importantly, if a Pokémon briefly experiences a higher tier of power, even for just one battle, its body remembers it. Afterwards, they find it much easier to reach that level again on their own."
Gary's jaw dropped.
"So… MEGA Evolution is like… giving a Pokémon a peek at its future self?"
"Exactly," Blaine said.
"For low-tier Pokémon stuck at their limits… MEGA Evolution can give them hope again. It can help them grow where they couldn't before. That is the true value of this system."
For a moment, the room fell completely silent.
Everyone slowly turned to look at Ash.
He wasn't just the first person in the world to use MEGA Evolution…
He might have just unlocked the key to reshaping the entire future of Pokémon training.
Ash, however, was stunned speechless.
Wait… MEGA Evolution could do that? Why didn't the group chat explain this part?
In truth, all the "Ashes" in the group never needed such methods.Ash's Aura fusion already solved bottlenecks.
His Pokémon, with his bond and strange talent, broke limits naturally.
For him, MEGA Evolution's "future growth boost" was nice, but not essential.
If Blaine knew that, he'd probably faint from anger.
Something everyone else would treat as a once-in-a-lifetime treasure…was just a convenient add-on for Ash.
Blaine continued, "In short, MEGA Evolution's value is far greater than you think. But… Ash, you're not planning to announce it publicly yet, are you?"
Ash nodded.
"Thought so," Blaine said. "Once the world learns about MEGA Evolution, Key Stones and Evolution Stones will become impossible to obtain. You're already trying to gather as many as you can, right?"
He was absolutely right.
Before MEGA Evolution became public knowledge, Ash intended to collect as many pairs as possible, not just for himself, but also for Misty, Brock, and anyone traveling with him.
He always shared good things with his friends first.
"When did you start collecting them?" Gary asked, leaning forward with interest.
"Just a few days ago," Ash replied. "I asked Professor Oak to help me gather as many as possible. But I only showed him the appearance of the stones, not what they actually do. If he knew their true effect, he'd definitely collaborate with other professors, and then the whole thing would leak instantly."
Gary's eye twitched. 'So Grandpa's being used as free labor, huh? Wonderful.'
"I want one too," Gary declared without hesitation.
Ash shrugged.
"That depends on whether Professor Oak finds extra Key Stones. Trainers only need one, but Evolution Stones depend on the Pokémon. Each stone is species-specific, so even if your grandpa gathers a bunch, there's no guarantee any match your team."
Gary's excitement immediately dimmed.
So it wasn't just rare, it was a nightmare lottery system.
And worst of all, Ash wasn't a researcher. He didn't know which Pokémon had preserved ancient genes, and even with dozens of stones, identifying which belonged to which Pokémon could take years.
"Wait, Ash," Blaine suddenly said, brows furrowing. "You mentioned that each Pokémon needs its own unique Evolution Stone to MEGA evolve."
"That's right," Ash replied. "Gardevoir can only use a stone designed for her line. Other Pokémon won't react."
"How did you figure that out? Do you… have more than one MEGA Evolving Pokémon?"
Ash nodded.
"I do. To be precise, Gardevoir was my second. The first Pokémon I discovered could MEGA evolve was..."
"Aerodactyl, right?" Brock finished with a wry smile. "Makes sense. The very first MEGA Stone ever found came from Aerodactyl's habitat."
Ash didn't deny it. There was no reason to hide it anymore, the secret would get out eventually anyway.
Blaine stared at Ash like he was looking at a kid who accidentally tripped over two miracles in a row.
"In that case…" Blaine opened the safe he'd placed beside him. Inside lay the two MEGA Evolution Stones, each with a distinctly different core pattern, one purple-blue and the other purple-pink.
"These two stones should represent two different Pokémon species," he said. "Their inner patterns don't match. So theoretically, they belong to two entirely separate evolutionary lines."
Ash nodded.
"Most likely."
But then Blaine continued, and his next words changed the entire atmosphere.
"Ash… earlier you asked where these stones came from. I haven't told you the full story. These two stones appeared next to Mewtwo at the moment of his birth."
"They literally materialized out of thin air beside him. And one more thing, these two stones both resonate with Mewtwo. Whenever I open the safe, even through remote monitors, I can see Mewtwo reacting to them. He senses them immediately."
"MEGA Stones are species-specific," Ash said. "So why would two completely different stones react to the same Pokémon? Unless…"
"Unless both stones are related to Mewtwo," Blaine finished, holding Ash's gaze.
Brock then added the biggest complication:
"And according to Professor Sycamore's research, MEGA Evolution is a reversion, a temporary awakening of ancient genes that Pokémon once possessed. But Mewtwo is artificial. He has no 'ancient form' to revert to. How could he MEGA evolve?"
The room fell into a heavy silence.
If MEGA Evolution relied on ancient genetic memory…what ancient form could an engineered Pokémon possess?
Unless…Mewtwo's connection came from the fragment of Mew's DNA used to create him.
If that were true, then…
Could Mewtwo have two different ancient evolutionary paths? Could both stones theoretically belong to him?
There was no answer yet, only theories. Truth could only be found by confronting Mewtwo himself.
Blaine closed the safe with a firm click and pushed it toward Ash.
"Take them."
"If you ever meet Mewtwo, help me solve this mystery."
Then his expression hardened.
"But I still want to say... unless you have a High tier Pokémon, your first and only option when encountering Mewtwo is always, run!"