Professor Sycamore's coffee splashed directly onto the computer screen.
Through the scattered droplets, his eyes remained locked onto the image before him, unblinking.
That MEGA-Evolved Blastoise was the very result he had chased for years.
And yet, until this very moment, his research had been completely stuck.
He had long confirmed that certain Pokémon possessed the potential to evolve one step further beyond their natural limits. He had verified it through energy readings, genetic remnants, and even ancient records.
But no matter what method he tried, no matter how many variables he adjusted, he could never cross that final threshold.
Something was missing.
And now, as Ash's Blastoise stood on the battlefield radiating overwhelming power, the answer struck Sycamore like lightning.
"The bond."
"It's the bond between Pokémon and Trainer."
That was it.
That was the missing variable.
It was relationship resonance, the emotional synchronization between Trainer and Pokémon, that unlocked the next stage of evolution.
"MEGA Evolution… MEGA Evolution…"
His hands shook as he muttered, excitement flooding his voice.
"No, Super Evolution. That name fits perfectly. Perfectly."
He laughed bitterly, half-mad with shock.
"I spent years trapped in a dead end, and someone else solved it first. Incredible. Absolutely incredible."
His mind raced.
"How did he do it? How did a single Trainer overcome a hurdle that researchers across the world couldn't even approach?"
"Professor Oak?"
He shook his head almost immediately.
"No. Impossible."
If Oak had cracked it, he would never have hidden it. That man shared every breakthrough the moment it showed promise, sometimes before it was ready.
"This must have been developed by Ash alone," Sycamore whispered, disbelief thick in his voice.
"That's the only explanation."
The puzzle of pushing Pokémon beyond their limits wasn't Sycamore's project alone. He had shared every theory and every hypothesis with fellow researchers across regions. When he hit walls, he sought help from many professors.
Including Oak.
That was why Oak knew fragments of the theory behind further evolution.
And yet, even after all that collaboration, nothing worked.
No progress.
Until today.
Right there on a tournament stage.
Professor Sycamore had always prided himself on composure, yet now his coffee lay forgotten as self-doubt surged through him.
If Oak had played any role in this breakthrough, Sycamore would have known.
That was the kind of man Oak was.
Whenever Oak made progress, he shared it immediately, asking others to verify, test, and challenge it.
And more importantly, MEGA Evolution had grown from Sycamore's own research.
If Oak had even assisted, he would have said something.
The silence meant only one thing.
Ash had done it himself.
And as long as Ash refused to reveal it, Oak, true to his character, would never speak a word.
A professor discovering MEGA Evolution and a Trainer discovering it were two entirely different matters.
If a professor had made the breakthrough, it would have been published, patented, and systematized at once, granting early access to future research and shaping the direction of Pokémon science.
But a Trainer?
For Trainers, power mattered more than papers.
The moment Ash revealed MEGA Evolution, Sycamore knew the truth would eventually surface. Steven had seen it too. Even if Ash explained nothing, the data would be analyzed, reverse-engineered, and replicated sooner or later.
Until then, Ash held the advantage.
Currently, only two battle systems dominated the world.
Gigantamax, controlled by Professor Magnolia. She didn't hoard resources deliberately, but as the inventor of the Dynamax Band, she possessed the most and distributed them selectively.
And Z-Moves, monopolized by the Alola region and tied deeply to its land and legendary Pokémon. Outsiders could rarely obtain Z-Crystals without undergoing the island challenge.
MEGA Evolution was different.
Its discoverer was Ash, a Trainer backed only by Professor Oak.
Publicly, their relationship extended no further than the Pokémon distribution service.
Which meant Ash's strategy was obvious.
Secure enough MEGA Stones for himself first. Build an unassailable lead. Then, only when the timing was right, make it public.
Today's reveal wasn't reckless. It was calculated."He could've told me. I would've kept it secret too."
He paused.
"Wait."
His brow furrowed as memory stirred.
"Haven't I seen those stones before?"
As he wiped the coffee from his screen, the recollection snapped into focus.
Not long ago, Lance of the Kanto Elite Four had visited Kalos, asking about rare gemstones. The photograph Lance showed was the same stone Ash held.
The broadcast replay zoomed in again, and Sycamore saw it clearly. There was no mistake.
And there had been another image as well.
A similar gem embedded in Blastoise's shell.
Different, but related.
Understanding dawned.
Sycamore's expression shifted from shock to rueful amusement.
"So that's it…"
The essence of MEGA Evolution had been right in front of him all along.
He simply hadn't recognized it.
The realization filled him with deep regret.
If only he had paid closer attention to the gemstone Lance mentioned back then. If only he had followed that lead a little further.
But it was pointless to dwell on it now.
Without seeing MEGA Evolution manifested through Ash and Blastoise, he never would have made the connection.
No wonder Lance had suddenly gone to Kalos asking about gemstones. If anyone wanted information on rare gems, shouldn't they be consulting collectors or specialists instead?
So that stone really was connected to MEGA Evolution.
With that realization, Professor Sycamore quickly set aside his lingering bitterness. He returned to his seat and focused on the Mega Blastoise displayed on the screen, eyes gleaming with anticipation. Even if this breakthrough wasn't his own, he still looked forward to witnessing the effects of MEGA Evolution firsthand.
An evolution beyond a Pokémon's final stage had to bring comprehensive changes. Appearance aside, raw strength should rise dramatically, and abilities might even be altered. More importantly, was there a time limit? And if so, how long could a MEGA Evolution last?
Once the match ended, he would reach out to Professor Oak through his contacts. With Oak as the intermediary, he should be able to obtain detailed information directly from Ash. For now, he would treat this as an early preview and carefully record everything he observed.
Kanto, Indigo Plateau Conference Arena.
As Blastoise completed its MEGA Evolution, waves of shocked cheers rolled across the stadium. On the battlefield, Conway stood frozen, staring at the transformed Pokémon in disbelief.
What the hell is this?
There was nothing about this in his data.
He knew Ash had been hiding something, but he never imagined it was something this overwhelming. This wasn't just concealing a trick or a trump card; it was like hiding an entirely new world.
An evolution beyond the final stage carried terrifying implications. Even before the transformation, Blastoise's stats had already been a mystery to him. Ash had barely used it in previous battles, leaving almost no reliable combat data behind.
And now this?
How was anyone supposed to deal with a Pokémon that had entered an entirely unknown state?
"So, Conway," Ash said amid the thunderous cheers, his face lit with excitement. "This is my secret technique. MEGA Evolution. Surprised?"
Despite all the guidance and tempering he'd received from the experts in the group, Ash was still a teenager at heart. And teenagers loved applause. He had imagined scenes like this countless times, but the real thing was a hundred times more exhilarating than he'd expected.
"Surprised?" Conway replied stiffly, the corner of his mouth twitching. "How could you even ask that?"
Surprised didn't even begin to cover it. This was outright terrifying.
Letting Blastoise evolve again might thrill the audience, but for him, it only made the battle feel more hopeless.
"Heh," Ash chuckled. "Then I won't hold back. Blastoise, Water Pulse!"
He attacked without hesitation.
Trick Room had a time limit, and Ash could have stalled while Conway was still reeling. But he never liked winning that way. Besides, there was no need. Trick Room reversed speed, not power. Being forced to move later didn't mean defeat, not unless the opponent could overpower him.
Under Trick Room, Shuckle would act first, but as a Rock-type, one solid hit would likely end the fight, no matter how impressive its Special Defense was.
"Blasto!"
Blastoise locked on. The twin cannons on its arms and the massive cannon on its back fired simultaneously, three torrents of water surging forward. Midair, the streams twisted together, merging into a single massive column ringed with rippling waves.
"Dodge, Shuckle!" Conway shouted, cold sweat breaking out as he reacted.
Under Trick Room's effect, Shuckle's movements became startlingly swift. Its tiny limbs scuttled across the field, and in an instant it had already cleared the impact zone. Water Pulse smashed into the ground behind it, drilling a massive crater into the arena floor.
Mud and water sprayed everywhere as violent currents spread outward, but by the time they reached Shuckle, the force had dissipated. Against ordinary water, a Rock-type had little to fear.
"Gyro Ball!" Conway seized the moment to counterattack.
Gyro Ball's power scaled with the speed difference between user and target. Under Trick Room, Shuckle was faster, but its base Speed was abysmal, deliberately trained even lower. Blastoise wasn't particularly fast either, but the gap still wasn't large enough for Gyro Ball to reach full power.
Even so, with Shuckle's Attack boosted twice, taking the hit head-on would be dangerous.
"Protect!" Ash ordered calmly.
As Shuckle spun toward Blastoise, a green barrier flared into existence. Gyro Ball slammed into it and rebounded violently, sending Shuckle tumbling back across the field.
At equal levels, Protect was absolute.
"Now, Aura Sphere!"
Conway's mind went blank.
'Aura Sphere?'
For a split second he thought he'd misheard, but then spheres of condensed blue energy began forming at the ends of Blastoise's cannons. His disbelief turned into pure shock.