Steven and Scizor let the Mega Evolution fade, stepping back to give Cynthia and Garchomp room.
"First, Cynthia and Garchomp need to feel each other's presence and build a connection," Steven reminded them. "Only then can the Mega Stone and Key Stone draw out the full power of Mega Evolution."
Cynthia nodded and closed her eyes, quietly reaching out with her senses toward Garchomp.
Garchomp closed its eyes in turn, doing the same.
The other Pokémon drifted over to watch.
"Chajiduyi~ ε٩(๑＞ ₃ ＜)۶ з"
Togepi, perched on Gastrodon's back, waved its tiny arms enthusiastically, cheering Cynthia on.
Then, at the same moment, Cynthia and Garchomp opened their eyes.
They had found each other.
The Key Stone and the Mega Stone blazed to life simultaneously.
Cynthia slipped the cap off the lipstick and drew it lightly across her lips. Her expression softened into a quiet smile as she called out:
"Garchomp — Mega Evolve!"
"Ka-ao!"
Garchomp roared in answer.
The Garchompite in its grasp resonated with the Key Stone in Cynthia's lipstick, and a brilliant white light swallowed Garchomp whole.
Its form shifted continuously within that radiance.
Whoosh!
The light broke apart, and a shimmer of color streaked through the air — then was gone.
Mega Garchomp stood before them.
Its body was taller than before, while its neck and shoulders had grown sleek and sharp. The yellow coloring on its lower abdomen stretched upward, forming a pronounced, almost inverted-triangle shape. Five pairs of white bone spurs had emerged along its sides, and a pair of red spikes jutted from its knees. The energy of Mega Evolution had reshaped its arms and wing-fins into massive, curved scythe-like blades.
"Ka-ao!"
Mega Garchomp let out a powerful roar. Through Mega Evolution, Garchomp now radiated the unmistakable pressure of a Champion-class Pokémon.
Steven stepped forward. "How do you feel?"
"Like Garchomp and I have become one!" Cynthia's eyes were wide with wonder. "But... I can feel my stamina draining fast."
"That's expected," Steven said with a nod. "Mega Evolution is a shared effort between a Trainer and their Pokémon. While you're in sync with Garchomp, your own stamina is actively fueling the transformation. It won't last indefinitely." He paused, then added, "Physical conditioning on your end will help extend how long you can sustain it."
Cynthia nodded, and she and Garchomp let the Mega Evolution release.
"Still, I have no doubt you'll adapt quickly—"
Before Steven could finish, something shifted. His balance dipped slightly as a warm weight pressed against him — two arms wrapping around him from the front.
He looked down at the golden hair tucked close to his chest, and the girl holding on.
He smiled quietly.
"Ka-ao." Garchomp exhaled through its nose and deliberately looked away.
I'll let it go this once, blue-hair.
Just this once.
Up at the window, Grandma Caroline had been watching from the living room, her chin resting on her folded arms against the sill. She let out a small, dissatisfied sound and reached for her phone, dialing a number.
"Philiece — has anything turned up recently? Any newly discovered ruins I could look into?"
"...No?"
"Then find me something. Quickly."
In a research institute somewhere in Sinnoh, a young woman in a white lab coat with short, neat hair stared at her phone in bewilderment.
Find one? Where exactly am I supposed to find ruins?
Grandma Caroline ended the call and stepped away from the window, heading back through the living room.
Hmph. Not very interesting after all.
It's a fine day. I'll go for a walk.
"Are you alright, Cynthia?" Steven asked, his voice gentle with concern.
Cynthia had been leaning on him for a while now. Her first Mega Evolution had pushed her already Champion-level Garchomp into fully reaching Champion-class power — and the sudden, large surge of shared energy expenditure had taken its toll on her.
"Steven... I think I'm a little tired," Cynthia murmured, her head resting against his shoulder, her voice soft and low.
A little?
"I should have thought of this," Steven said, a small frown crossing his face.
When he had Mega Evolved for the first time, Metagross hadn't yet reached the same level of strength, and the drain had been manageable — just a mild fatigue. It had taken time, and steady training, before Mega Evolution became something he could sustain with ease.
He hadn't accounted for the fact that this was Cynthia's first attempt — and that the Pokémon she was Mega Evolving was a Champion-level Garchomp.
He shifted carefully, his right arm steadying her shoulder. Then he bent, slipping his left arm beneath her knees, and lifted her in a princess carry.
Cynthia's hands stayed loosely clasped around his neck.
Lucario glanced over at Garchomp. Garchomp was grinding its teeth but made no move to interfere.
So Lucario didn't interfere either.
Steven carried Cynthia back inside. He looked around the living room as he passed through — Grandma Caroline was nowhere to be seen. He had thought it might be easier to ask her to keep an eye on Cynthia, but it couldn't be helped.
He climbed the stairs carefully, making sure not to jostle her.
He nudged open the door to Cynthia's room with his shoulder — it was his first time seeing it.
The room was tidy and calm, with a faint, pleasant scent in the air. The walls were a soft silver-blue, and most of the furnishings were cream and light pink — the kind of room that suited her perfectly.
A poster hung on one wall: the promotional image the Hoenn League had released when Steven took the title of Champion. Prominent Champions helped draw new Trainers to the League, and a bit of outreach came with the position.
Steven set Cynthia gently on the bed.
Her hands, still loosely linked behind his neck, didn't let go.
Her breathing was steady. She had already trained that morning, and Mega Evolution had drawn away a large amount of her remaining stamina in one go. It was no surprise she had fallen asleep.
Because her arms were still around him, Steven had to stay bent over her, his face close to hers.
He stayed there for a while, looking at her.
Ten minutes, as it turned out.
Only once he was certain she was fully asleep did he carefully unclasp her hands and ease them down to rest at her sides.
He slipped off her shoes and socks and set them neatly beside the bed. Then he drew the cream-colored quilt up over her.
Something shifted under the blanket as he pulled it back.
"Hmm?"
Steven reached in and picked it up — a small handmade doll, silver-blue hair, vaguely humanoid in shape.
He turned it over in his hands.
Rough work.
He glanced at his own reflection in the mirror across the room, then back at the doll.
The resemblance was... undeniable, if charitable.
The doll was old — it had been repaired more than once, the mending visible in several places. But for all its age and wear, it was remarkably clean.
Spotlessly so.
Steven leaned down and looked at Cynthia's sleeping face for a moment. Then he reached out and gently brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her cheek, settling them to the side.
Her face, fully visible now, was quietly, perfectly still.
He let out a soft, silent laugh, and set the doll carefully back beside her.
"So that's what the doll was about," he murmured.