Under the cool moonlight, Shauna sat by Rapidash, who was lying on the snowy ground, holding Chingling in her arms.
It hadn't snowed in Twinleaf Town for several consecutive days, so tonight wasn't unbearably cold.
Moreover, with a large bonfire in the middle of the group and Rapidash keeping Shauna warm, she didn't feel cold at all. On the contrary, she felt a bit hot.
Holding Chingling in her arms, Shauna ate a sausage of a new flavor specially made for her by Lucas. Every sausage she ate was handmade by Lucas; some needed to be stored for a while before they could be eaten.
Because she had mentioned she liked sausages, her uncle had prepared many for her and kept them in the kitchen.
Shauna looked back at her uncle, sister Cynthia, Uncle Steven, and the others—Gengar, Garchomp, Metagross—who were chatting nonstop.
Turning back, she grinned and broke off a piece of sausage, placing it in her palm to feed to Chingling.
"Little Bell, did you know? Shauna loves the Breeding House the most."
Ching-ching~
Chingling ate the sausage from Shauna's hand, swayed its body, and produced a pleasant sound.
I like Shauna the most.
Shauna seemed to possess a certain innate talent; she could sense what Chingling was thinking deep down.
"Hehehe, Shauna likes Little Bell the most too."
Shauna hugged Chingling tightly, pressing her slightly chubby little cheek against Chingling's to feel its warmth.
"Because it was Little Bell who helped Shauna walk out of that annoying Haze."
Shauna remembered when she first met Chingling.
"Little Bell, did you know? You were just a pokémon egg back then—um, about this big."
Shauna let go of Chingling, spread her hands, and gestured. "I held you all day long back then. Uncle told me you were a Chingling, but I didn't know what kind of Pokémon a Chingling was."
Shauna took a bite of sausage, her cheeks puffing out, and continued, "But you were the first gift Mom and Dad gave me, so I was really looking forward to it."
"And you were also the first friend Uncle entrusted to me."
As she said this, Shauna began to sway her head back and forth. Her silver twin tails, tied up by Mrs. Fujino today, matched perfectly with the snow under the moonlight.
"I was so happy back then. I had to hold you when I went to sleep and when I woke up."
Chingling listened quietly.
"Later, you hatched from the egg."
Shauna stuffed the remaining sausage into her mouth, then lifted Chingling up. "I heard it back then."
Shauna laughed.
"I heard you say, 'Hello, Dingdang.' I never told Mom, Dad, or Uncle about this, so when Uncle asked me to give you a name, I named you Little Bell."
Chingling emitted a pleasant sound in the night breeze.
Shauna pouted, somewhat annoyed. "I had so much to say, but I ate too much and forgot."
Rapidash, lying nearby, revealed a gentle smile.
"But I know we've made many friends."
Shauna showed an extremely bright smile. "Many, many friends."
"And you were by my side as we met them all."
"So, little Shauna likes Little Bell the most."
Shauna gave a loud kiss on Chingling's cheek. "Let's stay together forever, okay? Little Bell, and you too, Rapidash."
Rapidash nodded with gentle eyes.
Don't worry, I'll always be by your side.
Just as Chingling was about to nod, it felt its heart suddenly filled with a surge of emotions.
Scenes flashed by: building sandcastles with Shauna, delivering herbal tea with Shauna for the first time, going to school with Shauna—
Ching-ching~
Little Bell likes little Shauna the most too.
Then, under the moonlight, the Chingling held in Shauna's arms began to glow with a white light, illuminated by the moon.
Seeing the white light in her arms, Shauna immediately turned to look at Lucas.
She saw Lucas smiling and shaking his head at her. "It's okay."
Reassured, Shauna lowered her head and continued watching the white light in her arms.
The white light slowly broke free from her embrace and floated into the air.
Then, she noticed Chingling's form beginning to change.
She knew what this was; she had seen it many times before.
Ponyta had also glowed with white light before turning into Rapidash, and so had Lilligant, Roserade, and the others—
The white light gently faded, revealing a bell-shaped Pokémon floating in the air, smiling at her.
Shauna's mouth formed a perfect 'O'.
"Congratulations, little Shauna. Little Bell has evolved into Chimecho."
Lucas's voice reached her ears, but as Shauna looked at Chimecho's form, the image of that keychain-like Pokémon flashed before her eyes again.
"Uncle, Little Bell looks a lot like the Pokémon I saw earlier."
Lucas: ?
Steven: ??
Cynthia: ???
Shauna spread her arms, and Chimecho floated into her embrace, then perched on her shoulder.
Lucas approached Shauna, reached out to pat Chimecho's little head, and asked, "But Shauna, didn't you say the Pokémon you saw earlier looked like a keychain?"
Shauna looked at Lucas and nodded. "Yes, but there were many chimes hanging from the keychain that looked just like Little Bell."
Lucas's eyes suddenly widened.
So what you saw was its Mega Evolution form?
Lucas glanced at Steven, who understood and took out the mega stone. Lucas took it and placed it in Shauna's hand.
The image of that Pokémon reappeared in Shauna's mind, and her small hand clenched uncontrollably.
A familiar ripple emanated from her, very similar to the aura emanating from Chimecho.
Steven pinched his chin.
"Strange. Logically, a mega stone shouldn't produce ripples in a Trainer's hand."
"And I've never heard of a Trainer being able to sense a Pokémon's Mega Evolution form through a mega stone."
Lucas looked at Shauna, who was unaware of what she had done and now wore a puzzled expression.
He suddenly remembered that she could also observe inside pokémon eggs with a stethoscope, chat with Pokémon, and now sense a Pokémon's Mega Evolution form through a mega stone.
"It seems our little Shauna also possesses talents ordinary people don't have."
Lucas said with a smile.
Steven nodded. That would explain it.
Abilities ordinary people don't have?
Lucas, Steven, and Cynthia exchanged glances. Steven took out that Sceptile mega stone and handed it to Shauna.
"Little Shauna, can you sense the Pokémon behind this mega stone?"
Seeing Steven's gentle smile, Shauna took the stone, her eyes growing distant.
A green Pokémon with a cool tail was fighting a blue Pokémon holding a giant shuriken.
"The green one—has a very cool tail, a cool mark on its chest, um—"
"A lizard?"
"Mhm!"
Shauna nodded emphatically.
Lucas took a sharp breath.
A human detector?
Steven took out another mega stone.
It's Metagross!
Shauna recognized it at a glance!
But Metagross had all four arms thrust forward as it charged toward a red, non-flying Pokémon with magma flowing over its body.
"Uncle Steven's Metagross!"
As she spoke, she even pressed her arms together and thrust them forward.
"Like this, with four arms. So cool."
"Gengar Gar, Gengar Gar—"
Gengar took out its own mega stone.
"I already know what Gengar looks like after transforming."
Shauna tilted her little head and looked at Gengar.
Gengar: ————
That's true.
"Alright, Gengar. Shauna is getting a bit tired."
Lucas picked up Shauna and said to Gengar with a smile.
Shauna placed her hand on her mouth, then pressed it against Gengar's cheek.
Gengar flew around like a deflating balloon.
"It should be confirmed. It is Chimecho's mega stone."
Steven said to Lucas, who was holding Shauna.
Lucas nodded. "Chimecho? Mr. Steven."
Seeing Lucas raise an eyebrow at him, Steven was both amused and exasperated. He then took out that Chimecho mega stone and placed it in Shauna's small palm.
"Little Shauna, thank you for your help. This is a gift from Uncle Steven. Do you like it?"
Seeing this handsome yet gentle man give her the stone, and understanding from earlier that it was a stone that could let Chimecho transform like Gengar, Shauna looked up at Lucas.
Uncle said you should ask an adult about valuable things.
Lucas was also surprised. He's really giving it away?
He looked at Steven, who shrugged nonchalantly. "I really like little Shauna. Besides, consider this my payment for staying at the Breeding House."
Lucas beamed. "Thank you, Uncle Steven."
"Thank you, Uncle Steven."
Shauna giggled, then wriggled out of Lucas's arms, stood on the ground, and handed the Chimecho mega stone to Chimecho.
When it was her birthday, her uncle had given her a necklace.
Shauna took out the necklace and grasped the dazzling stone on it.
This is————
Steven looked at Lucas.
Lucas returned a smile.
It really is————
Steven shook his head with a smile.
Feels like I've been set up.
But Steven wasn't the least bit unhappy. On the contrary, he was quite pleased.
Shauna gripped the necklace tightly and thought for a moment.
"Little Bell, help me burn all the enemies before us to ashes!"
Lucas: ————
Ninetales: ?!
Cynthia watched Shauna, who was imitating Lucas and hopping around wildly.
She couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Then, seeing Lucas looking at her, she covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
Finally, unable to hold back, she glanced at Garchomp, who immediately positioned itself between her and Lucas, giving Lucas an unfriendly look.
Lucas meekly averted his gaze.
Shauna hopped around for a while, but nothing changed, leaving her confused.
"That's strange. Uncle did it like this back then?"
"Um————"
"Little Bell, spread your beauty across the grasslands and forests. Let them admire your wonderful form and feel the dance of life."
After saying this, Shauna began to dance.
Lucas felt like he could dig a three-bedroom apartment out of the ground with his toes from embarrassment.
Lilligant: ?!
Lilligant covered its mouth, giggling.
Steven ultimately couldn't hold back and laughed out loud.
"Lucas, if I recall correctly, that should be a Z-Move, right?"
Lucas facepalmed. His reputation was utterly ruined.
"Strange, why isn't it working?"
Shauna was very troubled.
Lucas bent down and picked Shauna up again. "Little Shauna, it's different. What you were imitating just now was a Z-Move. It's not the same as Mega Evolution."
Then, Lucas sighed helplessly and said, "Besides, Little Bell isn't Ninetales or Lilligant, so you don't need to copy me."
"Pfft."
Lucas looked over, but his view was blocked by Garchomp.
"? Is that so?"
Lucas nodded. "And to perform Mega Evolution, you need to train for it too."
Shauna said, "Oh," in understanding. "I see."
Lucas held her and pinched her little cheek, then heard her suddenly say:
"Little Bell, we..."
"...are heart-to-heart."
Also imitating Lucas's words.
But the next second, a powerful light burst from her necklace, converging with the light erupting from the mega stone on Chimecho.
Lucas: ?!
Steven: ??
Cynthia: Oh?
Everyone saw Chimecho's form within the light begin to change.
However, it didn't fully undergo Mega Evolution.
It stopped halfway through.
"Ah, why do I suddenly feel so weak?"
Shauna said weakly.
Everyone burst out laughing.
"You little rascal."
Lucas pinched her cheek.
"Really, such a big personality in such a small body."
"Hehe."