Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

Cain held in his hand a Key Stone, the same one he had obtained from Steven, and which he was now going to use for the first time.

When Cain uttered the words "Mega Evolution," a strange energy emerged from the Key Stone.

With great speed, that energy flowed from Cain's hand into his body and then projected toward the Mega Stone that Altaria carried, generating a peculiar and invisible wave.

Upon sensing the wave coming from the Key Stone, the Mega Stone emitted a brilliant glow that completely enveloped Altaria.

At that moment, Altaria vaguely sensed Cain's thoughts, and her own began to transmit to her trainer's mind. However, both perceived a slight barrier, as if something thin separated them, preventing Altaria and Cain from fully feeling each other's emotions.

Due to this disconnection, the glow of the Mega Evolution that enveloped Altaria began to dissipate little by little.

All the other Pokémon were watching closely the changes happening to Cain and Altaria, without understanding what was going on. Even Altaria seemed confused, not entirely grasping what had happened.

The only thing Altaria managed to sense was that, had she achieved a complete connection with Cain, her power would have reached a new level.

Moreover, while she was surrounded by that bright light, Altaria felt the presence of a new energy, different from the dragon type and flying type she already possessed.

It was an energy that, under normal circumstances, she would have found uncomfortable, but within that light, it felt warm and familiar to her.

Finally, the glow on Altaria's body completely disappeared and returned to concentrate within the Mega Stone she carried.

"It seems that Mega Evolution isn't possible, is it?" Cain murmured with a slight hint of disappointment, though at the same time he wasn't surprised by the outcome.

From the beginning, Cain had considered that this outcome was possible.

After all, Altaria was a Pokémon that had joined his team at a later stage, and still couldn't be considered fully his partner in the deepest sense.

The bond between Cain and Altaria still wasn't strong enough to trigger Mega Evolution.

Despite this, Cain made sure to record everything that had happened using his monitoring system.

He wanted to analyze that strange energy that allowed Pokémon to mega evolve, and also investigate why, in the future, Ash's Greninja would be capable of achieving a type of Mega Evolution based solely on emotional connection.

The phenomenon of Mega Evolution was something that, even after having lived two lives, Cain had never directly experienced.

Although the Kalos region had known of the existence of Mega Evolution for a long time, until now it was considered simply as a mysterious manifestation of the bond between a trainer and his Pokémon, without having been officially categorized or thoroughly studied.

It was thanks to Professor Sycamore from Kalos that Mega Evolution finally received its official name and was established as a completely new and unique system.

Cain knew that even if Altaria had managed to mega evolve at this moment, he would not have used that power unless he were in a life-or-death situation. His priority now was to make the most of the time before Mega Evolution became widespread to collect as many Mega Stones as possible.

Only in that way could he gain a significant advantage when the world discovered this phenomenon.

Mega Evolution had the potential to generate an impact as great as the appearance of the fairy type, which was still causing shifts in the strategies and hierarchies of the Pokémon world.

Cain's master, Matsuda Takashi, who had returned to Hoenn after the Sinnoh tournament, had still not come back to Leafy Town.

Since his return, he had remained busy at the Hoenn League headquarters, participating in endless meetings and debates on the effects of the new fairy type.

Without a doubt, the appearance of the fairy type was already transforming the balance of power in the Pokémon world. However, Cain was convinced that Mega Evolution would have an even greater impact.

For the strongest trainers, like Giovanni, the fairy type did not represent a significant threat, as their teams were already optimized for high-level combat. But if Mega Evolution became popular, the changes would be more drastic.

For example, Giovanni's Beedrill, which was already formidable without mega evolving, could become an unstoppable force upon receiving the additional power of Mega Evolution. This would alter the dynamics of power even among the most experienced trainers.

Cain knew that, eventually, his bond with Altaria would grow strong enough to allow Mega Evolution. For now, he was satisfied to have found two Mega Stones compatible with his team, which was already a significant achievement.

When night fell, Cain lay down next to his Pokémon on the island's beach, gazing at the moon in the sky. Nearly a year had passed since his rebirth, and the speed of his progress far exceeded what he had achieved in his previous life.

He had recruited Pokémon with exceptional talents and abilities, and had reliable allies.

His hope was to continue growing alongside his Pokémon, whether he found himself in the underground world of dark powers or in the ranks of the Pokémon League. All that mattered was having enough strength to not be limited by circumstances.

Deep in the ocean, a mysterious figure had seen the multicolored flash that emerged from the island. Intrigued by the energy that emanated from that glow, the creature flapped its wings and sped toward the island, determined to investigate more closely.

(End of chapter)