"Mega Evolution?"
Roark's expression froze in disbelief.
Then, under his bewildered gaze—
He watched as Natsume ordered Sylveon to set up a Light Screen near the command area.
Was this to block wind pressure and energy fluctuations?
But this level of caution was excessive!
Could Mega Evolution really cause such widespread destruction that it would affect the entire gym?
Roark shot a questioning look at his father, Byron.
Byron's grin stiffened. His burly arms crossed, his rough face etched with tension.
Rumor had it… Mega Evolution could unleash a devastating energy pulse depending on the bond between Trainer and Pokémon.
He had once excavated a Steelixite. With it, his Steelix could briefly rival an Elite Four's battle prowess.
But this Gengar was already at Elite Four level. What would Mega Evolution do to it?
"We'll see," Byron muttered darkly.
"What I meant was…" Roark licked his lips. "Shouldn't we reinforce the barriers?"
"Pfah!" Byron scoffed. "Since when has any Trainer's Mega Evolution shattered an arena's shields?"
Roark blinked. He'd studied Kalos tournament footage—Trainers triggered Mega Evolution with a flash of light, and that was it.
His father had a point. All he needed to do was observe and learn.
His gaze shifted to the Gengar at the center of the field.
"Gengar~" Gengar grinned, its crimson tongue unfurling, the dark-red Gengarite gleaming at the tip.
Roark's pupils shrank.
A violent pulse erupted from both Natsume and Gengar simultaneously. The shockwave rippled outward, making both father and son shudder.
"What the hell is this?" Byron rasped.
"Mega… Gengar?" Roark croaked.
Azure energy particles swirled around Natsume, his coat fluttering in the sudden wind.
The sharp-eyed man raised his right hand—the Key Stone embedded in his black-red glove blazing with prismatic light.
"Gengar—"
"Gengar!" Gengar bared its teeth, its eyes sharpening into blood-red slits.
Threads of white light linked the Gengarite to the glowing Key Stone. The air grew thick enough to choke on.
Snap.
Natsume's fingers cracked like a gunshot, echoing through the gym.
"MEGA EVOLUTION!!"
Light detonated across the battlefield.
The Key Stone's radiance intertwined with Gengar's aura, forming chains of energy that bound them together.
Gengar, Mega Evolution—COMPLETE!
For a heartbeat, Natsume and Gengar merged in spirit. A tidal wave of energy erupted, crashing against the gym's walls.
CRACK!
The chandelier shattered first, unable to withstand the pressure.
Then—CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!—the lights flickered wildly before plunging the gym into darkness.
The floor drowned in inky shadows, violet-red mist coiling upward. Gengar's lower half melted into the abyss, a third eye splitting open on its forehead.
What Natsume would call—"The Demon King's True Eye!"
"GENGAR!!"
Under the Evolution glow, Gengar's eyes burned crimson, its grin razor-sharp. Spikes jutted from its body as its limbs sank deeper into the void. The mist thickened, the very air screaming under the pressure.
The energy barrier trembled.
"Oh no." Byron's eyes bulged.
Mega Gengar's shadow warped, a miniature black hole sucking in rubble, debris—
CRUNCH!
A pillar imploded, vanishing into the vortex. Dust rained from the ceiling. The entire gym groaned like a dying beast.
BOOM.
The ground shook.
Natsume stared at the abyss beneath Mega Gengar.
Legends said it led to another dimension—the same place Gengar stored its fridge, microwave, and soda stash.
Sure, snacks were one thing… but were rocks really okay to toss in there?
"Not the point."
Natsume shook his head, breathing heavily, and looked towards the Mega Gengar in the field.
Dark energy, pitch-black and alive, spread outward, ensnaring everything in the field like a living force.
Mega Gengar, Ability—Shadow Tag!
As a strategist, in this moment, the bond between him and Mega Gengar became crystal clear.
It was the master of training and moves, the traveler between darkness and reality, the inheritor of nightmare's hypnotic power—the unrivaled king of Perish Song!
To the birth of the Shadow Tag Perish Song Mega Gengar, let there be celebration!
BOOM!
Natsume spread his arms wide as chunks of wall crumbled behind him, kicking up clouds of dust.
Before him, a mist of deep violet swirled, the inky darkness swallowing the entire gym.
The walls cast Mega Gengar's form into a monstrous, towering shadow.
"Gengar~!! ヾ(≧▽≦)ヾ"
Mega Gengar let out a eerie, cackling laugh, its body gliding through the darkness as if wading through water.
It turned, stretching out a long, crimson tongue—licking straight toward Natsume—
Natsume's face paled, his eyes widening in horror.
Mega Gengar's Lick… Could he even survive this?!
No way! No amount of extra lives could save him from this!
At the last possible second, Natsume felt something drain from his body. A sense of achievement and exhaustion surged through his chest.
At least this time, he lasted longer than with Mega Blastoise…
Whoosh—
The darkness engulfed the gym like wildfire, flickering shadows stretching as beams of light spilled through cracks in the ceiling.
"Gengar?"
Like a receding tide, the darkness beneath its feet faded away.
Gengar shifted from its four-limbed swimming posture back to standing on two legs, scratching its head in confusion.
The arena fell silent.
Roark and Byron exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.
"That level of presence… Even the top-tier Elite Four might not compare, right?" Roark asked hoarsely.
Byron opened his mouth but found himself speechless.
This level of Mega Evolution shattered everything he'd ever known about the phenomenon.
The sheer energy and strain—it felt less like Mega Evolution and more like something infinitely closer to the legendary Bond Phenomenon.
Byron gazed with reverence at Natsume, who was now catching his breath on the spot.
Perhaps… those rumors about him being Champion-level weren't baseless after all!
Natsume panted heavily, chewing on an Old Gateau with his left hand while clutching a tobacco-like Revival Herb in his right.
"Phew—" Natsume exhaled deeply.
Mega Evolution could work as a last resort in critical moments.
But using it casually in battle? Absolutely unsustainable!
Even a superhuman like Ash would collapse from the strain of Bond Phenomenon. Let alone Natsume-sensei's version, which bordered on that same power.
The spectators outside the arena were stunned.
"Captured some priceless footage, Rotom!" Rotom buzzed, lagging from sheer excitement.
"Sylveon! (〃＞皿＜)" Sylveon shook its ribbons—it needed to get even stronger!
"Blastoise ヾ(■_■)" Blastoise immediately dropped into one-armed push-ups.
"Arcanine?" Arcanine tilted its head, staring at the shivering Sirfetch'd Guidance.
"Sirfetch'd! " Sirfetch'd snickered in relief.
Thank goodness! Now it could finally relax and be a slacker in peace!
"Togepi doo-ee~" Togepi giggled, perched happily on the arcanine's back.
Gengar grinned, floating over to Natsume and slathering him with a Lick to the face. "Gengar!"
A normal-condition Lick was easy enough to handle.
Natsume wiped his face and glanced at Roark and Byron, both still shell-shocked.
Clearly, that Mega Evolution had just rewritten their entire understanding of the world.
"Hah—feeling much better now."
Natsume stood up, smiling. "Thank you, Leader Byron!"
Byron blinked, then nodded. "Of course."
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave?"
"Ah, yes! Please, go ahead."
Father and son watched Natsume's retreating figure with awe, lost in thought.
Thank goodness I handed over the Badge in time… Byron inwardly praised his own quick thinking.
Thank goodness Natsume didn't command himself—I'd have been wrecked by Sylveon alone! Roark sighed in relief.
Now, the real problem remained.
The two stood in the middle of the wrecked Canalave Gym, a cold wind whistling through the ruins.
"Your workmates can help with repairs, right?" Roark asked Byron.
"You can get construction materials in Oreburgh City, yeah?" Byron asked Roark.
The two locked eyes, then suddenly grinned, bumping fists.
The tension between them seemed to melt away in the face of cooperation.
In a way…
This was just another day where Natsume used Mega Evolution to bring smiles to the world.
Walking outside the Canalave Gym, mission accomplished, Natsume patted his own shoulder proudly.
"As expected of you, Natsume-sensei!"
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