Old Alakazam needs stellar reinforcement, Feng Che thought, his brow furrowed in concentration.
Speaking of stellar power, he suddenly remembered the Jirachi Statue he had obtained in the ruins. That artifact was capable of gathering starlight to assist him in his psychic training.
Fine. Old Alakazam has helped me; I'll lend this statue to him, Feng Che decided. He knew that revealing such a heaven-defying treasure was dangerous, but the situation was dire.
Using his telekinesis, he sent the Jirachi statue to the altar. The moment it landed, it erupted with a brilliant, blinding light. The stellar energy from the heavens was forcibly gathered by the statue and funneled directly into Alakazam's body.
Feeling the surge of power, Alakazam gathered all his strength for a final assault on the bottleneck. The mental barrier was crushed by a torrent of psychic energy. A massive pressure radiated from his body, followed by a golden flash.
When the light faded, Mega Alakazam hovered in the air. His armor had transformed into purple robes, a red crystal gleamed in the center of his forehead, and his small yellow whiskers had become a majestic, snowy beard. Five spoons floated behind him, guided by his will.
Having achieved the Elite breakthrough, Alakazam looked decades younger. He opened his eyes, and his sharp gaze caused the Dusknoir—the forest's lord—to shrink back. Seeing Alakazam's ascent to the Elite tier, the ghost Pokémon ceased its interference and fled into the shadows.
"Dusknoir, I have noted your betrayal today. I shall return the favor in due time!" Alakazam's voice boomed through the woods.
"Thank you, Feng Che," Alakazam said, returning to the ground. "Without your potions and that final push, I would have failed. I have achieved permanent Mega Evolution. However, I must enter seclusion to stabilize my new realm. I will provide your reward once I emerge."
He handed back the Jirachi statue. "This statue absorbed a fragment of my breakthrough energy; it will double your training efficiency now. Also, take the crystal equipment—it is yours as promised." With a final nod, he Teleported away.
"Feng Che, thank you for saving my family," Sabrina said, her eyes earnest. "If you ever need anything, I will do everything in my power to help."
Feng Che smiled and nodded. "We've spent a lot of time here. You should get back to Saffron City to synchronize with Moltres."
"Let me send you to Celadon City," Sabrina offered.
"No need. I have one more place to go," Feng Che replied. He was heading for the Mysterious Garden. His Ivysaur was on the verge of evolution, and he wanted the final transformation to happen in its ancestral home.
The Mysterious Garden
The Elder Venusaur was lounging in the sun. Since the "Little Troublemaker" had left with the human, the garden had been peaceful and the air felt fresher. Just as it prepared for a nap, it heard a familiar cry.
[Venusaur: Wait... did I just hear that brat's voice?][Venusaur: I must be hallucinating. Is it possible I actually miss him?]
It shook its head and closed its eyes again.
"Bana! Bana!"
Suddenly, a blade of grass began tickling the Elder's nose. A-choo! The Venusaur sneezed and snapped its eyes open. There stood the same "troublemaker" Ivysaur, looking at him innocently.
[Venusaur: Sweet Arceus, WHY IS HE BACK?! Did his trainer throw him away? I told that human NOT to abandon him!]
"Elder Venusaur, it's been a while. Ivysaur missed you dearly," Feng Che said with a wide, innocent smile.
To the Venusaur, this was the arrival of a Chaos Demon. [Venusaur: Help! I just want to live a long life!] It stood up so fast it lost its balance and fell back on its rump, looking incredibly embarrassed.
"Ivysaur is about to evolve," Feng Che continued. "I thought the most secure place for his final form would be his home."
[Venusaur: You've got to be kidding! If he evolves here, he'll drain the life energy of the entire garden! My pockets are already empty from his last evolution!]
"Is there really nowhere else?" Feng Che sighed, putting on a look of deep distress.
The Venusaur felt a pang of sympathy. [Venusaur: Sigh. This human truly cares for the brat. Fine.]
"There is one place," the Venusaur said through telepathy. "A sacred site for Grass-types in an archipelago within the Sevii Islands. It's a subterranean world known as the Underground Medicine Field."
"At the end of that world is a fountain of evolution. But beware: it is guarded by a Serperior of Champion-tier strength. I have some history with it. Take this leaf; it will grant you passage. But you must defeat the other Grass-type guardians on your way there. Go when you are stronger."
The Venusaur handed over a pale green leaf and immediately sprinted back to its tree cave. [Venusaur: I'm going into deep seclusion. I'm not coming out until that brat is long gone!] It ran so fast it tripped and cut its foot, but it didn't even look back.
It seems every time the Elder meets my Ivysaur, it suffers a string of bad luck, Feng Che thought. Is this some kind of karmic black hole?
"The Underground Medicine Field..." Feng Che looked at the leaf. "I've heard of the Sky Field where Calyrex resides, but this is new. Once my team hits the Elite level, we're definitely going there."