The master of the laboratory had arrived.
Dr. Akihabara immediately stood up, bowing in a flustered rush of gratitude.
"Thank you so much for lending me the facilities this time! And for helping me secure permission from Officer Jenny... I truly don't know how to thank you enough!"
Although Dr. Akihabara had achieved great fame as the inventor of the Pokémon Transfer System and Porygon, he was still a junior in the academic world.
He had once even attended Dr. Nasu's public lectures at Celadon University.
"No need to be so stiff, Akihabara", the elderly Dr. Nasu replied with a casual wave of his hand.
"The priority is finding that lost Pokémon of yours."
His gaze then shifted to Kashiwagi.
"But this assistant of yours looks a bit unfamiliar. A new student?"
"No, no, no! This is Kashiwagi", Akihabara blurted out, not even giving him a chance to introduce himself.
"He's a Trainer I called in to help! He's actually the one who discovered Unit 0!"
Kashiwagi offered a polite nod.
"Nice to meet you, Doctor."
"Ho~ nice to meet you too."
Dr. Nasu nodded back, leaning in to squint at the monitor for a moment.
Seeing nothing but a blur of data, the old man gave a few instructions to Inamura—telling him to cooperate fully with Akihabara—and then strolled out of the room.
The moment the door clicked shut, Akihabara's posture slumped in relief.
He looked exactly like a naughty student who had finally managed to hustle the teacher out of the room.
"Whew... Years ago, when Mauville City was being built, Wattson said he needed Pokémon to act as artificial intelligence. Dr. Nasu was the one who tried to set up a partnership for me. Sadly, it didn't work out."
He couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
If Porygon had successfully integrated into New Mauville back then, it would probably be world-famous by now, right?
Who would have guessed that Rotom would end up being a more "perfect" fit?
"Alright! Enough moping! Back to work, back to work!"
Akihabara regained his spirit quickly. He was resilient—likely because he was so used to hitting walls in his career.
Kashiwagi offered a silent moment of pity.
.....
On the other side of things, the Porygon capture squad had been out for quite a while.
So far, there wasn't a single trace of Unit 0.
Kashiwagi was beginning to wonder if Porygon had accidentally spooked it last night, causing the Unit-0 to flee Mauville's cyberspace entirely.
Or perhaps... Unit 0 never existed in the first place?
"FOUND IT! Traces of that little rascal's activity!"
Akihabara's shout snapped him back to reality. The doctor was pointing at a string of code on another screen.
"See this? An unknown access request!
"It tried to hide its trail while poking through firewalls, but there's always a taller mountain! Under my computer's watch, nothing stays hidden! Hahaha! I've got you now! HAHAHA!"
Why does he laugh like a B-Grade movie villain... Kashiwagi thought, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Since he couldn't read code, he cut straight to the point.
"So, can we pin down its location through these records?"
"—Not yet!"
Akihabara's laughter died down, replaced by a serious shake of his head.
"Because this record is from midnight last night. It's already been eleven hours."
Last night... around midnight?!
Kashiwagi froze. His expression shifted instantly as he leaned over the doctor's shoulder.
"Where was it trying to access? The Mauville Hills guest system?"
"Let me check... Mauville Blossom Apartments, Building 3? Why would it go there?" Akihabara scratched his head in confusion.
Beside him, Kashiwagi was already pulling up maps on his phone. As he compared the locations, his brow furrowed deeply.
Mauville Blossom Apartments, Building 3. It was located directly across from New Mauville—the exact spot where his Porygon had exited cyberspace after sensing the "Phantom Porygon" last night.
"Doctor! Check if it accessed the surveillance cameras on that street!"
He shoved the map in front of Akihabara. The doctor was confused but complied.
The results were chilling: Unit 0 hadn't just checked that street; it had swept through every single camera surrounding Building 3.
"What about New Mauville's internal cameras?"
"New Mauville? Hmm... Whoa! It did! It actually bypassed the Rotom surveillance? As expected of my invention! So strong!"
Akihabara beamed with pride, then paused, tilting his head.
"Wait, what is it looking for?"
Kashiwagi stared into the doctor's eyes and replied softly:
"If I'm not mistaken... it's looking for my Porygon."
"Porygon? You mean the one I gave you? Uh... Kashiwagi, your face is looking a little scary right now", Akihabara muttered, weakly shifting his gaze away.
It was the first time he had seen this polite, humble young man look so genuinely intimidating. He didn't even dare to make eye contact.
"Oh. My apologies." Kashiwagi relaxed his brow.
He always prioritized the safety of himself and his Pokémon.
Without knowing Unit 0's intentions, he could only hope the doctor captured it quickly. If they couldn't catch it, he'd at least need to confirm it wasn't a threat.
Otherwise, he'd be afraid to even touch a computer ever again.
Still...
Kashiwagi checked the mechanical clock on the wall.
"Doctor, I have a Gym challenge scheduled for this afternoon, so..."
Since there was absolutely nothing for him to do at the lab besides serving tea and pouring water, Kashiwagi realized that standing there as a "computer illiterate" in the Pokémon world was just waiting for news.
He might as well go challenge the Gym while he waited.
Dr. Akihabara understood this perfectly and gave a permissive nod.
"Oh, oh! Go right ahead! Good luck!"
"Then I'll take my leave for now."
Kashiwagi gave a quick wave to Inamura and turned to head out.
.....
Mauville Gym
Located within the heart of New Mauville, the Gym was led by Wattson, a specialist in Electric-type Pokémon.
Standing before the massive Gym doors, Kashiwagi didn't just barge in. Instead, he reached out a hand tentatively.
Thump!
The door collapsed instantly, revealing a long, dark tunnel.
Kashiwagi stared at the fallen door panel. He gave it a forceful kick and immediately darted backward.
Sure enough, two metal handles popped out from the sides of the panel, and with a mechanical roar, it went hurtling deep into the Gym.
"Knew it. A trap."
As a top-tier mechanical engineer, Wattson loved installing prank-like traps in his Gym. Honestly, his online reviews weren't great because of it—most challengers found it a massive headache.
Even Ash and his friends fell for these when they visited. Though, Wattson didn't expect Pikachu to absorb a massive overload of electricity from a mechanical Raikou, resulting in Pikachu one-shotting his entire team. Wattson was so demoralized he almost closed the Gym for good.
Kashiwagi took another step forward and once again leaped back.
Snap!
The floor tile he had just stepped on flipped up, handles extended, and it went vroom into the depths of the facility.
Kashiwagi remained silent, but he could almost hear a mischievous cackle in the air.
Ever since Rotom started collaborating with Wattson, the safety and "trolling" quality of these traps had skyrocketed. Surprisingly, this actually attracted a niche group of Trainers who enjoyed the weirdness.
So, when Wattson said he was popular... he wasn't technically lying.
Finally on his third attempt, there were no more traps.
Kashiwagi navigated the long tunnel. When he reached a pool area, he didn't use Hydreigon to fly over. Instead, he sent Milotic diving down to open a water valve at the very bottom.
Once the pool drained, a massive waterproof door was revealed on the side of the basin.
[ EMERGENCY ESCAPE ROUTE ]
The glowing green sign flickered into view.
"The online guides were actually right?"
Kashiwagi felt lucky. While browsing Mauville Gym strategies earlier, he'd seen a post saying Officer Jenny had once flagged Wattson's traps as a safety hazard. Wattson had been forced to install an emergency exit at the bottom of the pool.
He'd tried it on a whim, and it actually existed.
He turned the handle. The iron door beeped; the edges flashed red, then green. It was a sensor checking for water—if there was pressure, it would activate a drainage system to ensure the door could open safely.
The door swung open.
Kashiwagi blinked, then slammed it shut immediately. He looked up at the security camera in the corner.
"Hey now! Putting a Mechanical Raikou in the emergency exit? That's definitely a violation of safety regulations, isn't it?"
For a split second when he opened the door, a lifelike mechanical Raikou had been standing right there, nearly making his heart skip a beat.
He realized it was a fake almost instantly. Having seen a real one recently, he knew the real deal was larger and had thicker fangs.
The camera didn't respond.
However, when he opened the door again, the Mechanical Raikou had vanished.
Kashiwagi continued forward and soon reached the main hall of the Mauville Gym. The vast space was filled with mechanical inventions, including several "fake" Pokémon statues.
Wattson walked out from a side door, laughing boisterously.
"Wahahaha! Trainers these days are getting smarter and smarter! Not a single one of my carefully prepared traps worked! I'm impressed!"
Behind the semi-bald old man followed a brown-haired youth with glasses, looking exasperated.
"That's why I keep suggesting we scrap the traps, Master. The Gym spends a fortune on trap maintenance every month!"
"No can do, Watt! You have to understand, plenty of people love my inventions! They even call me the Trick Master!" Wattson said seriously.
You are taking job from Trick Master? Okay, that's a special episode, a different version. Kashiwagi inwardly grumbled, but stepped forward to greet him.
"Good afternoon, Gym Leader Wattson. I'm here for our scheduled challenge. I hope you still remember me."
Wattson's grin didn't fade.
"Of course I remember! I haven't gone senile just yet! But are you truly prepared? My Pokémon won't be as easy to 'crack' as my traps!"
"I look forward to it!"
"Excellent! That's the spirit! Hahahaha!"
With his signature laugh, Wattson led him to the battlefield. The assistant, Watt, took his place as the referee.
Kashiwagi was slightly surprised; he half-expected a Rotom Phone or a Drone Rotom to pop out of nowhere.
Watt raised his flags and announced loudly:
"The Mauville Gym challenge will now begin! This is a four-on-four battle. Only the challenger is permitted to substitute Pokémon. The match is over when all four Pokémon on either side are unable to battle!"
Wattson, filled with fighting spirit, snatched a Poké Ball.
"Now, let me show you the true power of a Gym Leader! Go!"
The ball flew.
Pop!
In a flash of white light, a saucer-like Magnezone appeared. It hovered momentarily before its three large magnets began to spin, releasing electromagnetic waves to negate gravity.
"Magne-zone!"
"Wahahaha! Remember this one? It just evolved into Magnezone yesterday! It shall be your first opponent!" Wattson roared with laughter.
Across the field, Kashiwagi silently tossed his own Poké Ball.
"Aggron..."
A shimmering, silver Aggron landed on the field. Unlike his usual rowdy self, he remained eerily calm, staring down his opponent with cold, metallic eyes.
It had been a while since the "Big Monster" had participated in a serious, high-stakes battle.
Today, he wasn't just fighting for himself—he was the vanguard clearing the path for Porygon, and a prime opportunity to test the fruits of their recent training with Mega Evolution.
"What a magnificent Aggron! No wonder you're so confident!"
Wattson stood with his hands on his hips, grinning with his usual boisterous optimism.
"Fine! Come at me! I'll give you the honors of the first move!"
Perhaps it was his status as a veteran or just his naturally carefree personality, but the elderly Gym Leader stepped back to give Kashiwagi the opening.
Kashiwagi locked eyes with Aggron, who turned his massive head slightly to look back at his Trainer.
Kashiwagi reached for the Key Stone pendant hidden beneath his shirt, while Aggron shifted his body, revealing the Mega Stone embedded in a socket within his steel armor.
In an instant...
A brilliant, blinding light erupted from both man and Pokémon.
Wattson, who had been laughing a second ago, froze in shock.
"This is—!"
"It's time to verify the results of our hard work," Kashiwagi said, his voice steady like an incantation.
His heart began to beat in perfect synchrony with Aggron's low growl. Their thoughts resonated, their wavelengths merging into a single, unified consciousness. At that moment, a miracle beyond ordinary evolution occurred.
"Mega Evolve!"
As Kashiwagi's shout echoed through the gym, Aggron let out a thunderous roar. Under the shroud of crimson and azure light, his body underwent a staggering transformation!
The horns on his forehead straightened, pointing toward the sky like twin lances. Sharp spikes erupted from his forearms.
The silver steel plating that once only covered his back surged forward, encasing his chest and abdomen in a thick, impenetrable shell.
Crescent-shaped blade-armor sprouted from his shoulders, and heavy steel rings clamped down around his tail.
A fortress of war had appeared. Under the gym lights, the Mega Aggron's silver-white armor shimmered with a mesmerizing, lethal glow.
"A-g-g-r-o-n!!"
He let out a rumble like distant thunder, white steam hissing from the corners of his mouth. His icy-blue eyes locked onto the floating Magnezone.
Mega Evolution.
Wattson stared in awe. He knew the power existed, of course, but this was the first time he had seen a challenger wield it in person. A sudden, uneasy premonition stirred in his gut.
It didn't take long for that feeling to become a reality.
"High Horsepower!" Kashiwagi's voice was low, almost as if he were physically restraining the raw power flowing through the bond.
"G-R-O-N!!"
Mega Aggron defied gravity, leaping high into the air. An orange-red vapor ignited around his massive frame, condensing into a physical aura of pure, rushing energy.
Like a falling meteor, he traced a violent arc through the air, hurtling toward Magnezone! The air screamed and cracked under the pressure of his descent!
Rumble!!
"Reflect!"
Wattson snapped out of his trance and yelled the command. A shimmering, multi-colored square barrier instantly materialized in front of Magnezone.
"Mag-ne!!"
But in the next heartbeat, the barrier shattered as if it were made of thin glass. Mega Aggron tore straight through it, his half-ton body slamming into Magnezone with the force of a tectonic shift!
BOOM—!!
The explosion was deafening.
Wattson felt a sharp whistle of wind whip past his ear. A silver blur streaked right by him and—CRASH—slammed into the back wall of the gym.
He spun around, eyes wide.
Magnezone was embedded deep within the crumbling masonry, its body nearly buried in cracked concrete. The black swirls in its eyes were clear proof: it was instantly knocked out.
Wattson turned back toward the battlefield, stunned.
Through the settling dust, the silhouette of a behemoth loomed. Those icy-blue eyes pierced through the haze, glowing with a terrifying, overwhelming intensity.
Aggron's power was off the charts!