Every major region in the Pokémon world has its own "villainous organization," but when it comes to which one is the most powerful and influential, there's no doubt—it's Team Rocket.
They even have that ridiculous offshoot cooked up by Game Freak on a whim—the Rainbow Rocket.
Setting aside that absurd version where every grunt somehow owns a Legendary, even the "regular" Team Rocket is nothing to scoff at.
Not even the Jennys' family line or the Pokémon League across regions has found an effective way to completely rein them in.
Sure, Team Rocket doesn't always dare to act in the open, but for the League to truly stamp them out is almost impossible.
That's why trying to break free from the very heart of this massive organization is as close to impossible as it gets.
Believing in such a thing is about as likely as believing that Amoonguss can evolve into Brute Bonnet and gain Prankster as an Ability.
Or that Koraidon will suddenly become a Fire/Dragon type with Desolate Land as its Ability.
And yet… not too long ago, something just as outrageous actually happened.
Mewtwo and Necrozma escaped.
Even under Team Rocket's crushing assault, the newborn Mewtwo and incomplete Necrozma held their own with frightening ease.
Their teamwork was far from flawless, but when your sheer strength is overwhelming, coordination becomes secondary.
Psychic-types might be considered middling in the games, but in reality, they are an almost unstoppable offensive force.
Giovanni's Mega Beedrill had the perfect typing advantage against Mewtwo and Necrozma, but one against two was not an easy fight.
And let's not forget, Beedrill is fragile.
One solid hit from a Legendary could turn it into a pancake.
As for Giovanni's subordinates… sure, he usually had some powerful elites at his side, but by bad luck, he had dispatched them all on missions just days earlier.
The remaining small fry might as well have been Kricketune in a Kricketune band—not exactly game-changers in a clash of gods.
In the end, the two Legendaries broke through the encirclement and slipped out of Rocket's grasp.
The Mewtwo Project, which had drained Team Rocket's manpower and resources, ended in complete failure.
Yes, they created a god—but one that refused to listen. A god who, fresh from birth, turned on them with an outsider at her side.
Worse still, she destroyed nearly all of their research data on her way out.
Even Giovanni, a man rarely consumed by rage, locked himself in his office for three days after the fiasco.
When he emerged, he pulled out his self-developed "Haru AI Model-1" and spent an entire day battling it in simulations.
Only after grinding his win rate up to a perfect 100% did his mood settle somewhat.
Of course, escaping came at a cost. Both Necrozma and Mewtwo were injured.
After their escape, Necrozma intended to deliver Mew No. 2 to her master for a reward—while also making life difficult for Mew No. 1.
But Mewtwo expressed a desire to walk the world, to see its landscapes and people.
To a newborn, this world was irresistibly fascinating.
She also hoped to find ways to grow stronger on her journey.
Necrozma even taught her how to "disguise as a human," making it easier for Mewtwo to blend into society.
Still, Necrozma worried. If Mewtwo absorbed too much of humanity's "common sense," it might expose the strange ideas she had planted in her.
So, after some thought, she chose to accompany Mew No. 2 personally—always correcting Mewtwo's "common sense," lest it blow up in her face later.
And so, the two Legendaries wandered, leaving footprints across Johto, Hoenn, Kalos, and finally Kanto.
Along the way, they saw all sorts of people and Pokémon, and thrashed countless Trainers for equally absurd reasons.
Still, thanks to Necrozma's constant guidance, Mewtwo remained "pure" in certain aspects—pure as a snowy mountain.
But despite all this time, she never found a way to truly grow stronger.
Her power far exceeded most Pokémon, yet when standing against Necrozma, she always felt inadequate.
Worse still, according to professor, she wasn't even complete.
Her full form, the so-called Radiant One, was said to be far more powerful than she was now.
That gulf between them felt like an uncrossable chasm, leaving Mewtwo doubtful.
Was she really worthy of the name "Mewtwo"? What if this was the limit of her existence?
Could she ever rise above it?
And so, as their journey through Kanto neared its end, fatigue finally caught up to her.
A life of constant wandering stirred a new longing in her heart—
for a home.
Humans are born into families, and Pokémon into flocks.
But she, a solitary product of a lab, a so-called monster, had neither.
From beginning to end, the only one who stayed by her side was Necrozma—whose motives were, at best, questionable.
It was then that professor gave Mewtwo a suggestion:
"Would you like to meet the one in this world who shares the closest blood relation to you?"
—-
Mega Evolution, Dynamaxing, Terastallization, and Z-Moves—these are the four most iconic power-boosting methods across the regions.
Each has its own strengths, but also its shortcomings.
None of them can truly replace the others.
For example, Mega Evolution is restricted to certain Pokémon and requires a Mega Stone—unless, of course, you're the invincible Mega Rayquaza.
Z-Moves can only be used once per battle, and only with the corresponding Z-Crystal.
Dynamaxing requires no item, but its duration is as short-lived as a Webnovel author's career, and it only works in regions infused with Dynamax energy. Unless you're lugging around an Eternatus, its flexibility is abysmal.
As for Terastallization… it doesn't fundamentally alter a Pokémon's power the way the others do. And let's be honest—it looks ugly. Very ugly.
Worse, after using it, you need to recharge the Tera Orb. Unless, of course, you have a Terapagos in your pocket…
Still, when it comes to raw improvement of a single Pokémon, the strongest methods are arguably Mega Evolution and Dynamaxing.
Mega Evolution alters form, stats, typing, and Ability, while Dynamaxing doubles endurance and unleashes high-powered moves.
But this is reality, not the games. The short duration of Dynamax and the item-lock downside of Mega Evolution both raise questions.
Haru, meanwhile, had always entertained a whimsical idea about these regional gimmicks:
What if you stacked them all?
Imagine a Rayquaza using "Drawing the Dragon's Eye" to Mega Evolve, then Dynamaxing, then Terastallizing, and finally unleashing a Z-Move on top of it all…
Unthinkable in the games, of course. But in reality? Who knows.
The final damage output might well reach 13,000 points, enough to obliterate even an Arceus clone in one blow.
Still, daydreams aside, Haru was deeply fascinated by Mega Evolution itself.
Mega Diancie, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Lopunny… he longed to see them firsthand.
Not for any weird reason—he simply wanted to test his will against their overwhelming presence.
Cynthia had no idea about Haru's bizarre ambitions. After resolving to pry more Sinnoh history from his lips, she immediately began tapping into her "connections."
Along the way, she dropped the occasional hint, seemingly trying to give him a crash course in Mega Evolution.
Trailing her, Haru suddenly remarked:
"You know, I thought you'd introduce me to Steven instead."
"When it comes to stones, he's got the most, doesn't he?"
They didn't walk too close—always half a step apart.
After his experiences in Paldea and Alola, Haru wasn't keen on getting too close to strong-willed women anymore.
Though, logically speaking, Cynthia wasn't the type to pull anything outrageous…
Hearing his words, Cynthia lowered her Rotom Phone and gave him a surprised glance.
"You know even that?"
Steven's obsession with stones was something Champions and Elites were aware of.
They'd seen plenty of Dragon-type fanatics, but a "stone maniac"? That was new.
Steven practically spent 365 days a year mining.
If he made a Mega Evolution power ranking, he'd put Mega Diancie and his beloved Mega Metagross straight at Tier 0.
But such knowledge should've been confined to the upper circles of top Trainers. There was no way Haru, who had only just "appeared," should know this much.
"What's so strange about it?"
"I know far more than you'd expect, Miss Cynthia."
He tossed her a rare candy stick with a smile.
"See? I even know your favorite thing."
Cynthia accepted the lollipop, remembering the bubblegum Haru had handed her when they first met.
She fell silent, deciding to investigate him later. For now, she'd focus on her role as a "Mega Evolution senior."
"If it's just about stones, then yes, Steven would be the right person. He probably has all kinds of unique Mega Stones."
"But Mega Evolution isn't something you can just trigger by matching a Pokémon with the right item."
Her tone grew serious.
"If either the Trainer or Pokémon is unqualified, Mega Evolution is likely to fail—or worse, the Pokémon could lose control. That's dangerous."
Haru, stepping on her shadow as they walked, asked curiously:
"So what, you're planning to have a Mega Evolution master teach me the ropes?"
"Exactly. He has enough knowledge in this field, and only after you've gone through his special training will I trust you to use Mega Evolution."
Turning ahead, Cynthia led him onward.
"Gurkinn used to be a Gym Leader in Kalos, but he and his granddaughter Korrina just so happen to be in Kanto right now."
"So you don't have to travel all the way to Kalos to find him."
"Ah, so that's how it is."
Haru nodded, seizing on the only part that really mattered to him:
Aba aba… aba aba… Korrina's in Kanto… aba aba.
"But actually, couldn't you teach me, Miss Cynthia?"
"If I recall, you're pretty well-versed in Mega Evolution yourself."
"I'm different. I picked it up naturally—mainly because Gible grew up with me since childhood. Our bond is so deep it can't really be replicated. That makes me a poor 'teacher.'"
"And you don't exactly have a Pokémon by your side that can Mega Evolve, do you?"
Haru shrugged helplessly.
"As you can see, I don't even have a Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution right now. I was planning to catch a female Ralts."
"Ralts… aiming for a Gardevoir, then…"
Cynthia repeated, as though in thought.
They traveled quickly, and before long, they reached Gurkinn's temporary residence.
But he and Korrina weren't home—they had gone to visit Blue, the current Gym Leader.
So Haru, Liko, and Cynthia changed course, heading to Blue's temporarily closed Gym.
Normally, the Gym wouldn't receive guests, but given Cynthia's Champion status, they were eventually granted entry.
Because in the Pokémon world, it isn't all battles—
there's plenty of social networking too.
Finally, after some effort, they pushed open the doors to the Gym's training hall…
And there he was: the "Sage of Mega Evolution."
Alongside him, a cucumber-sized Korrina, and a certain Gym Leader who "wished to remain anonymous."
At that moment, Blue seemed to be deep in serious discussion with Gurkinn, both of them looking rather grave.
"Cynthia? What are you doing here?"
"Wait—that's Haru! You came for a battle already? But it's not even battle time yet!"
Blue was the first to react. But to Haru's ears, his tone carried an odd nervousness.
And the moment he laid eyes on Haru, he immediately blurted out his identity.
"No, no, I'm not here to cause trouble, Mr. Blue."
"But why do I get the feeling you're unusually concerned about the outcome of this battle? Isn't it just an 'exhibition match'? Losing shouldn't matter, right?"
"W–What? I won't lose!"
Haru's offhand comment seemed to strike some strange nerve in him, making Blue visibly more tense and fired up.
"A-Anyway, there will only be one winner in this match—and it's going to be me!"
Blue's declaration was absolute.
"Alright, alright. But I really didn't come for you today. I'm here for Mr. Gurkinn."
"Huh? Me?"
"My grandfather?"
Both Gurkinn and his granddaughter Korrina blinked in surprise.
Gurkinn, of course, knew who stood before him.
After all, the only reason he was even here was because Blue had invited him for "reinforcements."
Blue had claimed he was facing a tough opponent, someone regular tactics couldn't beat—and he didn't want to rely on his other friends.
So, he had specifically asked the "Sage of Mega Evolution" to come up with a strategy—perhaps even using Mega Evolution as the trump card.
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