Want to read ahead, you know where
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Next Morning
Sam woke up to the gentle light pouring in through the window.
The rhythmic cries of Wingull circling above the harbor served as a natural alarm clock.
After a quiet breakfast at the hotel, he stepped out into the crisp morning air.
The streets of Canalave City were beginning to stir, early fishermen hauling nets, steam rising from stalls setting up by the docks.
He didn't linger. Today, he had a purpose.
He walked toward the outskirts of the city, his footsteps echoing lightly along the cobbled path that eventually gave way to wild grass and coastal stone.
He was looking for somewhere quiet.
Remote. Empty.
Somewhere, Lucario could complete its Mega Evolution safely.
As the wind grew stronger and the sea scent heavier, Sam's thoughts drifted.
'Once Luca completes Mega Evolution… it'll be time to find a third team member.'
He already had two strong Pokémon.
But for travel, and for what lay ahead, he needed something specific.
Bird Pokémon were the most obvious choice.
"Pidgeot's not bad," he muttered aloud, half to himself.
"It's everywhere in the forest. Easy to find. Solid base stats. It even has a Mega Evolution."
But then he frowned.
"Still… being able to fly and being able to carry someone while flying are two different things."
He recalled trainers in the wilds struggling with flight fatigue.
Pidgeot was swift, but its body was naturally light.
Good for soaring, maybe not for hauling someone across entire routes.
"Charizard, though… It's one of the Kanto starters. A bit harder to find, but it can fly, and it's strong. Especially after Mega Evolution."
His mind shifted again.
"Garchomp could work too… It's fast, has wings, and it's built for battle. Land and air."
Deep in thought, he hardly noticed when his feet crunched onto sand.
He'd arrived at a secluded beach on the northern side of Canalave.
Waves crashed in steady rhythms against jagged reefs.
The beach itself wasn't soft or picturesque; the sand here was hard, the breeze bracing.
It was April, and the ocean was still cold. No tourists. No swimmers.
Just the wind, the sea, and scattered rocks.
Perfect.
A temporary training ground for Mega Evolution.
Sam pulled a Poké Ball from his belt and, with a flick of his wrist, released Lucario onto the sand.
The Aura Pokémon emerged in a flash of light, its eyes focused, its stance ready.
Reaching into his coat pocket, Sam retrieved the Mega Stone, a polished gem glowing faintly with a deep blue sheen.
He walked over and extended it toward Lucario.
"Luca," he said, voice steady, "this is a Mega Stone. With it, you can Mega Evolve."
Lucario's crimson eyes flicked to the stone, then back to Sam.
"This'll give you more power than ever before," he added.
"Luka…" Lucario murmured, gaze intense but calm.
He didn't reach for it. He was waiting.
Sam gave a slight nod of approval.
Lucario's self-control was something he truly admired.
It wasn't just strength that mattered; discipline did too.
Mega Evolution wasn't just another transformation.
It pushed past the boundaries of normal evolution.
A surge of ancient power is drawn out by the trainer's bond with their Pokémon.
For a short time, a Pokémon could tap into something more primal, more savage, and raw. But it came at a cost.
'If the Pokémon's mind isn't stable… if the bond with its Trainer isn't deep enough…'
It could go very wrong.
He remembered the Kalos League broadcast.
Korrina's Lucario, powerful, yes, but mentally unprepared, had lost control after Mega Evolution.
Consumed by rage.
Lucario had gone wild in front of a live audience, endangering both itself and others.
It had taken everything for Korrina to calm it down.
Sam met Lucario's gaze, serious now.
"Listen, Luca," he said firmly, "once you Mega Evolve… you might feel lost."
Lucario's ears twitched slightly, but he didn't look away.
"I need you to stay aware. Keep your aura active. Keep your mind focused."
"Luka," Lucario replied with a nod, more serious than before.
"If something feels wrong during the process," Sam continued, "you come out of it immediately. No hesitation."
Another firm nod. "Luca!"
Sam smiled faintly. As his first partner in this world, Lucario had never let him down.
The bond they'd built was something real, something that transcended words.
He rarely got like this. Careful. Stern. Maybe even a little overprotective.
But Mega Evolution wasn't a toy. And Lucario was more than just a battle companion.
He was family.
"All right," Sam said, stepping back slightly, the wind tugging at his coat.
"Let's begin."
Lucario closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, bracing himself for what was to come.
Sam tightened his grip on the Mega Stone, the connection between them beginning to resonate.
The beach was still. The waves paused for a moment, like even the ocean knew something was about to change.
Through Lucario's aura, Sam could feel it clearly; his concern had been understood.
Lucario didn't need to say anything.
That steady, unwavering energy he emitted said enough.
"Alright," Sam said, stepping back slightly.
"Let's begin."
He held out the Mega Stone, its surface gleaming faintly in the morning light.
"Draw its power into your body. Slowly. Let it become a part of you."
"Luka!" Lucario responded with a firm nod and stepped forward, taking the stone with both paws.
He closed his eyes and summoned his aura, the Aura energy unique to him.
It pulsed gently from his chest, forming a thin, blue glow that wrapped around the Mega Stone.
The energy between Pokémon and Trainer began to shift. Flow.
Sam stayed silent, focusing his aura in tandem with Lucario's.
Their connection deepened. He watched every movement, every tremor, reading Lucario's state through the pulse of his Aura.
The Mega Stone's glow began to flicker.
Lucario's aura wove tighter around it, slowly siphoning the latent energy stored within.
It wasn't just about power; it was about synchronization.
Trust. Balance.
Minute by minute, the gem's radiant shine dulled until all that was left was a faint glimmer of what it once held.
Then it happened.
Lucario's body was engulfed in a brilliant white light.
Sam stepped back instinctively, shielding his eyes.
The air around them shifted, thicker now, charged with raw force.
The pressure was suffocating, but not unfamiliar.
The light flared one last time, then dissipated.
In its place stood something far more powerful.
Mega Lucario.
His figure was taller, more defined. His once-smooth fur was now marked with jagged black streaks across his blue-and-black frame.
His aura sensors had grown longer, like flowing locks of hair swaying in the sea breeze.
The spikes on his forepaws and feet had elongated, sharper than before, lethal-looking.
And yet, the biggest change wasn't his body.
It was the atmosphere he exuded.
Gone was the calm, focused Lucario from moments ago.
In his place stood a warrior, violent, intense, and radiating pressure like a wild storm barely held in check.
"Luka…"
Even his voice had changed, deeper, with a rawer edge to it.
His crimson eyes, now completely overtaken by red, gleamed with an animalistic quality.
A ferocity just barely kept leashed.
Sam stepped forward slowly, eyes meeting Lucario's.
"How do you feel, Luca?" he asked calmly.
Lucario didn't speak right away.
His fists clenched and relaxed, aura flickering erratically around his frame.
There was a war going on inside him, a fight between instinct and control.
But Sam didn't flinch.
He trusted him.
Lucario let out a low growl, not one of anger, but exertion, as if wrestling the primal power within.
"Luka…"
His tone, though gruff, was still clear.
He was holding on. He hadn't lost himself.
Sam let out a small breath of relief, a proud smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Good," he said softly, walking up to him.
"Very good."
He raised a hand and placed it gently on Lucario's shoulder.
Despite the spikes, the gesture was warm. Familiar.
"You held on. You didn't lose yourself."
Lucario nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing just slightly.
"Congratulations, Luca," Sam said sincerely.
"You did it."
"Luka~!" Lucario responded, a spark of satisfaction breaking through his intense gaze.
The transformation was a success.
His Lucario had completed Mega Evolution without losing control.
Without letting the power devour him.
And now, Sam had a powerful new trump card.