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From deep within Scizor's bloodline, ancient genes roared awake shattering the stable chains of evolution.
Threads of bond and trust wove between Nolan and his partner, binding them tighter than steel.
A rainbow radiance burst across the stadium, shimmering with a crystalline hum.
The audience gasped as the phenomenon unfolded before their eyes.
It looked like evolution yet it wasn't.
BANG!
A commentator slammed the desk.
"T-That light… could it be Mega Evolution?!"
Audrey forgot all about the cameras, her voice rising in shock.
Professor Ashford broke into booming laughter.
"This tournament never stops surprising me! Now even Mega Evolution has appeared!"
The crowd erupted.
Mega Evolution had only been discovered in recent years. It wasn't a permanent transformation, but a temporary awakening of ancestral power flaring to life when Trainer and Pokémon's bond was focused through a Keystone and a Mega Stone.
Most people had only ever seen it in Champion matches. To witness it here, live, in the League Finals was unprecedented.
For Nolan, heir to the prestigious Whiteoak family, Scizor had always been his destined ace. When his clan unearthed a complete set of Keystone and Scizorite from ancient ruins, his future was forever altered.
Now, as the rainbow glow consumed the arena, Kael's dark eyes narrowed.
"So this is Mega Evolution…"
Light refracted into brilliant arcs as Scizor transformed.
Its armored body grew even more mechanical, almost futuristic. Its massive pincers extended, lined with jagged steel teeth; its legs stabbed into the stone floor like drills; its once-bright eyes glowed with a cold, cobalt light, void of emotion. Paper-thin wings gleamed metallically, vibrating with lethal efficiency.
Behind it, Nolan's gaze went distant, as though staring into another world. His Keystone burned red-gray on his wrist, linking his mind directly to his partner's. Orders no longer needed to be spoken; his will flowed instantly into Scizor's body.
Scizor's pupils flared.
WHOOSH!
It vanished.
The next instant, it reappeared before Kael, speed doubled, power surging beyond recognition.
Silver energy coalesced in its claws—
"Flash Cannon!"
There was no time.
Kael's mind snapped into action.
"Cotton Guard!"
Soft white tufts burst from his body, weaving into a luminous shield of light and fiber.
BOOM!
The cannon struck, yet the cotton absorbed it like a sponge, each metallic particle trapped in the weave. The shield held.
Kael's eyes flashed cold.
His fist ignited in a blaze of orange fire.
"Fire Punch!"
The flames roared to life, aimed straight at the red machine before him.
Scizor was forced back, armor seared, as Kael pressed forward.
Nolan's lips curved faintly.
"…I underestimated you."
Kael clenched his fists tighter, his black eyes sharpening.
"Same here. Let's finish this."
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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