"Haaah, whew—"
It was Hayashi's first attempt at Mega Evolution, and he felt a slight tinge of nervousness in his heart!
After all, he wasn't a "protagonist" like Red, Green, or Cynthia, who possessed absolute confidence and an unbreakable bond with their Pokémon—Mega Evolution came as naturally to them as breathing. If he failed, it would be somewhat disheartening, right?
So, when he had earlier told Gengar, "Even if we fail, it's no big deal," half of that was actually meant for himself.
'Even if we fail, it's no big deal!'
Hayashi comforted himself inwardly before raising the Keystone in his right hand and asking Gengar, "Gengar, are you ready?"
"Geeen!" Gengar nodded eagerly.
Hurry up already!
"Let the frigid flames engulf all things, let the dark flower bloom—" Hayashi placed the Keystone against his chest, his eyes fixed on Gengar's back as he softly declared, "Gengar, Mega Evolve!"
The next moment, accompanied by a resonant hum in the air, a prismatic radiance burst forth from both the Keystone in Hayashi's hand and the Gengarite on Gengar. The light swiftly enveloped and suffused their bodies before gradually fading from everyone's sight.
Hisako stammered, "D-did it fail?"
Erina frowned slightly and murmured, "Why does this feel a bit... anticlimactic?"
Just as the two were puzzled, countless yellow ribbons of light surged from Hayashi's chest, while an equal number of blue ribbons unfurled from Gengar's chest. Under the astonished gazes of Erina and Hisako, the ribbons intertwined and connected—
"Mmm—"
An unusual sensation spread through Hayashi's chest. It was as if he could feel Gengar's emotions—heavy, unrestrained, and brimming with fervent affection. After losing her original trainer, she cherished her bond with Hayashi all the more.
"Thump... thump... thump..."
Hayashi felt his heartbeat growing louder and heavier! Within mere seconds, all other sounds faded from his ears, replaced by the drum-like pounding of his heart. His vision, too, could no longer perceive anything else—only Gengar's silhouette remained.
'It's coming!'
The moment this realization exploded in Hayashi's mind, the intertwined ribbons of light rapidly turned gold and extended outward until they linked both their chests.
Boom—
As if their souls resonated, Hayashi's heart became utterly synchronized with Gengar's.
"Geeen!"
With an exuberant cry, Gengar's body was suddenly engulfed in white light. Expanding instantly, she transformed into her Mega Gengar form, her lower half now existing in another dimension.
Whoo-hoo, success!
Gengar spun around excitedly, darting to Hayashi's side in a flash before circling him joyfully, like a loyal pup awaiting praise after completing its master's task.
Hmm, it's just missing a wagging tail.
"This is… Mega Evolution…"
Hayashi blankly reached out and stroked Gengar's head, an unconscious smile forming at the corners of his mouth—those who had never experienced it truly couldn't imagine what completing a Mega Evolution could bring to both the Trainer and the Pokémon.
Under the full release of heart and mind, Hayashi could clearly feel Gengar's affection, trust, and attachment toward him—and to think, by the strictest count, he and Gengar had only met less than two days ago!
Hayashi's heart swelled with emotion: 'Pokémon… they're creatures of such pure simplicity—'
Beside them, Erina and Hisako, who had witnessed the Mega Evolution, widened their eyes in shock—because they actually saw tears streaming down Hayashi's face.
"Huh? Wh-why is he crying?" Hisako couldn't help but whisper, feeling it was far too exaggerated—how could someone cry over a Mega Evolution?
Erina also shook her head in confusion. "I don't know!"
How would I know why he's crying?
Snapping out of it, Hayashi wiped the tears from his face, silently scolding himself—how could a man in his twenties cry like this? So embarrassing, utterly embarrassing!
But really, could he be blamed?
Having grown up in normal society, Hayashi had inevitably encountered plenty of scumbags who made him sick to the point of wanting to beat them up—including but not limited to bratty kids, classmates who loved tattling during school, and student council members who abused their authority like it was some grand decree.
In such an environment, when had Hayashi ever experienced the kind of wholehearted, unreserved, and utterly pure trust that radiated from Gengar just moments ago?
It was a feeling that struck straight to the soul.
"Ahem, it's nothing. Just that the wind tonight is a bit too loud," Hayashi waved his hand, forcing an awkward smile. "Well, uh, how about we take a good look at Mega Gengar instead?"
Only then did Erina and Hisako shift their attention, crowding around Mega Gengar to examine her new form.
"Hmm—"
Erina tapped her chin and muttered, "She looks completely different from before—"
Hisako nodded as well. "And why can we only see half of her body?"
Hayashi patted Gengar's head and, under her giggly expression, explained, "According to the lore, Mega Gengar's lower half is hidden in another dimension."
"Ghehe!"
Gengar cheerfully responded, feeling absolutely wonderful as she nuzzled against Hayashi's side.
Erina: "Another dimension? That sounds like a really powerful ability—"
Hayashi planted his hands on his hips. "Gengar is strong and cute, of course she's amazing!"
"Ghehe!"
A-again! Eeeek!
Gengar immediately covered her face, acting all shy.
"Alright, let's stop here." Hayashi exhaled, muttering, "I remember Mega Evolution drains a lot of stamina, right? I hope I don't just pass out."
Hisako opened her mouth, her expression turning odd. "But… didn't you just faint from Gengar licking you yesterday? Are you aiming for a 'once-a-day fainting' achievement?"
"This achievement isn't fun at all. I don't want fainting to become a daily routine—" Hayashi tugged at the corner of his mouth, then looked at Gengar with a hint of confusion and said, "Speaking of which, Gengar, do you know how to undo Mega Evolution?"
Things were getting troublesome.
"Geng?" Σ( ° △ °|||)
Gengar was slightly startled. This is my first time trying this Mega Evolution thing too! If you don't know how to undo it, how would I?
"Ah, this..."
Erina covered her forehead and said, "Don't tell me you're... stuck?"
Hayashi tugged at his mouth helplessly and said, "Seems like it? I can't find the exit button!"
At this moment, Hayashi felt like he'd entered a dark game, chosen Olica as his character, only to find the exit button gone—Holy crap, am I gonna get drained dry by Mega Evolution?
Not that! Anything but that!
"Call for outside help!" Erina reacted quickly. "Professor Oak should know how to fix this!"
"Right, right—"
Hayashi snapped out of it too, fumbling to pull out his smartwatch and hastily dialing Professor Oak's number, anxiously waiting for the "beep—beep—" of the call connecting.
Pick up, please pick up!
After three rings, the call connected, and Professor Oak's voice came through the speaker: "Hayashi? What's the matter?"
"Professor Oak, save me!" Hayashi whined dramatically. "Gengar and I tried Mega Evolution, but now we can't change back! Am I gonna burn out my mental and physical energy and kick the bucket?"
"..."
After a few seconds of silence, Professor Oak said, "First, to answer your most pressing concern—no! Mega Evolution will only consume up to half your stamina and energy at most, so you can relax."
"Whew—"
Hayashi let out a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "That's good, that's good."
"Calmed down now?" Professor Oak retorted. "Then tell me what happened. Exactly how did this go down?"
"Right, right, so—"
Hayashi quickly recounted the events at the mansion to Professor Oak, who was left speechless after hearing the story.
"I..."
Professor Oak rubbed his head and said, "I don't even know what to say. Your luck is kinda... ridiculous."
Absurd, utterly absurd! This is like Zoro-level absurdity—just how absurd can it get?
What kind of script are you following? Making a Pokémon fall for you in two days? Are you some kind of Pokémon charisma expert who can make Pokémon spend eighteen berries on you with three sentences?
"We can talk about luck later—just tell me how to undo this Mega Evolution—"
"First, calm your emotions! The core of Mega Evolution is high spirits and a resonating soul. Once your excitement settles, it'll undo naturally."
"Got it, I'll try—"
Hayashi and Gengar exchanged a glance, both closing their eyes and attempting to calm their explosive excitement.
In less than a minute, a white light emanated from Gengar's body as it reverted from its Mega Evolution state. Hayashi swayed slightly before collapsing onto the ground alongside Gengar in an exhausted heap.
"I'm—I'm dead tired—"
Hayashi felt as though he'd pulled three all-nighters in a row before dancing through an entire Dragon Fist routine with Gin Dōjima. His entire body was drained and dizzy, as if he might pass out any second. The Gengar beside him wasn't faring much better—she weakly leaned against Hayashi, panting heavily with her tongue lolling out.
Clearly, she was just as exhausted.
----------
For advance chapters join my Patreon.
[email protected]/Aarvan