Cynthia accepted the bet and called out Garchomp, eager to see how he planned to make her Ace evolve again.
Even Caitlin and Platinum (Dawn) craned their necks, waiting with anticipation. They were clearly curious—and skeptical—about whether he could actually pull off what he claimed.
Under their eager gazes, Li Yuan just smiled slightly and began to leisurely rummage through his System inventory for the Mega Stones he had collected over the years.
Unknowingly, he had amassed thousands of these stones. If he sold them for a hundred million each, he'd be a trillionaire. But realistically, ten million was a better price point. Even then, he was sitting on tens of billions.
Besides Mega Stones, he had collected plenty of other treasures. Money was no longer an object; in fact, having too much money was a burden. It had eroded his ambition, turning him into a slacker who just wanted to fish all day~.
"Found it. Sister Cynthia, try holding this." Li Yuan finally located the Garchompite and tossed it to the land shark.
But the Mega Stone alone wasn't enough. It was like a genetic lock containing special codes; without a key, the secrets remained hidden.
Currently, it was known that the key holder had to be a human, using the power of their bond as the catalyst to unlock the genetic restrictions.
Of course, Legendary Pokémon like Mewtwo and Rayquaza could force the lock open with sheer talent, but for ordinary mortals, a Key Stone was required.
"What is this?" Cynthia toyed with the gem-like Key Stone in her hand. Both she and Garchomp looked confused.
Did he expect them to eat it? It felt hard as a rock; would it even digest?
"This is a set of Mega Stones. They contain genetic secrets. As long as you can communicate through the power of your bond, using the two stones as a bridge for your emotions, you can activate the power hidden deep within Garchomp's genes," Li Yuan explained mysteriously.
Cynthia understood the concept of "bonds," but communicating through them was vague. A bond was intangible; how could she channel it?
"Can you be more specific? How do I communicate?" Cynthia urged. She was impatient to see the evolution, not play riddles.
"To put it simply: hold the stone, think of each other, and when your bond is strong enough, it will resonate with the stones," Li Yuan explained in layman's terms.
"That's it?" Cynthia was unimpressed. She expected some high-level technique, not something so simple.
"Don't underestimate it. Finding the feeling the first time isn't easy," Li Yuan shrugged.
Bonds were abstract. When hearts connected naturally, power exploded. But seeking that feeling deliberately often blocked the path.
It was like a woman approaching you only after you became rich; was that true love?
Cynthia was in this state. Desperate to witness the evolution, she was thinking about Garchomp too deliberately. This utilitarian emotion wasn't pure enough. Even though their bond was deep, the Key Stone refused to acknowledge it.
Seeing the Key Stone glow faintly gave her hope, which made her more excited, which disrupted the resonance, causing the light to fade.
The cycle repeated until the stone went dark.
After a long time, Cynthia gave up in frustration. She glared at Li Yuan, suspecting the brat was pranking her to see her fail. Otherwise, with her childhood bond with Garchomp, how could she fail?
"Are you sure it relies on 'bond power'?" Cynthia asked unconvinced.
"Bond power is emotional power. Sister Cynthia, can you guarantee that right now, your heart contains only feelings for Garchomp, without any other thoughts?" Li Yuan asked back.
"The human brain has countless thoughts every second. How can I guarantee only one appears?" Cynthia frowned. His requirement was too high.
"You don't need to be that extreme, just ensure the feeling for Garchomp is the dominant one. But your emotions are fluctuating too much right now. Let me help you," Li Yuan shook his head helplessly. Where was her Champion's composure?
He understood her excitement, though. When he first got the stones, he was the same. Now, looking at the pile in his bag, he felt nothing. When money reaches a certain point, it's just numbers.
Under Cynthia's astonished gaze, he pulled out another Key Stone. Mimicking Cynthia's emotional Aura, he forcefully injected it into the stone.
Under the influence of this intense emotion, the mysterious power within the Key Stone finally resonated. A brilliant light erupted from the stone, as if he were holding the sun.
Simultaneously, affected by the action at a distance, the Mega Stone in Garchomp's hand exploded with blinding light.
The light from the two stones formed chain-like links, connecting head to tail, building the "emotional bridge" Li Yuan described.
Then, the light engulfed Garchomp.
Or rather, Garchomp became light!
They had seen this rainbow-colored brilliance many times before—it was the light of evolution, the leap in life hierarchy!
Garchomp, already in her final form, was truly evolving again. The brat wasn't lying!
"It's... actually real?"
Cynthia, Caitlin, and Platinum all stood up abruptly, staring at the shark in the light with shock. They couldn't believe their eyes.
Garchomp was undergoing drastic changes. Her silhouette grew taller, her scales and claws became more ferocious, and jagged spikes erupted from her body.
When the light faded, a shark that looked familiar yet vastly different stood before them.
Looking at this familiar yet strange behemoth, the three women were speechless. Li Yuan had shattered their worldview.