The thick, billowing smoke didn't last long.
As the two Pokémon simultaneously chose to retreat and create distance, the gales generated by their movement quickly dispersed the haze, revealing a battlefield in total disarray.
To Kashiwagi's surprise, Garchomp—a Pokémon that possesses neither the Levitate Ability nor the Flying type—was somehow suspended in mid-air, using its broad, thick shark fins to hover in a way that defied scientific logic.
It and Hydreigon glared at one another, both fully aware of the other's strength after that brief exchange.
"Dragon Pulse!"
"Hydrei-g-o-n!!"
Hydreigon took a massive breath. Tricolored draconic flames surged from his three heads, fusing instantly into a snarling, savage energy wyvern. It let out a roar that vibrated through the air as it lunged at Garchomp!
Even without a stat-boosting move currently active, the sheer power of the Dragon Pulse grew with Hydreigon's momentum. The spectral wyvern looked more lifelike—and more terrifying—by the second.
Jinya shouted urgently, "Meet it head-on with Dragon Claw!"
"Garch-h!"
Garchomp swung its massive shark fins, now shrouded in a brilliant green glow. Like a great bird caught in a slipstream, it rocketed forward, its fin-blades slashing frantically at the energy wyvern.
In an instant, the energy dragon was sliced into several segments by Garchomp's ferocity, detonating in a violent blast!
BOOM!
Intense fire and dust immediately swallowed the area.
But before Hydreigon could even react, Garchomp burst through the debris with a long howl, its glowing green fins leading the way like twin razor-sharp sabers.
"Garch-h!"
"Dragon Breath!"
Kashiwagi issued a rapid-fire command. Hydreigon's three heads danced, firing off azure beams of draconic fire like a battery of beam cannons.
In close-quarters combat, this was his fastest move, and it carried the crucial chance to leave Garchomp paralyzed. While Ground-types are immune to Electric moves, they aren't immune to the paralysis status itself—meaning Glare, Stun Spore, or Dragon Breath could still bind them.
Assuming it hits.
The two dragons became locked in a mid-air dogfight. No matter how many beams Hydreigon spat out, Garchomp's glowing fins swatted them aside with ease. Conversely, every time Garchomp tried to close the gap for a finishing blow, Hydreigon managed to slip away.
Their combat radius continued to expand, forcing Kashiwagi and Jinya to shift their positions and causing the spectators to retreat again and again.
However, continuing this way would be detrimental to Hydreigon. He had already fought two battles; his energy reserves were depleting, unlike the fresh and vigorous Garchomp.
Kashiwagi exchanged a look with Hydreigon. He deliberately left an opening.
Jinya, as expected, seized the fleeting opportunity!
"Dragon Rush!"
Garchomp extended its fin-blades like a bird of prey. Deep blue draconic energy transformed into searing flames, wrapping around its body until it converged into a monstrous, roaring energy dragon.
A terrifying, murderous aura surged forward like a physical wave, putting immense pressure on Hydreigon like a war drum beating against his heart.
"Don't be afraid! We'll use Dragon Rush too!"
"HYDREI-G-O-N!"
Hydreigon roared in response. A brilliant blue light ignited at the top of his three heads. Vast amounts of Dragon-type energy flowed backward to cover his entire body, the energy flickering like dancing spirits.
In the next heartbeat, a murderous aura far more terrifying than Garchomp's rippled outward. The watching Dragon Tamers stared in shock at the incredible scene.
"Is that... Dragon Rush?"
"How is that possible?!"
Under everyone's gaze, Hydreigon transformed into a colossal energy beast with three massive heads, staring down the other energy dragon descending from above.
The two clashing auras created a crushing weight. Even the seasoned trainers felt a shiver run down their spines. Little Yuzu hid in her older cousin's arms, unable to look.
One looking down, one looking up—two different energy dragons roared and collided!
"GARCH-H!!"
"HYDREI-G-O-N!!"
Like a meteor striking the earth, the two shrieking energy dragons slammed into each other. Draconic flames intertwined and instantly shattered with two bone-chilling howls!
A visible shockwave, mixed with a blinding flash, sent Kashiwagi and Jinya tumbling backward at the edge of the field. The young Dragon Tamers were swallowed by the gust.
Flames that seemed capable of destroying everything surged into the sky. The deafening explosion nearly burst eardrums. Clumps of grass and countless pebbles were launched into the air like rain.
From a distance, a small mushroom cloud of fire and dust rose slowly. It carried the distinct scent of devastation.
Throughout the Meteor Village, Dragon-type Pokémon turned their heads toward the commotion. The People of the Meteors watched the rising cloud, but rather than worrying, many of them chuckled.
"The youth these days certainly have a lot of energy~"
"Indeed, indeed."
Near the Dragon Shrine, the Elder gazed at the cloud, her brow relaxing slightly. She had been worried Kashiwagi wouldn't fit in with the younger generation due to his different upbringing, but it seemed those fears were groundless. To battle to such an extent... she knew those children would come to admire him.
...
Back on the field.
Kashiwagi, unharmed, stood up quickly. The Team Magma casual gear was more durable than expected; the shockwave hadn't even had any impact on him.
Dust and smoke filled the surroundings.
He ignored the dust, covering his nose and mouth while scanning the battlefield.
Howeverm before he could discern anything, two roars—one from Garchomp and one from Hydreigon—rang out. The sonic vibration blew the smoke away instantly!
The two massive dragons were on opposite sides of the ruined field, hovering mid-air and panting heavily.
Both were covered in soot, scrapes, and burns, but their exhaustion was the most obvious wound. The head-on collision of two Dragon Rushes had tested their stamina to the limit.
However, while Garchomp had a natural advantage in physical strength, the fact that Hydreigon had fought it to a draw proved just how powerful he had become.
"Roost!"
Seeing the opening, Kashiwagi gave the order immediately.
Hydreigon descended without hesitation. White light enveloped him as energy feathers drifted down, triggering ripples of green healing light upon contact. His weakened aura began to surge back.
Garchomp, receiving no orders from a dazed Jinya and seeing its opponent recovering, grew desperate. It raised its fins and lunged forward on its own!
It had to stop that Roost!
"Garch-h!"
Garchomp roared, its scales seemingly venting air to propel it at high speed. Even with its stamina depleted, it moved like a blur. But just as it reached Hydreigon, ready to strike, Jinya's voice finally rang out from behind.
"Get out of there! Move!"
Garchomp froze for a split second. In that moment, it realized that Hydreigon's two side-heads had reached out and clamped their jaws onto its descending fins!
Bam! Bam!
The Dragon-type energy on Garchomp's fins eroded Hydreigon's maws, resulting in two small explosions of smoke. But Hydreigon didn't let go. Garchomp was pinned, unable to dodge the center head's point-blank attack!
"The final Dragon Pulse."
Kashiwagi's voice was calm.
Tricolored flames erupted from Hydreigon's central maw, washing over Garchomp's body. As Hydreigon released its grip, the energy wyvern formed fully, carrying Garchomp high into the sky.
BOOM!
The wyvern exploded like a bomb, turning into a magnificent display of pyrotechnics.
"Ah... sigh..."
Jinya, looking quite disheveled from the earlier shockwave, wiped his forehead and sighed. It seemed there wasn't just a gap between their dragons, but a significant gap between the trainers as well.
He didn't think Kashiwagi was "dishonorable" for attacking while he was recovering his wits; a Dragon and its Tamer were one and the same.
High above, the unconscious Garchomp fell from the smoke and crashed into a deep crater, its golden eyes replaced by black swirls.
"You win! Your Hydreigon is much stronger than I imagined!"
Jinya walked over to Garchomp's side, comforting it softly before looking at Kashiwagi. "Perhaps only a Tamer as gifted as you can truly carry the weight of the People of the Meteors' glorious history."
"——Huh? What do you mean by that?"
Kashiwagi blinked, slightly confused. He couldn't quite follow what Zhenya was getting at—were the compliments of the People of the Meteors always this cryptic?
But before he could press for details, the group of young aspiring Dragon Tamers swarmed him. They showered him and Hydreigon with praise, their faces beaming with genuine respect.
Dragon Tamers were a breed that aimed high and worshipped the strong. Regardless of Kashiwagi's background, as long as he and his Hydreigon were powerful, he was one of them.
Surrounded by his new entourage, Kashiwagi made his way to the Meteor Village's Pokémon Center.
There was no Nurse Joy here, but the medical facilities were state-of-the-art, easily rivaling those in the outside world. The staff were professional doctors with legitimate medical licenses, not tribal witch doctors practicing ancient rituals.
While they waited, Kashiwagi, Jinya, and the others began to chat. The conversation drifted from how he raised his Hydreigon to why he only had one Dragon-type.
"As a Dragon Tamer, you can't just stop at one!"
Even Jinya, who seemed the most level-headed of the bunch, spoke with dead seriousness. "While the village doesn't have any dragons to 'assign' to you right now, Meteor Falls is crawling with them! If you're free this afternoon, you should come take a look. We happen to be heading there for patrol anyway."
Pompom nodded solemnly. "Precisely!"
"Uh, I have a different question," Kashiwagi said, steering the conversation. "Patrol? I thought...?"
"That's right. Me, Pompom, and Renza are all members of the Village Guard," Jinya replied with a smile.
Pompom struck a bodybuilder pose which looked like a round mountain of fat, while Renza scratched his head sheepishly.
Kashiwagi had a realization. "Ah~ So when you guys jumped into a battle with me just now... was that actually okay? Being on duty and all?"
"No problem at all! We carry more than just one dragon! Besides, the reason we're in the Guard isn't actually because of our dragons—it's because of our other Pokémon."
Jinya rolled up his sleeve to reveal a spiral-shaped bracelet. "Have you ever heard of Mega Evolution?"
Under the lights of the Pokémon Center, a small Key Stone reflected a spectrum of colors.
Meteor Falls was essentially the birthplace of Mega Evolution in the Hoenn region.
Consequently, the People of the Meteors were the faction that controlled the largest cache of Key Stones and Mega Stones.
Of course, they didn't have enough for everyone to have a set. Since Mega Evolution was such a terrifying power, the Dragon Elder, as the clan leader, strictly regulated these strategic resources.
Only those who earned her approval could be granted or inherit a stone from their ancestors.
Jinya, Pompom, and Renza may have stayed in the village instead of traveling the world, but they were elite Tamers who had passed the Elder's trial and mastered Mega Evolution.
The other younger Tamers watched them with stars in their eyes.
Seeing Kashiwagi's curiosity, the trio enthusiastically hauled him outside, insisting on giving him a demonstration.
"Mega Evolution is a special ability triggered by the strong bond between a Pokémon and its Trainer. It causes the Key Stone and Mega Stone to resonate, allowing the Pokémon to transcend its normal limits and release its hidden potential."
Jinya tossed a Poké Ball forward.
Pop!
A flash of light revealed a pink, hippo-like Pokémon with a Shellder clamped onto its tail.
"Slow-w-w..."
Slowbro stared blankly into space, letting out a cry that didn't exactly scream "high intelligence."
"This is my partner, Slowbro," Jinya said proudly, patting its head. "My Garchomp might have lost to your Hydreigon, but if I sent this one in to battle, your Hydreigon wouldn't stand a chance!"
On the other side, Pompom and Renzo released their Pokémon as well.
Pop! Pop!
A small, hunched Sableye and a Glalie—which looked like a giant, horned demonic head leaking cold air—appeared. The former belonged to Renzo, the latter to Pompom.
"Watch closely!"
Jinya pressed his left hand against the Key Stone on his right wrist. Brilliant light instantly erupted from both the stone and Slowbro.
Irregular, lightning-like chains of energy shot out from the Key Stone, connecting with the energy chains radiating from the light-shrouded Slowbro! The Pokémon's silhouette began to shift rapidly.
At the same time, Pompom and Renzo initiated their own Mega Evolutions.
Moments later, three figures stood before Kashiwagi: Mega Slowbro, whose body was almost entirely swallowed by its Shellder, leaving only its head, tail, and front claws visible;
Mega Sableye, whose blue eyes had turned red and was clutching a massive, diamond-shaped gemstone shield;
and
Mega Glalie, whose jaw had unhinged to a grotesque degree and sprouted a single icy horn from its forehead.
All three successful Mega Evolutions radiated an incredibly oppressive aura.
Kashiwagi looked at Mega Slowbro. Initially, when Jinya claimed Hydreigon wouldn't stand a chance, Kashiwagi had been skeptical, thinking he'd have to see it to believe it. But seeing the physical manifestation of that power, he realized Jinya was probably right.
In the anime, to promote the new system, the writers had buffed Mega Evolution significantly. Aside from the Pokémon that actually became stronger through it, even "mediocre" Mega Evolutions had their power scaled up to an exaggerated degree that far surpassed normal Pokémon.
Hydreigon likely wouldn't have any way to crack Mega Slowbro's shell, and he'd have to be extremely careful against Mega Sableye's defensive utility or Mega Glalie's Refrigerate-boosted Explosion—the most terrifying nuke in the game.
If Mega Glalie blew itself up, Hydreigon wouldn't survive it. Even Protect might not be enough.
However, Kashiwagi raised his hand slightly. "I have one question."
"Ask away."
"Why are none of your Mega Evolutions Dragon-types?"
He looked at the three Pokémon curiously. "You have Garchomp and Altaria. Shouldn't those be the ones you Mega Evolve?"
The atmosphere turned awkward.
"Uh... about that..."
"I know, I know!" The most restless young Tamer, raised his hand. "Big Brother Jinya and the others couldn't win them from the uncles, and they definitely couldn't beat Big Sister Zinnia! So they had to settle for second best! And they didn't find any Garchompite or Altarianite while they were traveling—"
"Shut it,!" A slightly older girl Tamer covered his mouth. "You talk too much!"
Jinya sighed. "It's a complicated story, but you'll find out sooner or later anyway. Long story short... most of the time, we don't really get to pick and choose."
Through Jinya's somewhat helpless explanation, Kashiwagi learned the reality of the situation.
Nearly everyone within the People of the Meteors wanted those few Dragon-type Mega Stones. But there were too many monks and too little porridge; the Dragon-type stones were claimed long ago.
Whenever one became available, it triggered a frenzy among the Tamers. Those who lost out had to settle for other types or go out and search for stones themselves.
But over thousands of years, the People of the Meteors had scoured every inch of Hoenn. They'd practically dug three feet deep into the entire region; there simply weren't any unclaimed Dragon Mega Stones left to find.
Why not go look in Kalos? Kashiwagi thought, listening to the explanation.
At the same time, he learned that the Salamencite that had recently become available was claimed by Zinnia.
As the elite of the younger generation, her overall strength was at the very top of the clan. And not only that, she held another title.
"The Lorekeeper?"