The sea breeze, carrying a salty, metallic tang of rust, blew violently into Ariel's mouth and nose.
The reefs of the isolated island were being tirelessly washed by the waves, letting out muffled booms. Splashes of white foam traced brief arcs in the air before falling helplessly back into the churning deep blue sea.
Ariel spread his palm, and three stones that felt cold to the touch lay quietly in his hand.
They were no ordinary pebbles; their surfaces were covered in strange and complex patterns. Even under the gloomy sky, they reflected a faint luster, as if some restless energy was imprisoned within.
This was the entirety of his harvest from this trip: three genuine mega stones.
His fingertips lightly brushed against one of them. The patterns on it were coarse and deep, like mountain fault lines, carrying a cold, hard metallic texture.
"Aggron..."
Ariel murmured to himself, almost certain of its identity.
Another stone was covered in shell-like textures, with the faint outlines of insect limbs visible, radiating a sense of power.
Heracross.
And the last one, the one that made his heart race the most, had patterns flowing like water ripples on its surface. Deep within, however, it exuded an irrepressible aura of violence, identical to the look in his Gyarados's eyes.
Gyarados!
Ariel's breathing couldn't help but quicken slightly.
He took out another key item from his space ring—the key stone.
This stone, embedded in a wristband, was something he had obtained from Steven.
That wealthy young master, obsessed with studying stones, probably still hadn't realized exactly what kind of subversive power was contained within this "trinket" he had casually given away.
He really is an interesting fellow.
"Come out, Gyarados!"
A flash of red light appeared, and a massive blue beast materialized out of thin air, crashing heavily onto the shallows and kicking up a wave several meters high.
Gyarados's long body coiled beside the reef. Its lantern-like eyes stared fixedly at Ariel—or rather, at the mega stone in his hand. A low growl escaped its throat, filled with longing and battle intent.
It could feel that the stone was calling to it.
Mega Evolution required three things.
A mega stone, a key stone, and an unbreakable bond between the Trainer and the pokémon.
Ariel hadn't been with this Gyarados for very long. He had snatched this big guy from an eye-less fool. It was naturally vicious, wild, and untameable.
But Ariel had his ways.
He was never stingy about feeding its ferocity with battles and victories, and he used absolute strength to keep it firmly suppressed.
This relationship built on power might not be considered warm, but it was pure enough and strong enough.
It's worth a try!
Ariel raised his wrist. The key stone on the wristband resonated with the mega stone in his palm, both bursting with blinding light.
"Gyarados!"
Ariel's voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly pierced through the roar of the waves.
"Respond to my heart! Transcend the boundaries of evolution and be reborn in this moment!"
"Mega Evolve!"
"Roar—!"
Gyarados let out an earth-shattering roar, as if responding to his declaration.
A brilliant band of light shot out from Ariel's key stone, precisely connecting to the diamond-shaped scale on Gyarados's forehead. Another light surged from the mega stone, enveloping Gyarados entirely.
Within the light, Gyarados's body began to undergo a violent transformation!
Its originally slender body became thick and bulky at a visible rate, resembling a submarine filled with an explosive sense of power.
The fins on its back expanded rapidly, turning into a massive and hideous blue dorsal fin, its edges tinged with a blood-like crimson.
The horns on its head became thicker and longer, and the whiskers on its lower jaw extended like two long whips.
The most significant change was its belly; the original blue had turned into an ominous dark gray.
When the light dissipated, a brand-new monster appeared before Ariel.
Its body was even more massive, every inch of muscle bulging and coiled. The aura it emitted was no longer simple ferocity, but a near-tangible frenzy that wanted to tear apart and devour everything in sight!
The surrounding seawater formed a massive whirlpool centered on it, as if even the ocean was fearing this newborn power.
Ariel raised his hand, and the red light of the pokédex swept over it.
"Beep!"
"Mega Gyarados, Atrocious Pokémon. Type: Water, Dark. ability: Mold Breaker. Level: 46."
Its typing had changed from Water/Flying to Water/Dark!
Its ability had also changed from Moxie to the even more overbearing Mold Breaker!
Ariel's eyes lit up.
The disappearance of the Flying type meant that its fatal fourfold weakness to Electric was completely erased.
And the addition of the Dark-type made its offensive coverage even more unpredictable.
As for the "Mold Breaker" ability... it was practically made for combat! Ignoring the opponent's fancy defensive abilities and crushing them directly with the purest violence!
Not to mention, after Mega Evolution, Gyarados's base stat total had soared to a terrifying 640 points!
This was a true overlord of the sea, a living disaster!
Furthermore, after this period of fighting, Gyarados's level had reached Level 46!
Ariel was very curious: what would it look like if the current Gyarados were to duel a Gym Leader Level Pokémon?
"ROAR!!!"
Mega Gyarados suddenly threw its head back and let out a roar more violent than any before.
This wasn't a show of force or an announcement, but a pure venting of power.
A Psyshock-like surge of mental energy, mixed with primitive brutality and a desire to kill, followed the bond between the two and slammed into Ariel's mind.
This was a side effect of Mega Evolution.
While the mega stone unleashed a pokémon's potential, it also infinitely amplified the negative emotions in its nature. Gyarados was already savage, and now it was so lightheaded from this power that it was nearly being swallowed by its own madness.
Ariel's expression didn't change in the slightest.
He just quietly looked into Mega Gyarados's eyes, which were completely consumed by blood-red. His mental power did not retreat; instead, it advanced, turning into an invisible sharp sword that flowed upstream and stabbed fiercely into that violent ocean of consciousness.
"Quiet down, big guy."
His voice was calm, yet it carried an irresistible will.
"I can give you this power, and I can take it back at any time."
"Have you forgotten the feeling of being ground into the dirt by me?"
Mega Gyarados's massive body stiffened, and a hint of struggle flashed through its blood-red pupils.
A moment later, that near-boiling aura of frenzy slowly subsided. It lowered its massive head and gently rubbed its horn against Ariel's shoulder, letting out a gurgling low growl from its throat, as if in submission.
Ariel reached out and patted its coarse, hard skin, feeling the unprecedentedly powerful energy flowing between them. A smirk finally curled on his lips.
Ariel recalled Mega Gyarados.
Ariel looked at his Poké Balls. Now, his team's strength had once again seen a comprehensive upgrade. Krookodile was the highest at Level 47, followed by Gyarados at 46, Malamar at 45, Weavile at 44, Greninja at 42, and a Level 25 Deino. This was the capital of his current strength!
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