"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?!"
Gary was stunned. Although he had never personally encountered a problematic Mega Stone, he had always believed that Mega Stones were essentially bursting with life energy, capable of stimulating a Pokémon's cells to trigger Mega Evolution.
But if life energy was required to evolve, then where exactly did that energy come from? If a Mega Stone had existed for over a thousand years, could it still retain the energy needed for evolution? That was uncertain.
"Gary, don't worry. If there really is a problem with the Mega Stone, I'll replace it for you," Steven said with a calm smile.
"Alright. So, where's the teleporter? I want to have Scizor transferred here," Gary replied.
"Please follow me." Professor Ward led Gary to the teleporter. To support research into Mega Evolution, the Devon Corporation had installed a teleportation system right in the lab.
After so much research, Devon had also come to understand a key limitation: not all Pokémon are capable of Mega Evolution. A deep bond between Trainer and Pokémon is essential to successfully trigger the transformation.
Using random Pokémon for tests often led to failure. Only powerful Trainers with strong emotional connections to their partners could hope to succeed.
Even then, a successful Mega Evolution wasn't always safe—Pokémon could go berserk, ignore commands, and become dangerously unstable.
Gary called Professor Oak's lab, and Tracey was the one who answered the video call.
As for Professor Oak? He was, as usual, off spending time with Xonia.
"Tracey, can you teleport Scizor over for me?" Gary asked.
"Sure, no problem!" Tracey responded cheerfully.
Scizor didn't have high environmental requirements. As long as the temperature wasn't too hot, it could live comfortably outdoors. It had been resting quietly in the lab's yard, so Tracey quickly located it and teleported the Poké Ball over.
After receiving Scizor, Professor Ward and Steven brought Gary to the battle testing field located deeper within the lab. The area was lined with machines and monitoring devices, all specially designed to measure Mega Evolution data.
"Mr. Gary, you may release your Scizor now," Professor Ward said after completing his preparations.
"Come on out!" Gary tossed the Poké Ball into the air.
A crimson Scizor clad in shining steel armor appeared in a flash of light.
[LV64 Scizor — Quasi-Legendary Potential]
Scizor had grown stronger recently, having reached level 64. If its potential had been unlocked earlier, it might already have reached the Champion tier.
But Gary wasn't in a rush. He planned to give Scizor another half year to train naturally. Once it reached level 67, he intended to use a high-grade Rare Candy to boost it to level 70.
"Impressive," Steven commented, his eyes gleaming with interest. As a Steel-type expert, he was naturally very familiar with Scizor's capabilities.
Among Steel-type Pokémon, Scizor stood near the top in both offense and versatility. It was a popular choice among Steel-type Trainers worldwide. Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
However, it wasn't without drawbacks. Being part Bug-type, Scizor had a relatively short natural lifespan. Though its longevity was better than Butterfree or Beedrill, it still couldn't compare to Pokémon like Charizard or Salamence.
Generally, Scizor's peak physical period lasted around ten years. After that, its condition and performance would start to decline.
Still, that wasn't much of a concern for Gary. As Pokémon grew stronger, their lifespan also extended. Once Scizor reached quasi-legendary status, its aging process would slow considerably.
Scizor noticed Gary and immediately rushed to his side with excitement. It had already heard from Tracey that Gary needed him, and it was eager to help.
"It's been a while. You've grown a lot stronger," Gary said, patting Scizor's shoulder.
Gary activated the Keystone embedded in his glove.
A brilliant rainbow light burst forth from the Mega Stone on Scizor's chest. The gem pulsed with raw life energy, completely bypassing Scizor's metallic armor and channeling directly into its body. As the energy surged, Scizor's cells lit up in a radiant aura, and a shimmering rainbow enveloped its form.
When the light faded, Scizor stood reborn, having achieved its Mega Evolution form.
"It worked! As expected of the Trainer chosen by Mr. Steven," Professor Ward exclaimed excitedly. He had worried the process might fail, but the transformation was smooth and flawless.
There weren't drastic differences between Mega Scizor and its base form, but there were key upgrades. The most noticeable were its claws—now elongated and bearing two rows of inner serrated edges, capable of tearing through almost anything.
Despite the enhanced slicing power, Mega Scizor was more adept at using its claws as blunt-force weapons in battle, preferring powerful strikes over precision cuts.
"Professor Ward, is the energy output stable?" Gary asked.
Ward turned to the monitoring equipment. The screen displayed a fluctuating wave chart tracking energy levels. He studied it for a moment and then nodded.
"Energy fluctuation is completely stable. No irregularities detected. Now, let's test it further by having Scizor use some moves."
"You want to test its moves? Then find it a real opponent," Gary said.
Professor Ward's eyes lit up. Data collected during an actual battle was far more valuable than isolated move tests.
"Yes, but my Scizor is very strong. You'll need to find a Pokémon at least above the Gym Leader level. Otherwise, it'll be a one-hit KO," Gary warned.
Now at the Elite level, and powered up through Mega Evolution, Scizor could even stand toe-to-toe with Champion-tier Pokémon.
"Ah… that might be difficult," Professor Ward admitted. "There aren't many Trainers like that available here on short notice."
"Then let me do it," Steven offered, stepping forward.