After Yuga's match, he left the arena under the guidance of the tournament staff.
The afternoon matches were scheduled to start at two o'clock, and before that, Yuga and his team had some free time to rest. Yuga chose to have lunch, as directing battles was quite physically demanding.
As Yuga approached the exit of the Battle Company Building, Mayor Ishida and Liliana were already waiting there, prepared to have lunch with him.
Seeing Yuga, who was full of vitality as he exited the Battle Company Building, Mayor Ishida couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
Initially, he had only hoped that Yuga would secure a Gym Leader position successfully, and he would have been grateful for that. However, Yuga had repeatedly surprised him, and now he had reached the finals.
If Verdanturf Town produced a Gym Leader who won the Gym Leader Tournament, the prestige of the Verdanturf Town Gym would be greatly enhanced, surpassing any ordinary Gym.
Mayor Ishida was extremely grateful to Liliana. If she hadn't strongly recommended Yuga, he wouldn't have thought of participating in the tournament again.
Years of consecutive defeats had made Mayor Ishida contemplate giving up on establishing a Gym in Verdanturf Town.
Mayor Ishida: I'm glad I didn't give up!
Under the company of Mayor Ishida and Liliana, Yuga was taken to an upscale restaurant, where they enjoyed a hearty meal.
During the tournament, Yuga had been living a luxurious life, dining at renowned restaurants in Castelia City, and Mayor Ishida covered all the expenses.
The official tournament cafeteria was available, but Mayor Ishida found the food there unappealing, so they went out for every meal.
It could be said that Mayor Ishida had spared no effort to ensure Yuga's best possible performance in the tournament. He treated Yuga almost like an ancentor, taking care of him in every possible way.
After lunch, Yuga parted ways with Mayor Ishida and the others, who were returning to the spectator seats. Feeling quite full, he decided to go for a walk and digest his meal, heading towards a nearby artificial lake near the Battle Company Building.
This area was adorned with many trees and had a pleasant environment, perfect for a leisurely stroll and digestion.
However, Yuga hadn't walked far when he suddenly heard voices coming from nearby, piquing his curiosity.
"Blastoise, are you ready?"
Shortly after these words reached his ears, Yuga saw a dazzling light emanating from the woods. As he approached, he noticed a recently completed Mega Blastoise standing by the edge of the artificial lake.
Yuga was about to express his amazement when he heard a stern voice. A young man with blond hair, dressed in a white uniform, emerged from the woods and noticed Yuga.
"So, it's Challenger Shimizu. What brings you here?"
Upon seeing Yuga, the newcomer's expression softened, and he wore a friendly smile.
"Mr. Siebold," Yuga replied respectfully, offering his respects.
"Did you just witness that?" Siebold, pointing towards the Mega Blastoise by the lake, asked Yuga.
Yuga pretended not to know anything, allowing Siebold to continue explaining.
Siebold chuckled and said, "This is a special evolution of Blastoise known as Mega Blastoise."
"But wasn't Blastoise already in its final evolution stage? How can it evolve further?" Yuga asked, feigning surprise.
"Come, come, let's sit and chat."
Siebold gestured for Yuga to join him on the grass by the lake. Nearby, Mega Blastoise ceased its Mega Evolution and returned to its regular Blastoise form.
Yuga widened his eyes in mock astonishment. "It turned back into a regular Blastoise."
Mega Blastoise, upon hearing this conversation, felt a bit embarrassed and scratched the back of its head. It then leaped into the artificial lake, immersing its body in the water, with only its head above the surface, observing the Trainer sitting by the lake.
Seeing Yuga taking a seat next to him, Mr. Siebold explained, "Mega Evolution is a temporary form of evolution. After the battle ends, the Pokémon will revert to its original form; it won't maintain the Mega Evolution indefinitely."
Yuga, with an expression of sudden realization, nodded, saying, "That's truly fascinating."
Siebold continued, "Mega Evolution is a mysterious evolutionary method that has been passed down in the Kalos region for a long time. The League is currently conducting research on this form of evolution, and Professor Sycamore from our Kalos region is an expert in this field."
Yuga hadn't expected that the League was already researching Mega Evolution, and it seemed that they had made some progress.
"Is it alright for you to share such important information with me? Isn't this League confidential?" Yuga asked in response.
Siebold shook his head, saying, "In the Kalos region, this isn't considered an especially concealed secret, and the League isn't conducting secret research. The research findings will be made public sooner or later."
Yuga thought about it and realized it was reasonable. The most precious aspect of Mega Evolution wasn't the method of evolution itself but the rarity of Keystone and Mega Evolution Stones. Most Trainers might never obtain one in their entire lives, so whether or not it was disclosed wasn't the most crucial issue.
Furthermore, since this method of evolution would be used sooner or later, it would eventually be revealed to the public. It was better to disclose it proactively than to be constantly questioned about it.
Yuga then proceeded to inquire about the conditions for Mega Evolution, and Siebold didn't hide anything, providing all the information. He even showed Yuga his own Keystone and Blastoise's Mega Evolution Stone.
As it turned out, Siebold had only recently acquired Blastoise's Mega Evolution Stone, and he wasn't yet very proficient in coordinating with Blastoise for Mega Evolution. Their practice session by the lake had been aimed at improving their coordination.
Seeing Siebold's Keystone sparkling in his hand, Yuga couldn't help but envy it. He possessed two Mega Evolution Stones, one for Mega Gyarados and the other for Mega Metagross, but he lacked the corresponding Keystone to activate them.
The Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone had been found during his trip to Lilycove City, inside a wrecked ship's cabin, in the company of Robert. On the other hand, the Metagross Mega Evolution Stone had been a gift from Florges, which she had received after helping rescue the forest during his time in the Sinnoh region.
Now that Yuga's Absol had gained the ability to Mega Evolve with the help of the Seed of Unknown, but these two Mega Evolution Stones had turned into mere decorations without their corresponding Keystone.
Observing Yuga's keen interest in his Keystone, Siebold consoled him, saying, "Keep working hard. You are an exceptionally talented Trainer. Perhaps, one day, you will obtain your own Keystone."
The reason Siebold shared all this information with Yuga was twofold. Firstly, he knew that Yuga was a disciple of Mr. kuni'o, and Yuga would eventually learn about these matters. Secondly, he had developed a fondness for Yuga, who had already secured a Gym Leader position and was now essentially part of the League.
Afterward, Yuga asked Siebold various detailed questions about Mega Evolution, and Siebold, for the sake of Yuga's curiosity, shared all the details.
Yuga realized that the Pokémon world had been researching Mega Evolution for much longer than he had known, and there were far more people who possessed Keystone than he had thought.
Satisfied with the answers that quenched his curiosity, Yuga eventually parted ways with Siebold. Yuga had the finals to prepare for in the afternoon, while Siebold had duties as a referee for the matches.