"Of course, if you don't need money, you can tell me what you would like instead," Cynthia said.
Although she didn't know the exact extent of Gary's private finances, Cynthia knew he was the grandson of Professor Oak. Since Gary and Ash were close, she assumed they weren't people who were short on money. If she really insisted on giving them cash, it might come off as a bit vulgar.
"I just need money!" Dawn declared without hesitation. She was very concerned about the reward—her pocket money back home was strictly limited. With the Alliance's bonus, she could finally buy many things she hadn't dared to before.
"I don't have anything I specifically want. Ash, what about you?" Brock asked.
"I... I can't imagine anything for the time being, so just give me money," Ash said after thinking it over carefully. He realized he didn't lack anything right now, and money was the most practical option.
"What about Gary?" Cynthia turned her gaze toward him.
"Can you get me a Larvesta?" Gary asked.
Cynthia was stunned. She was surprised that Gary would specifically ask for a Larvesta, as it was a Pokémon unique to the Unova Region.
"What kind of Pokémon is a Larvesta?" Ash asked curiously.
Dawn immediately pulled out her Pokédex to search for it.
The Pokédex emitted a neutral tone: "Information regarding Larvesta is unknown."
"What! There's no entry in the Pokédex?" Dawn said, taken aback.
"Larvesta is a Pokémon unique to the Unova Region, often called the 'sun larva.' It protects its body with flames. Historically, it was believed to be a Pokémon born from the sun and has been revered as a messenger of the sun," the knowledgeable Professor Rowan explained.
"A Pokémon born from the sun? That sounds amazing," Dawn remarked.
"Gary, that request is really difficult for me," Cynthia said, looking troubled. "That is a very rare Pokémon from the Unova Region, comparable to a pseudo-legendary Pokémon."
"If the Sinnoh Alliance can't provide it, then just give me money."
Gary didn't mind. At worst, he could just travel to the Unova Region eventually to find one himself. It wasn't vital that he get it right this second.
"Okay, I'll try my best," Cynthia said, not fully refusing. She would see what she could do, but whether it succeeded would depend on luck.
With the police forces monitoring the ruins, everyone headed to the Pokémon Center at the foot of Mt. Coronet to rest.
"Miss Cynthia, how does the Sinnoh Alliance plan to deal with Cyrus?"
Back at the Pokémon Center, Gary found Cynthia alone and brought up the fate of Team Galactic. Although Cyrus's plan had been blocked this time, the man himself wasn't dead. The Adamant Orb and Lustrous Orb were still here, and there was no guarantee Cyrus wouldn't try to make a comeback.
"Don't worry, Cyrus won't survive this. His ideology is far too dangerous. The only thing awaiting him is the death penalty," Cynthia said firmly.
Hearing that Cyrus would be sentenced to death, Gary felt relieved. He continued, "There should be stone plates hidden inside Team Galactic's assets. These plates are related to Arceus. You must interrogate them to find their whereabouts."
Cynthia nodded. She knew the plates were connected to Arceus. Since she was now aware that Team Galactic had them hidden away, she would definitely interrogate them. She wouldn't let Team Galactic go until the information was uncovered.
"Don't worry, we will interrogate Team Galactic strictly," Cynthia assured him.
"If the interrogation doesn't yield results, I recommend that the five of them—Cyrus, Charon, Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter—be sentenced to death directly to prevent any further danger," Gary suggested.
Cynthia: ∑(OvO"a!
Cynthia had anticipated that Cyrus would be sentenced to death, but she hadn't expected Gary to be so ruthless as to suggest that all the Team Galactic executives be executed as well. This was a call for total elimination.
"This... I can apply to the court as much as possible, but I can guarantee that Cyrus will definitely be sentenced to death," Cynthia said.
"Then I'll feel relieved."
Gary nodded. In any case, Cyrus was bound to die. As for the Team Galactic executives, it didn't strictly matter to him whether they lived or died. Because Heatran had been captured by Gary, even if Saturn and the others wanted to activate the Flame Plate, they couldn't do it unless they found another Heatran.
After settling things with Gary, Ash, and the others, Cynthia and Professor Rowan took the Adamant Orb and Lustrous Orb away. The Sinnoh Alliance decided to keep the two orbs under high security to prevent people like Cyrus from coveting them again.
During supper, Gary and Ash were eating together, and naturally, they were questioned by Ash and the others.
"Gary, how could you be here?" Ash asked the first question.
"I was training Pokémon nearby, and when I saw Team Galactic people, I secretly followed them and then got into a conflict."
"That's it." Ash continued, "Then what's going on with your Blastoise? Why is it different from a normal Blastoise?"
Dawn and Brock also listened attentively. Before this, they had been curious about the Blastoise. Although they knew it was "Mega Evolution" from Cynthia, they had no idea what that actually was.
"Mega Evolution allows a Pokémon to evolve once more," Gary explained.
"Evolve again...?!"
"You mean a Pokémon can evolve again after reaching its final form?"
"It's almost the same, but this evolution is not permanent. When the energy is consumed, the Pokémon will return to its normal form," Gary said.
"Then what exactly do we need to do to Mega Evolve a Pokémon?" Ash asked anxiously.
"It's simple, as long as you can find the Key Stone and the corresponding Mega Stone."
"Key Stone?"
"Mega Stone?"
"What are those?"
Ash and the others looked completely confused.
"They are Pokémon items. That is the Key Stone." Gary took the Key Stone out of his pocket and put it in his hand for Ash and the others to watch.
"What a beautiful bead." Dawn was immediately attracted by the Key Stone's appearance.
"What does a Mega Stone look like?" Brock asked.
"Mega Stones correspond to specific Pokémon; each one is an exclusive item. For example, my Blastoise carries a Mega Stone, and it can only be used by Blastoise. It requires both the Key Stone and the Mega Stone to react for Mega Evolution to be completed."
Gary briefly introduced the process of Mega Evolution.
"Then can my Pikachu Mega Evolve?"
"Pika!"
Pikachu was also very interested. Anyway, since it could return to normal after Mega Evolution, it wasn't opposed to the idea.
"A Pokémon must have evolved to its final stage before it can use Mega Evolution. For your Pikachu to Mega Evolve, it would need to evolve into Raichu first. And you haven't found a Mega Stone for Raichu yet, so don't even think about it," Gary said.
"If it means I have to evolve, then forget it."
"Pika!"
When it came to the topic of evolution, Ash and Pikachu were on the same page—they didn't want to change.