Mega Evolution items were extraordinarily rare. Even after spending more than half a year purchasing and searching through every available channel, Ash had yet to obtain another Mega Stone.
Furthermore, they had heard Ash mention before that not every Pokémon possessed the potential for Mega Evolution. Gradually, they had all stopped placing their hopes on obtaining such a power.
What Greninja hadn't expected was that beyond Mega Evolution, there existed another power—Bond Evolution—and that it happened to possess the potential to awaken it. Starting tomorrow, Ash would begin training Greninja to obtain that power.
Thinking of that, even the usually calm and composed Greninja couldn't help but reveal an expression of overwhelming joy.
Meanwhile, after overhearing the conversation between Ash and Greninja, all of the Pokémon playing around the room immediately turned their attention toward them.
Upon learning that Bond Evolution existed beyond Mega Evolution, and that Greninja possessed the potential for it, with Ash planning to begin its Bond Evolution training tomorrow, whether it was the first-tier ace Pokémon—Pikachu, Pidgeot, and Fearow—or the second and third-tier members like Gyarados, Milotic, and Venusaur, every one of them wore envious expressions on their faces.
Only Rotom, who wasn't a battle-oriented Pokémon, and the still-unhatched Beedrill Egg remained completely indifferent, showing not the slightest hint of envy.
Pikachu: "Pika..."
Pidgeot: "Pidgeot..."
Fearow: "Fearow..."
Gyarados: "Roooar..."
Milotic: "Milo..."
Venusaur: "Venu..."
"Alright, alright, there's no need for everyone to be jealous. In fact, most of you possess the potential for Mega Evolution. For example, Gyarados, Venusaur, and even our unhatched Beedrill."
Ash smiled as he comforted them.
"Pika!?" (What about me!?)
Seeing that Ash hadn't mentioned him, Pikachu immediately asked anxiously.
"Umm..." Ash hesitated for a moment before apologizing helplessly. "Sorry, Pikachu. As far as I know, you can neither Mega Evolve nor undergo Bond Evolution."
"Pika!?" (How could this happen!?)
Sure enough, upon hearing Ash's answer, Pikachu immediately looked as though he'd suffered a devastating blow.
"Fearow!" (What about me, Ash!? Do I have the potential for Mega Evolution or Bond Evolution!?) Fearow excitedly asked from the side, completely oblivious to Pikachu's misery.
"Well..." Ash smiled awkwardly. "Fearow, you don't possess the potential for Mega Evolution or Bond Evolution either."
"FEAROW!?" (W-What!? How could this happen!?)
Fearow instantly wore the same devastated expression as Pikachu.
Seeing that two of his strongest Pokémon had been dealt such a heavy blow over such a small matter, Ash hurriedly began comforting them.
"Alright, alright. Just because Pikachu, Fearow, and Milotic don't currently have known Mega Evolutions doesn't mean one won't be discovered in the future."
"And even if Mega Evolution isn't possible, Bond Evolution is still something we can dream about. After all, Bond Evolution is even more mysterious than Mega Evolution. Based on all the information I've gathered so far, Greninja remains the only known example."
"Once I successfully help Greninja awaken and master the power of Bond Evolution, I'll continue researching it. Who knows? Maybe someday all of you will be able to achieve Bond Evolution as well."
"Pika..." (But what if our Mega Evolutions are never discovered, and you can't figure out how we can achieve Bond Evolution either?) Pikachu asked unwillingly.
"Fearow!" (Exactly!) Fearow immediately agreed.
Milotic, on the other hand, remained extraordinarily calm.
To it, whether or not it could evolve any further simply wasn't that important.
Having evolved from an ordinary Feebas into the beautiful Milotic it was today, it was already immensely satisfied and grateful for its destiny. It had long since stopped asking for more.
"Haha... even if none of you can Mega Evolve or achieve Bond Evolution in the future, that's perfectly alright," Ash replied with a smile. "I can always use my psychic ability, Willpower Enhancement, to increase your combat strength. It's not inferior to Mega Evolution or Bond Evolution."
"And besides, why are all of you so focused on Mega Evolution and Bond Evolution? Aren't there still other advanced powers in the Pokémon battling world? Things like Z-Moves, Dynamax, and Terastallization—Crystal Evolution."
"All of these are top-tier powers that are every bit as remarkable as Mega Evolution and Bond Evolution. You'll all have opportunities to master them someday, so there's really no need to feel discouraged."
"Pika?" (Really?)
"Fearow?" (Really?)
After hearing Ash's explanation, the gloomy moods of Pikachu and Fearow finally improved somewhat.
"Of course. When have I ever lied to any of you?" Ash gently stroked Pikachu's head before affectionately patting Fearow's long neck. "As long as I'm here, I promise every one of you will become incredibly powerful and shine brilliantly in the future."
"Mm-hmm!" ×2
Receiving Ash's promise, Pikachu and Fearow's disappointed expressions finally transformed into joyful smiles once again.
Truthfully, as both their Trainer and the companion who spent every day with them, Ash understood Pikachu and Fearow's feelings very well.
Pikachu was Ash's starter Pokémon—the very first Pokémon to follow him and the unquestioned big brother of the team.
Throughout all this time, Pikachu had remained the goal that every other teammate chased after and sought to surpass. Though their competition was friendly and healthy, that didn't change the tremendous pressure Pikachu constantly felt.
One after another, the Pokémon behind him had begun growing stronger at astonishing speeds. One after another, they had obtained powers unique to themselves.
Previously, when Pidgeot obtained Mega Evolution, Pikachu hadn't felt too much pressure. After all, Electric-type moves naturally had an advantage over Flying-types, and over time Pikachu had gradually widened the gap between their levels of strength.
However, Greninja was different.
Its strength had always remained on par with Pikachu's.
Furthermore, while everyone on the team knew that Pikachu was the very first Pokémon to follow Ash, outsiders universally regarded Greninja as Ash's starter Pokémon—a misunderstanding that Ash simply had no practical way to explain.
Moreover, the time between Pikachu beginning its journey with Ash and Ash obtaining Froakie had only been separated by a few days. As a result, both Pokémon possessed tremendous prestige and seniority within the team.
On top of that, Greninja's strength had always grown side by side with Pikachu's. Combined with its Protean Ability, even Pikachu wasn't completely confident that it could defeat Greninja in battle.
Among all the healthy rivalries within the team, the competition between Pikachu and Greninja had always been the fiercest.
And now, Greninja was on the verge of obtaining the power of Bond Evolution.
The immense pressure Pikachu felt in his heart was easy enough to imagine.