Even after adding the Hoenn Elite Four member Drake as a friend and exchanging greetings, the excitement in Theo's heart simply refused to settle.
When he had discovered the mysterious cave in Meteor Falls, learned of the secret of Mega Evolution, and handed those Mega Evolution items over to the League, he had never imagined that it would lead to such unexpected follow-up rewards.
That journey to Meteor Falls had truly brought him an overwhelming amount of surprises.
…
After seeing Cynthia off, Theo also planned to pack up and continue his own journey.
He had already stayed in Rustboro City for quite some time.
Although he would occasionally livestream his Pokémon training and daily interactions, gaining some popularity points, the traffic was nowhere near as explosive as when he challenged Gyms or participated in Contests.
Moreover, he would soon be adding a new Pokémon to his team.
Especially Deino, a Pokémon that matured late, which meant he needed to accumulate popularity points even more diligently.
During lunch, Theo's phone vibrated softly. It was a message from Cynthia, attached with a photo.
On the massive deck of a cruise ship, Garchomp and Tyrantrum stood side by side, leaning their heads over the railing as they gazed at the surging sea below.
The small yellow crown painted on Garchomp's forehead stood out brightly under the sunlight.
Nearby, he could also see Roserade's elegant figure and Gastrodon's adorable appearance.
Seeing Tyrantrum looking so carefree and happy, the last trace of worry in Theo's heart finally faded away.
That afternoon, the butler had already packed all the supplies: water, food, emergency medicine, Pokémon feed, and more.
Theo slung his backpack over his shoulder and prepared to set off. As he stepped out of the estate, Steven was already waiting at the entrance with his Pokémon.
The moment the shiny Metagross saw Metang, it immediately used its psychic power to pull the smaller one close. The two rubbed their faces together affectionately, clearly reluctant to part.
"Send word when you reach Petalburg City," Steven said, patting Theo on the shoulder. "As for Mega Evolution research, I will inform you immediately when there is progress."
Theo nodded in gratitude.
After waving goodbye, he turned and set off on his journey.
Passing through the outskirts of the bustling city, the familiar Petalburg Woods soon came into view.
Sunlight filtered through layers upon layers of leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The scent of grass and soil mixed with the damp forest air, refreshing and invigorating.
Theo released Milotic, Metang, and Larvesta.
For a moment, not seeing Tyrantrum wandering around nearby made him feel strangely unaccustomed, leaving an empty feeling in his heart.
Shaking off that sentiment, Theo turned to Milotic beside him.
"Do you remember this place, Milotic?"
Milotic gently nodded, its tail fin swaying as nostalgia filled its eyes.
Back when it was still a Feebas, when it first participated in a Contest, it had trained here in this very forest together with Tyrunt.
In the end, it had mastered the beautiful combination move Frozen Whirlpool, making a stunning debut in Contests.
"If you remember, then lead the way," Theo said while glancing at the sky. "We probably will not make it out of the forest today. Let's set up camp near that waterfall from before."
Milotic let out a soft cry and floated forward using water control, guiding the way.
Metang obediently hovered nearby, though its eyes occasionally revealed curiosity as it examined this new environment.
Larvesta, on the other hand, behaved like a mischievous kitten let loose, full of curiosity about everything in the forest. It spun threads and swung between branches, chirping happily.
From time to time, it would even pick some berries from trees and offer them to Theo like a treasure.
After walking for about an hour, the sound of rushing water echoed ahead. Pushing through a dense patch of bushes, the familiar waterfall came into view.
Water cascaded down from above, crashing into the pool below and splashing white foam, producing a crisp, soothing sound.
"This is the place."
Theo set down his backpack, chose a flat patch of ground, and began pitching the tent.
"We will rest here tonight. We continue tomorrow."
It had been five days since he last gave them advanced energy orbs, which meant it was time again.
Theo took out the advanced energy orbs from the system space and handed them to Milotic, Metang, and Larvesta.
The moment they saw the familiar green glowing spheres, their eyes lit up. They eagerly approached and carefully swallowed them.
The energy orb melted instantly upon entering their bodies, turning into a warm current that surged through them. All three closed their eyes in comfort, savoring the steady growth of power within.
After absorbing the energy, Milotic slipped into the water, gently swaying its tail. A small water vortex began to form.
Gradually, the base of the vortex started freezing…
What once required immense effort when it was still a Feebas was now something it could execute with ease.
Seeing this, Metang floated to the edge of the pool and used its psychic power to lift water.
At the same time, icy energy began to gather around its metallic arms, emitting a faint chill.
Clearly, Metang was trying to imitate Milotic and create its own small ice-water vortex.
Larvesta watched their actions, its blue eyes spinning thoughtfully.
It did not take much to guess that it was plotting something mischievous.
Sure enough, the next moment, Larvesta released a Fire Spin, forming a small flaming vortex in an attempt to disrupt the others.
Milotic reacted instantly, flicking its tail and controlling the water to extinguish Larvesta's flames.
Larvesta scrunched its nose in annoyance.
Theo sat by the tent, preparing dinner while watching the three play around. The setting sun cast golden light across the water, making it shimmer beautifully. The entire scene felt peaceful and relaxing.
Suddenly!
Just as Metang was about to freeze its water tornado, its psychic power spiraled out of control. Tiny white lights began to emanate from its body.
The vortex it had been controlling burst apart with a loud splash, sending water everywhere.
Larvesta was drenched completely, and even Theo was not spared, ending up soaked as well.
Larvesta froze for a moment after being splashed, then immediately puffed up in anger.
The flames on its five antennae flared up with a whoosh as it chirped furiously at Metang, as if accusing it of doing it on purpose.
At that very moment, the white light around Metang grew brighter and brighter.
"Hm?"
Seeing what was happening, Theo abruptly stood up. He did not even bother wiping the water droplets off his face before quickly rushing toward Metang.
The white light grew denser and denser, soon completely enveloping Metang's figure.
It was exactly the same as when Beldum had evolved before.
Larvesta's anger instantly vanished. Its eyes widened as it stared fixedly at Metang's silhouette within the glowing light.
Milotic also immediately swam out from the pool, vigilantly scanning the surroundings to prevent any wild Pokémon from interfering with Metang's evolution.
Watching this scene, Theo held his breath, his heart pounding loudly in his chest.
Within the white glow, Metang's form was constantly changing. Beside it, a small white point of light appeared.
At first, it was only a vague outline, but gradually it expanded, becoming larger and clearer until it transformed into a phantom-like image of another Metang.
Streams of visible energy flowed out from Metang's body into that phantom.
The phantom gradually solidified, eventually becoming indistinguishable from the original Metang. The moment it fully formed, the white light suddenly contracted.
The two Metang figures seemed to be pulled together by an invisible force, slowly approaching one another and merging within the light, producing a deep rumbling sound.
A low hum continuously echoed from within the glow as the light grew increasingly intense, so bright that it was almost impossible to keep one's eyes open.
Only after a while did the brilliance begin to fade.
From within the light, four pairs of metallic arms extended outward first.
A massive silver-white metallic body emerged, gleaming coldly under the setting sun. On its face was a golden X-shaped mark.
The contrast between gold and silver gave it an air of nobility.
Finally, a pair of crimson eyes slowly opened, clearly reflecting Theo's delighted expression.
It was a shiny Metagross.
Larvesta stared at Metagross with wide eyes full of envy. It really wanted to evolve too.
[Pokémon: Metagross (Shiny)]
Type: Steel / Psychic
Category: Iron Leg Pokémon
Ability: Clear Body (Prevents stat reduction from opponents' moves or abilities)
Moves: Hammer Arm, Hone Claws, Shadow Claw, Psychic Fangs, Light Screen, Reflect, Rest, Heavy Slam, Meteor Mash...
The information appearing before him made Theo's heart surge with excitement. Just like before, Metagross had learned many new moves.
Especially Meteor Mash. When Steven's shiny Metagross had used that move against the mysterious Mega Flygon in the cave, it had left a deep impression on Theo.
He had not expected Metang to learn it immediately upon evolving, which confirmed his earlier guess.
This Beldum that had split off from Steven's shiny Metagross had likely inherited many moves from the beginning, but had been unable to use them before reaching the appropriate evolutionary stage.
Now that it had evolved into Metagross, its true potential was finally being revealed.
Metagross moved its limbs, each step causing the ground to sink slightly with a dull thud. It clearly was not fully accustomed to walking in its new body yet.
Soon after, faint electric currents flickered across its body. Its four metallic arms began to rise slowly with clicking sounds, lifting high to either side.
Its flight mode activated.
Blue psychic energy and golden electric currents enveloped its body as it slowly lifted into the air.
"Lar!"
Larvesta's eyes lit up with excitement. It circled around Metagross, clearly wanting to ride it.
Seeing this, Metagross gently lifted Larvesta using its psychic power and placed it onto its broad back.
Then, before Larvesta could even react, Metagross suddenly accelerated.
With a sharp whoosh, it shot straight into the sky, stirring up a powerful gust of wind.
"Laaaaar!"
Larvesta's scream pierced through the forest, yet it was filled with uncontrollable excitement, echoing endlessly in the air.
Theo and Milotic exchanged glances, both seeing the same smile reflected in each other's eyes.
Metagross carried Larvesta as it circled above the forest for quite some time. At moments, it would dive through the waterfall's curtain, while at others it soared above the treetops.
Only when Larvesta's excited cries began to carry a hint of fatigue did it slowly descend.
It deactivated its flight mode, metallic joints clicking softly as it landed steadily by the pool, returning to its walking form.
Milotic immediately approached, gently touching Metagross's body with its tail fin, its eyes filled with curiosity and affection.
"Come on, try out your other moves," Theo said with a smile.
Metagross eagerly began to show off, demonstrating each of its newly learned moves one by one.
When it used Hammer Arm, the ground sank slightly. When it swung Shadow Claw, dark afterimages streaked through the air. When it activated Psychic Fangs, a faint blue psychic aura surrounded its body.
Larvesta played the role of the most enthusiastic supporter.
Each time Metagross used a move, it chirped excitedly, its antennae releasing small bursts of flame as if cheering.
Theo sat beside the campfire, adding firewood while watching Metagross display its abilities. The firelight reflected warmly on his face.
When Metagross used Meteor Mash, Theo immediately stood up and watched closely.
Its silver metallic arm glowed with brilliant white light as energy gathered rapidly.
With a thunderous boom, it slammed its arm into the ground.
The hard earth was smashed into a half-meter-deep crater, cracks spreading outward as the ground trembled slightly.
Theo nodded in approval. The power was already quite impressive, though compared to Steven's shiny Metagross, it still seemed to lack something.
He remembered that when Steven's Metagross used this move, a phantom of a meteor would appear behind it.
At the same time, a faint red glow would surround its body, representing the move's additional effect of boosting its attack power.
"It still needs more practice," Theo murmured, though he was not worried.
After all, Metagross had only just evolved. Once its proficiency improved, it would surely be able to unleash Meteor Mash to its full potential.
When dinner was ready, its aroma spread through the forest.
Metagross's appetite had grown significantly after evolving. Larvesta even tried to compete with it in eating, but ended up unable to finish even half of what Metagross consumed.
In the end, it could only admit defeat and obediently became a little assistant, handing food to Metagross.
After night fell, Metagross took the initiative to guard outside the tent, remaining alert to its surroundings and taking over Tyrantrum's former role as protector.
Larvesta, on the other hand, acted like a large pillow, letting Theo hold it. Its warm and soft body felt like a small heater, allowing Theo to sleep soundly in the cool night air.
The next morning, golden sunlight filtered through the leaves.
Theo packed up the tent and continued his journey.
Milotic had already returned to its Dive Ball, where the internal environment was more comfortable for it.
Larvesta lay happily on Metagross's back, while Metagross remained in flight mode, leisurely following beside Theo.
Now fully adapted to its new body, Metagross's computational ability had improved tremendously.
It used its psychic power to clear branches from Theo's path while simultaneously monitoring their surroundings.
At the same time, it even spared some attention to tease Larvesta on its back with small bursts of psychic energy, occasionally circling above Theo's head and suddenly accelerating into brief dives.
Larvesta's laughter never ceased.
This ability to multitask so effortlessly was, for the newly evolved Metagross, nothing more than the most basic instinct.
(End of Chapter)