"Good. You did great, Champion Cynthia."
Two hours later, the shoot was finally over. Damian took the camera from Tapu Fini, quickly flipped through the shots, and nodded in satisfaction.
Cynthia straightened her slightly rumpled clothes.
"I've fulfilled what I promised you. We're square now."
Her voice was calm.
How to put it…
The whole process of this shoot was something she probably wouldn't be able to forget for a long time.
"Of course. I always keep my promises." Damian grinned.
"These photos…" Cynthia hesitated, then still decided to ask what Damian planned to do with them.
"On that note, Champion Cynthia, you can search for a user called 'cameraman Damian' on the Hoenn forums. Everything on that account is my work."
Damian gave Cynthia a very "pure" smile.
"Before you, Wallace‑sensei and Steven‑sensei both had their own works of art, you know. All shot by me."
"..."
A flicker of emotion crossed Cynthia's exquisitely beautiful face.
Wallace and Steven's "works of art"?
Weren't those the girls'‑outfit shots of Wallace and Steven with their twisted sense of fun?
Yeah. Cynthia had seen that set too.
On the Hoenn forums, that Art Series had been everywhere. Any time Cynthia opened the Hoenn forums, she'd see it pinned on the hot threads.
Of course, she'd never asked Wallace and Steven where those pictures had come from. She respected other people's private hobbies.
Now she finally understood how those "artistic photos" had ended up online.
Damian was a nasty piece of work.
And she had no idea if he'd post these couple shots of her and him too…
Cynthia thought about it, then decided not to ask.
She knew that if Damian wanted to post them, she had no way to stop him. Better not to bring it up at all.
"Damian, I know I can't talk you around. But I want to ask you something—can you let Caitlin go?" Cynthia asked him.
"'Let her go'?" Damian raised a brow.
Here she went again.
"Champion Cynthia, that really doesn't sit well with me, hearing you say that."
"Weren't you the one who brought Caitlin into Team Rocket?"
By now, Cynthia was certain: the person who had changed Caitlin… was Damian. On that, she had no doubt.
"I was, yeah. But I don't see that as a bad thing."
Damian put the camera away, then tilted his head, studying Cynthia at his leisure.
"Champion Cynthia, I think both Caitlin and I have already told you—you really don't understand what people like us actually want."
Cynthia's brows knit tightly.
"Caitlin is very gifted. But before all this, she had no freedom, no 'self'—she was trapped under your shadow as Champion Cynthia."
Damian's tone stayed even.
"You probably don't know, do you? When I met Caitlin, she was already ready to give up. To give up chasing your ideology. She was ready to give up that proud version of herself."
Cynthia pressed her lips together, her expression dimming.
Was it because of her? Because her own excellence had put too much pressure on Caitlin?
Cynthia couldn't help feeling a stab of self‑reproach.
"But the Caitlin now—she has freedom, she has belonging, she has dreams. She has Team Rocket, which is willing to accept her unconditionally, no shackles of any kind. How is that worse than before?"
Damian's counter left Cynthia momentarily short of breath.
"But Caitlin's future shouldn't be in Team Rocket…"
Cynthia quickly recovered herself and quietly pushed back.
"In the end, it all comes down to your prejudice against Team Rocket. You decide we're an evil organization and reject us for that."
Damian let out a soft, derisive laugh.
"Isn't that what you are?" Cynthia stared straight at him.
"Sure. In the past, yeah. I won't deny that." Damian shrugged, not refuting it.
Team Rocket had been a malignant organization.
It was only right that people had hated and opposed them, that the League had issued warrants.
"That's why I'm asking you to let Caitlin go, Damian. I'll agree to anything you want."
Cynthia's tone was firm.
"Looks like you really didn't hear a word I just said. Whether Caitlin leaves or not isn't up to me."
Damian was a bit speechless—then his interest perked up again.
"And when you say 'anything'… you mean that?"
"Yes."
"Including marrying me?"
"…Yes." Cynthia hesitated, then said: "As long as you leave Team Rocket together with Caitlin, we'll get married."
Tsk~
Where had this sudden shift come from?
Damian looked at Cynthia, puzzled. Back in LaRousse City, she'd still been very resistant.
"Tempting offer. But unfortunately, I can't accept it."
Damian quickly let out a soft chuckle and replied.
"Caitlin has her own will. Besides, she's my right‑hand man, and she's very important to me."
"If Caitlin left Team Rocket, who would fill the hole she'd leave? You, Cynthia?"
Damian smiled, eyes crinkling as he asked.
At that, Cynthia's brows furrowed again.
Was Damian implying…
Caitlin could leave Team Rocket—if she, Cynthia, stepped in to fill the void Caitlin left behind?
That…
Cynthia bit her lip. How could that be?
What she wanted was for Caitlin to get away from Team Rocket, this evil organization.
But if she herself joined Team Rocket, what difference would that make?
Cynthia's heart tangled, her thoughts turning heavy and complicated.
...
Ever Grande City, at the training grounds behind the League building.
Steven and the others had regrouped there, and Cynthia had already returned as well.
Her expression was a little odd when she arrived—but with so much on their minds, none of them really noticed.
"These are the Evolutionary stones and Key Stones Professor Sycamore sent over."
Steven opened the case at his feet. Inside lay rows of gleaming, beautiful Mega Stones and Key Stones.
"They're gorgeous～"
Wallace couldn't help sighing at the splendor of these "gems."
"They really are pretty." Nemona stared at the Mega Stones, full of curiosity.
"Professor Sycamore's still researching the origin of Mega Stones," Steven explained.
"If none of these Mega Stones are the ones we need, we'll have to send them back."
"And these are Key Stones—what Trainers carry. As long as a Trainer with a Key Stone resonates with the Mega Stone their Pokémon is holding, that Pokémon can Mega Evolve."
"Of course, that's all based on Professor Sycamore's research. But it should work. That's exactly how Damian made Tyranitar evolve back then."
Steven picked up a Key Stone, breaking it down for Giovanni and the others.
"But each Pokémon species has its own corresponding Mega Stone. Right now, Professor Sycamore hasn't fully classified all of them, so we'll have to find them ourselves."
"Also, it's probably not the case that every Pokémon can Mega Evolve. So we'll have our own Pokémon see if they can sense their own Evolutionary stone."
"Since these are Pokémon‑exclusive Evolutionary stones, there should be some kind of connection."
Steven went on.
"That's simple enough. Let me go first!"
Wallace flicked his bangs with a flourish, incredibly dashing.
"I can't wait to Mega Evolve my Milotic—and then go grab those Evil Team Rocket Admins!"
Wallace held a grudge!!
Damian could be left to Steven and the others. But Zinnia and Caitlin? Wallace‑sensei was really not okay with them!!
He was Wallace—someone who had been Champion of the Hoenn League!
How could he not even be able to beat an evil organization's Admin? That made no sense at all!
"Sure." Steven nodded and stepped back with Cynthia and the rest.
Wallace took out a Poké Ball and opened it.
Milotic landed in front of him, tilting its head in puzzlement as it looked at its Trainer.
"Milotic, take a look at these Evolutionary stones. See if any of them feel special to you."
Wallace asked hopefully.
Milotic cocked its head in confusion, but urged on by Wallace, it turned toward the case of Mega Stones.
Sniff left, sniff right—
A dazed look slowly crept into Milotic's eyes…
"No reaction?" Wallace was stunned.
That couldn't be right! Did that mean there wasn't a single Evolutionary stone for Milotic in there?
No way. Wallace absolutely refused to believe that his beloved Milotic was one of the Pokémon that couldn't Mega Evolve.
"How about I give it a try?" Giovanni spoke up after a brief pause.
"Go ahead."
Wallace didn't object. He didn't think the problem was with his Milotic.
"Beedrill." Giovanni tossed out his own Beedrill.
"Beedrill, see if there's any stone in here that feels special to you—something that feels like it resonates."
Giovanni pointed at the Mega Stones in the case and asked Beedrill.
Beedrill tilted its head, floated to the case, and started rifling around with its stinger‑arms.
After rummaging for quite a while, Beedrill pointed at one particular Mega Stone and turned to give Giovanni a low buzz.
No way?
Steven and the others all brightened.
"This one?" Giovanni stepped up quickly and picked up the Mega Stone Beedrill had indicated.
Beedrill nodded.
"It really works? Senior Giovanni, you've gotta try it!"
Nemona was getting excited.
Senior Giovanni's Beedrill was already terrifyingly strong as it was. If it Mega Evolved too, just how scary would it get??
Nemona had experienced it in person. Out of boredom over the past while, she'd sparred for special training with Cynthia, Giovanni, Leon, and the others.
And because Nemona was so warm, outgoing, and technically their junior, Cynthia and the rest had all accepted.
Without question, Giovanni's Beedrill had left an extremely deep impression on Nemona, completely shattering her old stereotype of what a Beedrill could be.
It was just too strong.
Her own Baxcalibur, last year's ace on her main roster, had gone down not long into the fight, knocked out by Beedrill. It was downright ridiculous.
Nemona was even a little tempted herself now—maybe she should train a Beedrill?
"Yeah, Gym Leader Giovanni, go for it." Steven also nodded his agreement.
"Alright."
Giovanni was clearly interested too. He took another Key Stone from the case and fastened the Mega Stone Beedrill had picked onto Beedrill.
"According to Professor Sycamore, Mega Evolution requires not just the corresponding Key Stone and Mega Stone, but also a deep, mutual bond of trust between Trainer and Pokémon."
Steven watched the Trainer and Pokémon pair, his voice low and serious.
"Otherwise, even if Mega Evolution succeeds, the Pokémon might go berserk from being unable to handle that much power."
"Gym Leader Giovanni and Beedrill shouldn't have any issues there." Leon crossed his arms, watching Giovanni and Beedrill with great interest.
He wondered if his own Charizard would have a Mega Stone too.
Leon was really looking forward to it. Galar might have its unique Dynamax, but Dynamax only worked in Galar—and only near specific energy points.
Mega Evolution, on the other hand, didn't seem to have that kind of limit. If he could master Mega Evolution, his strength would naturally skyrocket.
"Beedrill!"
Giovanni raised the Key Stone toward Beedrill. In truth, he was perfectly calm inside.
Beedrill's Mega Stone was something Damian had given him long ago…
The stone Beedrill had just "picked out" was its own Evolutionary stone. Giovanni was sure of it, so this Mega Evolution was guaranteed to succeed.
The Key Stone began to shimmer with light, and at the same time, Beedrill was wrapped in the seven‑colored light of evolution.
Seeing that, Steven and the others all reacted, eyes widening slightly.
"It's reacting! It's really working!" Nemona was over the moon.
"Fantastic!"
"With Mega Evolution, we can launch another offensive against Team Rocket!!"
Wallace was just as thrilled.
Team Rocket could just wait.
Once they Champions all mastered Mega Evolution, they wouldn't fear them anymore!
~~~
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