…Revealing my secrets, huh?

I sat on a chair next to the corner table in my Pokémon Center room. Everyone had fallen asleep in a pile on the bed, and Marill was actually with them rather than sleeping in the tub. Her demeanor hadn't shifted drastically after the discussion with Dr. Legere, but she had been acting much more affectionate in that cool aloof way all of her actions generally followed.

Earlier, I had gone ahead and bought everyone a second helping of Poké Puffs that Marill actually enjoyed this time. I was glad to see that she was feeling comfortable with us again. It was entertaining to watch, since Swablu kept trying to steal her treats and she had to keep him away with her tail.

My thoughts turned to the plan I wanted to go through with: revealing what I knew to Norman. Even though I didn't know him that well, I trusted Norman to do the right thing. He was the father of both May and Max, who were companions of Ash Ketchum in the anime. Considering I found May's name listed in the "Notable Coordinators" thread in the Hoenn generalist forums, I had no reason to doubt it wasn't the case in this world.

The characters in the anime were "good," so I assumed their families were as well. I’d noticed that people in this world are far more friendly and trustworthy than my previous world. There's a sense of community and togetherness that all humans share that was missing in my previous world. I suppose that when the major threats were reality warping monsters, there's more important things to worry about than internal squabbles. In my opinion, Norman was the best choice to pass the information I wanted to share over to due to his connection. Oraguru’s vote of confidence in the League definitely made me feel better about trusting Norman with this information, as well. The only question is, what should I tell him?

I looked over to my team, still in a giant pile on the bed. Vulpix was curled around Floette, and Swablu was using Vulpix's tails as a sort of fluffy nest. Marill wasn't directly joined with the rest of them, but was sleeping with her back leaned up against Vulpix.

Everyone looked so peaceful.

Honestly I think I've been acting a bit ridiculous recently. I should have realized that the League wouldn't do anything sooner. While I still think it would be a mistake to share information about my background and the evil teams too soon, it wouldn't hurt to share what I know about Mega Evolution.

I mean, a Camerupt fighting back against a Salamence? The League should know more about Mega Evolution so they can make proper precautions.

I briefly fantasized about gaining access to Mega Evolution earlier if I shared my knowledge before focusing back on the task at hand.

While I doubt I can come out to tell them about the numerous terrorist organizations I know about, Mega Evolution is something that I feel is safe enough to share. If they find out what I know is true, I might have an “in” to share more dangerous information in the future and help save more lives.

I pulled my backpack onto the table and took out a few spare sheets of paper and a pencil I unceremoniously stole from another Pokémon Center. They would be important for taking notes.

I carefully placed my feet to not make a sound while I left my room. It was night and I didn’t want to disturb my Pokémon’s rest. I walked down the hallway to head downstairs for a late night PC session. It was time to do research if I was going to share what I knew.

I need to make sure to do this properly. My knowledge of the specifics of Mega Evolution is a bit fuzzy, but I have no doubts that looking over Pokédex entries online would help jog my memory. It’s time to take control of this situation.

I stretched my arms out and yawned. I spent almost all night writing notes and only ended up sleeping for a couple of hours. I woke up early to arrive at Petalburg Gym before the day's battles really picked up.

I pushed down my nerves as much as I could, leaving me with only the slight feeling of stress within my stomach as I approached the dojo. I saw that the same Gym Trainer in casual clothes was there, this time dozing across the steps.

I cleared my throat to announce my presence and he shot up, clutching his tablet.

"Wha- what! I wasn't sleeping, just practicing Hypnosis resistance! Yup!" He glanced around and noticed I was the only one here.

"Oh, hello there," he said, obviously recognizing me. "You here to challenge Norman again?"

I shook my head. "No, but I do need to talk to him."

He tapped his tablet a few times before looking back up at me.

"If you're going to try to convince him to give you a badge, that's not going to work. Unlike other leaders, impressing him isn't enough. You have to beat him in battle."

"I'm not interested in saying anything like that. I have something I have to give him that I can't have anyone else see."

The Gym Trainer coughed into his hand. "You better not be one of his crazy fans. Norman is married so if you plan to give him chocolates, you're better off eating them yourself."

I crossed my arms and glared at him. He quickly turned away from me, embarrassed and realizing that wasn't the case.

"I'll, uh, send him a message that he has a meeting after this battle," he said. "Let him mop up the newbie before you head in."

I nodded but didn't thank him since I was annoyed at his previous accusation.

I waited while the faint echoes of a battle came from behind the dojo. They ended within a few minutes and I started to head inside.

The door slammed open before I could open it myself.

"Oh," the angry person in front of me said, "It's you."

I looked at him in confusion. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

His face turned red and he sputtered indignantly.

"Do you know me? I'm Winston, son of the heir to the Pokébites fortune! You rigged the Mauville Gym Battle against me!" He thrust a clenched fist down to his side and pointed a finger towards my face, making him look like he was throwing a stereotypical tantrum.

My eyes lit up in recognition.

“Oh! You’re that asshole who forced his way into the Gym Battle!” I looked him up and down, recognizing his combed blonde hair and ironed blue suit.

I blinked, remembering some advice Marty told me back in the Olivine Pokémart.

“Wait, Pokébites? The overpriced Pokémon food with no nutritional value? That’s where you got your money?”

He huffed.

“I’ll have you know that Pokébites brand Pokémon food contains the appropriate amount of nutrients and is part of a balanced meal for any Pokémon. Any allegations of obesity caused by our brand is slander or libel, depending on if it was spoken or written.”

"Um, okay?"

I glanced back to the Gym Trainer who just shrugged. Winston just looked madder.

"So, are you here to rig a victory again? Or just here to mock me like last time?"

This time I was really confused. I didn't think he realized how stereotypical he was acting. He was so far past unreasonable, I wasn't annoyed or angry, just completely bewildered.

"I really don't know what you're talking about. I just came here to talk to Norman."

"Oh! Talk to Norman, I see. Not battle Norman like everyone else," he said in a mocking tone. "Of course you're 'in' with this Gym Leader too, I bet you won't even have to fight him to get your badge."

This time, the Gym Trainer spoke up to defend me.

"That’s not the case. It was a pretty bad defeat last time.” I winced. “It’s just a meeting and nothing else."

Winston snapped his gaze to the Gym Trainer before slowly turning to glare at me.

"So now you got Gym Trainers working for you too? I knew I was right about you. I bet your Pokémon are nothing more than pets that never properly earned a badge."

I took a step forward.

"What did you just say about my Pokémon?"

He laughed and walked past me, shoving me aside with his body. I stumbled, not expecting him to be physical against me. I should have known he would do something like that, especially since he did shoulder-check me in Mauville.

"I don't have to defend myself to you," he said, "Good luck with your Gym Battle."

He paused then gave me one last look.

"Oh wait, you don't need luck, do you? After all, everything is rigged in your favor."

He walked away, practically strutting as he did. I was completely fuming inside after his words.

'Nothing more than pets?' Oh, the nerve of that asshole. I hope he makes it to the Conference just so I can beat him to a pulp on national television.

While what "Winston" said made me furious, I couldn't go after him. He may have pushed me and while I could make a claim for assault with a witness, I didn't want to get bogged down dealing with some asshole in the middle of my journey. I was here to get a weight off my back, I didn't need to add another one.

I walked through the dojo and exited through the open screens on the other side. The field looked the same as it did two days ago when I battled Norman, but there was a Diggersby standing on it, patting the earth down and compressing the battlefield back to its normal state after Winston’s battle.

Norman was on the other side of the field waiting for me and I headed over to him.

“Hello,” I said calmly, having lost all nervousness after being forced to deal with Winston's nonsense.

He inclined his head in a greeting and I continued to speak.

“I have some information that should be important to the League.”

Norman raised an eyebrow at that before responding.

"I see. Let's move somewhere more private."

Norman turned around and motioned for me to follow. We walked away from the battlefield and into the acres of natural woods owned by the Gym. He led me to a greenhouse nestled within a grove of trees and we went inside.

I paused after I passed through the entrance. The greenhouse was set up to mimic a forest, except that every single tree within it was a berry tree. Bushes were scattered here and there, and there was a decent sized pond dug into the corner. I saw a number of Normal Type Pokémon running around and playing, and even more were simply resting. The majority of the berry trees had Slakoth and Vigoroth within them, and I could just barely make out the top of the head of an absolutely massive Slaking past the trees on the other side.

There was a picnic clearing set up in the center of the greenhouse with a set of plastic lawn chairs and a table for us to sit on. Norman took a seat and I took another across from him. A Delcatty, not the one I battled, walked over to Norman and laid down next to him. He absentmindedly scratched behind its ear.

He stopped petting it to lean forward and crossed his hands together. “So,” He said seriously, “what is it that’s so secret that you required a meeting with a Gym leader?”

"Before we start, tell Steven I'm calling in a favor. I want to be left alone and protected from people who might go after me for knowing this. I don't want anyone to hurt me or treat me differently. I'm handing over everything I know about this topic, so there shouldn't be any reason to bother me or single me out. Someone has a question? Direct them to the information I give you. I could have kept what I know secret, but I want the League to use this information to keep everyone safe. This is important."

Norman stared at me in interest.

"That's a bold claim. Using a favor like that is even more interesting. So, what do you have to share?"

I cautiously took out a small stack of paper from my backpack and handed them over. I said nothing while he read them through, his eyes widening the further he got into the documents.

Last night when I was recording what I knew, I decided to include everything I knew about Mega Evolution in the documents I handed over. I didn't see a reason to leave anything out, and the more I shared the more useful to the League it'd be. Well, sharing everything wasn’t completely true since I did leave out certain dangerous information like Mewtwo's Mega-Evolutions and the Primal forms of Kyogre and Groudon. I didn't think Mewtwo would appreciate making him more well known, and I didn't want to risk leaking the information about Primal Reversion to Team Magma.

I did, however, include information about both Rayquaza and Diancie. I hoped that details about those Legendary Pokémon were rare enough that the knowledge would add credence to my claims. I still was a bit nervous that handing this information over would paint a target on my back, but all the evidence pointed to the Pokémon League protecting me.

(Also, I was also being a bit selfish. This information could speed up the introduction of Mega Evolution in this world. The sooner I could get a Mega Altaria and make Swablu a Fairy Type, the better.)

Norman continued to read through my notes while I sat in silence. The papers I had just given him contained what species I knew could Mega Evolve, a description of their new appearance, what abilities and types they gained or lost as part of the process, as well as what capabilities were enhanced (essentially my explanation for stat changes in their new forms). I didn’t remember all of the details, heck I almost forgot about Mega Medicham, but just seeing the species's entry online last night refreshed my memory.

It took almost an hour for Norman to speak again. He read through everything I had written several times, practically committing it to memory.

“This is incredibly detailed but hard to believe. Do you have any evidence for your claims?”

Internally, I doubted he would spend so long reading it if didn't believe me, but I knew proof of my claims would still be important. I still wasn't going to reveal I was from another world unless absolutely necessary, but I did have the next best thing: telling the truth.

“No, I don’t. I have no ways to validate my claims and I have nothing else physical to give you. I know that there has to be at least someone out there studying Mega Evolution who might be able to confirm. My list should at least help reveal options or coincide with their research. It’s up to you to decide whether or not I’m correct, but every single thing I know about Mega Evolution is on those papers.”

“And how did you get this information? This is far past what the League knows about the subject.”

I shrugged. “Can’t tell you that.”

Norman furrowed his brows but seemed to accept that response.

I screamed internally after seeing how easy it was to convince him not to ask.

Seriously?! I spent months terrified that someone would kidnap me for information, but just saying it’s secret was enough to get them to not care?! Ugh, it's not worth being that paranoid in this world ever again.

I removed my hand from where it was being dragged down my face and suppressed the utter exasperation I was feeling to focus on my next step: leaving.

“That’s all I have to share. All of the Mega Evolutions I know of and any specific details about their capabilities. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to head out so I can catch an overnight boat to Dewford. Remember: favor with Steven, keep me anonymous, also please give me some protection. That's it! Goodbye.”

Norman didn't stop me or decline what I wanted and continued to read the papers. He distractedly waved his hand to send me off while I escorted myself out of the greenhouse. I was thankful for that, since I didn’t want to have him ask any more questions.

I exited the building and headed westwards towards Petalburg’s connection to the ocean. I had a boat to catch.

“You were right. That trainer did know about Mega-Evolution.”

Steven directed Armaldo to carry the felled trees off to the side to be collected later. He was currently at the Weather Institute on Route 119 helping assemble increased defenses for the facility. He was technically unneeded, but having the Champion himself assist was a show of force to scare off any potential Team Magma cell from attacking.

Plus, his Pokémon were incredibly strong and their help sped up construction by days.

He was working on pushing back the forest away from the main building when he was interrupted by an emergency call from the Petalburg Gym Leader Norman. That was an unusual occurrence for Steven, especially since Norman rarely considered anything to be an emergency in the first place.

“Oh? I thought Drake already confirmed it when he asked about Mega Flygon,” Steven responded. “His disappointment after that conversation was immeasurable, but he didn’t detect any lies. Did you already have a conversation with them? We already agreed to talk to them after the season ends. I thought our discussion after we received that report from Meteor Falls made that clear.”

Steven was talking to Norman through his PokéNav. As heir to the Devon Corporation he had the latest and most advanced upgrade to the device and could hear Norman as clearly as if he was talking to him in person.

“No, this isn’t like after Meteor Falls,” Norman replied. “They willingly gave me a list of every Mega Evolution they knew.”

Steven faltered in directing his Pokémon for just a moment before continuing as if nothing had happened. He had an image to maintain and couldn’t allow any flaws. It was exhausting sometimes but he had to keep the appearance of a perfect Champion.

“Norman, did you say every Mega Evolution they knew? Willingly? How many Mega Evolutions did they provide?”

“Forty-five.”

“Forty-fi- Excuse me.” Steven directed the Foreman to come over. “I have an important call to take so I will be temporarily returning to my residence. I will leave my Pokémon here to assist. I apologize for any inconvenience it may cause.”

After a brief “see you soon” from the Foreman, Claydoll Teleported over, detecting Steven’s intentions. Steven laid his hand on Claydoll’s side then nearly immediately found himself back in his Mossdeep home. He fast-walked to his office, not caring as much about appearance since he was now in private, then resumed the call with Norman.

“I’m back. Let us continue from where we left off."

Steven cleared his throat.

“Forty-five?!”

Norman gave an affirmative grunt in response. “That’s not all. They also included abilities and Type changes that Pokémon undergo in the process of Mega Evolution. What brings me to believe them is that while it hasn’t been publicly announced, they described your Mega Metagross perfectly.”

Steven sat in silence for a moment to collect his thoughts before Norman spoke up once more.

“Also... They mentioned something I thought was especially important to the safety of our region.”

Steven tapped his desk. It was a nervous tick he could never fully get rid of, but it didn’t come out until he was in the safety of his own home. The information Norman received, if true, would be truly groundbreaking in the study of Mega Evolution.

Norman continued as Steven stayed silent.

“According to the provided list, Rayquaza can Mega Evolve. They state that it gained this ability after eating a meteor, which is a behavior that coincides with the knowledge we have of it.”

Steven’s tapping stopped. “Rayquaza is only known as a legend among most of the populace. Are you sure they wrote it down as a certainty?”

“Yes,” replied Norman, “They wrote as if there was no doubt that Rayquaza existed, and even referred to it as if it were just a normal Pokémon at some points. They were quite specific on how its capabilities improved through Mega Evolution. In fact, they listed both its normal ability alongside its Mega Evolution's ability, which was information we did not have before.”

Steven’s mind was flying through plans and reactions after receiving such a boon from this almost completely unknown source. He had looked into their background and found nothing outside of a brief stint as a Pokémart Clerk in Olivine. It was as if they randomly appeared in this world one day. One connection appeared in his mind and he immediately asked Norman for his own opinion.

‘“Do you think they may have been a member of the Draconid Tribe? If they were exiled from it, it would explain their sudden appearance and why they might have such knowledge. Their attempt to specialize in the Fairy Type might suggest a grudge against the tribe.”

Norman paused to process this information before responding. “I do not know. They do not act like any Draconid Tribe members I have met, but if they had been exiled for a while it would explain the difference in behavior. They did explicitly state they're calling in a favor for privacy, anonymity, and protection.”

Steven reached into the drawer of his desk, brushed aside a few rare stones, and pulled out a stack of forms. He grabbed his favorite fountain pen and prepared to write.

“For now I’m going to order a Class-354 protection unit to protect our informant, and also issue a gag order to protect their identity. We don’t want whatever remains of Team Magma to get a trace of them. Phoebe will be informed shortly, and I’ll work on passing the information along to those who need it. How soon can you send it over?”

“The information was provided on a collection of loose paper. I recommend physical transportation to prevent data leaks. I will say though, Wattson will be happy.”

Steven chuckled and hung up the PokéNav call.

So Manectric can Mega-Evolve after all, huh?

Since I left in the morning after talking to Norman, I was able to arrive at the Port just before dusk. There were a few small boats with rooms to spare on a trip to Dewford, and I bought a ticket on one to go there. With the speed boats traveled and the proximity of Dewford to the mainland, we would arrive around noon tomorrow.

The ticket for an overnight ship was a little more pricey than usual, but I didn’t even blink about dipping into my reserve funds now that Marty was technically sponsoring me.

I thought back to my conversation with Norman this morning and hoped that now that I had provided the information, they would start to trust me once they experimented and found my information to be true. Once that was the case, they would be more open to any information I would provide them about terrorist organizations.

Now that I had actually told someone some of my knowledge, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I knew that I had been experiencing some form of stress from my internal dilemma, but I didn’t realize just how much it was pressing on me.

I checked the time on my Pokégear, seeing that it was 6:53pm, and remembered something from months ago in the past, back in Mossdeep. Since I would be arriving in Dewford tomorrow, I pulled up the number registered in my Pokégear and made a call.

It rang a few times before she answered.

“...Hello? Who is this?”

“Hey Laura, it’s been a while. It’s me, Alex.”

There was a pause on the other side of the line.

“...You complete asshole!”

Huh??

“When someone gives you their number, they expect you to call them so you can give them your number back! I gave you my number months ago! I thought you gave up on your journey! I wanted to call and tell you I got the job, but how could I do that if I didn’t know your contact information?!”

My head was spinning as she yelled in my ear.

“Um, sorry?”

“Oh no. Sorry doesn’t cut it. You’re calling me cause you’re heading to Dewford, right? Well, I said I’d whip up something special for your Gym Trial and boy will you get it. Hope you’ve been keeping up with your training, because I'm going to tell Brawly to use one of his special strategies for you.”

“Is that really necessary?” I asked.

“Oh it is and then some. Call me the day before you decide to take on the Gym. I’ll need time to finish setting everything up.”

And then she hung up.

I don’t like how she used the word “everything” in that sentence.

I sat and looked around in minor bewilderment, recovering from that unexpected conversation. Vulpix tried to stifle her laughter as she rested at my feet. She must have heard the lecture I just received.

That was somehow the worst conversation I had today, and I had to deal with Winston.

I stood and walked to the boat scheduled to leave soon, trying to get my mind off of whatever Laura was planning. After all, Dewford awaited, and once there it would be time to properly prepare for the Gym.