Sinnoh region, Sunyshore Gym…

Every trainer had a reason to choose a particular goal, be it a League Championship, winning a Grand Festival, becoming a Gym Leader and so on. Likewise, every trainer had a reason to choose which Pokémon they wanted for their teams, and that was especially true for those who chose to be specialists in a single type. And Shotaro Inazuma, or "Sho" for short, was no exception.

At age twelve, his parents took him to the Pokémon World Tournament hosted in Sinnoh. The semifinals in the Gym Leader category saw an incredible battle between Clay, from Driftveil, and Volkner, from Sunyshore. Despite the type disadvantage, the Electric-type specialist prevailed in the end. But even that match was nothing compared to the finals: an electrifying duel between the local Sinnoh Gym Leader, and Elesa from Nimbasa. A clash of electric titans, if he ever saw one, where neither side wanted to give in, but in the end Volkner was the victorious one, ensuring that the Gym Leader Cup wouldn't leave Sinnoh that year. That battle left quite an impression on Sho, who decided that once he had gotten his trainer license, he'd become an Electric-type specialist. When he turned fourteen, his parents went separately to get him a starter Pokémon: his father had gone to catch him a Shinx, while his mother got him an egg almost about to hatch from a local Daycare Center, which produced a Pichu bred with the famous Volt Tackle attack. Unable to choose only one, Sho asked them to keep both, and he started training them hard. While he planned to take on the League Circuit, as a secondary goal he sought to test himself against other Electric-type specialists, like Volkner.

And that was exactly what he was doing right now, since he had chosen to challenge the Sunyshore Gym for his second badge. Sho was very impatient at times, so as soon as he had the chance to challenge Volkner, he decided to take it. Well, 'challenge' was a bit of a stretch. Statistically speaking, there was a reason why Volkner was considered one of Sinnoh's strongest Gym Leaders; rumors said that for at least the past two years no one had been able to get a sixth badge or above from him at least until the third try, and even then only if they were lucky. In fact, many trainers just gave up trying to beat him and decided to win their badges somewhere else, and Sho was finally beginning to see why. In that three on three battle, he had lost his Magneton and Luxray to Volkner's Jolteon, and now his Electabuzz was delivering the worst beating Sho's Pikachu had ever suffered.

"Pikachu, Volt Tackle!"

"Pika!" The electric mouse ran forward becoming covered in electric power. He was clearly tired, and this attack was more of a last ditch effort to not to let his opponent come out clean of the battle.

"Electabuzz, Thunder Punch!" the Gym Leader replied.

"Electabuzz!" The bipedal electric feline pulled back his large fist, covering it in electricity as well. When Sho's Pikachu jumped to ram him, the Thunder Punch stopped him dead on in midair, dissipating the Volt Tackle energy and knocking him back to his trainer's feet. He struggled to get back up, but finally he couldn't, and dropped himself in exhaustion.

"Pikachu is unable to battle, Electabuzz wins! The challenger has no more Pokémon left, so the winner is the Gym Leader!" The referee of the match was a hovering robot holding two flags in its arms. As he raised the red one in the direction of the Gym Leader, Volkner returned his Electabuzz and sighed with a bored expression.

"Not too bad, Sho. Better than most of the challengers lately, I'd say. But you'll have to do better than that if you want to defeat us one day."

And with these words, Volkner turned around and left the arena. Meanwhile, Sho went to check on his fallen partner. He and the others had done their best, but it wasn't enough. They needed to train harder, much harder, if they wanted to stand a chance against Volkner.

"We weren't ready yet to challenge him," he said. "One day we'll be back, though. We're going to earn that Beacon Badge."

Returning his fallen partner, Sho walked out of the Gym, heading for the Pokémon Center. The rumors of Volkner being one of the toughest Gym Leaders in Sinnoh had been understatements. He was out of their league, they'd have to train harder and strengthen their team just to have a fighting chance. How were they going to beat him?

A couple months later…

Despite his failure to win at Sunyshore, Sho wasn't deterred, and he still managed to get his next two Gym Badges at Veilstone and Pastoria. The leaders were tough (even the latter, despite the type disadvantage), but he managed to pull through. He was almost ready to go for Hearthome next, but something caught his attention that made him stay for a while longer.

While looking for ways to strengthen his team, he heard of a Bug-Catching contest that was to take place in the Great Marsh. The rules were simple: to catch a Bug-type, which would be judged by its strength, rarity and other factors. The prize for the winner was an evolutionary stone of your choice, and all contestants could keep the last Pokémon they caught. Sho wasn't interested in catching Bug-types, but the chance to get a couple of Thunder Stones was too good to let it slide, so he quickly signed up.

He was lucky that the event was held twice or thrice a week, so he could afford a little time to train in between, and it was actually a pretty good workout for himself and his Pokémon. The first time he didn't do very well: catching a Combee was no big deal unless it was female, so he released it back to the wild. The second time, a Yanma improved his score and earned him a Thunder Stone, which he immediately used to evolve Pikachu, and he gave the Yanma to a little kid who wanted one of those. However, he wasn't done yet; a couple weeks before he had gotten himself an Eevee, so in order to have a Jolteon in his team, he needed to win another contest.

And he couldn't be luckier on the third time: a Vespiquen, of all things. He was no Bug-type expert, but he was certain that getting hold of that queen bee would be a sure win. He spent the entire morning chasing it around until he finally got her, and with that, he just had to take a well-earned break and wait for the results.

"And the winner of this contest is… Shotaro Inazuma, who caught a whooping Vespiquen!" In the middle of a little applause, Sho stepped forward as the MC showed him the evolutionary stone collection. "Congratulations. Now, please choose your prize."

Grinning, he quickly reached for the green stone with a lightning bolt inside. His second one. Shaking hands with the MC, he accepted it, while he handed him the Park Ball containing his Vespiquen. He wasn't sure what to do with her. Releasing her back to the wild didn't feel right, since many people would think he was crazy for letting go such a Pokémon that easily. Well, he'd have plenty of time to think about that. For now, there was something else that needed his attention.

Once back into the city, Sho took the Pokéball containing his Eevee, and let him out. The time had come.

"How's it going, little buddy?" he said, holding up the Thunderstone. "You ready for this?"

"Eevee, vee!" Eevee jumped happily, eager to receive his new power.

Sho smiled, and he carefully touched Eevee with the Thunder Stone. The evolutionary Pokémon began to glow, growing in size, his body becoming more aerodynamic and full of spikes. Once the glow died down, Eevee had been replaced by his Electric-type evolution.

"Jolteon!"

"Hehe, now that's more like it." Sho gave him a friendly rub in the head, feeling his new hardened electric fur. "You're one of us now, welcome to the team."

"Jolt!" Jolteon was very eager to start his training. Sure, they had done some basics, but now it was the time to get into the real deal, as an Electric-type.

"Excuse me?" A female voice suddenly called him from behind.

Sho turned around to see it was a young woman, around three or four years older than him. She wore a white and pink sundress and a matching sun hat and had long, gray-bluish hair. She had the looks of the daughter of a rich family.

"Yeah? Can I help you?"

"That Vespiquen you caught in the contest, do you still have her?"

"Oh yeah, I do, why?" Sho replied.

The woman quickly beamed and brought her hands together. "How much do you want for her? Name your price, we can pay you as much as you want."

Sho arched an eyebrow. "Er… not that I complain, but why the interest?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Kylie, and my parents are the owners of the Seven Stars Restaurant of Lake Valor. You see, we'd like to start producing some desserts with Combee honey, but we don't have a Vespiquen to rule and control the hive, so…"

"I see." Sho nodded.

"Anyway, we could really use that Vespiquen you caught. Money is no problem, we can pay as much as you want."

Sho stared at the girl; she seemed pretty determined to get that Vespiquen no matter what. The offer itself was quite tempting, but Sho didn't want to come off as greedy, plus it wasn't like he had monetary issues or something. Still… the Seven Stars Restaurant, considered one of the best (if not the best) in the Sinnoh region, but it was a little expensive to eat over there, even if the food was great. Considering how hard his Pokémon had been working lately, an all-you-can-eat buffet in one of the best restaurants sounded like the perfect reward. This was a chance he couldn't pass up, even if it meant backtracking a little on his way to Hearthome.

Several months later, shortly after the Lily of the Valley Conference…

Sho's first trip around Sinnoh was quite an eventful one. He had many adventures around, and he was pretty excited to get into his first important tournament. Still, despite making it to the Top 16 (quite an achievement for a rookie) his participation was a bit soured a by a couple of factors. The first, he only made it to the top 16 because he caught his Top 32 future opponent using steroids to give his Pokémon a boost and reported it to the league officers (further investigation also revealed that at least three of the Pokémon he was using had been stolen from another trainer), only to lose 4-6 to another rookie, some guy with black hair and strange Z-marks in the face whose name he couldn't remember right now.

The second and most important, he was unable to get his Beacon Badge from Volkner. After losing to him, he went on his way and promised to return one day for a rematch, and he did, this time for his sixth badge. But once again, he lost, just as bad as the first time, if not worse. Hoping for a 'third time's the charm' he returned once again for his final badge, and while it was his best performance, he only managed to knock out three out of four of Volkner's strongest Pokémon, losing his last one in the process. Since the Conference was coming soon, he had no choice but to take the faster route and challenge another Gym to get his final badge in time. But he wasn't ready to give up yet. He wanted to return to challenge Volkner and win that badge one day, and he would. The question was, what to do now?

"I'm home!" he said as he entered his house, and he was greeted by someone grabbing him by the neck and ruffling his hair.

"Haha, welcome back, champ!" It was none other than his father, who looked like an older and burlier version of himself, but with his hair having a few white streaks and a goatee.

"Ow, ow! Dad, that hurts, ow!" Sho quickly freed himself, but he was clearly happy to see him. "Hey, I didn't know you were back from Hoenn already!"

"I just arrived a couple hours ago. Sorry I couldn't come sooner. Top 16 in your first League Conference, congratulations!"

"Meh, it's no big deal." Sho just shrugged. "At least not when one of your opponents gets caught in doping."

"Don't be modest, son," said his father with pride. "Oh, by the way, Auntie Agnes sent you a little gift."

Before Sho could ask what it was, his father had gone ahead and pulled out a Pokéball. He quickly released its occupant, revealing a small, green canine with a yellow lightning marking across its face.

"Trike, trike!" it barked.

"Electrike, an Electric-type native from Hoenn. She figured that you might like him."

"Cool." Sho smiled as he approached and tried to pet Electrike. The canine quickly opened his maw and chomped on his hand. "Ow! Hey, let go, let go!" he yelled trying to shake him off

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to tell you, he loves to bite things. Make sure to get him a chew toy, it might come in handy."

"Yeah, I'll keep it in mind!" Sho finally got Electrike to let go of his hand. The electric canine laughed; he seemed quite amused with that little game. Well, Sho could appreciate his energetic personality, for sure.

"Also, he had this on him." Sho's father showed him a spherical stone. It was yellow, and inside it had what seemed a couple of red and blue streaks. Sho grabbed it, it seemed to irradiate some kind of energy he didn't understand.

"What's this?" the trainer asked.

"Auntie Agnes said it could be a Mega Stone," his father replied. "She said that Manectric can Mega Evolve with one of these and a Key Stone."

"Really? That's awesome!"

"Darling, dinner's ready!" a female voice said from the kitchen. "Sho, please wash your hands, we're all going to eat together!"

"OK, mom! Just let me leave my stuff at my room! Electrike, come with me!"

Electrike followed Sho upstairs. The trainer needed to rest, so he really appreciated that there was dinner waiting for him at home. An Electrike… well, he could tone down the biting game a little, but it seemed he had gotten himself a new interesting partner. He'd make sure to give Auntie Agnes a call to thank her for the gift later.

A few more months later…

Sho still hadn't accomplished his initial goal of beating Volkner, so he decided not to leave Sinnoh yet. Plus, he didn't have any long term goal should he choose to go to another region (other than maybe traveling to Alola to get a regional Raichu over there). Rather than clearing more gyms, he decided to find new Pokémon for his team and try his hand at different challenges. If he kept fighting Volkner in the same way, he'd just get the same result over and over again, so it was time for a new approach. The ferry docked on the Battle Zone, and Sho asked for directions for the famous Battle Hall that had been set up a few months ago. The place had grown very popular, and many trainers, rookies and veterans alike, used the place to further their Pokémon's power. The downside, though, on every visit he was only allowed to use one Pokémon at once, so he had to pick.

"Come out, everyone!"

He released his current active team. Raichu, Luxray, Jolteon, Rotom (in Frost form), Magnezone, and Manectric, who had evolved about two weeks ago.

"OK, guys, let's see who'll be the lucky one having the first go at the Battle Hall. The longer one wins." Sho was holding a six straws in his hand. Each Pokémon grabbed one with their paw, mouth or whatever else they could and drew them.

"Rotom, rotom!" Comparing lengths, Rotom was the one with the longest one. The rest of the Pokémon sighed and frowned, but everyone accepted it.

"Alright, let's go then!"

Returning the rest, Sho went to get in the line to enter the Hall, with Rotom hovering next to him, pretty eager to battle. He had come to be a very reliable member of his team, although Sho was still a bit reserved about telling the story on how he caught him. After all, who would believe that he found Rotom in an old chateau haunted by the ghosts of a butler who turned into a giant Haunter and a demon girl whose hair served as tentacles?

"What do you mean I can't go in?!" someone yelled. Apparently it came from the entrance, the line had stopped.

"Security, we have a problem at the entrance."

"Let me in, I have the right to battle here as much as the next guy!"

"Not when you're barred for doping and using stolen Pokémon in a League Conference."

"Wait. Did they say… doping?" Sho had to make sure, so he exited the line for a moment just to get closer and take a peek. "No way… it's you again!"

"Eh?" The guy making the ruckus turned around to see Sho. It was weird that Sho could remember this guy's name (Andy Xavier) and not the name of the guy who had defeated him (seriously, where did that guy come from?). Judging by his expression, he had recognized him too. "You! You're the one who screwed me over at the Sinnoh League!"

"Me?! You were the one using steroids! You think I was going to let it be?!"

"Excuse me, is this guy a friend of yours?" the guard at the entrance asked.

"Hardly." Sho folded his arms. "I just found that he was injecting his Pokémon with illegal steroids and reported him to the authorities. I heard they found out he was also using stolen Pokémon to compete and because of that he was barred from official competitions for two years."

"Which includes being allowed in the Battle Hall. That was a severe infraction."

"That's not fair!" Andy protested as he pointed at Sho. "This is all your fault!"

"Don't make me laugh," said Sho. "If you were so desperate to win that you had to resort to cheating, you didn't deserve to be at the league."

"That's enough," the guard piped up, holding the guy by the collar of his shirt. "We're escorting you out of here. You're not allowed to in the Battle Hall, or even within the grounds of the Battle Zone, for that matter. Come on."

"Let me go! Let me go I say!" Andy began flailing and yelling at the top of his lungs, directly at Sho "LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, NO ONE MAKES ME THE BAD GUY AND GETS AWAY WITH IT! I'LL SURPASS YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE! YOU'LL SEE, I'LL HAVE MY PAYBACK! YOU JUST WAIT!"

"Tch, what's his problem?" Sho just shrugged as he saw the guy getting dragged out of the Battle Hall's grounds, ignoring his tantrum. With the issue solved, he returned to his place in the line. Too bad for that guy, he was going to miss a lot of fun in that place.

Two months later…

It took him several daily visits to the Battle Hall, but it was well worth it. Not only did he get a lot of training for his Pokémon, there was something else to celebrate. Many trainers had come specifically for the chance to battle Argenta, or the "Hall Matron" as she had begun calling herself while working at the hall. Every now and then, she would drop by to challenge trainers who had pretty good winning streaks, and he was one of those few lucky ones. Not only that, as a reward for his effort (despite completely wiping the floor with him), she gave him something called a Battle Point Card, which would register his victories and loses and would increase or decrease the number based on his performance. The Battle Zone had several shops with valuable items available for trainers, and since the Battle Hall had been established, trainers who visited it were allowed to use their BPs as currency if they wanted to save some money. Of course, you needed pretty good winning streaks to raise them high enough to get the best stuff.

Sho had amassed quite a few thousands of BPs in the past four weeks, but he wasn't sure what to buy with them. Rare Pokéballs, evolutionary stones, and plenty of equipable items, but he still had plenty to spend and there wasn't too much new stuff to buy. That is, until he got to the last stand.

A lone gemstone, round and the size of a marble, and for some reason very similar to the Mega Stone his Manectric had brought along with him from Hoenn. Could it be…?

"Interested in something, young man?"

"Yeah, this stone over here." Sho pointed at it.

"Oh, so you have good eye. This here is a Key Stone. The key to unlock Mega Evolution. If combined with a Mega Stone held by a Pokémon, it will activate Mega Evolution."

"How much?"

"50,000 in money… or 6,000 in BPs if you have them."

Sho first checked his wallet. He didn't have the money, just barely enough to pay the trip home but the BPs… he hadn't checked out the latest amount in his card. All he could do was hoping that there was enough to pay for it. He handed his card to the man, who scanned it, but the transfer was rejected.

"I'm sorry, you're 250 BPs short."

"Drat." Sho gritted his teeth. He really wanted that stone. "Could you hold on to it until I come back? I just need to win a few battles at the Hall and I'll get them."

"I can't promise that, young man. If someone else comes and wants it, I'll have to sell it. And it's the only one I have."

The only one… Sho clenched his fists, if only he had stayed at the Battle Hall a little longer before coming, now he'd have to make a run for it and earn those BPs as fast as he could. There wasn't any other choice. He had to return and hope that his winning streak would stick just enough to get those.

…

It took him two hours, but he succeeded in earning 500 BPs, thanks to a reckless trainer who felt confident enough to gamble a few, and Sho quickly took the winnings when he was only 50 points away from the 6,000 he needed. He had to make sure to give Manectric a good reward for his efforts later, he had earned it.

"I got them!" he said as he arrived to the last stand. However, it took him a bit to notice there was someone else there.

A man in his mid to late twenties, tall and slim and with red hair in a funny afro, wearing a yellow shirt and black pants, was holding the Key Stone in his hand. Sho almost dropped his BP card in shock. Had he arrived too late to get it?

"Oh… sorry, you wanted to buy this Key Stone too?" he asked.

"I had just gone to the Battle Hall to get some more BPs. Dang, I was so close!"

"I'm sorry, young man, but that was the only one I had. Now, if you excuse me, I believe it's time to close."

As the stand was closed, the man with the red afro approached Sho, who didn't know what to say. If only he had arrived to the stand a few minutes earlier. However, the man studied Sho with his gaze, and raised his eyebrows in recognition.

"Wait… I've seen you before. Didn't you stop by the Sunyshore Gym a couple times?" he asked.

"Three times, actually," Sho replied.

"Oh hoooooo, oh, boy, now I remember! You also made Top 16 in the latest Lily of the Valley Conference! And an Electric-type specialist, no less!" the afro man said in evident excitement.

"Yeah, I did." Sho wasn't still too proud of his achievement, given the circumstances.

"Hehe, come with me, let me treat you something. We have lots of stuff to talk!" the afro man said as he placed a hand on Sho's shoulder and took him to the restaurant area.

In between some big burgers, the afro man introduced himself as one of the Elite Four, Flint Oba, Fire-type specialist. Sho couldn't believe he didn't recognize him on the spot (almost choking on his burger at the realization), but was more surprised to learn that this guy was childhood friends with Volkner, and the two frequently sparred together. Sinnoh wasn't such a big region after all.

"You did pretty well for your first competition," said Flint, taking a sip of the iced tea he ordered for himself. "You remind me a lot of Volkner, back when he first started."

"Really?" Sho couldn't help but smile; he liked the sound of that comparison.

"I saw a couple of your battles against Volkner at the Gym, but you were so focused you probably didn't notice me. I must say, you improved a lot the second time I saw you, managing to get that 4-3 and all."

"I still lost." Sho sighed as he remembered that defeat. He wanted to compete in the Sinnoh League with the Beacon Badge, but was unable to win it in time, so he had to make do with a replacement from an easier gym. "I'm planning to compete this year again, though, and I want to make it with the Beacon Badge."

"Heh, that sounds very important to you, isn't it?" said Flint. "You know, I've been thinking… you might be the one who can give Volkner the shock he needs. For the past three years it seems like he's not enjoying his job anymore, not to mention how depressed he gets when Christmas comes."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. I mean, since he won that Gym Leader Cup against that Unovan supermodel (pretty hot lady, by the way), it looks like he hasn't had a battle that exciting, and he seems pretty bored. And I hate seeing him like that."

"I was there, I saw that battle." Sho remembered. "That's actually the reason I decided to become an Electric-type specialist."

"Well, I'll be, then this has to be a fated encounter!" Flint said in excitement. He then pulled out the Key Stone he had bought. "Anyway, about this…"

"When I heard about Mega Evolution, I thought it could be the secret weapon I need to challenge him again. A few months ago I got an Electrike, and he brought along a Mega Stone. I've been looking all over for a Key Stone since I got him to evolve into Manectric."

"I see…" Flint looked at the Key Stone. "Mind if I see him?"

Sho gladly complied. Taking Manectric's Pokéball, he let him out for Flint to see. The electric canine had been outfitted with a holder around his neck, a silver medallion holding the Mega Stone framed by a couple of bronze lightning bolts. Pretty stylish and fitting for an Electric-type specialist.

"Well, this guy here looks pretty good," he said as he rubbed Manectric's fur, who then chomped on his hand. "OUCH!"

"Oh, sorry, that's his way to greet people he'd just met." Sho apologized, recalling his own first encounter back when he was an Electrike.

"I see… well, nice to know he's a friendly fella." Flint snickered as he rubbed his hand, while Manectric seemed to smile at him. "Anyway, I bought this thinking that I could give it as a gift to Volkner, see if this cheers him up, but now… I think I have a better idea."

"And what is that?"

"I'm sure that, if Volkner manages to get a battle just as exciting as, or more than the one from the World Tournament, he's bound to get out of his gloomy mood. And you can help me." Flint extended the Key Stone towards Sho. "Tell you what, kid. I'm lending you this for a couple months so you can learn how to use it. Then, come to Sunyshore and challenge Volkner's strongest team for an Instant-League-Entry badge, and if you win, you get to keep it, how's that?"

"Are you serious?" Sho couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sounded almost too good to be true. "What's the catch?"

"Well, I'm gonna be waiting at the Gym when you show up in case you lose so…" Flint stopped at that. "But I consider myself a good judge of character, especially with promising trainers like you. If you can beat Volkner at his own game, he'll be back supercharged. Think of it as a favor to an Elite Four member. What do you say?"

Sho wasn't sure of how to answer that. On the one hand, he had been looking all over for a Key Stone of his own, and when he thought he had lost his chance, he was getting it back. On the other hand, this seemed like a pretty big deal for an Elite Four member, plus it was just a loan, in case he didn't make it. Still, beating Volkner was his immediate goal. He wanted to test himself against the strongest Electric-type specialists of the world, and Volkner was one of them. Outside of Sinnoh, there was Elesa in Unova, Wattson in Hoenn, and Lt. Surge in Kanto, just to name a few. If he couldn't beat someone in his own native region, how did he expect to fare against the Electric-type specialists of the outside world?

With a determined look, Sho finally grabbed the Key Stone. The glow seemed to react within proximity to Manectric's Mega Stone. The power he was looking for was finally his to harness. That being the case, he had to make good use of it.

A couple weeks later, at Sho's home…

Finally, the time to test the Mega Evolution power had come. Sho had fashioned himself a fingerless glove for his right hand, with a dent on the back to place the Key Stone. In front of him there were, on one side, Luxray and Raichu, and on the other, Manectric, all of them ready for a sparring match. All around them, the rest of Sho's Pokémon watched intensely. Pikachu, Pichu, Rotom (changed to Fan form), Magnezone, Jolteon, and others like an Ampharos, Plusle, Minun and Pachirisu.

Sho wasn't sure how much power would Manectric gain from the Mega Evolution. Along with Raichu and Luxray, they formed the "power trio", considered Sho's strongest Pokémon. Despite Raichu and Luxray being more veterans than Manectric, in the area of raw power Manectric seemed to slightly edge both of them individually, an advantage that would most likely increase with the Mega Evolution. That was the reason he was going to battle both of them at the same time. Sho wanted to test the power to the limit from the get-go.

"OK, this is it. Are you ready?"

"Tric!" Manectric nodded.

"Here we go! MEGA EVOLVE!"

The Key Stone and Manectrite began glowing together, each of them emitting surges of lightning that quickly linked up with one another. Manectric felt this new power coursing through his entire body and changing it. His yellow mane became larger, the center spike on his head shifted, forming a large, tilted growth that extended over his snout, and the mane itself extended down the length of his whole body. His paws were now outfitted with red sharp claws.

"MAAAAAAAC!" Manectric delivered a powerful roar, causing Raichu and Luxray to cringe a little, but quickly recomposing themselves.

"OK, guys, you know the deal!" said Sho. "Raichu, Luxray, you guys attack in any way you want! Manectric, you follow my lead!"

"Mac/Ray/Lux!" The three Pokémon nodded in unison.

"Manectric, use Flamethrower!" Sho yelled.

"Maaaaaaac!"

Manectric opened his maw and delivered the Flamethrower. With this first strike, the power boost was evident; Sho compared it to an Overheat in its first use. Luxray and Raichu jumped to either sides to dodge the attack, and delivered twin Thunderbolts. Manectric stood his ground, and Sho noticed that the usual ability Lightning Rod didn't trigger. Could it be that the Mega Evolution removed it. He had to keep that in mind. Nevertheless, the attack power didn't seem like the only thing the Mega Evolution had boosted: despite taking some damage, Manectric shrugged it off, like it was just a tickle.

"Manectric, Wild Charge!"

Manectric charged up with electric power and ran towards Raichu, who responded with a Volt Tackle. The collision caused them both to flinch and cringe due to the recoil damage. Knowing that Volt Tackle was Raichu's strongest attack, Sho was pleased to see that Manectric's Wild Charge could match it in power. Luxray charged in with a Fire Fang, but Manectric saw him by the corner of his eye and dodged.

"Ice Fang!" ordered Sho.

"Tric!"

Manectric bared his fangs, covering them in blue freezing energy to bite Luxray. The feline tried to dodge, but Manectric was faster and managed to get to him, causing him to shriek in pain at the cold bite. Raichu jumped in to help his partner and summoned a Thunder to get Manectric off him. He succeeded, but now Manectric had his sights on him.

"Giga Impact!" Sho called.

Manectric covered himself in a bright yellow energy, which soon changed to purple as he charged against Raichu. The evolved electric mouse tried to counter with a Hyper Beam, but Manectric was undeterred and kept charging forward, like an unstoppable force, ramming Raichu at full charge. With that, Sho had seen enough. The power of the Mega Evolution was amazing. With, Manectric by his side, he was sure he stood a chance to face and defeat Volkner…

But then, Manectric suddenly tensed, and his eyes widened. His pupils suddenly flared up as they contracted, and he started shaking, kneeling down over his forepaws, like he was in pain or something.

"Manectric? What's wrong?"

"Mac… mac… MAAAAAAAAAACCC!" Manectric suddenly let out a furious roar, and unleashed what seemed like a Discharge attack around the entire area. Sho had to jump to take cover to avoid getting zapped by the electric wave, and when he looked again, he saw Manectric was gasping and groaning strangely, his eyes completely dull like he was in some kind of trance.

"Manectric! Calm down! What's the matter?!"

Manectric didn't answer, he just charged at the nearest target he could find, namely Raichu and Luxray, and when he missed, he turned his sights towards the other Pokémon, unleashing electricity left and right. The smaller ones, like Pichu, Plusle, Minun and Pachirisu quickly hid behind the big ones for protection, while the veterans jumped in to surround the raging Manectric and/or protect their trainer. Manectric quickly unleashed some Flamethrowers, setting a nearby flower field on fire, much to everyone's horror.

"STOP!" Sho shouted, trying to rush in to stop him, but his voice only alerted Manectric to his presence, and upon turning, he unleashed another Discharge, this time focused towards him. Sho couldn't move in time do dodge, but fortunately Luxray jumped in to take the hit for him.

The trainer didn't know what was going on, or why Manectric had suddenly gone berserk like that, but he had no choice other than ordering the rest of his Pokémon to fire their attacks on him to try and get him to stop. Manectric managed to tank them for a while, even unleashing a few of his own in return, but ultimately the sheer numbers overwhelmed him and he finally dropped unconscious. The Mega Evolution faded away, and he returned to his base form, so Sho immediately went on to check on him. He was still breathing, thankfully, but whatever it was what happened to him, it took its toll. Did the Mega Evolution's power come at a price? What did they have to do to control it?

Next thing to do was to call for help to put out the fire at the flower field before it spread. Then he could go about what to do about Manectric's Mega Evolution.

One month later…

Unsure as to what else to do, Sho finally decided to take the trip to Sunyshore. Only two weeks left before the day for his third rematch at Volkner's Gym, but he wasn't still ready. He had been working hard with all of his Pokémon in preparation for this battle, yet he was still counting on Manectric and his Mega Evolution to be their ace in the hole. But all that power would do no good to them if they couldn't control it.

No matter how many times they tried or what they tried to do, every single time they used Mega Evolution, Manectric went berserk after a few minutes, and had to be forcibly restrained and/or knocked out to snap him out of it and undo the transformation to get him back to normal. The worst part, it seemed like every time it happened Manectric suffered a great deal of pain, and Sho felt really bad for it.

After a long and hard afternoon of more failed Mega-Evolution attempts, and a visit to the Pokémon Center to leave Manectric to rest and heal his wounds, Sho finally decided to call a day, leaving all of his Pokémon to take a well-earned break. Having nothing else to do, he went for a walk at the local beach, and after a few minutes, he sat on the sand to watch the sunset.

"What else can I do?" he asked to himself as he gazed the Key Stone in the back of his glove. "What am I doing wrong?"

He was at a conundrum. On one hand, this battle was important to him, and he knew that he needed as much power he could muster to win it. On the other hand, he didn't want Manectric or the rest of his Pokémon to go around suffering for it. They were his friends, his partners, and he didn't want to see them get hurt because of him.

"Excuse me, is that a Key Stone you have?" a female voice asked behind him.

Sho turned around, and saw he wasn't the only one who had gone for a beach walk that day. A girl, maybe in her late teens or early twenties was gazing at him. She was quite slender, with long, light brown hair and matching eyes. Her pale skin and white dress, combined with her demure facial features made her look quite pretty. He also noticed that, unlike him, she had chosen to remove her sandals and walk on the sand barefoot.

"Ah, yeah, it is. Excuse me, but… who are you?"

"Oh, sorry. My name is Jasmine." she said. "Do you mind if I sit too?"

"Of course not," Sho replied.

"Thanks." Jasmine sat to gaze at the setting sun as well. "I like this city. It makes me feel at home somehow."

"Really?"

"Yes." Jasmine smiled. "It's next to the sea, and there's a lighthouse."

"Where are you from?" Sho asked.

"I'm from Olivine, in the Johto region," she replied. Sho seemed surprised at this.

"Wow, that's a pretty long way," he said. "What brought you all the way here to Sinnoh?"

"Some things I needed to do," she replied, without going into further details. "What about you? You look like you have something on your mind."

"Is it that obvious?" said Sho. "Actually… in a couple weeks I'll be having a battle with the local Gym Leader, Volkner. *Sigh*, but I'm not ready yet."

"Why is that?" Jasmine asked. Sho then showed her his Key Stone. He didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt he could talk to this girl about his troubles.

"I really don't know how to use this. No matter how hard I try, whenever I try to use the Mega Evolution, Manectric goes berserk, and I have no choice but to knock him out to snap him out of it. But… I really need that power. That battle is really important for me, but I don't want him to suffer for my sake."

"Can I see it?" Jasmine asked. Sho removed the Key Stone from his glove and handed it to her. The girl from Olivine examined it. "I had never seen one of these up close. So these are the stones that unlock a new power between a trainer and his Pokémon."

"That's what they say." Sho nodded. "I only wish I knew how to control it. That way I might have a chance of beating Volkner. This is important for me."

"Hmm, interesting. Mind if I ask you why?"

"I'm an Electric-type specialist," Sho explained. "While I'm competing in the League Circuit, one of my goals is also to test myself against other Electric-type specialists in the world, and beat them. Volkner is someone whom I've looked up to for years, and I feel that if I can beat him here, I can go outside Sinnoh to challenge others. I thought that perhaps having Manectric Mega Evolve would give us the strength we need to do that, but… now I'm not so sure."

Jasmine handed him the stone back. "I don't know much about it, but I've heard that the power of Mega Evolution stems from the bonds between the trainer and their Pokémon. There has to be a link between them, rooted in trust and friendship, in order to unlock the real power."

"Really? How does that work?" Sho asked curiously.

Jasmine became thoughtful, trying to find the best way to explain him. "Have you heard of Twenty Gyarados Bill?"

"Who hasn't? He's the guy responsible for the six active Pokémon limit nowadays." Sho felt like asking that was like asking if the water was wet. Plus, he also knew that the one who brought him down at the cost of his own life was an Elite Four member named Denki Tekina, who was also a great Electric-type specialist in his time. "But what does he have to do with anything?"

"Well, during his final rampage, he managed to get a hold of a Key Stone, and used it along with a Gyaradosite he had found. Despite being the first and only time they did it, he was able to Mega Evolve his first Gyarados, and control its power perfectly. That guy might have been a murderer, but for everything he did, everyone seemed to agree on something: that all of his Gyarados, especially his first, respected him. I'd dare say they even loved him. Also, the one who sacrificed his life to stop Bill, Elite Four Denki Tekina, was able to Mega Evolve his Ampharos during that same battle, despite never having tried it before. A successful Mega Evolution is the result of a bond of trust between Pokémon and trainer."

"Yeah, so…"

"Tell me, do you trust your Manectric?" she asked. "Do you feel you have a close bond with him?"

Sho became thoughtful at this. Even though he didn't like the idea of being compared to a mass murderer like Twenty Gyarados Bill, he couldn't help but ponder on Jasmine's words. Come to think about it, since he had received Electrike, with that Mega Stone, maybe deep down he saw him more as a potential asset for his future battles than a friend. That didn't mean he mistreated him; he was always looking out for his wellbeing and all, but since they had gotten they Key Stone, Sho had been a little too eager to get him to Mega Evolve. Was that why they were failing at controlling its power?

"Maybe… maybe that's what I'm doing wrong," he said standing up. "Thanks, you really helped me."

"You're welcome." Jasmine smiled. "Are you leaving already?"

"Yeah, I'm going back to the Pokémon Center. I've got a lot of work to do, if I want to be ready for that battle."

"Well, good luck then," said Jasmine. "Before you leave, could I get you interested in visiting the Johto region sometime? I'm not an Electric-type specialist, but I'd certainly love to have a battle with you if you ever stop by Olivine City."

"Sure, why not?" he replied. "I'll be looking forward to it. Well, see you, and thanks again."

As Sho left, he continued to ponder on Jasmine's words. Now he had a better idea of how to work around that problem they were having with the Mega Evolution. It wasn't the power he had to focus on. It was the bonds between him and Manectric, as well as the rest of his Pokémon. He still had two weeks left before the match at the Sunyshore Gym. Would it be enough time?

Two weeks after…

Today was the day. Sho had done everything he could up to that point, all that was left was to trust his Pokémon and hope for the best. He had taken Jasmine's words to heart, and decided not to push the Mega Evolution any further. Instead, he focused on bonding with Manectric, spending time with him and strengthening their friendship. Everything now came down to what happened on the battlefield. With renewed determination, he entered the Sunyshore Gym for the fourth time, ready to face a battle bound to be much harder than the previous ones he had faced.

Just as he had promised, Flint was already waiting for him along with Volkner. The Elite Four member looked as upbeat as when they met two months before. The Gym Leader, on the other hand, didn't share the same enthusiasm as his friend, but Sho did notice that he seemed in a better mood than in their previous encounters. He didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing, or how would affect his challenge.

The protocol for an instant-entry badge was actually quite simple: the challenger and the Gym Leader would face each other in a six-on-six battle, with the Gym Leader using their strongest team. If the challenger won, the badge awarded would be worth as much as eight badges. The catch, however, was that if the challenger lost, they'd be barred from challenging other gyms for a year. A high risk, but Sho was willing to face it. He had come a long way, and in order to reach his goal, defeating Volkner was an important step. The young trainer was looking forward to this battle, feeling that it would be the hardest and most exciting he would have faced up to that point in his life.

The battle started and sparks flew around the whole place. Volkner started with an Ampharos that quickly made short work of Sho's Jolteon, but fell to Magnezone, equaling the tables instantly. Volkner brought out his own Luxray, and while Magnezone fought valiantly, a few well-aimed Fire Fangs left him out of the game. Sho then brought out his own Luxray, creating a mirror match where the common observer would have most likely confused who was who. Still, in the end Sho's Luxray was victorious, though not without a high cost in damage that forced Sho to switch him out. The following part of the match was the toughest challenge for Sho: Volkner had brought along several Unovan Pokémon (Flint commented he had gotten into touch with Elesa recently) which he only knew in passing or because he had read about them. A Zebstrika with Motor Drive and Fire-type attacks caught them by surprise and quickly left Rotom out of the game with an Overheat, Luxray took over and managed to end the round in a Double KO, collapsing due to fatigue after landing a critical Fire Fang on the zebra's neck right in the middle of taking a Flame Charge. Raichu then fought against an Eelektross. The battle was intense from beginning to end, but when the eel managed to take a full-powered Hyper Beam from Raichu, the evolved mouse was left helpless to an Acid Spray that left him out of the match, leaving Sho down to his last hope.

"Raichu is unable to Battle, Eelektross wins," the referee robot declared, while Sho returned Raichu. "The challenger is now down to one Pokémon."

"I must say, Sho, you've gotten a lot stronger since the last time we fought," said Volkner, and Sho actually noticed his voice sounded less bored than in their previous encounters. "But can you really be a match for us today?"

Sho didn't say any words. The only way to answer that question was in the battlefield. Now everything came down to this. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed Manectric's Pokéball and threw it. There was no turning back now. It was time to see if it their bond was strong enough.

"Man!" Manectric roared after coming out.

Volkner studied his opponent. A Manectric, whose ability could be either Lightning Rod, Static, or less likely, Minus. He actually owned a few, and knew how to fight with and against them. Eelektross was about to reach her limit, but he still had two more Pokémon in the wait. Well, might as well use her for analysis while she could still fight.

"Eelektross, Thunderbolt!" Volkner commanded.

The eel fired of an electric discharge. Manectric just stood his ground and took the hit, absorbing all of its power. Volkner took note of this: so his foe's ability was Lightning Rod. That pretty much determined how he had to fight it.

"Manectric, run around Eelektross with Wild Charge!"

"Tric!" Manectric became covered in electric power, and began running in circles around Eelektross, leaving an electric trail behind him. Volkner couldn't help but wonder what they were up to.

"Acid Spray!" the Gym Leader called.

"Eel!" Eelektross began firing off several globs of orange fluid, but none of them managed to land any hits. Manectric just continued to run in circles, while Volkner still wondered what Sho's plan could be.

His answer came when he managed to get the eel dizzy enough with all the running and forcing her to turn around trying to get the Acid Spray in. Surprisingly, Sho never intended to use the Wild Charge to attack at all.

"Manectric, stop and use Ice Fang!"

Manectric dissipated his electricity, cancelling the Wild Charge, and opened up his jaws to bare his fangs, getting them coated with freezing power. He jumped directly at her neck, landing a critical hit and cutting off her breath enough to knock her out.

"Eelektross is unable to battle, Manectric is the winner!" declared the robot.

"Return." Volkner recalled his fallen eel. "Well done, now take a rest."

The Gym Leader pondered on his opponent. His last Pokémon, he had managed to reveal his ability and two moves. Not too much, but it would come in handy for the others. At least now he knew that he couldn't fight electricity vs. electricity, so he had to take a different approach. The boy had improved, but he had still one more secret weapon from his last meeting with Elesa, and it was a good time to test it.

"Sho, you've done well so far, but I'm afraid I can't let you go on any further. Let's see how you handle my last Unovan Pokémon. Go, Galvantula!"

Volkner's fifth Pokémon was a large yellow spider. Sho was pretty sure that this was the evolved form of Joltik, and if memory served, part Bug-type. How convenient, but he had to keep Manectric's Flamethrower a secret for the time being, until he could make good use of it.

"Manectric, use Wild Charge!"

"Galvantula, Sucker Punch!"

Galvantula jumped forward and quickly struck Manectric in the legs to trip him over before he could attack. Sho gritted his teeth; he hated that move, and this spider knew how to use it.

"Now, Fury Cutter!" Volkner ordered. Galvantula coated his pincers in red energy and was ready to use them to attack the helpless Manectric. One, two, three strikes and the electric canine was sent backwards a few feet.

"Galvantula, Bug Buzz!" Volkner called. Instantly, Galvantula got in the center of the field and began emitting red sonic waves all over the place. Manectric kneeled down, feeling the shriek piercing through his ears, even Sho had to cover up his ears at this.

"Manectric, if you can hear me, use Discharge!"

"Maaaaac!"

Manectric roared and sent out an electric wave in a wide area, hitting Galvantula and disrupting the Bug Buzz. Sho could finally uncover his ears, although it was still ringing inside his head. Volkner on the other hand seemed unaffected. Was he already used to it?

"Wild Charge!" Sho called.

Manectric charged against the stunned Galvantula, ramming him head on and pushing him backwards. The spider managed to right himself in midair and land on his feet, just in time to see that Manectric was coming again to attack.

"Sticky Web!" Volkner commanded.

The spider then fired a series of sticky globs that fell all over the field, and Manectric stepped on one of them, stopping his charge, and leaving him wide open for a counterattack.

"Fury Cutter, over and over again!"

Once again, Galvantula coated his pincers in red energy. That was bad; if he repeated the attack over and over again it would power up with each strike. Sho couldn't allow that, though. It was sooner than he thought, but it was time to use it.

"Flamethrower!" he yelled.

"Mac!" Manectric opened his maw to unleash the fire stream at point blank range when Galvantula was about to strike him. Volkner and Galvantula quickly became alerted at this.

"Quick, get out of there!"

The spider managed to jump out of the way to avoid the fire directly, but his feet got grazed and he shrieked in pain. Sho became annoyed that Galvantula dodged the attack, because now he had revealed the move that might give him an advantage. Volkner, meanwhile, knew he had to keep his distance before attacking again, since a Flamethrower up close was a no-no.

"Galvantula, use Bug Buzz again!" Volkner called.

The spider once again took his distance and began unleashing the sonic waves all over the field. This time they seemed even louder and more piercing than before, to the point covering his ears didn't help much. If they kept this up, they were going to get beaten again.

"No… we've all been waiting for this! We can't lose now!"

Sho pulled out from his pocket the glove with the Key Stone. For the past two weeks, he had been trying to strengthen his bond with Manectric, taking to heart the words of that Jasmine girl. He had been a great addition to the team, to the point he managed to get to the level of veterans like Raichu and Luxray in a very short amount of time. In order to harness the Mega Evolution, they had to trust each other. Did he trust Manectric enough? Was the bond between them strong enough to harness the power?

'Manectric… I know we can do this. We've come a long way to get here. You're my friend, my partner. Everyone else is counting on us to win this battle. They're here with us, and their strength will be ours, always.' He put on the glove, and taped the Key Stone. "No matter the result, I'll always be proud of you! MEGA EVOLVE!"

The Key Stone and Manectrite reacted with one another. Volkner was apparently caught off-guard by this, clearly he didn't expect this. He gave a quick glance to Flint, whose only response was a big grin that looked like he was saying "Told you you'd be surprised." The Sunyshore Gym Leader watched how Manectric changed form, becoming bigger and stronger, and with a mighty roar, announced himself ready to use his new power.

"Manectric, use Flamethrower at full power!"

"MAAAAAC!"

Before Volkner could react, the (now Mega) Manectric opened his maw and unleashed a powerful Flamethrower. The power boost was evident, and quickly engulfed the spider before he could do anything. By the time it was over, Galvantula was smoking and covered in burns all over, clearly in no condition to continue fighting.

"Galvantula is unable to battle," the robot announced. "The Gym Leader is now down to his last Pokémon."

As he returned his fallen Galvantula, Volkner couldn't believe what he was seeing. The kid had actually forced him to his last Pokémon. Not only that, it was one of the strongest teams he had formed, and managed to keep up even against Unovan Pokémon. For the first time in a long while, the Sunyshore Gym Leader gave a sincere smile of excitement.

"Alright, Sho. I admit you're better than I expected," he said. "I didn't expect you to come with a Mega Evolution just to challenge me."

"We've been working hard to learn how to use that power. And we're planning to win."

"I get it, you guys are tough. But we can match your toughness!" Volkner grabbed his final Pokéball. "Get ready for my trump card! Electivire, go!"

"VIRE!

With that, Volkner's final and strongest Pokémon finally appeared on the field. This was the first time Sho had gotten to see him. They had come a long way, and they could finally get to face Volkner's ace Pokémon. It all came down to this.

"Manectric, Ice Fang!" Sho commanded. Knowing that Electivire's ability was Motor Drive rendered Electric-type attacks useless.

By mere chance, Volkner called for a similar attack. "Electivire, Ice Punch!"

Fist collided with fangs, both attacks equal in raw power, and forcing both Pokémon to jump backwards when they couldn't make their foe flinch.

"Flamethrower!" called Sho.

"Light Screen!" Volkner countered.

Manectric let out the Flamethrower, with the same full force as before when he beat Galvantula, but this time, the fire stream found the opposition of an energy barrier that greatly reduced its power. After he was done, other than minor scorching, Electivire was mostly unharmed. Meanwhile, Volkner remembered that Manectric, while gaining a lot of raw power with the Mega Evolution, also lost something important: its ability Lightning Rod. That meant that he could go back to use Electric-type attacks.

"Electivire, Thunderbolt!"

Electivire unleashed a powerful electric discharge. Manectric stood his ground and endured it, although he still didn't get used to not absorb electric attacks when he was in Mega form. Nevertheless, he endured the pain for his trainer. He and his other comrades were counting on him to win this battle. This opponent was the only thing in their way of victory. He had to beat him.

"Manectric, use Giga Impact!" Sho called. Manectric charged forward, determined to hit Electivire with his full force.

"Stop it with Cross Chop!" Volkner called.

"Elec!"

Manectric collided up front with Electivire, who used the Cross Chop to shield himself and for an instant counterattack once he managed to stop, pushing Manectric backwards. With the Light Screen still active, there wasn't much point in trying to attack with Flamethrower, so Sho tried again the strategy of circling around with Wild Charge and then attacking up close with Ice Fang, but Electivire always had a Fire Punch in the ready to counter it. All things considered, though, Manectric seemed to be holding the Mega Evolution well. He had managed to last longer without going berserk at least.

"Mac…" Suddenly, Manectric turned rigid. No, it couldn't happen again, not here, not now.

Manectric could feel it. That strange surge, that made him lose control of his power, and even attack his trainer. No… he couldn't succumb to it, not again. Not when his trainer needed him and his power the most. He couldn't fail him now. He just couldn't.

"Focus, Manectric! You can do it! You can control that power!"

The power… that power… HIS power. Yes, the power was his to control, but it didn't only belong to him. It also belonged to his trainer, who believed in him, and the rest of his teammates, who did their best to help him attain it, and control it. They had set up the stage for him, and now the victory, THEIR victory, was riding on him.

Volkner remained still, and so did Electivire. Did they have problems to control the Mega Evolution? In that case, it seemed like a foolish decision to come and challenge him with a power they couldn't control. He was ready to call off the battle at any moment, but nothing happened. Manectric just stood there, still shaking and growling.

Nobody else could know the struggle happening within Manectric. It was him against his own power… but he couldn't let his power win. He was the one in control, the one who ruled over that power, and the one who would use it. To bring victory to himself, to his teammates, and more importantly, to his trainer who believed in him.

"Mac… MAC!" Manectric shook his head and took back his battle stance.

"Manectric?" Sho asked. "You alright?"

Manectric turned around, and gave a smirk to his trainer as he nodded. Sho smiled too. He had made it, he didn't let his power control him. He wasn't going berserk.

"Well, if you guys are alright, shall we keep up with the battle?" Volkner asked.

"Of course," said Sho.

With this, both trainers and their Pokémon focused back on the battle. The exchange of fire and ice attacks continued, with Manectric either jumping backwards to shoot Flamethrowers or trying to jump up close to deliver bites with Ice Fang, and Electivire alternating between Fire and Ice Punches, with the occasional Thunderbolt in between if Manectric managed to slip away out of his punching range. The two were more or less evenly matched in raw power and endurance, but Electivire had the advantage of still being able to use his Electric-type attacks against Manectric, thus giving him a wider arsenal. Furthermore, the Light Screen greatly reduced damage from Manectric's Flamethrower, thus forcing him to get up close to try and get hits with Ice Fang and Giga Impact. If only he could use his electric attacks too.

'Wait a minute… of course we can!' Sho suddenly thought. "Manectric, use Discharge!"

"What?!" Volkner asked. Did he hear wrong, he was asking for an electric attack?

Manectric unleashed his electric wave, which of course went directly to Electivire, who started absorbing it. Volkner couldn't believe what he was seeing, this would only feed Electivire's ability Motor Drive.

"Don't stop, Manectric, keep it up!" Sho ordered.

Manectric continued to send out the electric wave, while Electivire just absorbed the power. Volkner still wondered what he expected to achieve with that. The attack would cause no damage whatsoever, and he was just wasting his energy.

However, it soon became clear enough that what Sho was trying to do was not causing damage. Abilities that allowed to absorb attacks, such as Motor Drive or Lightning Rod had their limits, as in, the amount of energy a Pokémon could store before having to "assimilate" it, so to speak. If they tried to go beyond that limit, it would be just like someone trying to eat more even while having their stomach full. And soon enough, it happened: the power inside Electivire was too much to contain, and it just overloaded. Electivire was forced to release the excess energy all over the place, unleashing lightning everywhere and forcing everyone around the battlefield to take cover, including Flint, who hid below the seats. Unfortunately, the referee robot was not so lucky, and a stray bolt hit him hard, causing it to short-circuit and explode.

A few seconds later, when the show was over, Volkner and Sho returned to their places, and Flint came back out. Once the dust had cleared, they saw the result. Some of the panels around the battlefield had actually overloaded and exploded, and the robot referee lied on the ground, smoking and giving out sparks. As for their Pokémon… they were both standing, breathing heavily.

"Electivire, use Thunderbolt!" Volkner called.

"Vire!" Electivire tried to charge himself up, but nothing happened. "Vi?"

"What's the matter?" asked Volkner, but then realized. With that power overload, he had not only unleashed the additional electricity, but also depleted all of his reserves. He couldn't use more Electric attacks.

"Looks like your batteries ran out," said Sho. "Well, we still have a little charge in us. Manectric, Giga Impact!"

"Man!" The electric canine coated himself in energy and ran forward to impact his foe at full force, covering in purple power as he approached.

"Electivire, Cross Chop!" Volkner yelled, unwilling to yield until he had done everything he could.

Both Pokémon clashed against one another for the last time, neither giving out. However, Manectric's attack prevailed in the end, and Electivire was sent flying backwards, falling at Volkner's feet. Volkner approached to check on him, and so did Flint.

"Well, since our referee over there is a little… shocked at the moment, I hereby declare that Electivire is unable to continue, and Manectric is the winner. The match goes to the challenger, Sho!"

"We did it… we actually did it… WE DID IT!" Sho ran forward to hug Manectric, whose Mega Evolution wore off right then, and he collapsed on his feet. "Hey, you alright?"

"Mac…" The canine nodded, and then chomped on his trainer's hand.

"Ow! Yeah, you're definitely alright." Sho chuckled at that. "Oof, this was the toughest battle we've ever had, but it was worth it."

Meanwhile, Volkner returned his fallen Electivire, silently congratulating him for his effort, and then exchanged a glance with Flint.

"So? Was this good enough of a battle for you?" the Elite Four member asked.

"Of course," said Volkner. "You were right. The kid's got a lot of potential."

"He kinda reminds me of you, back when we were kids," Flint confessed. "With the proper grooming, you could even have yourself a successor for this Gym."

"Hey! Are you suggesting I should retire?!"

"Of course not!" said Flint. "Come on, you've been a Gym Leader for years, don't you think it's time to raise in the ranks? There's an empty Elite Four slot right now, and if you don't hurry, someone else will claim it!"

"I'll pass," said Volkner. "Still, maybe not now, but… give three or four years from now… perhaps he could do it, with the proper training."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Flint gestured for him to go forward. "Plus, you've got something to give him, don't you?"

Volkner nodded, and pulled out of his pocket the Beacon Badge. He hadn't felt so good about giving one of these in a very, VERY long time. Sho had definitely given him back his "spark", like Flint had told him.

"Congratulations, Sho," he said as he held the Beacon Badge. "I have to say, this is the first Instant League Entry Badge I've ever handed out in my career as a Gym Leader, and I didn't have a match this exciting since the World Tournament years ago."

"Thanks," said Sho, accepting the badge. "Wouldn't have made it without Manectric, though."

"Your Mega-Evolution was impressive. Winning now was the proof that your bonds are strong, and I'm hoping you'll aim for greater heights from now on."

"Of course." Sho nodded. "I want to test myself against all Electric-type specialists in the world, and beat them all, to prove I'm the strongest of all of them."

"If that's the case, let me ask you something. Do you have any plans now?"

"Not really," Sho replied. "I mean, with this badge I already have secured my entry to this year's League Conference, and I pretty much cleared the eight strongest Gyms in Sinnoh."

"If that's the case, would you accept training under me for a few months?" Volkner finally presented his offer. "You've shown a lot of potential, and I'm sure I can show you a few tricks that could help you grow even stronger."

"Are you serious? You really want to train me?"

"That's all up to you." Volkner smiled and extended his hand. "Plus, I've got contacts in other regions, some of them also Electric-type specialists whom I'm sure would be very happy to accept a match with you. What do you say?"

Sho couldn't believe what he was hearing. Volkner, the Gym Leader himself was offering him a special training. It was like a dream come true, to be trained under the man who had inspired him, a man whom he looked up to and considered a personal hero. The answer to that was pretty obvious.

"Er… we'll have to check that with my parents first," said Sho.

"Leave that to me, kid," Flint piped up. "We can make arrangements to assure them you'll be in good hands."

With this, there were no more objections. Sho was more than happy to accept the offer, sealing it with a handshake. He had won the battle, earned the Beacon Badge, mastered Manectric's Mega Evolution, and on top of that, he'd get to be trained under Volkner himself. A huge step forward in his dream to become the strongest Electric-type specialist in the world.

FIN.