Pokémon's Master of Rain

After the Trainer Tower challenge tournament on Seven Island ended, Caster said goodbye to everyone and rode Lapras back to Four Island with Lorelei.

At Lorelei's family villa, the two relaxed side by side on lounge chairs in the courtyard, soaking up the sun and enjoying their final moments together before they went their separate ways.

Their Pokémon rested throughout the courtyard as well, creating a peaceful and comfortable atmosphere.

"My follower count went up by another hundred thousand or so. Not bad. Not bad at all!"

"Oh-ho! The tips actually passed ₽200,000 this time. Now that's satisfying!"

"Whoa, Ash watched the battle livestream too? And he actually challenged me? He's got guts, I'll give him that!"

Caster lounged in his rocking chair, scrolling through his phone and replying to a few messages.

Ash really was a lovable idiot. With the team he currently had, Caster had no idea where he'd found the confidence to issue a challenge. The only conclusion he could reach was that Ash truly had no idea what he was getting himself into.

From their conversation, Caster learned that Ash had already collected six Badges. His Charmander had also evolved into Charizard, which had apparently boosted his confidence quite a bit.

Still, Ash had problems of his own.

Not long ago, his Charmander had evolved into Charmeleon. Then, at Grampa Canyon, it had quickly evolved again into Charizard so it could battle Aerodactyl.

That should have been great news, but for some reason, both Charmeleon and Charizard had refused to follow Ash's commands after evolving. The situation had been giving Ash one headache after another.

"Grampa Canyon?"

Caster recalled the events from the anime, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

"That's right! Besides Aerodactyl, Grampa Canyon is home to fossil Pokémon like Kabuto, Kabutops, Omanyte, and Omastar. They're all Water types, which means I might be able to fish one up, or even catch one!"

The thought immediately filled Caster with excitement.

Fossil Pokémon were exceptionally rare in the Pokémon world, even rarer than pseudo-legendary Pokémon.

If he managed to fish one up, the reward would undoubtedly be substantial.

And if he caught one, he would not only gain a powerful new team member, but also make a huge name for himself in the Pokémon research community.

As for Ash's Charizard, Caster was not particularly worried.

According to the anime's storyline, Charizard would be injured after they reached the Orange Archipelago. Ash would devote himself to caring for it, and Charizard would eventually be won over by his sincerity and begin obeying him completely.

Noticing Caster's unusual reaction, Lorelei removed her glasses and brushed back her hair.

"Caster, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing!"

Caster laughed it off.

"I just remembered something that put me in a good mood."

Lorelei shook her head with an amused smile. Then, remembering the item Caster had chosen, she could not resist asking, "What exactly was that stone you picked out?"

Caster paused, his eyes shifting slightly.

In the end, however, he decided to tell her the truth.

During the time they had spent together, Lorelei had never treated him like an outsider. Naturally, Caster wanted to return that trust.

"Lorelei, you've heard of Mega Evolution, haven't you?"

"Mega Evolution?"

Lorelei's relaxed expression instantly turned serious. She sat upright on the lounge chair and stared at him.

"You know about Mega Evolution too?"

Caster smiled and held his thumb and index finger close together, narrowing his eyes.

"Just a tiny bit."

"So that item is connected to Mega Evolution?"

"It should be related somehow, but I can't guarantee that it'll actually work."

Caster nodded, careful not to make any definite claims.

He did not know whether the pendant had originally been designed to hold a Key Stone, or whether its previous owner had simply found the Key Stone beautiful and used it as decoration.

He would not know for sure until he attempted Mega Evolution.

When Lorelei lowered her head and fell silent, Caster thought for a moment before continuing.

"Lorelei, I have a feeling that people will gradually uncover the principles behind Mega Evolution. As that happens, Mega Evolution will become more and more common."

As he spoke, Caster could not help thinking about the future.

Lance's Mega Gyarados, Steven's Mega Metagross, Cynthia's Mega Garchomp, Diantha's Mega Gardevoir...

Honestly, in the future, even an Elite Four member would seem underwhelming without a Mega-Evolved Pokémon at their side.

"I once read in an ancient text that Slowbro also appears to be capable of Mega Evolution. You might want to start looking into what you'll need."

Caster looked at the beautiful woman in front of him and offered his advice with complete sincerity.

"Also, since you specialize in Ice types, I think an Alolan Ninetales or an Abomasnow from the Sinnoh region would be a great fit for you. Especially Abomasnow. It was mentioned in that same ancient text about Mega Evolution..."

Caster paused, blinked, and lowered his voice.

"Of course, if you ever get the opportunity, you could also try catching Articuno or Regice..."

Everything Caster said came from a genuine desire to help Lorelei. He was sincerely considering what would benefit her most.

To Lorelei, however, those few brief sentences were nothing short of staggering.

In only a handful of words, Caster had revealed an enormous amount of valuable information.

As she looked at his sincere expression, Lorelei felt a wave of emotion, and her eyes began to glisten.

"Thank you for the advice. I'll seriously consider it."

Lorelei nodded solemnly, and her opinion of Caster shifted once again.

In her eyes, the young man before her grew more mysterious by the minute.

As a Trainer, however, Lorelei had also taken every word of Caster's advice to heart.

She had simply grown tired of the League's politics and manipulation and no longer wanted to serve as a member of the Elite Four. Her drive to become stronger, however, had never faded since the day she became a Trainer.

The night passed quietly.

...

Early the next morning, Lorelei had already left by the time Caster woke up.

Caster sighed. After finishing the breakfast Lorelei's mother had prepared, he said goodbye to her parents as well.

"Gyarados, let's go!"

Standing on the shore of Four Island, Caster released Gyarados.

"Rooaaar!"

With a thunderous roar, Gyarados swept its tail through the water and raced across the sea.

It was not heading toward the Kanto mainland. Instead, it traveled farther south, into uninhabited waters.

That was the direction of the Orange Archipelago.

Of course, Caster had no intention of actually going there. He only wanted to find an isolated stretch of ocean or a deserted island where Gyarados could attempt Mega Evolution.

If it succeeded, Caster would gain another ace, one powerful enough to turn the tide at a critical moment.

"Rooaaar!"

Out on the open sea, Gyarados's Royal Authority of the Sea was fully active. All of its attributes increased by fifty percent, allowing it to swim even faster.

After traveling for an unknown amount of time, Gyarados finally came to a stop in a stretch of ocean where there was no land and not a single ship in sight.

"Gyarados, are you ready?"

Caster looked at Gyarados, his eyes burning with anticipation.

"Rooaaar!"

Gyarados raised its head and let out a long roar toward the sky. The excitement in its eyes was impossible to miss.

Caster had told Gyarados about Mega Evolution as soon as he obtained its Mega Stone.

Naturally, Gyarados was eager to experience a power that surpassed ordinary evolution.

After all, its hunger for strength had no limit.

"Good! I'll put it on you."

Caster nodded and took Gyarados's Mega Stone out of his backpack.

The Mega Stone had been fitted into a metal frame, with strong, slender chains attached to both sides.

Caster climbed onto Gyarados's head and hung the Mega Stone between the three crests on its forehead. He then fastened it securely to keep it from falling off.

Under the sunlight, the Mega Stone gleamed brilliantly.

Next, Caster took out the pendant containing the Key Stone and held it tightly as he examined it.

"This is only a test for now."

Caster smiled to himself.

"If this works, I'll mount you on my fishing rod next time."

As a fisherman through and through, there was no question that his Key Stone belonged on his fishing gear.

"Come on out, everyone!"

Before beginning the Mega Evolution, Caster released Dragonair, Slowpoke, and Shellder so they could witness the moment as well.

He then jumped onto Dragonair's back so he would not interfere with Gyarados's transformation.

"Rotom, make sure you record this. I want the entire process on video."

Caster gave another order to his Rotom Phone.

"No problem, Roto! Recording has begun!"

The Rotom Phone saluted, and even through its mechanical voice, its excitement was obvious.

It flew several yards into the air and adjusted its camera until both Caster and Gyarados were fully in frame.

"All right, let's begin!"

With every preparation complete, Caster took a deep breath and looked toward Gyarados.

"Rooaaar!"

At that same moment, Gyarados turned to look at Caster, its eyes filled with unwavering determination.

"Then this is where we prove the strength of our bond!"

Caster nodded solemnly. He brushed his fingers over the Key Stone in his hand and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Gyarados, Mega Evolve!"