Mega-evolved Mawile's strength instantly skyrocketed to Ultra Ball level—and that's without factoring in its Huge Power ability.
When it came to sheer strength, Mega Mawile was unrivaled in its tier.
Its lackluster speed was compensated by Whimsicott's Tailwind, allowing it to close the distance between itself and Magmar in the blink of an eye.
Still reeling from the combined Dragon Rage attacks of Charmeleon and Whimsicott, Magmar didn't notice Mawile's approach in time. Hastily, it gathered flames around its fists, preparing to counter with a fiery punch.
But Mawile was already prepared. A Power-Up Punch was primed and ready.
Their fists clashed—at a glance, their sizes seemed completely disproportionate. Even after mega evolution, Mawile was still noticeably smaller than Magmar.
Magmar was about to scoff at Mawile's audacity—until an overwhelming force surged through its body. With a look of sheer disbelief, it was sent flying backward.
How the hell is this thing so strong?!
In the game's stat distribution, Mega Mawile gains an extra 100 base stat points—split between Attack, Defense, and Special Defense. Only 20 of those points went to Attack, while the remaining 80 were evenly distributed between its defenses. Its Speed stat? Completely untouched.
With a total base stat of 480—lower than Beedrill's 495—Mega Mawile's stat spread could hardly be called impressive.
Beedrill had a straightforward allocation: everything pumped into Attack and Speed, even sacrificing 30 Special Attack points. How could Mawile compare? How could even Mega Garchomp compare?
But when it came to Abilities, Mega Mawile crushed Mega Beedrill.
Adaptability—Beedrill's Mega Ability—only increased STAB (Same-Type Attack Bonus) moves from 1.5x to 2x. That's roughly a 1.3x overall power boost, and it only applied to its Bug- and Poison-type moves.
From a practical standpoint, Maki thought Adaptability wasn't even better than regular Beedrill's Sniper.
But Huge Power? That was something else entirely.
It didn't care what move you used—if it was a physical attack, its damage was doubled. No tricks, no conditions, just pure brute force.
If Mega Beedrill had Huge Power? Forget Mega Garchomp, it'd be unstoppable. One jab, instant KO.
With a single Power-Up Punch, Mawile sent Magmar hurtling backward—and on top of that, its Attack stat increased further.
But Mawile wasn't alone in this battle.
Charmeleon and Whimsicott, momentarily stunned by Mawile's sheer power, quickly snapped back into action.
A bluish glow gathered in Charmeleon's mouth. Dragon Pulse!
Now that Charmeleon had reached Ultra Ball level, it finally mastered this move.
Considering it already knew Dragon Breath and Dragon Rage, Charmeleon had only been a step away from unlocking Dragon Pulse. This battle was simply the push it needed.
Maki's eyes lit up with excitement. He actually broke through at this moment!?
With Charmeleon now at Ultra Ball level, its power—especially when paired with Whimsicott's Sunny Day—would surge even further.
At the same time, Whimsicott's supportive moves boosted both of its allies.
Mawile darted forward in an instant. Magmar was still airborne from the previous blow—before it could even stabilize, a Thunder Punch from Mawile sent it crashing into a nearby rock wall.
Lightning crackled around Mawile's fist. It raised its arm again, preparing another Thunder Punch.
"That's enough, Mawile," Maki's voice resonated in its mind.
Mawile froze.
"Why?" It asked, its voice surprisingly soft and childlike—nothing like its fierce battle stance.
"Because we were the ones who intruded. And besides..."
Before Maki could finish his sentence, a glow flickered around Mawile. Its mega evolution ended, and it reverted to its original form.
Maki, still seated on the ground, let out a bitter chuckle. His arms trembled from exhaustion, barely holding him upright.
Mega Evolution drained too much energy.
Especially for Mawile, whose base strength wasn't high to begin with. They had forced the evolution through sheer bond and willpower—but it came with a cost. The strain on Maki as its Trainer was immense, making it hard to sustain for long.
Their first attempt at Mega Evolution had only lasted a few seconds before Maki hit his limit.
Then again…
It's the first time. Short duration is normal. Do it a few more times, and it'll last longer.
Even if the transformation was brief, the impact was undeniable.
In just a few moments, Mega Mawile had taken down Magmar—the same opponent that had given them so much trouble earlier.
Of course, Charmeleon and Whimsicott had helped, but Mawile was the true MVP of this battle.
Maki glanced at the unconscious Magmar. He had no interest in catching it.
"Whim~"
Whimsicott suddenly floated over to where Magmar had landed and called out.
It had originally gone to check if Magmar was still a threat, making sure it wouldn't suddenly get back up.
"What's wrong? If everything's fine, we should get out of here. I don't want to stay in this damn place a second longer."
Maki slumped against his Absol, completely drained.
It was too hot here. Worse, his injuries needed attention—if they got infected, things would get messy. After all, there was no Pokémon Center or doctor nearby.
Mawile, back in its normal form, hurried over to Maki with a worried expression.
Maki waved weakly, signaling that he was just tired and needed rest. Looks like until Mawile reaches Ultra Ball level, I'll have to use Mega Evolution sparingly.
"Whim!"
But instead of flying back to Maki's side, Whimsicott waved at them, gesturing toward something.
Maki frowned. Dragging himself up with Absol's help, he approached to see what Whimsicott had found.
"Whim~"
Whimsicott moved aside, revealing a small crater—formed when Magmar crashed.
Maki took one glance and immediately noticed something odd.
"Is this... another passageway?"
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