Pointy End

What are you doing, Eva Morales?

"Dear me, just what exactly am I looking at?"

A large blonde man marched through HQ's training grounds, his words (and laughter) echoing within the empty installations.

A wide smile was stretched over his face, shoulders still quaking from barely swallowed laughs as he unclasped his coat and threw it aside.



"As I live and breathe. If it isn't the good doctor herself! And what's this? No lab coat in sight? Perhaps I should take a picture." He said as he marched closer to the two, smiling at the doctor, then at Blade as he stopped. "Good morning, Eva. Blade."

Sir Gwyar Wledig had arrived. He was leaning on a sheathed longsword, his weight rested atop the pommel. It was dissimilar from the one he carried when they first met— looked much simpler.

He hadn't had any epiphanies or undergone any radical changes in perspective in the past month— he was just there to warm up before his session with kyle lopez.

Finding Doctor Eva Morales playing with a sword was a surprise. A very pleasant one, though. Made for a surprisingly appealing sight!

Slightly tempered by the new scars and healing bruises.

"I'm somewhat hurt, doctor! If you were interested in learning, you could have just asked years ago." He said, breaking his poise for once and snickering.

Melody Miro, MATIAS SILPH, Kyle, Elise Calcifet, several unnamed NPCs back in Verdanturf...

Swordsmanship had become rather popular all of a sudden. At a good time, too— even his own swordsmanship training was taking off, after nearly 10 years of stagnation.

---

Pointy End

What are you doing, Eva Morales?

"The one and only." He smiled, folding an arm over his chest before bowing theatrically, his lips pursing as she relayed him with the horrible news.

"Truly? Lamentable. Here I hoped I might have caught the elusive Head Professor in the most rare of occasions: a day off."

More elusive than cryptids for those living and working in Hoenn.

He dearly hoped his gaze hadn't made her too self-conscious before. He had gotten into the habit of studying all manner of swordsmanship— specially from novices.

"Ah, no?" He said, a wry grin stretching his lips as brows knit together into a faux grimace. "You are breaking my heart here, milady. I thought you might have caught the same bug that has gotten everyone else."

But of course she hadn't— not yet. The bug was him after all.

"Hmm, I dunno..." He said, vocabulary much laxer than usual as he pouted his lips in thought, sauntering around the sparring circle with slow, exaggerated steps. "I'm something of a big deal instructor these days. Very exclusive."

A moment of brief silence was a allowed— before he chuckled.

"I suppose if it is for the Eva Morales though..." He said, spinning on his heel mid step to enter the circle, coming to a stop before the blonde. "I've always got time."

He smiled brightly, holding out his hand.

"So! With that settled, Eva— May I see your sword for a moment?" He asked, making a 'gimme' gesture, before pausing and holding out his own with a wry, self-amused look on his face. "You can have mine in the meanwhile if you want."

Should she accept this most earnest trade, she would find his sword to be very light despite its apparent size, with a great deal of its weight located near the handle, allowing for swifter maneuvering... should she care for and/or notice such things.

Gwyar certainly did, staring at the sword she was holding with some curiosity.

It was just there? Who left it there?

Better not have been one of his students, or he would beat them over the head with it.

Pointy End

What are you doing, Eva Morales?

"I don't know. You... tend towards recklessness on the field, Eva." He said, slowly rotating his wrist whilst holding the sword, before turning his gaze towards her. "A weapon wouldn't hurt."

He kept his expression relatively blank, not letting much emotion slip in into his words even as his gaze inevitably made the trip over her new bruises and scars.

They once had a conversation about her safety, after she had somehow survived a trip down Mt. Pyre's fast route.

It had gone nowhere.

Trying to keep her off the field accomplished nothing. The best he could hope was to push her towards furthering her personal training.

His gaze drifted back to the sword in his hand as she commented on his own piece.

"Ah, thank you. Would you believe me if I said I actually crafted that one myself?" He asked, a small smile returning to his lips. His meeting Aurelie Lefevre was certainly lucky. "I have taken to the art in recent months. Helps me clear my head— things in Sootopolis get too stressful at times."

Finally, the man swung the sword in his hand once.

"This is a sword meant for training— muscle, stamina and form." He finally said, flipping it in his grip and holding it out to the doctor. "It's heavy, but the balance point is good enough. It should do some good— your muscles have deteriorated after all."

He had gotten a good look at them up close, back in her prime. He could tell.

Pointy End

What are you doing, Eva Morales?

"If it is any consolation—." He began wryly, closing a single lid as a gale was blown at his face, his bangs waving over his eyes. "You are no less charming for it."

Rubbing his bangs out of his eyes, the man hummed, ignoring the brief wave of nostalgia at the vaguely familiar fragrance.

"I had forgotten you joined the vaunted ranks of Hoenn's demigods." He said, turning his gaze over to his blade as he raised it eye level. "Swordsmanship must seem rather quaint by comparison."

He appreciated the polite interest, if nothing else. MATIAS SILPH hadn't been nearly as thoughtful when the blonde first broached the subject.

"But yes— let's begin." He said, before bringing his sheated sword up to bump and prod at Eva's limbs. "First of all— your stance."

Gwyar was a strict instructor. He had gathered and built up his experience over the past year, using the time he spent teaching his daughters the sword years ago as a solid foundation.

His time in Hoenn had made him a more flexible, adaptable teacher. He knew Eva's temperament— to a point— so he made sure to never push beyond her limits as he went about teaching her the 4 Basic stances.

"This drill will help rebuild muscle and stamina, as well as dexterity." He said simply as he showcased the exercise, a slow, practiced, smooth shift between each and every stance.

The lessons went some like that, with the larger blonde ocassionally prodding and bumping the smaller blonde's limbs to correct her posture, pushing her to go for as long as her arms could support it.

"If you do not mind me prying—" He began suddenly. "Do you know the extent of your new abilities?"

Sword training was great. Loved it, his absolute favorite.

Time on earth was limited, however. Eva's time specially, given how busy she was. Perhaps they could shoot two corviknights with a single Tinkaton.

Pointy End

What are you doing, Eva Morales?

Eva was a grade-A for effort student. He suspected if she had been at her peak, she would've breezed through the exercise.

Would just have to get her back in shape!

At her look, he merely shrugged back with a laugh.

"Apologies for asking?" He said with an amused grin, looking at her tired form over before saying. "Take five."

They could continue this conversation while she rested.

Cupping his chin as she listed the abilities she knew of, he hummed thoughtfully, cocking his head at the mention of mega evolution with a curious look.

"Mega evolution...? I never imagined Lord Rayquaza would have a connection to the phenomenon." He said, brows furrowing slightly as he tapped at his chin. "I must admit— my understanding of primal energy is woefully lacking. If it isn't too much— could you explain?"

He asked, head lightly tilted— then chuckled.

"Looks like we'll both get to play at teacher today."

If the ability she spoke of was what he imagined— there might be something he could teach her for the future after all. Though, perhaps an excess.

Pointy End

What are you doing, Eva Morales?

Gwyar's brow furrowed slightly, arms crossing over his chest as Eva explained things— simplifying it greatly for his non-scientific self, he wagered.

A true mark of expertise, that he got the gist of it all the same.

'That's Eva Morales for you.' thought with a smile.

Primal Energy, the source of mega evolution— amongst several other phenomena. It could be found within a mineral...? He crossed his arms, deep in thought.

His full attention was commanded back when Blade came into the picture, the man shelving these 'metonites' in the back of his mind.

Before his very eyes, Blade took on the now familiar form of a Mega Gallade, elegant cape fluttering under the pokemon's own overflowing power.

"Dear me!" He said , staring at Blade with wide eyes. "So few pokemon are capable, though... I truly thought the stones indispensable!"

It had made sense to him— no stone to be found, so no mega evolution for certain pokemon. Simple as that.

He cupped his chin, humming pensively as he tipped his head back, thinking outloud.

"Perhaps certain pokemon have their own version of rayquaza's energy storing organ instead...?" He wondered, turning his gaze back to Eva, extremely curious now.

Perhaps researchers had thought it to be akin to the human appendix? Never able to figure out what its purpose was until the advent of primal energy, it was concluded to be merely an evolutionary leftover?

His gaze shifted back to Blade.

"... How long can you maintain that form?" He asked, his digits slipping towards his breast pocket, where the chain of a pocket watch was stu— nope, wait, that was a luxury ball.

Pointy End

What are you doing, Eva Morales?

"But that is what perplexes me." Gwyar said, rubbing at his chin thoughtfully. "If You are the universal stone... why are only a few pokemon capable of mega evolution?"

Before, stones reacted only to specific pokemon. Ergo, no Galladite, no mega Gallade. No Corvitite, No mega corviknight. Any pokemon incapable of mega evolution could be simply explained by claiming that no mega stone for their species had yet been found.

But Eva was a universal mega stone now.

So why were only a few pokemon capable of mega evolution still...?

"Well, I'm no scientist." He finally concluded with a laugh, smiling down at the doctor with a chuckle. "I'll just look forward to your future findings, good doctor."

He was sure if anyone would figure it out, it was her. She was the world leading expert on the subject matter, after all.

Turning back to Mega-Blade, Gwyar finally plucked his luxury ball out of his breast pocket, releasing his own Gallade onto the field.

As Gawain's kneeling glowing form took swift shape, armor and flowing scarf following shortly after as he rose, looking around briefly. His gaze eventually fell on the Doctor and his green counterpart. He gave both a polite bow, before turning his gaze back to Gwyar.

"Indefinite mega evolution... that is indeed an awesome power." He said, tapping his chin. "Gawain and I trained extensively in his Mega evolved form in order to extend its duration as much as possible, but we were unable to make any real headway on that endeavor."

The man's gauntlet shone suddenly as he raised it in the air, the keystone embedded upon it resonating with the gem in Gawain's armor.

Before long, two Mega Gallades stood in the training room.

"That is— until we first encountered the Z-move phenomena." Gwyar said. A special band crafted around his gauntlet began to glow as well.

Z-move

Knight God

"This is the Z-move we came up with." Gwyar said as Gawain's transformation finished, the Mega Gallade now guarded by crystals, the red chest gem that characterized the Gardevoir line having seemingly spilled outwards and overgrown like ivy, covering his in crystallized body armor.

"Both Power, combat performance and duration are greatly bolstered by this form." He said, dragging a digit over the glowing red armor. "Duration is exact, too. It is precisely twice the established average."

It was unlike normal mega evolution, were any duration beyond the establishded average was entirely up to luck.

"I'm wondering—" He turned his gaze over to her. "Could you and Blade hold this form indefinitely, too?"