Mega Evolution is a major concept in Pokémon, showcasing the bond between a trainer and their Pokémon by transforming into a more powerful state. Requiring that the trainer hold a Key Stone and the Pokémon hold a Mega Stone that's tailored to its species, Mega Evolution can only occur when there's great trust between trainer and Pokémon; otherwise bad things can happen, such as the Pokémon going berserk.

Mega Evolution in the anime mostly features in Pokémon XY and Pokémon Journeys, and is largely used only by the most skilled of trainers. It makes for a fantastic spectacle in tournaments and exhibition matches, as the Pokémon not only see a massive increase in power, but also transform temporarily into new forms. Most of the trainers in the Masters' Eight tournament of Pokémon Journeys were proficient s of Mega Evolution, showing how highly preferred the transformation can be. Here are 10 of the most skilled s of Mega Evolution seen throughout the anime (besides Ash himself).

10 Korrina Comes from A Long Line of Mega Evolution Practitioners

First Appearance: Pokémon XY, "Mega Revelations!"

Korrina is a Gym Leader in the Kalos region whose family have closely guarded the secrets of Mega Evolution for centuries, as her ancestors were the first people able to make Lucario Mega Evolve. Korrina carries on in this tradition with her own Lucario, although when Ash first meets her, she has yet to Mega Evolve. Korrina struggles with Mega Evolution initially, as her Lucario goes berserk and lays a brutal beatdown on Ash's Pikachu, far beyond the bounds of a normal battle.

However, Korrina and Lucario were able to work together to master this power, and by the time of Pokémon Journeys, Korrina is an experienced of Mega Evolution who helps Ash and his Lucario to achieve the state. While Korrina didn't make it too far in the World Coronation Series, she's still one of the most knowledgable people about Mega Evolution.

9 Drasna's Elite Skill Took Altaria to the Next Level

First Appearance: Pokémon Journeys, "The Future is Now, Thanks to Strategy!"

Drasna is a member of the Kalos Elite Four, a master of Dragon-type Pokémon, and a practitioner of Mega Evolution. She managed to reach as high as rank 12 in the World Coronation Series, marking her as one of the strongest trainers in the world. In her match with Ash, Drasna showed off her skill with Mega Evolution by Mega Evolving her Altaria as her second Pokémon. Drasna was dead set on ending Ash's win streak, and pulled out all the stops with Altaria, tricking him with Altaria's type change when it Mega Evolves.

Ash barely defeated Mega Altaria with Sirfetch'd, who fainted shortly afterward. While Ash eventually won the match, Drasna's Mega Evolution nearly cost him the win, and would've sent Ash's rank tumbling back down.

8 Blaziken Mask Used Mega Evolution For Good

First Appearance: Pokémon XY, "Lumiose City Pursuit!"

Blaziken Mask was the secret superhero identity of Meyer, Bonnie and Clemont's father. His Mega Blaziken was the first Mega Evolution to appear in the series, with Mega Blaziken swooping in to save Ash after he leapt off Lumiose City's Prism Tower in an attempt to save Pikachu from falling. He used the power of Mega Evolution to perform heroic acts like this frequently, battling off Team Rocket on occasion and helping to defeat Team Flare when they launched their own evil plan.

Blaziken Mask was extremely skilled at commanding Mega Blaziken, and it clearly trusted its trainer implicitly, willing to dive into dangerous situations at his command in order to save the innocent. While they rarely participated in straightforward Pokémon battles, Mega Blaziken clearly possessed a great deal of power, and its speed was nearly unmatched.

7 Lysandre Turned Mega Evolution into a Tool for Evil

First Appearance: Mega Evolution Special I

Of course, Mega Evolution hasn't been used exclusively by the good guys; Lysandre, the secret leader of Team Flare, researched Mega Evolution heavily, using Alain to learn more about the phenomenon and track down its origins. Lysandre was capable of utilizing Mega Evolution himself, Mega Evolving his Shiny Gyarados to battle against Ash and Alain, enabling it to take on as many as seven Pokémon at once. Despite being evil, Lysandre's bond with Gyarados was quite strong.

Lysandre was eventually defeated by sheer numbers, as help kept coming for Ash, causing Mega Gyarados to revert to its ordinary form. Still, it's clear that Lysandre's skill with using Mega Evolved Pokémon was nearly unmatched at the time, and had there not been so many people standing against him, he may well have succeeded.

6 Gurkinn Possesses the Ancient Secrets of Mega Evolution

First Appearance: Pokémon XY, "Mega Revelations!"

Gurkinn is Korrina's grandfather, and is known as the "Mega Evolution Guru," holding the secrets of their family that Korrina will someday inherit. Like Korrina, he's a descendant of the first people to utilize Mega Evolution. Gurkinn is one of the few trainers shown to be able to command multiple Mega Evolved Pokémon, having used both a Mega Lucario and a Mega Alakazam at different points in the series. As a guardian of the secrets of Mega Evolution, he saw it as his responsibility to test Ash's skill and ensure he was worthy of the power of Mega Evolution.

Gurkinn doesn't seem to engage in Pokémon battles recreationally, but rather uses them as tests for Korrina and Ash, and presumably anyone else who might come seeking the power of Mega Evolution. As is tradition in his family, his bond with his Lucario is exceptionally strong, and when Korrina's Lucario went out of control, his Lucario stepped in and put a stop to its rampage.

5 Professor Sycamore Researches Mega Evolution Intensely

First Appearance: Pokémon XY, "Lumiose City Pursuit!"

Professor Sycamore is the local professor of the Kalos region, and a specialist in Mega Evolution. Unlike many Pokémon Professors, Professor Sycamore occasionally does battle, as it's one way to enhance his bond with his Garchomp, helping them get closer to unlocking the mysteries of Mega Evolution. With the guidance of Blaziken Mask, Professor Sycamore was able to Mega Evolve his Garchomp for the first time, unlocking its tremendous power.

When Team Flare enacted their devious plan, Professor Sycamore and Mega Garchomp helped Ash and friends out, battling against a Druddigon, and later siding with the Gym Leaders and Ash against Team Flare's secret weapon, the Giant Rock.

4 Alain Encountered Dozens of Mega Evolved Pokémon

First Appearance: Mega Evolution Special I

Alain was the protagonist of the Mega Evolution specials, who also entered the main series anime and became a rival for Ash. Alain's goal was initially to battle against every kind of Mega Evolved Pokémon with his Mega Charizard X, using a Key Stone and Mega Stone provided to him by Lysandre for research purposes. Alain battled and defeated Ash in the Lumiose Conference, crowning him the victor of the Kalos League, just before Team Flare launched their attack. Alain eventually turned against Lysandre and worked with Ash, using his Mega Charizard's might to put a stop to their evil plans.

In Pokémon Journeys, Alain was shown to have reached the Masters' Eight, and have thus become one of the strongest trainers in the world. Still, he was no match for the undefeated Leon, and lost in the first round. Alain's return revealed he had become an independent researcher of Mega Stones, putting his experience to work for science.

3 Steven Stone Studied the Mega Phenomenon Thoroughly

First Appearance: Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, "A Hole Lotta Trouble"

Steven Stone is the Champion of the Hoenn region, and has been for quite some time. He's an experienced practitioner of Mega Evolution, most commonly with his Shiny Metagross. During the Team Flare crisis in Pokémon XY, Steven used his Mega Metagross to battle against Lysandre's Giant Rock. Steven also worked with Alain at various points, helping to uncover the mysteries of Mega Evolution, and kept performing his research even after Lysandre and Team Flare were defeated.

In the World Coronation Series, he was rank 3, securing him a spot in the Masters' Eight tournament. He was up against Ash in the first round, and ultimately lost.

2 Cynthia's Mega Skills Nearly Ruined Ash's Tournament Dreams

First Appearance: Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, "Top-Down Training!"

Cynthia is the Champion of the Sinnoh region, and achieved rank 2 in the World Coronation Series, making her the second-strongest trainer in the world after Leon. Cynthia's main partner is Garchomp, and she uses her ability to Mega Evolve exclusively with this Garchomp. In her first round battle in the Masters' Eight tournament versus Iris, Cynthia Mega Evolved her Garchomp, which allowed her to easily defeat Iris's Haxorus. This sent her to the next round with Ash, where she eventually lost after a difficult battle.

Cynthia is well-versed in other forms of powering up Pokémon, such as Dynamax (which she used against Ash), but is primarily known to prefer Mega Evolution. Perhaps she might have defeated Ash had she opted to use Mega Evolution instead?

1 Diantha's Skill With Mega Evolution is Second to None

First Appearance: Pokémon XY, "The Bonds of Evolution!"

Diantha is the Champion of the Kalos region, and is quite likely the most skilled of Mega Evolution seen in the series. While she was ranked 5 in the World Coronation Series, putting her below Steven and Cynthia, Dianthia has a great deal more experience with Mega Evolution than either of them, given that Kalos is the original home of Mega Evolution. Back during Pokémon XY's struggle against Team Flare, Diantha led the Kalos Gym Leaders into battle, assisting Ash and Alain against Lysandre's forces.

Diantha and her partner, Gardevoir, are said to be so in sync during Mega Evolution that they can communicate without issuing verbal commands; only a glance needs to be exchanged for Gardevoir to know what to do. This kind of bond and trust between trainer and Pokémon exemplifies what Mega Evolution is all about, ensuring that Diantha stands out as the most skilled Mega Evolution in the Pokémon anime.