Contents of the Black Box

After checking on Gligar and Flygon, Yuga took another trip to the Shallow Seashore with Great Flygon, Chief Flygon, and Gliscor to introduce them to Koga's Greninja and Chief Empoleon, ensuring there wouldn't be any conflicts in the future due to unfamiliarity.

He placed his Pokémon Florges, Chimecho, Absol, and Vivillon into the Ecopark and then stepped out. It was then that he remembered the spoils he had brought back from his uncle's house.

Opening the box containing three different evolution stones, Yuga gazed at the sparkling Thunder Stone, Water Stone, and Fire Stone, each radiating like precious gems. His mood was greatly lifted.

Yuga planned to hand these three evolution stones over to Suzuki Koen to be sold in the store. He also asked Windy to update this information on the "YoYo Day Care" website so other trainers could buy them online. With the quantity of these evolution stones, he believed they would be enough to last for quite a while.

As for the Prims Scales and Light Clay, Yuga didn't currently have a use for them, so he stored them directly in his system backpack.

Finally, he turned his attention to the remaining black box.

Slightly larger than a human head, the black box was a perfect cube with clean, symmetrical sides, exuding an air of mystery. Its surface was pitch-black, and the material couldn't be discerned.

Yuga picked up the black box and felt its weight. He noticed one side of the box had a 9x9 grid with 49 raised squares that could be moved.

However, the grid was quite small, only about the size of a human thumbnail, and the squares were even smaller. Given the darkness of the box, it wasn't surprising that Yuga hadn't noticed them at first.

"Could this be the method to open the box?" Yuga pondered.

Yuga attempted to move the squares using his fingers, but they were too large for the grid. He then found a needle and used it to manipulate the squares, making them more maneuverable. However, even after a considerable effort, he couldn't figure out the pattern for moving the squares and thus couldn't open the box.

The system's voice chimed in his head, [ Host, this is a mechanism created by ancient humans to safeguard valuable items. It requires a special method to unlock. ]

Hearing this, Yuga sighed in frustration, "But I don't know the special method."

The system replied, [ Host, you can move them according to my instructions. ]

"Are you familiar with the method?" Yuga asked in surprise.

[ Yes, Host ] the system confirmed.

Yuga felt a surge of relief. Indeed, his external assistant was truly versatile, showcasing its brilliance. With the system's guidance, Yuga successfully moved the 49 squares to their correct positions. With a clicking sound, the raised squares swiftly retracted into the grid, aligning seamlessly and forming the pattern of a Greninja.

Following the system's instructions, Yuga pressed down on the Greninja symbol, and the black box made a clicking sound before opening. Yuga peered inside and saw the contents.

Neatly arranged in a circular pattern were nine translucent evolution stones: Water Stone, Fire Stone, Thunder Stone, Leaf Stone, Moon Stone, Sun Stone, Dusk Stone, Dawn Stone, and Awakening Stone. Each type of evolution stone was represented, and Yuga's gaze was drawn to the center, where a round stone with spiral patterns was placed.

Nine evolution stones plus one Mega Evolution Stone—this surprise was completely unexpected.

Yuga noticed that the Sun Stone in the box was exactly the same as the high-quality Sun Stone the system had previously rewarded him. With its regular shape and sparkling clarity, it was a true beauty.

This meant that the other eight evolution stones treated with the same care were also high-quality evolution stones.

Yuga's face lit up with joy as he touched the nine high-quality evolution stones and the Mega Evolution Stone. He couldn't help but marvel at how fitting the contents of the box were. Indeed, the most valuable items were stored inside.

Once his excitement subsided, Yuga turned to the system and asked, "By the way, do you know which Pokémon this Mega Evolution Stone is for?"

The system replied, [ Gyarados! ]

It turned out to be a Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone. Yuga felt a twinge of disappointment. It would have been perfect if it were for Absol instead. Was he going to have to capture a Gyarados to utilize it?

Chuckling at his own wandering thoughts, Yuga shook his head. He was overthinking things, especially since he didn't even possess a Key Stone. He decided to ponder that matter later. With that, he stored the Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone in his system backpack.

As he stored the high-quality evolution stones as well, Yuga noticed that Audino was beckoning to him while wearing a pink apron.

For a moment, Yuga felt as if he were a husband being called to dinner by his diligent wife. However, this notion quickly sent a chill down his spine as he realized he was truly single—his perceptions were certainly skewed. Even a pink demon seemed pleasing to the eye.

Yuga checked the time and realized it was already dinnertime. He went upstairs to fetch Windy and found him absorbed in his computer.

Yuga knocked on his door, but Windy didn't respond. Knocking again, Yuga said, "It's time for dinner!."

Hearing this, Windy closed his laptop and turned to look at Yuga.

"Let's go eat!" Yuga said before leaving Windy's room. Windy followed suit, mirroring Yuga's steps.

Around the dining table, Yuga, Windy, and Audino sat as usual, with a meticulously prepared dinner in front of them. However, Audino's plate still contained a few Pokéblocks.

Yuga picked up his chopsticks, lifted a piece of ribs, then put it down again, and picked it up once more. Wherever Yuga's chopsticks moved, Audino's eyes followed.

After repeating this several times, Audino finally realized Yuga was teasing it. It looked at Yuga with teary eyes and a pouting expression.

Seeing Audino's reaction, not only did Yuga burst into laughter, but even Windy, who was usually reserved, couldn't help but smile.

"Let's see if you dare to mess around next time!" Yuga put away his smile, deliberately adopting a serious expression as he addressed Audino.

Audino shook its head vigorously in response, indicating that it wouldn't dare to do so.

Yuga decided to stop teasing it, but he maintained a stern look and said, "I'll spare you this time, but if you dare to do this again, I'll show you what I'm capable of."

"Audino!"

Upon hearing Yuga's words, Audino cheered happily and immediately pushed the Pokéblocks aside. It eagerly indulged in the dishes laid out on the table.

Ever since Yuga had arrived in this world, he had struggled to adapt to the local cuisine. Eventually, he shared his past life's recipes with Audino, and now their household prepared meals based on those recipes.

The first time Windy and Suzuki Koen dined at Yuga's home and tasted these dishes, they grew to love them. Over time, everyone became accustomed to eating this way.