14 Testing One's Metal

Leaving the Pokémon center I toured around Shalour City for an hour as I planned my battle with Gurkinn to be scheduled for tomorrow so I decided to make use of some of the time to do a bit of sightseeing in the area and witness the beauty of the place. A coastal city scenery never fails to amaze me not to mention that even though the architecture in Shalour city differs so much from the one from Coumarine, each of them still have their own way to blend the cityscape with the natural beauty of the coast.

Since I already finalized the battle plan with my team and training at this time will do little at this point I found it best to use it to have extra time to rest while also mentally preparing for what is to come. My team is all ready for the battle while Steelix had even shown a rare expression of excitement with his calm and relaxed demeanor of his nowhere in sight.

(It's understandable considering that Steelix had been training for this battle for close to about two years now and we had done a lot of training to prepare against his most likely opponents of either Lucario, Blaziken, or Alakazam ..... I'm still hoping we're not up against all three.)

When it became dark I returned to the Pokémon center to have lunch with my team while also making the weekly call back home. I never missed a single one of the scheduled calls as the alternative is something I hope would never happen to be caused by my negligence.

'Ring'

"Al, you've finally called so how's my boy doing?"

"Hello dad, I'm doing just fine, I've already reached Shalour city and planning on finally battling Gurkinn tomorrow"

"Haha, that's wonderful! By the way, me and your mother saw you on the news the other day and it seemed that the whole region saw it too with a number of reporters currently camped outside our gates"

"Why did such a small matter got so blown up. Hopefully, this will die down soon."

"Small matter? Al, you might not realize but you're one of the most anticipated trainers representing Lumiose city and that fiasco just put you at the forefront of to-watch list"

"I am? I never remembered signing up for such a thing!"

"Neither did the other representatives. Just be proud son, you're now seen as a role model for other trainers of your age and it advertently increased your popularity with a lot of people, whether that a good thing or bad is yet to be seen just make sure to avoid causing another scene in public for the time being as that will open up another can of Wurmple that you won't be able to handle as I'm sure I can't if put in that situation."

"Thanks dad but for now I would like to keep that out of mind as I want to focus on my battle tomorrow."

"Right .....Me and your mother still don't quite understand why you're so keen on fighting Gurkinn and your mom is especially worried that you're bothering the busy old man so much as you might not know but the Concombre family already has their hands full with their responsibilities in the region."

"Trust me dad this battle can be considered as part of his responsibility"

"As a gym leader? Al, I don't think you have enough badges to even have him battle you."

"That's the second time I've heard that not enough badge thing this week .... Dad, he's the one who challenged me so me coming here can be considered as me accepting his challenge."

"If you say so, then at least make sure to give it you're all. You have our best wishes for your match tomorrow."

"Thanks say hi to mom and Alice for me"

"I will, take care of yourself out there Al"

.....

I woke up bright and early the next day to do some warmups with my team, it was mainly composed of simple exercises to make sure everyone is in tip-top shape. After the short exercise, we ate breakfast and then proceeded to the Tower of Mastery which conveniently is also the location of the Shalour city gym. The location is on a small island connected to the mainland by a narrow land bridge, while the structure itself looks less like a tower and more resembles a medieval castle. The place was decorated with etched symbols resembling a half helix with a small circle on the bottom carved in the walls and columns that show a clear-cut connection with mega evolution but are portrayed in a way that is not noticeable to those unfamiliar with the prerequisite of the phenomena.

(So this is the Tower of Mastery, but I can't really see it as a tower but more of a castle with a colosseum on top however it does remind me of home although its overall size is smaller. Still, this place is lowkey really like to show off that they have a relation with Mega evolution with all these Mega evolution symbol littered around the place.)

(Still, this place is really big for a gym.)

As I was figuring out where I was supposed to go a teenage girl wearing a black Gi uniform approached me from behind.

"Hello, I'm a gym trainer of the Shalour gym may I ask what is your purpose for visiting the Tower of Mastery is it for a Gym battle or to challenge the tower?"

"Hi I'm Al, I was asked by Gurkinn to come here for a battle"

"Asked? Ahh! you must be Albert Ryuma. Yes Sir Gurkinn told us of your arrival a while back please follow me"

The gym trainer led me to the upper floor where we reached a large open arena and entering inside I came face to face with the guy who has an amazing pair of M-shaped eyebrows standing on a podium situated on the opposite side of the battlefield from where I stood.

"Welcome Albert, It seems that you have been busy these past couple of days. Good work on rescuing those kids from the Malamars, what you and all those other trainers did was commendable behavior as trainers but I did think that the fiasco will cause your overall preparation for our battle to be negatively affected but ... It's clear from your expression that you're just as pumped up for this battle as me so no need to wait any longer. Our battle will be a one-on-one with your Steelix"

(So it's a one-on-one, that's actually the best scenario but who are we going up against?)

I made my way towards the podium opposite the one Gurkinn is standing on and not wanting to add any more pleasantries Gurkinn made a signal to the gym trainer who guided me here and left the arena while an old man wearing a referee uniform arrived a few seconds later with an Aegislash.

"This will be a battle between Gurkinn the Guru of the Tower of Mastery and Albert Ryuma of Lumiose city. The battle will be a single match and the winner will be decided if either the other trainer's Pokémon is unable to battle or the trainer forfeits the match."

The battle was announced by the referee and after which his Aegislash used king shield to surround the arena creating a dome that is open from above that effectively isolated the outside from any possible damages incurred by the battle while also allowing maneuverability from above.

(That's neat, taking preclusions so that the whole arena doesn't go tumbling down on us but were still inside the barrier though.)

"Albert, this will be a test in order to see if you are worthy to wield a power that transcends what the populace considers as the norm and so I'll introduce my old friend who will judge you for who you truly are"

'Swoooosh'

'Boom!'

As Gurkinn made his statement a blue blur suddenly came crashing down from above performing a superhero landing in the middle of the battlefield.

'Lucario!'

(His choice was indeed Lucario, well that's fine since it's better than facing his Blaziken type-wise but gotta say that's a well-timed entrance ..... wait did they practice this whole thing beforehand? ..... from Gurkinn and his Lucario's out-of-place smirk tells me that might be the case but I can't really judge them since I use to do the same theatrics back home.)

"Steelix let's not be outdone, front and center!"

'Steelix!'

.....

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Line break llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

POV. Gurkinn

It's been a while and Albert's arrival is coming near as the kid had just done something that important enough to be featured on the news, being the hero responsible for figuring out the case of missing children.

It's a commendable thing he did but it makes it look like he's not at all worried about our battle to have enough time aside from training but considering his battle with Ramos I can't blame the kid at all. When I heard of his arrival in Shalour city I immediately set the stage for our battle and informed several of my staff to guide Albert to the main arena when he arrives.

I originally planned for the kid to go through several battles with my gym trainers first before battling me in order to see if he got what it takes to stand tall in the face of a challenge but after witnessing his battle with Ramos I found it to be unnecessary.

The kid made his presence known the next day when one of my gym trainers informed me of his arrival in the Tower of Mastery. It was early in the morning but everything is bustling as I already informed all my staff that they might be able to take the day off if the trainer I was expecting arrives well except for old man Gunther who I had chosen to act as the referee for our battle.

I stood on top of the podium facing the entrance of the arena making sure to exude the dignified presence of a Gym leader. The doors opened and I finally saw the kid in person, he truly was only a ten or so years old kid by appearance but he is one that is talented enough to be able to train a team of Elite level Pokémon. The kid was calm and collected, his glance only lasted for a second before turning his attention to the area seemingly trying to study the place where we are to battle.

The gym trainer who guided Albert here quickly left to call over Gunther who will preside over the match. A few weeks before, I even considered for our battle to be against his whole team battling against one of mine but when I saw his prowess against Ramos it was certain that that will not be a good decision as it will be overly underestimating his team which can be considered equal to that of a gym leaders main team.

After a small conversation with the kid, I signaled Gunther to start the match, with Lucario being the Pokémon I choose to battle with. He is by far my strongest Pokémon and oldest companion sharing qualities similar to mine and that includes needing to have a dramatic entrance.

'Swooosh!'

'Boom!'

'Lucario!'

Lucario had gone with his favorite entrance which comprises of jumping off from a high position and doing a landing that is finished with an imposing pose. It was a well-executed performance on his part as it is one he had used for years but never fails to get the awed reaction from the opposing side however our current challenger was not as fazed as we had hoped him to be and on the contrary seem to take it as a challenge of some sort and so right after calling out my Pokémon he also called out his Pokémon.

'Steelix!'

Releasing a loud screech our way the towering metallic serpentine released a burst of ice energy all around and then coiled unto itself while keeping a watchful eye on my Lucario.

'That was a nicely done intimidation display which would definitely work against most of the trainers in this generation but veterans like myself had seen too much already and can't bask in the excitement of receiving such displays anymore. Still, it does bring back fond memories of a youthful past brimming with wonder and unadulterated enthusiasm. Although even in my old age there are still some things that would make me take a second look and that includes variant specimens like this Steelix, Now seeing it in person I was able to fully understand the amount of effort the kid put through not just in training but also in its well being as the ice type energy exudes from it even while just staying still is causing a thin layer of ice to build up on the ground it lay upon. Keeping its Steel type but no longer part Ground type but instead that of Ice which does make me wonder what else out there to discover but that's for the next generation to figure out as my back can't handle long tedious journeys anymore.'

"Lucario let's make this an interesting one use Swords dance"

It's better to give the kid a worthy challenge but it looked like he and his Pokémon is not one to back down as just as Lucario started to boost his attacks, Alberts Steelix also used Dragon dance in retrospect to the situation.

"His Pokémon are truly well trained."

I smiled at their immediate reply to our setup as I was reminded that this will definitely be a fun battle for everyone.

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Line break llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

POV. Albert

Steelix, just as we practiced made a spectacle in his own entrance however the show we put on sadly did not get the reaction we wanted from the old gym leader.

'Well there goes several months of practice'

As if not wanting to stall the battle any longer Gurkinn made the first move with Swords dance but as planned, Steelix in response also started stacking up some Dragon dances. It's apparent that Steelix would not be able to just start buffing himself with dragon dance at the start without Lucario's intervention as taking a super effective hit from a fighting type that Steelix is four times weak against is not a good way to start the battle.

"Lucario that's enough now transition to extreme speed then use Power-up Punch!"

'Lucario!'

'Bzzz'

"Steelix use Screech!"

Lucario upon hearing its trainer became a blur and appeared in front of Steelix and began to clock up a punch but Steelix was fast enough to stop Lucario who did not expect to be greeted by a screaming metallic serpent.

"Steelix bow use Iron tail and send Lucario flying!"

'Steeelix!'

"Lucario extreme speed to dodge"

'Lucario'

'Bzzz'

Not wanting to waste the opportunity I decided to go for the offensive but Lucario once again blurred from vision, effortlessly dodging Steelix's attack while also creating distance from the large foe.

(Okay now that's just not fair, how is that extreme speed and not teleport? I've seen a lot of high-level battles before and not one of them had extreme speed ever used like this.)

"Lucario use Aura Sphere"

'Lucario!'

'Swooosh'

"Steelix use Stone edge!"

'Steelix!'

Steelix created several large crystal spikes from the ground in order to block the attack coming his way, Aura Sphere like in the games can't be dodged however I learned that it can be stopped. I was however certain that Screech would not able to disperse the attack even if it could momentarily slow its approach before continuing its pursuit of the target however a physical barrier might just do in destroying the Pokémon world version of the Rasengan.

'Pak!'

The Crystals created by Stone edge were able to weaken the quickly approaching Aura Sphere but surprisingly were unable to completely destroy the approaching attacks.

"Steelix, spin to win!"

'Boom!'

Steelix used Gyro ball to brace for the impact and was able to successfully block most of the incoming damage from the Aura sphere but Steelix still received considerable damage from the exchange.

"If that's all you have to offer then don't expect to be able to win this, kid. Lucario, use Bone rush!"

"Steelix, Dodge with Dig quick!"

(We won't make it in time!)

'Lucario!'

'Swoosh'

'Boom!'

Once again Lucario used extreme speed to get close to Steelix before landing a heavy Bone rush which Steelix was not able to counter and was hit in the head and toppled down to the ground. Immediately after which, Lucario weaved through Steelix's body hitting every joint of the body effectively dealing heavy damage.

"Don't let them recover Lucario use Close combat!"

"Steelix Crystal Tundra!"

'Steeeeelix!'

'Swooosh'

'Tik'

.....

With few other options left we initiated one of the strategies, we prepared for this battle which was Crystal tundra. It is a combination of the move sandstorm and Stone edge that was converted into ice type by Steelix's ability. The move takes time due to the amount of ice energy needed to be gathered like that of a Draco meteor which is then released into the environment with the use of the move Sandstorm in tandem with Stone edge.

The result was a burst of cold energy that conjured up a heavy hail storm and to make matters worst for the opponent several varying sizes of Sharp Crystalline spiked pillars started to sprout out of the ground with Steelix as the epicenter of it all which blasted Lucario away from Steelix and dealt some damage.

The overall scene resembles the one when the little girl from the Movie "Spell of the unknown" got mad but more horrendous due to the addition of the Hail storm which caused visibility to plummet and made dodging said spikes almost impossible further making the battlefield one that Steelix can be within his element.

While Lucario was still disoriented from what had just occurred, Steelix started traversing through the battlefield like a Magikarp in water, Occasionally attacking Lucario with a barrage of Stone edge with the help of the vibrations in the ground which Steelix mastered while traveling through the Lumiose Badlands.

"Lucario relax, close your eyes and sense its presence"

'Lu ... cario'

After a few seconds of meditation while in the midst of tanking Steelix's attacks, Lucario turned to a specific location where Steelix was positioned which made it clear that our guerrilla tactics is no longer an option.

(Of course, it is also a master of Aura but with the arena filled with obstacles they at least can't charge in with extreme speed anymore unless they are prepared to hit several obstructions along the way.)

"I got to admit you made this battle much more interesting"

"Thank you?"

" But it's now time for us to get serious"

(..... So everything before now is warmup? Ohh right, Mega evol .....)

"Let our bond take form in the heat of the battle, Mega evolve!"

(Should have seen that one coming.)

In a blinding light tendrils of energy connected Lucario's Mega stone and Gurkinn's Keystone which initiated Lucario's Mega Evolution. The bracer holding the Mega stone that Lucario was wearing disappeared while in the process of Mega evolution just like in the anime and when the process had ended a fully Mega-evolved Lucario stood staring at Steelix.

(Now I need a direct science or any concept that can explain where accessory had gone but besides that, It is an understatement that taking a direct hit from that Lucario now will signal our final curtain in this battle even with Steelix's defense.)

"Now Lucario clear a path, use Aura Sphere!"

'Lucario!'

'Swoooooosh'

Without missing a beat Lucario fired a dense Aura Sphere that created a sonic boom boom upon release destroying everything in its path towards Steelix.

(That Aura sphere won't stop until it hits Steelix! Then the only option is to give it what it wants.)

"Steelix no point in dodging that face it head Railgun!"

'Steeliiiix!'

'Swoooooosh'

Steelix immediately prop itself up with Magnet rise and then used Gyro ball with tandem to heavy slam in order to hastily propel itself towards the incoming attack. Steelix's Initial velocity was even greater than that of Lucario's Aura Sphere.

"So your finally using it huh ... "

'Steeliiiiix!!!'

'BOoOoM!'

'Steeliiiiix!!!'

Steelix was able to cancel out the Aura Sphere however the attack still blasted the Icy behemoth back, Steelix was fatigued and clearly won't last any longer due to the exchange.

"Steelix let's bet it all on one last attack!"

"Steelix!"

"Yeah, Take a snack!"

'Steeeeeeeeeeeeelix'

...

"What are they doing?"

'Lucario .....'

'CHOMP!'

Upon my command Steelix begone condensing a piece of Ice crystal by using Stone edge and when it reached a large enough mass Steelix ate the whole thing in one big bite.

'Tik!'

'Tik'

'Steeelix!'

Ice crystals suddenly started sprouting out of Steelix's body forming a extra layer of spikey crystalline armor in its exterior from head to the very tip of his tail. It was the debut of the last improvised move that we especially prepared for this battle which I dubbed Armament.

It was clear that I will need to increase both Steelix's attack and defense in one attack which made me recall this tactic used by the character Dawn in the anime and thought that this might just fit the criteria. It was a gamble whether or not it's enough against a Mega evolved Pokémon that resists Ice-type attacks but it's the best thing we have.

It was an improvised move that was a spectacle to witness especially in this case because as of right now Steelix gives off the Image of a monarch of Ice and snow to those who see him with the Crystalline ice forming a spiked crown on his head and a body covered in similar long spikes which resembles a frozen armor.

"I've seen many trainers using strange strategies and tactics in my day but what you had shown me today ranks to the very top of creative, you're really something else kid but we can't let ourselves be outdone like that, right Lucario!"

'Lucario!'

As if hearing a cue Lucario started using Swords dance while forming a single bone rush and after a second, a blue energy started radiating Lucario's body causing the bone staff's size to increase exponentially while being filled with the blue energy that was highly likely to be aura and only stopped when its size reached that of a totem pole.

"This is something we created based on the record of the first champion of Sinnoh and her Infernape that can is said to be able to take a strange form and use a type of move similar to bone rush in strange ways."

(Wait, isn't that just the Monkey king's staff then? Also, how have I never heard of that story before my family on my mother's side is from there and my GG mother was a former Champion to boot!)

"Steelix don't be intimidated it's just a big stick, let's finish this Railgun!"

'Steelix!'

"Lucario it's their last stand use Extreme speed and focus everything in a single hit of Bone rush!"

'Lucario!'

Steelix blasted itself toward Lucario using the combinations of moves with its Spike-filled armored body in tandem with Railgun while Lucario made use of extreme speed while still carrying the large totem pole of a bone rush to charge at Steelix.

'Lucario!'

'Swooosh'

'Steelix!'

'Swooosh'

'Boom!'

The two Pokémon collided with an impact so powerful it caved the ground in their location and broke several crystalline pillars in their vicinity to pieces blasting them all over the area including the podium where Gurkinn and I stood upon. I was able to dodge most of the shrapnel but one hit me right in the chest making me topple.

"Ahh man, that hurt!"

It was unfortunate that the barrier only protects the things outside the arena which sadly the trainers are not included in as they need all the information they can get in the midst of the battle which includes all their senses getting the first-hand experience of it all.

"Are you all right kid? you took quite the hit"

"Yeah, I'm oka …. My necklace!"

While examining myself I noticed that the large Dragon claw in the middle of my necklace was hit in the center by the crystal shard that flew my way and was still sticking out of it and solidly embedded. Dragon-type by-products are very tough however since the shard was made from Ice and Steel-type energy it was able to penetrate the material albeit only halfway through, creating a large crack to form zigzagging from top to bottom of the Claw meeting the crystal shard in the middle.

(Yikes! this thing is almost as thick as the claw itself and if it was not for my necklace that piece of crystal would be lodged into me instead ..... My dear mother is right, it is a lucky charm but I might need to take more martial arts lessons when I have the time just in case and maybe even get my team into it and see what happens.)

After contemplating life and the future for a bit I turn my attention back to the battle waiting to see the outcome that is hidden by a large amount of mist and dust.

"Steelix, are you okay!?"

Out on the battlefield, the dust settled and Steelix silhouette slowly became visible. When things cleared up everyone was faced with a fainted Steelix and a Mega Lucario standing triumphantly, injured but clearly can still continue battling.

(So in the end we still lost even with all the preparation we had in place but still, we gave it our all and just that fact makes me proud of what we managed to accomplish in getting here.)

"Steelix, return. Nice work, take a well deserve rest big guy."

I recalled my fainted friend and removed the crystal jotting out of my necklace which left a gaping hole in the upper middle part of it. Even though it was damaged it still radiated dragon-type energy albeit a bit weaker compared to before.

(I need to get this properly fixed later may be a jeweler can put something like resin in the hollowed part or maybe even gold so I could get some proper bling)

"That was a great battle."

"Indeed it was, Actually one of the best I had in ages. Don't be disappointed at your loss as I deemed your performance satis ... no, you went beyond expectations of what a trainer your age could accomplish. Before anything else I want you to first tell me your goal as a trainer, Is it to be the next champion?"

(What's my goal? hmm, well now that I think of it, aside from being a dragon-type specialist and stopping a couple of evil organizations bent on world domination, destruction, or any other crazed mania, I'm actually stumped but I just thought of the best answer to that question.)

"Being a champion? No! my goal as a trainer is simple and it's too .... 'DRAMATIC POSE 1' .... Protect the world from devastation! .... 'DRAMATIC POSE 2' .... And to unite all peoples within our nation! .... 'DRAMATIC POSE 3' .... In order to denounce the evils of truth and love! .... 'DRAMATIC POSE 4' ....and extend my reach to the stars above!"

"...."

Not knowing how to react to what he just witnessed, Gurkinn just stared in worry and confusion for my well being which made me cringe at my actions.

(Well I guess it's too soon for his generation since it yet to have meaning but the one ten years from now living in Kanto is gonna hate it to their very core. Wait, since I'm the first that said the line can I sue team Rocket in the future?)

"It's a joke, my goal is to be a businessman like my dad while being a well-known successful trainer. Maybe also pursue a career in music on the side in the future, who knows."

"That's a good goal to have but it's unfortunate that we're losing a potential Champion or even gym leader considering both your battling prowess and clear love for theatrics just fit the bill but a promise is a promise so follow me"

I followed Gurkinn to a spiraling staircase. While traversing the stairway he began telling the history of Mega Evolution and several theories on its origin. The context of it was nothing new to me but hearing it firsthand hits differently with an old man narrating it making the experience more serious.

When we finally reached the top, we entered one of several rooms and in the middle was a pedestal. Gurkinn beckoned me to get closer to the pedestal and so I did, on the pedestal I saw a case holding a keystone and a mega stone.

"What you see before you are a Key stone and a Mega stone which are the two material components needed to trigger a phenomenon called Mega evolution that you had already witnessed twice in your short journey with the first being with Ramos and his Venusaur and the second with my Lucario in our battle"

(Well, I already know that but seeing the key stone and Mega stone together up close sure gets my blood pumping to the height Steelix may reach with those in hand. It is a hassle that I still need to pretend that I'm clueless about the topic though.)

"Wait, you also said that they are the Material component required for what you call Mega evolution to occur so there are other requirements?"

"Correct, Aside from these two things a trainer and the Pokémon that's compatible with the held Mega stone must have a strong bond."

"A strong bond?"

"Yes, it can take many forms but mainly it can be seen as a bond of friendship formed from mutual trust and strengthened through time and experiences together."

(So it's indeed the same as in the anime)

"The Mega stone was something that was your possession from the very beginning and since I found your performance in our battle beyond satisfactory, I will also give you the key stone so you may be able to access Mega evolution but don't be too excited as we have yet to be sure if the Mega stone is truly compatible with your Steelix and be prepared as this will also test your bond."

(True, I have yet to confirm if Steelix can even Mega evolve with this Mega stone with him being a Variant and even if he has a strong attachment to the Mega stone it may just be due to it being something akin to a family heirloom, especially when considering my past theory about normal Steelix's being attracted by the Mega stone and all that.)

"I understand and just so you know I have no worry about my bond with my Steelix as I consider him as family and we could have not reached this point without the bond that we have built."

I stored the Mega stone in my bag however when I picked up the Key stone I suddenly got an idea. Judging from the size of the Key stone I found it to be only a size smaller than the hole that was left by the Crystal shard that embedded itself into my Necklace so I tried to insert the Key stone into it.

(It's a bit lose but I did plan to visit a jeweler later so it's all good.)

"Another thing, Mega Evolution is something not to be used willy nilly remember that there is an unspoken rule that it must only be used in battles against those who have the same capabilities as a Mega evolved Pokémon and away from prying eyes as information about mega evolution must be kept hidden from the public as much as possible as the masses is not yet ready to know about it do you understand?"

"To make it short I half to keep the information about the two shiny marbles on the down low and only use it when battling other Mega evolve Pokémon or those that are similar in power such as Legendaries right?"

"I don't suggest anyone from battling legendary Pokémon as they received that title for a reason but yes that is the gist of it."

"Fine by me, besides, as you said it's not yet certain if my Steelix can even access Mega evolution."

"It's good that you understand, I know you must have a lot of questions in your mind but it's best that we end it here for today in order for you to take your Steelix to the Pokémon center quicker. Make sure to come back here tomorrow as I will teach you how to access Mega evolution."

"Wait, Before I go I have one question that's been bugging me since battling Mega evolve Pokémon and I hope you could shed light on it."

"What is it?"

"Where do the accessories which hold the Mega stone of the Pokémon during Mega evolution disappear to?"

"...."

"Kid, It's best that you don't ask questions that you already know no one has the answer to"

.....

I made my way to the Pokémon center and handed my Steelix to Nurse Joy to be healed and scheduled to pick him up tomorrow. At first Nurse Joy questioned how a defensive Pokémon like Steelix got in such a state but after hearing Gurkinn's involvement in the Tower of Mastery she put it off as me being another rookie who challenged the famed gym leader.

I also decided to put off going to the jeweler for the time being as the Key stone would be needed in tomorrow's test in figuring out if the Mega stone is compatible with Steelix and I'm not one to count my Torchics before they hatch so fixing and attaching the Keystone to the Necklace will be put forth after everything is in place.

With nothing else to do, I went to one of the secluded beaches near the outskirts of Shalour City for some light training for the rest of my team while also getting needed privacy considering what happened when I first arrived in this city. The team was ecstatic after I told them that we passed Gurkinn's test even if in the end we lost the battle.

The news motivated everyone especially the new recruit Gible who immediately run in front of me waiting for instructions while our two-headed big boy Zweilous already challenged Milotic to a battle which she happily agreed to.

(It seems that they would not need any guidance for today)

"You two just remember to apply caution and avoid destroying the landscape ... too much. Okay, now Gible it's a one-on-one training resume for you today"

'Gible!'

I continued training Gible in mastering the newly learned Dragon claw as it will be one of our main go-to attacks even after his evolution. As of now, Gible is still in his first stage where it would be easier for him to learn new moves so on the second hour of training we switched it up to add something new to his repertoire, and next in line was Metal claw which is good coverage to both his Ice and Fairy weakness.

It would have been nice if Gible learned Brick break but I have no idea of the in-depth concept of the move, Claw moves like Metal claw on the other hand from what mom told me are easier to get into when a Pokémon already know one type and only requires the Pokémon to get familiar with the type of energy to be used on the attack.

(I need Gible to get to know Steel-type energy and since experience is the best teacher it will be easier if he could get help from the seniors who are currently wreaking havoc on the shoreline.)

"Milotic, Zweilous stop for now as I will need one of you to assist me in Gible's training."

'Zwei?'

'Milotic!'

"Yeah one of you two will be needed, well its simple really just hit Gible with any Steel-type attack"

'Gible Gib Gible!?'

"Don't worry Gible, I will have either Milotic or Zweilous hold back on the power. I guess Milotic you're the best candidate for this just remember this is just training for Gible so just give him a slight slap and don't overdo it"

'Zweilous Zwei'

"Why did I not choose you? I considered that since you just learned Steel wing you might not be used to adjusting its power so Milotic will have the pleasure of whipping Gible into shape today."

'Zweilous'

"Good that you agree, so Zweilous, for now, try practicing your control over Dragon-type energy and see if you can get any progress in implementing it to Hyper voice"

It was the thing that Zweilous had a hard time figuring out even with two heads working in tandem and in the following hour, it became clear that we his not getting the progress that we hoped so I had Zweilous move back on mastering Steel wing.

(I'm certain that we're just missing something but unless I figure that out the dream of a draconic Hyper voice is just that, a dream.)

While that was going on Gible was continuously tanking hits from Milotic's Iron tail in order to get a feel on Steel-type energy and after every ten minutes, I had Gible try and control said energy in the swiping motion of a claw attack. At the start, there was no reaction whatsoever but after a few more trials we manage to get his claws to glow in a metallic sheen for a brief moment which was a clear step in the right direction.

After all the training we had dinner on the beach and took our time enjoying the sunset while singing some of the songs to pass the time before returning to the Pokémon center for a full night of rest for everyone.

.....

After waking up in the Pokémon center I picked up my team from nurse Joy. Since it was still too early to go to the Tower of Mastery I decided to first have breakfast with my team and even get some early training done and after which take a bath in the Pokémon center's shower. As I have an image to uphold not only as a trainer but also as a Nobility of the Ryuma clan, being at least decently presentable is the least I can do when meeting with people of high society.

When I finally arrived I was greeted by Gunther the referee who watched over my match yesterday, except today he was wearing a butler's uniform.

(His also the caretaker of the place then.)

I followed Gunther back to the arena where I had my match with Gurkinn and the person in question was once again already waiting in place. After a short greeting, Gurkinn started to re-explain the process of Mega evolution with a stern warning that this process may cause the Pokémon to get violent upon undergoing change and rampage about but since everything is already in place I decided to go through with it even with the dangers.

"Steelix, come out"

'Steelix!'

"Good morning Steelix, I hope your ready as we will try and see if you could Mega evolve."

'Steelix?'

"You remember right the thing that both Venusaur and Lucario did in our battle"

'Steel Steelix!'

"Yeah, that one, and now we're given the chance to also experience Mega evolution are you up for it?"

'Steelix!'

"Good, now it's time I return this to you."

'Steelix! Steel Steelix!'

I set the Mega stone in Steelix's head and him realizing what it was Steelix became ecstatic to see his treasure once again.

"Steelix, we're gonna start now so focus and try to feel the bond that connects us."

'Steelix'

I took a few steps back and held the Key stone also following Gurkinn's instruction of feeling the bond that we share a dim light slowly started coming out of both the Mega stone and the Key stone that slowly began glowing brighter.

"Hold on to that feeling, both of you! The bond that you share will act as the bridge that will connect both the Key stone and Mega stone."

At that moment a tendril of light started to form from the Key stone however the Mega stone only shone brighter and after a minute everything died down with the tendril of light from the Key stone disintegrating while the Mega stone's light dimmed out.

"What happened?"

"It failed but the process did start however something from your Steelix and the Mega stone part caused the reaction to fail. It might be that the Mega stone is unable to properly sync with your Steelix due to it being a variant species."

"So the Mega stone is denying Steelix?"

"Not really as it's not sentient but its composition can't match up to your steelix due to his divergent genetics."

'Steel Steelix!'

"You want to try again Steelix? Gurkinn can we have another go at it as Steelix seems to want to try something out"

"Go ahead, it won't hurt anyone to try."

(I don't know what Steelix plans to do but his expression of confidence tells me that it's nothing to be worried about.)

We started the whole process from the beginning and just like earlier a tendril of light formed from the Key stone and only a dim light radiated from the Mega stone.

(I guess it's just not meant to be.)

'STEELIIIIIIIIIX!'

Seemingly in an act of dominance, Steelix gave a mighty roar releasing a blast of Ice and Steel-type energy to the surroundings, and to everyone's surprise, the energy released started to swirl around Steelix and gather towards the Mega stone.

The large amount of energy absorbed by the Mega stone slowly started causing changes to occur from within. Just as Steelix was about to run out of energy to give a second tendril of light formed from the Mega stone which reached out toward the Key stone, and when the two met a blinding light covered Steelix.

Within the bright light changes in Steelix's body started to occur. It began with Steelix's head which compacted itself to be more akin to a V-wing snow plow rather than a typical shovel form. A large pair of Icicle fangs also protruded from Steelix's lower jar and several smaller Icicle fangs filled both his lower and upper jaw creating another layer of teeth with the first being that of ice and the second of Ivory. In all of the large spikes and on each round segment's two parallel sides, a layer of Ice covering came off revealing a reflective diamond-like crystal inside. Each of the segments had a pair of Snowflake symbols revealed due to a layer chipping off it. The symbols then started to glow in a light blue hue which caused all the shaved off layers of Crystal shards to start floating and Orbit around Steelix, creating rings of shimmering debris of Metallic Ice acting like satellites.

When the transformation was complete Steelix gave a loud roar and propped itself upward as if proud of his accomplishment. It was clear that he has not gone mad due to the power increase however he does look very fatigued due to the large amount of energy he had to transfer to the Mega stone to allow this transformation.

"You've done it Steelix, you Mega evolved!"

'Steelix!'

Steelix happy as can be wrapped himself around me while Gurkinn the Gunther was still flabbergasted by the turn of events.

"I can't believe it, the two of you actually succeeded! This is an unprecedented development, a Mega stone that worked with a variant species. Gunther did you get it on tape!?"

"Yes Sir, it was all recorded as per your instructions."

"Well done Gunther!"

"Wait, from the start, you did not think it was possible for us to succeed?"

"It is to be expected since no record of a variant species being able to access Mega evolution before and I was hoping to trade you another Mega stone in the future that will be compatible with one of your Pokémon or one you catch that's capable of Mega Evolution."

(So this old man just wanted to get our hopes up for nothing?)

After a minute had passed Steelix reverted back to his normal form as his first experience in Mega evolution had taken a greater toll on him when compared to other Pokémon. The Mega stone once again appeared on Steelix's head albeit with some changes

The Mega stone changed color, It's a subtle change but still noticeable as the blue color changed into an Icy light blue whilst the grey shade turned turquoise. It was clear that the energy the Mega stone received from Steelix gave rise to internal changes to happen from within.

"Steelix, return for now and take a rest to restore your energy"

'Steelix'

"Good work."

As I recalled Steelix to his Pokeball Gurkinn stepped forward and started clapping his hand.

"Well then, I would like to formally congratulate you on being the second member of your family in this generation alive to wield Mega evolution."

"Thank you it was a .... Wait, what do you mean second?"

"Ohh, did your mom not tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Isn't this interesting, I guess you're in for a surprise. Gunther put up the climax of the battle between Drasna and Elena"

(Now way, my mom also has access to Mega evolution?)

The Referee and part-time Butler left and after a few minutes, the large screen on the upper side of the arena suddenly turned on and a video suddenly started showing.

(My mom's Altaria nimbus fighting a Kangaskhan? Elena, I remember her isn't she the former Elite four member? So this is a clip of the battle for the seat of the Elite 4 that happened a few years back!)

Certain Elite four and Champion battles where the seat is on the line are usually not shown to the public, it was not known why some matches are kept secret but it has been this way for a very long time and had been one of the leagues guarded secret to many fans of Pokémon battle's dismay.

In the midst of the battle, Elena held the earing which then started shimmering and looking at it closely the earring held a keystone while the ornament in her Kangaskhan's tail also began radiating light clearly holding a Mega stone, and with everything in place, her Kangaskhan Mega evolved.

"This must mean that Nimbus also has access to Mega evolution but how?!"

As if answering my question the cloud-like feather near Nimbus's neck started glowing.

(The Mega stone is hidden in all that fluff! But where did my dear mother hide her .... the bracelet's bead?! How did I not notice that?)

The middle bead positioned near my mother's wrist on her dragon fang Bracelet was actually a Key stone and Inside Nimbus's cloud feather was a Mega stone. It was a great shock to me that It was hidden in plain sight, it may be due to me not looking for it or my mother was just that good at hiding it.

The video ended the moment that Nimbus Mega evolved, I would have liked to watch the whole match but it seems that Gurkinn only showed the clip to prove a point.

"My mom can Mega evolve her Altaria!?"

"Indeed she can, It's a hidden secret but almost all of the Kalos region's past champions and several elite four members are given a chance to wield a Mega stone and Key stone upon getting their title. In addition to that 3 of the 8 current gym leaders are also capable of Mega evolution and some rare trainers with access to Mega evolution can challenge them to a special match involving Mega evolved Pokémon."

(I already knew that in the future several gym leaders and Elite four members will have access to Mega evolution but I did not really question how most of them got their hands on both a Key stone and Mega stone.)

"Is the league just giving away Mega stones and Key stones?"

"Most of the Key stone and Mega stone came from me and not the league and since it would be dangerous when it falls to the wrong hands I first make sure that they have the necessary qualities which are put to the test in this very place however very few challengers know about the existence of Mega evolution so most of them quite climbing the tower due to the difficulty but there are few who succeeds but even fewer of them have a noble disposition so very little Mega stone and Key stone had ever left this place in its long history."

(Then the Tower of Mastery is a trial ground for those who want to have access to Mega evolution and since he has yet to reveal the existence of Mega island it might as well be a guarded secret.)

"It might be rude to ask but where are you getting all the Key stone and Mega stone from?"

"Most of it are heirlooms from my family and some I've found in my journey throughout Kalos but even with that there are still very few Key stones and fewer Mega stones ever found so I make sure each and every single one I provide is accounted for and both will be returned back to my family when the trainer in possession of said stones either retires or by some stroke of luck find a Key stone of their own and a Mega stone that is actually compatible with there Pokémon but at that point which would be less of luck and more of a miracle guided my fate."

"Then did my mom get her Key stone and Mega stone from you?"

"You'll be happy to know that her Key stone and Mega stone did not come from me and from what I have heard she had her own pair long before even taking the position of an Elite four so you can expect to possibly inherit her Key stone and Altarianite in the future."

"It makes sense that Mom was actually able to find her own Key stone and Mega stone since she was an avid traveler even in her younger years even exploring untouched corners of the world."

"I had heard some tales of Drasna's adventure looking for ancient ruins, speaking of which the battle between Elena and Drasna was truly a sight to behold. I'm still amazed that Drasna was able to beat Elena's hyperactive Snorlax, Mega Kangaskhan, and even her mutated Slaking that has Moxie for its ability which made her at the time the strongest Elite four."

"That sounds amazing then can I watch the rest of the match between my mom and Elena?"

"Sorry kid but that's classified"

"Classified but you already showed me a clip of it earlier"

"Did I really? Gunther did I really do something that so unbecoming of a gym leader as unveiling classified league information"

"I don't recall of anything of the like, Sir"

"Stop, I get it then the earlier clip was really just to show me my mother's capability to Mega evolve her Altaria Nimbus"

"Did that happen?" 'Winks at Gunther'

(This exchange hits closer to home for comfort as Gunther is to Gurkinn what Joseph is to my dad the best wingman.)

"It's really a surprise knowing my mom was a Mega evolution user even going way back but wait since I got the Key stone from you, I would need to return it in the future?"

"Yes, you do but that's still a story in your retirement or ever you do something unbecoming and use this power for nefarious purposes then I would be forced to ... let's put it as giving you a forced early retirement like many before you."

Upon stating a direct warning Gurkinn gave out a suffocating murderous intent my way to prove that he is not in anyways joking.

"....."

(What was that, Aura? It felt like I was thrown in cold water unable to breathe the whole time.)

"Hahaha...."

To cut the tension in the air Gurkinn started laughing and then proceeded to talk like nothing out of the ordinary just happened.

"Relax kid as that's still a what-if scenario besides from what I know from your mother if you do something that goes beyond reason she might as well be the one to hunt you down herself. On the matter of the Key stone, you might find one of your own in the future as it's evidently easier to find than a Mega stone, that I am certain."

"True, but it's not like I'm aiming for world domination or anything"

"With your little speech earlier, you could have fooled me"

"It was a joke"

"I would advise you to stay in Shalour city for another week or two as I could help in allowing your Steelix to get used to Mega evolution in order to avoid any complication from happening in the future, this would also help me in cataloging its capabilities and changes it undergoes to further increase the league's database on Mega evolved Pokémon especially a variant specimen like your Steelix. Of course, the league will pay you for the information you provide and expect it to be a hefty sum even for a noble brat like you."

(Staying for a while would be fine as Steelix is a priority for now and Gurkinn will be a great help in figuring out Steelix's capabilities while Mega evolved since he has the title of Mega Evolution Guru no doubt it will make the task of studying Steelix complexities much easier.)

"On the money part, I highly doubt that but I'm fine staying for some time however I would like to battle your gym trainers throughout that time if possible to get some proper battles for my team"

"I see, that would be no problem at all. I guess that you will also procure an accessory for your Steelix in order to hold the Mega stone, just make sure it won't get in the way of your Pokémon's movement whilst not in use. In the matter of that Necklace of yours, it be best if you get it fixed quickly as the energy it contains may further disperse, there's a jewelry shop close here that you can go to since they also do repair work. Ahh right, you can have this, You earned it.

'Throws something'

I caught the thing that Gurkinn threw and when I opened my hand to have a look it as was expected the Rumble badge of the Shalour city gym.

"A badge? but you said that the match was not considered as an Official league match and more importantly, I even lost."

"If a trainer that can go toe to toe with my strongest friend who is at an Elite four level can't get it then I doubt anyone can as Lucario is a Pokémon I'm not even allowed by the league to use in gym battles anymore."

"Then, I would happily accept it. Thank you."

"Still isn't there something you can also give me since I was able to win against you?"

" ..... What do you mean?"

"Word on the street is you give away some kind of special pin to those that manage to beat you in a Pokémon battle which is rarer than the one the current manager of the place gives out and I doubt you don't carry at least one of those with you."

(He wants a pin? Well, I do in fact carry a dozen of my pin with me in case someone recognizes me in my journey and asks for a battle with the Penthouse landlord which will allow me to once again put up a gym leader type of theatrics that I quite enjoy.)

The rare pin his asking about must be due to the slight change I ask my father to make in the design of the Lakeside pin the challengers get when winning against Cofo. The design change was the small Feebas swimming in the lake that my father decided to add in the pin as an Easter egg which was changed into a small swimming Abra. It was a very slight change and only noticeable to those who try to look for it but it seems that it was still found out and word of the change must have spread. I opened my bag and rummaged through and after a few seconds, I found the thing that even this old guy seemingly wants, a Lakeside pin with a small swimming Feebas.

"Here you go"

"Thanks, I've heard stories of your little penthouse and since I am always busy I never had the chance to actually visit. Honestly, though, this craftsmanship is even comparable to league badges."

"It should as it's made in bulk by a retired badge smith who is now working for my dad. The pin cost quite a penny to manufacture but my dad thought that maintaining the quality is important in maintaining the company's image."

(Although the marketing campaign was well worth it as it boosted my father's company's sales through the roof with trainers.)

'It's good that I got this now considering how strong you and your Pokémon are currently no doubt defeating you in the future would be quite a challenge thus making the process of acquiring one of these legitimately almost impossible for the run-of-the-mill trainers.'

"What was that?"

"Nothing, I was just talking to my self."

I was sure that Gurkin murmured something about the pin in his last statement but I was not able to make up what it was.

"Before I go I need to ask. The thing that you did earlier, was that Aura?"

"Again I don't know what you're talking about." 'Wink'

(For a trainer that has Lucario as a partner he's acting more like a mischievous Vulpix but considering his age a Ninetales?)

.....

I returned to the Pokémon center and had Steelix checked out if whether Mega evolving had some adverse effects on him but luckily nurse joy diagnose Steelix to be fine albeit greatly fatigued and out of energy which confused her greatly as we had just left the Pokémon center an hour ago.

With nothing else planned for the day, I decided to visit the shop that Gurkinn recommended. I quickly realized when I arrived why Gurkinn recommended the shop, with the name Concombre Treasures it was clear that it was a shop owned by his family.

The shop was filled with shelves of accessories and jewelry for civilians, trainers, and even small Pokémon. The shop provides beautiful accessories while also buying specific items that trainers find in their journeys such as Nuggets, Pearls, and other gems like Star pieces which they use in creating their products. It was in every way a high-end shop and it even has a staff that has their eye on you the moment you walk in just waiting to pounce and ask if you need help in browsing, speak of the Impidimp here comes one now.

I applied for a commission for repair and pointed to my Necklace and so I was guided to the back of the shop where an old lady was inlaying gems which the staff who guided me revealed to be one of the Jewelers in the shop. After the staff informed the Jeweler that I was a client she stopped what she was doing and instructed me to tell her in detail what I need.

I pointed out several requirements I have for the repair which include for my Dragon claw necklace to be inlaid with gold to cover all the seams and cracks and then socketed with the Key stone. The jeweler was at first surprised to see the Key stone and asked if it was a family heirloom, I told her that I got it from Gurkinn she just facepalmed making a knowing smile as if asking herself 'what does that old coot have planned this time.

After her self contemplation which lasted a minute, she accepted my order and stated that it should be finished by tomorrow with a total cost somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000 Poke dollars which equates to about three month's spending for the run-in-the-mill trainer (search golden joinery in google images) as they judged that about four to five Nuggets would be needed for the process which cost 5,000 Poke dollar each in the current market and another 5,000 Poke dollar for the service fee of the craftsman. The Old jeweler suggested filling the inside with much cheaper material and only covering the top part with gold to effectively cut costs but I denied the suggestion as I'm not one to cut corners, especially on my bling which got me a disapproving look.

It was strange that a random staff of their store would know about Key stones which made me think that this may be another method that Gurkinn and his family use find and collect Mega stones and Key stones by purchasing them from trainers that find them who do not know what they are except for colorful gems of some sort.

(I guess it's a good way to make use of their family jewelry business as a front to find Mega stones and Key stones or was it their plan from the start since from what I heard this shop had branches all over the region and even starting to take foot in other regions as well.)

Since I now have my own Keystone holder on the work I thought that it was necessary that I also start preparing one for Steelix's Mega stone. I called home and after a few minutes, it was picked up by Joseph who handed it to my mother.

"Hello, Al! it's good that you called everyone was wondering how your battle with Gurkinn had gone."

"Hi, Mom. I lost the match but Gurkinn gave my performance a passing mark which allowed me to still get the badge but that's not why I'm calling."

"You lost against Gurkinn? That's unexpected considering the strength of your team but never mind that, is something the matter?"

"It's not a big deal really. I called to request a strong brace-like accessory to be made for Steelix. I think that dad still has a record of Steelix's measurements right?"

"I think so since the Stone clan gave us a copy when they finished studying your Steelix a while back."

"That's great! I would send a diagram later on of how I want it to look and where it would be positioned including some other important details."

"That's fine and all but why the sudden urge to accessorize your Steelix? You do know that it gives no benefit other than looking good and it just might get in the way of your Steelix's performance. Considering your take on that topic I know that you are against such accessories on Pokémon so it's clear that's there is something your not telling me, spill it."

(I might as well come clean now as it's only a matter of time before she would be informed by the league of it through Gurkinn's report anyway.)

"To be honest I need the bracer to hold the Mega stone I found and with the Key stone I was provided I am now able to Mega evolve my Steelix."

"..."

"What!? "

(Just like ripping off a band-aid, the quicker I get this over with the better.)

"Do you remember back when I caught my Steelix when he was still an Onix in the orange islands? It was there where I also found a Mega stone. Since I noticed that it looks like the one that Gym leader Gurkinn's Lucario has, I thought he might know what it was which was why I contacted him back then and I guess you know the rest."

"Know the rest? Don't joke with me, you have yet to explain how and where you got your hand on a Key stone better yet even know what Mega evolution is!"

"How do I put this ..... At that time I still don't know what it was aside from a marble with a helix inside which was also encased in an orange crystal and when I contacted Gurkinn he told me that he could process it and promised that he will tell me what it is under the condition of me needing to face him in a Pokémon battle and if he finds my performance noteworthy he would also give me something that I will surely need which now I know to be as a Key stone."

"You went through the trial of the Tower of Mastery?"

"Yeah, so you do know about it."

"Al, I'm an Elite four member. I know most of the secrets hidden by the league, actually, it's part of my job to know and make sure those secrets stay hidden. I just did not consider them allowing a ten-year-old who barely started his journey to undergo the trial. Now it makes sense the only way I could imagine you losing there is when faced against something stronger than an Elite level Pokémon."

"I thought it was fine to tell you since from what I've been told you can also Mega evolve Nimbus."

"It seems that the Old man is starting to get senile as not only did he involve my son in something his far too young to be entangled in, but he also revealed League secretes involving its staff's private information. I guess collecting Key stones and Mega stones all his life ironically made him lose his own marbles, I might need to have a talk with him later but for now, I'll need to tell your father about this."

"..."

The call with my mom ended on a silent note but I did get another call from Dad an hour later who is somehow also an individual who knows about Mega evolution which should have not surprised me the way it should considering he's married to mom. I got reprimanded for not telling them earlier about the topic but he was still proud of me for being the youngest trainer on record to Mega evolve a Pokémon however worry was still present in his expression. After the scolding, he informed me that the brace I asked for is in development which I took as mom's approval with me having to Mega evolve my Steelix since she wouldn't have told dad about it otherwise and this also gave me the opportunity to ask a very important question.

"Dad, another thing. Is having a Pokémon that can Mega evolve allow me to visit our family's Island? I know that you said when I have a 'strong team' but considering that most of my Pokémon are of the Elite level and even the newest member is already at Ace level and only a matter of time before I get him up to speed so isn't that enough to be considered as a strong team?"

Confronting gym leaders is fun and all but I still need a full team of six to properly challenge their main team of Elite level Pokémon and an island filled with Dragon-type Pokémon is just what I need to fill up my quota while giving it diversity but I still need my father's approval as the island is not marked on any map so I can't even go there on my own as I don't even know where it is.

"Al, aren't you rushing this way too much? I mean you are only but a month into your journey, can't you give it a few more years?"

"Sorry dad but I just wanted to live up to the Ryuma name so I even got to Mega evolve my Steelix just to get your approval. Ever since you told me that the firstborn of our family had to go to this right of passage at the age of ten I considered it an honor not a task. I thank you for considering my safety to the point of changing an age-long tradition for my sake but please don't take away my right to make my own choice in the matter."

(That's a lie but gotta make this Oscar-worthy as they say in my past life, on that note what's the equivalent of the Oscars in this world? .... Never mind I'm getting off track.)

"Al do you really have to go now?"

"Dad, there is no better time than the present as we never know what tomorrow brings."

" .... Fine, but I still prefer if you wait a few years from now however it's clear that theirs no talking you out of this so I'll allow you to go but I'll need to consult your mother about it later but it's certain that she would not stop you from exploring the world as she did. To go to our Island you will first need to travel to Ambrette Town which is the nearest location to it, and look for a guy named Edward he is the one who can ferry you to the island."

"Ferry? can't I just take a helicopter ride to the island?"

"No, as when the inhabitants of the island attack any flying object entering their habitat, we found that out the hard way."

"That makes sense then I'll head out after I finish my business here as we still need to understand what Steelix is capable of while Mega evolved"

"Good, take care Al, and remember when you enter the island respect its inhabitants so don't go causing a ruckus but knowing you it may be wishful thinking.

"...."

.....

The following day I've gone back to the Jewelry shop to receive the Necklace which was now glittering with steaks of gold while the Key stone socketed at the center shimmered every time it was hit by sunlight. Satisfied with the product, I paid the full 30,000 Poke dollars and even added a hefty tip for the jeweler for the work well done.

With the Key stone in hand, I went straight back to the Tower of Mastery. When I met with Gurkinn however his expression is that of someone who had just gone through the distortion world.

"Good morning ..... I don't want to be rude but you look horrible. What happened? better yet are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good and what happened was your Elite four mother called last night while I was finishing up on some paperwork and had an hour-long conversation regarding you and another hour of questioning whether I was getting senile. To make matters worst when I got home I got into another conversation but this time with my wife and it was about her meeting a boy near the age of ten in possession of a Key stone that he said came from me. To put it simply it was a night full of headaches."

"Sorry, but I thought that informing my mother was better than her finding out herself and I don't recall meeting your wife as for starters I don't even know what she looks like."

"You've gone to the jewelry shop right?"

"Yes, I did. As you can see I got the Key stone fitted in the ....."

(The Jeweler! That's why she seemed to recognize the Key stone. Well there goes my theory on the Jewelry shop conspiracy, I may have overthought it a bit but their is a possibility that its true.)

"On another note, you did the right thing telling your parents but never have I imagined that I would be nagg ... lectured at my age. It still went well though as Drasna agreed on the idea of me helping you out for a week on the matter of Mega evolution."

"That's great! Then what do I need to do to understand Steelix's abilities while Mega evolved?"

"It's quite simple, testing, and continued use whilst in battles. Finding that while traveling will be difficult due to the scarcity of Mega Evolution users so I'll help you out together with my Lucario and this process will also help your Steelix get used to Mega evolution in addition to that we have facilities here dedicated to studying Mega evolution so it won't take too long in gathering data from your Steelix."

"That would be helpful, but on another topic why is my age a problem? It seems both my Mom and your wife is worried about me using it. Isn't being a licensed trainer and passing your test enough?"

"You must understand that Mega evolution does not simply make a Pokémon stronger, it allows a Pokémon to reach near the same standing as the lesser legendary Pokémon in terms of both ability and power in causing destruction. A trainer would need to train a Pokémon to an Elite four or champion level to do the same and such people are already few and far between which is why trainers with the capability of Mega evolution are drawn to each other and when you meet them it is inevitable that a battle will ensue. Such battles usually result in the destruction of the area and it's not rare that even the trainers themselves get severely injured or worst."

"Isn't that all part of being a Pokémon trainer?"

"True but as adults, they still worry as sending you to the wilderness is not worrying enough. They might reprimand me for involving you in this but from your development, it's only a matter of time anyway before you reach heights where such dangers are prevalent thus guiding you now at the earliest is the best course of action in my opinion however it never came to me that you and your Steelix would succeed in the impossible. As you might already realize I never planned to give you access to Mega evolution this early on just teaching you about the topic is something I deemed sufficient for your growth and as a Dragon-type specialist it will take you at least a few more years to raise a Dragon-type capable of Mega evolution but it's clear to me that your fated to wield this power."

"What made you certain that I won't just catch a fully evolve Pokémon capable of Mega evolution?"

"Haha, as if forming a strong bond will be that easy, especially if it's a Dragon type in its final stage. The Pokémon may respect you but a bond takes time to develop. Besides how would you know which species of Pokémon is even able to Mega evolve?"

"I guess, I understand your point."

"Good, Now let's begin figuring out what your Steelix can do."

.....

For the next couple of days, we discovered several interesting quirks that Steelix gain while Mega evolved through several testing. Steelix's typing for one stayed the same being Steel and Ice and no notable change in his size but his weight somehow increased twofold while also gaining the ability to float like Milotic. Ground-type attacks were still able to hit him though so Magnet rise is still necessary to combat his Ground-type weakness but this allowed for greater maneuverability than before even though he is unable to float too high from the ground.

Battling however shed greater light on Steelix's hidden potential in our first battle while Steelix was Mega evolved we were shocked to see that the crystal shards that orbit around Steelix seem to passively act as a shield that partially blocks attacks weakening all damage taken by a third of its power. While attacking however those crystals also bombard the target, increasing the total damage dealt by a percentage but during this, the blocking effect is disabled until Steelix once again stops attacking.

Gurkinn theorized that it must be a new ability due to the fact that Steelix had no control over the phenomena and from further testing, we discovered that Steelix's ability Sturdy disappears while Mega evolved. According to Gurkinn, it's normal for a Mega evolved Pokémon to have one of its abilities change in the process so he concluded that Sturdy must have been replaced by something new that never had been documented which he dubbed as Satellite. It's a never before seen ability that is different from Sand Force the ability gained by a regular Mega-evolved Steelix that is said to replace Rock head.

With this discovery, Gurkinn was keen on uncovering all its secrets and so he did as just by performing several tests he was able to understand the ability to its core. He found that simply it's an ability that weakens damage taken by 30% and increases damage dealt by 30%.

Since Mega evolution strains a Pokémon a lot we cant continuously use it throughout the day without allowing Steelix to rest for a few hours which is the time I made use of to train the rest of my team by battling against the gym trainers as well as with Gurkinn whenever he was available.

After a week had passed a package arrived containing the brace I requested for Steelix and a manual detailing its components and usage.

(It was finished earlier than expected but since it was delivered here in a helicopter my parents may have wanted me to get it as soon as possible.)

The Brace looked like a large flat silver crisscross ring with ornate engravings covering the whole surface while in the middle was an empty indentation for where I planned the Mega stone to be placed. It was thinner than I had thought it would be but according to the manual, the brace was made with an alloy that is the product of two different kinds of metal harvested from a deceased Metagross Headpiece and a deceased Bronzong's middle rim which was then forged into shape with the help of a Charizard's flamethrower making it extremely durable.

(I have no idea if everything written in this manual is true but the more I read about into it the more I'm liking the product.)

I then proceeded to the Concombre Jewelry shop where I had the Mega Stone professionally socketed into the accessory. After the Mega stone was in place, Steelix happily equipped the brace on one of his large spikes. As the brace was worn a layer of crystal from Steelix's body slightly rose in a slope towards the edges of the brace locking it in place.

"You liked the brace that much?"

'Steelix'

"Well, it does look good on you."

(I just hope that its really as strong as described in paper but since its from dad it must be high quality.)

.....

It took a few more days but we were finally able to gather enough information to Gurkinn's satisfaction. The continues used of Mega evolution allowed Steelix to adapt and get used to the change his body undergoes and as such, we were already able to come up with several tactics to implement while its in use.

With Ambrette town as the new location in mind, I decided to continue on my travels. I have already packed for the next leg of the journey but first I went back to the Tower of Mastery to say my farewells.

"Thanks for everything it was a fun experience training under your tutelage."

"Don't mention it as helping the young ones are one of the few things people my age can do in making a better future. By the way, you're heading towards route 11 next right? Then try visiting a granny named Mabel in the mountain as she may give you more advice about mega evolution. Take care in your journey Albert."

(Mabel huh, I don't recall the name but since it's a granny who knows about Mega evolution the only one in mind is the granny in the anime with the Mega Mawile. I don't remember what she did in the anime but she must be important to be featured in the show.)

"I'll try and visit her, once again thank you and take care as well"

(Now the first major town to Ambrette is Geosenge so I would need to take the route through the Reflection cave. I guess while at it I might try and see if it's really connected to a parallel world.)

.....

To be continued

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