Some say that in the fields around the Parfum Palace of Kalos, a terrible battle once took place, staining the grass red. Others say this is not because of the battle itself, but are the traces of a Pokemon lost to history.
Exactly how lost, some cannot say. It may even be lurking today, waiting for its next opponent. Only time will tell. Red Shards can still be found there today, regardless.
A Mid-Sinnoh Night's Dream - XVII - Soul Eater
Seven teenagers, plus some of their Pokemon, relaxed on the side deck of a cruise ship. Hilbert had his legs kicked up and his arms behind his head, wearing only his shorts. Couldn't hurt to get a tan when traveling, right? Barry and Lucas were doing the same, as after some slight teasing towards how pale he was, they convinced the latter to join them. The girls, on the other side of a barrier, were doing something with tanning oil, so they didn't ask, and wouldn't ask after they got back.
Porygon did manage to book them that extra ticket for Candice, though she insisted on paying for it. A small price to pay to travel with Articuno, he guessed.
Abra was holding an ice cream cone taller than he was, wobbling it around with Psychic before taking bites. It was a little disturbing, just imagine taking a bite of soft serve and it feels like jello. Shudders.
Lucario had somehow convinced Tropius to fan her while she took fruits from its neck.
He could've sworn he saw Barry's Raichu talking to a few Pichu, but figured he was imagining it. He wasn't really a mob boss, right?
Shaymin was napping next to him, on its back and wearing shades.
Obviously, his other Pokemon were a bit too big for a cruise deck. It wasn't quite scaled for all Pokemon. Though, he saw a ton of captured Water-types swimming alongside the ship. The most joyful of those Pokemon was a Sharpedo, bouncing over the waves with a crooked grin of a maw. Fitting his partner's personality, Prinplup had obtained a rope and life preserver, Aqua Jetting just behind, tied to the shark Pokemon.
"Yo, Marley? Did Carvanha evolve?" It probably had never been in the open ocean before. He could see some Waillord on the horizon.
"...Maybe…" Her voice wove around the barrier, quiet as always.
Hilbert shrugged, leaning back from the edge of the boat.
The sea air felt good rolling across his skin.
There was a loud crack near the girls.
"Oh, what's that?" Cheryl asked, as cloth shuffled. "Oh!"
"Cheryl? You alright?" He felt it was probably better if he didn't know, but it could've been important.
"It's an egg…"
"Toh?" There was a small, squeaky cry. "Mama!" There a quiet sound of a pounce and cloth tearing.
"Oh… Hey, there… Hilbert, the egg hatched."
"The… Ah, from Cynthia, I forgot. What is it?"
"It's a Togepi, I think."
"Mama!"
"Pfft," Hilbert broke down into snickers. "You know what? It sounds attached, you keep it."
"Really? Don't you want to see it?" Cheryl turned around the barrier, holding Togepi to her chest.
Hilbert turned red, turning around.
She tilted her head, "Hilby?"
"Your… Your, um… Guys, help me out here."
"Dude, I don't wanna die!" Barry was just as red as he was, covering his face with his arms.
Lucas had already rolled onto the floor, shielding his head from the imminent destruction.
Cheryl grew even more confused, looking down at the Togepi in front of her, who was giggling. She quickly realized the problem. Her top had ripped, and was laying on the paneling a few feet behind her.
Yeah, you already know where this is going. Luckily, the boys had gotten out of slapping range, so there was only the typical loud cry, maybe toss in a 'Idiot!' if you're feeling generous.
After a luxurious week on the water, they landed in the port of Coumarine City, only a little over a hundred miles away from Galar. It was a large port city, more of a dispersal point than anything else. Definitely not as smoggy as Castelia was.
"So, Porygon, what's the tourist trap of the week?"
"It depends! Are you interested in seeing Lumiose Tower? Would you like to learn about Mega Evolution? Or maybe research fossils in Ambrette Town?"
"I think Mega-"
"Lumiose City! I wanna go to the cafes!"
"Overruled! Pulling up route directions…"
Hilbert groaned and hoped he'd get a Key Stone eventually.
Candice had fun riding on Articuno, as he could tell from the laughter. The girls split off from them, Dawn not just wanting to see the cafes, but the boutiques as well. Luckily, because of the technology built into their bags, the trope requiring the boys to carry the bags will not come into play. That just left them aimlessly wandering around the city. There would be implications if they did it in pairs, so the three stuck together.
"Do you think Fantina might be around? I want to get that badge as soon as we get back to Sinnoh."
"What are you gonna do if she is? Walk up and chat her up, and say, 'Hey, babe, you wanna have a Gym Battle?' Get real, dude."
"Barry, that might be the funniest thing you've ever said."
"I don't know if that's a compliment or not. Eh, whatever. Yo, I wanna check out the Gogoat rides, let's go."
On the south side of Lumiose, two famous women were enjoying a cup of coffee together.
"So, Diantha, how's your Gym Challenge going?" One asked, her purple hair down by her shoulders and matching her sundress.
The woman dressed in white waved a hand in front of her face, "Oh, so-so. Wulfric is losing his touch, it looks like. I'll qualify for the conference by the end of summer, I'm sure. If they get the gym here in order, that is."
"Oh, aren't you confident? You know, I'm still surprised you're attempting. I figured your acting work would be enough to support you."
"Is this coming from the woman who is a Gym Leader and a coordinator?"
"Touche."
Ridin' on a Gogoat, ridin' on a Gogoat, ridin' on a Gogoat…
The three Gogoat stopped.
Gettin' off a Gogoat, gettin' off-
"Shut up, Barry."
"Man, whatever."
"Hey, you guys!" Dawn waved at them down the road, revealing their new outfits. She, in specific, was wearing a white t-shirt, black vest, pink skirt, and the same white hat as always, if looser on her head.
Cheryl wore something similar to her usual garb, with a shorter skirt and no cloak. Marley never wore much heavy clothing to begin with, and wore the same gothic style as always. Same for Candice, though she never seemed to actually wear that jacket in the first place.
"Really taking inspiration from Hilda…"
"What was that?"
"Nothing bad, you all look good."
"You guys really ought to have bought some nice clothes too."
"You'd trust us to know what looks nice?"
"No, not at all."
Barry's stomach rumbled.
"Perfect timing! So, who wants to get food?"
The seven of them sat down at a cafe to the south. It was there that Candice saw one of her colleagues. Leaning over her chair, she asked, "Is that you, Fantina?"
The purple-haired woman was surprised. "Candice? What are you doing here?"
"Traveling! I get to train with Articuno for a few weeks, cool, right?"
"That battle was totally unfair, but whatever…" Hilbert's complaint went unheard.
"Articuno?"
"Yeah, it's like, the best. Who's your friend?"
"I'm Diantha." She seemed to emit an aura of grace and elegance, despite looking only a few years older than her.
Barry tried to whistle, but was cut off by Dawn slapping the back of his head, spilling a bit of his chocolate milk. Truly, would anyone, in good conscience, give Barry caffeine?
"No, like the actor?" Dawn's eyes widened.
"In addition to Pokemon Trainer, yes," she laughed cheerily in response.
"Oh, I'm so pleased to meet you, my name is Dawn, I'm not a thespian myself, but I love your work, I planned on modeling my Turtwig's Magical Leaf on your Gourgeist's performance in Avatar…"
"You've seen Avatar?" Hilbert asked, and his question was left unanswered.
"Oh, you saw that? Strange, I've never heard anyone talk about it… But thank you for the compliment."
"So, Fantina, when are you coming back to Sinnoh? These guys need a Gym Battle if you don't mind." Candice leaned forward on her chair, pointing a thumb at them over her shoulder.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I suppose that means you have seven badges, then?"
Hilbert shook his head.
"Ah. I might not have made that clear… I leave a bit earlier, not just for my tours, but to make sure I'm not swamped by Bidoof trainers, you understand? Some types have much more potential the stronger they get."
"I... Kinda see what you mean."
"I'm heading back a little into July, so maybe take on another Gym until then," Fantina shrugged, taking a sip of coffee.
"Right, right. Sorry to bother you."
"No, no, it's alright. I should've explained that in the post… This region has some excellent Ghost-types, I must say. I'm quite partial to the Mismagius line myself, but there are plenty of nice ones to be found."
"I think I'll do just that, thank you."
"Sorry to interrupt!" An orange-haired barista held nearly a dozen plates, balanced perfectly on her arms and palms, "Here are your orders, enjoy!"
After their quick meal, Porygon had a tourists' guide pulled up and was going through it.
"You know what, we might as well go sightseeing. What could go wrong?"
"...Parfum Palace is one of the oldest structures in Kalos, and one of its grandest. Beware the grasslands surrounding the route there, for many reviews claim their Pokemon were attacked by a red flash and were subsequently knocked out themselves."
"Sounds like the premise for a found-footage film."
"The travelers are often returned to the side of the route before they awaken, but no one has observed the occurrence in action."
"Sounds like we've got a destination, Hilby, hell yeah!"
"I said BEWARE!"
"Real quick, though, I'm going to buy a few TMs. I hear they have some here that aren't sold outside the continent."
They hadn't even needed to Fly to get to the route, the path there was literally a walk in the park. And a roller skating rink, that too.
They stood at the mouth of a straight enough pathway, with wild and untamed grass flowing freely outside its border.
"Okay, so, if there's a dangerous Pokemon, I'm going to take it down. Any cool Pokemon around here, Porygon?"
"Setting search parameters, 'cool'... While it may not be what you're looking for, Kecleon, the Camouflage Pokemon, can be found… In a manner of speaking, should you catch it undisguised. Watch your step, as Venipede are not afraid to bite, and are Poison-type!"
"Thanks, Porygon. Anyone want to tag along?"
Dawn nodded. "I think Kecleon would be great for contests, if I mixed in some moves."
"Great, you guys go on ahead."
"You sure you didn't plan this beforehand to get some alone time?" Barry's question had Cheryl blushing at the thought, though Dawn was as unresponsive as Hilbert.
"Shut up, Barry."
Hilbert carefully walked through the tall grass, constantly blinking to get a good aura reading. There were constant flashes, but at least he could tell what was rustling the grass.
When he heard grass being cut, he made sure Dawn was behind him, her being considerably more squishy, as Lucario would put it. Palming a Pokeball in his right hand, he took a slight step forward.
He was promptly slammed into the grass by a gray-looking tire. Easily so, still laying on the ground, he caught it, picked it up, and turned it sideways to get a better look.
The Whirlipede blinked at him, its glaring eyes shifting to a more furrowed sort of confusion.
Balancing it with one hand, he reached for the loose Pokeball and tapped it to the gray Bug-type.
"I'm glad these things live in Unova, might not have recognized it otherwise."
"Only you could shrug off a Rollout…"
The Pokeball shuttered with a click. He put it on an extra slot on his overcrowded belt and they continued on their way.
"Kek."
"Hilbert, was that you?"
"What? No."
"Kek."
"Wait a minute…" Hilbert closed his eyes and turned to the source of the sound. Aura was coming from an empty spot trailing behind the two through the leveled grass. "Behind you, quick," he whispered.
Dawn dropped a Pokeball behind her, and a short cry later, the Kecleon was captured by her Pokeball.
"You're going to look fantastic in a dress," Dawn giggled to the capsule.
Hilbert shuddered, his heart truly going out to the Kecleon. If it was a male, he prayed Dawn would have mercy.
"When do you think we'll find the end of this trail?" The two had been traveling through what looked like a hedge maze for nearly half an hour.
"I thought you knew."
Hilbert blinked at her.
"...We're lost, aren't we."
"I'm sure we'll be fine. Hey, Golurk, help us out."
The Ghost-type appeared in a blast of light, giving them a mocking salute.
"What about that warning about that strong Pokemon?"
"Well, we haven't seen it yet, and I'm basically a Pokemon, right? They would have tried by now-"
A blade the color of arterial blood lanced threw the brush, missing their heads by a few feet, but sailing towards Golurk.
It struck Golurk, as long as he was tall, across its chest, longways. It was stuck for a brief moment, long enough for Hilbert to get a good look.
The blade itself was clearly solid and metallic, reflecting sunlight and crimson across Golurk's shadow. The grip was a solid two-ninths of its three-meter length, cold and rocky, like it had been weighed down by obsidian sediment. The hilt curved inwards like an arrowhead, as if eroded down by endless sword locks. The ribbon trailing behind it, as long as the blade, appeared to be just as stained, while ending in a gray hand-like fold. A sheath with a pattern of damascened steel floated in its grip.
It shook itself free of its dent into Golurk's soul-stone, levitating to a safe distance before spinning, as if contemplating angles of attack.
As it turned towards him, he saw an eye on the hilt blink.
"Is that a… Honedge?"
"Impossible! Honedge, at most, only grow to be a meter! A blade of that size is highly improbable!"
As it struck Golurk again, biting into his shoulder, Hilbert shook his head.
"Porygon, since when has possibility or probability ever been a factor?"
"That's the point of probability!"
"Golurk! Use Fire Punch!"
The golem nodded, receiving the go-ahead to properly fight back. It seized the blade on its side, stopping it in mid-air and igniting his fist, before firing it away like a rocket.
In a loud crash and clang, The Irregular Honedge At Kalosian Route Six rose from the cut field of grass, spinning and scraping itself along its sheath, almost as if caressing itself. A terrible screech echoed across the grassland, putting Hilbert off-guard and diminishing Golurk's ranged defense.
Honedge tore through the air, audibly slicing through nothing, in spite of that not being possible.
Golurk never learned to properly guard, and truly, would a boxing stance do much? So, instead of trying to block the hit, he chose the simpler option, and hit the problem really hard.
Honedge turned at the last second, spinning horizontally and clanging off the fist, only giving Golurk a glancing blow. It swung around, now inside of the golem's reach, and flashed vertically, swinging itself down onto his head.
At the last second, Golurk used Iron Defense, turning from blue to a silvery sheen all over his body. He then grabbed Honedge by the hilt, attempting to drive it into the ground.
Honedge, in desperation, threw its hilt down in front of it, and wrapped its ribboned grip around Golurk's arm.
There was a pulse of energy, as the everlasting contest of wills to live continued.
"Honedge are able to drain spiritual energy by wrapping their cloth around anyone who takes hold of it!" Porygon piped up, having traveled into Hilbert's rarely-used Pokedex. "It's not a legal move in League competitions, but in Kalos, many are weary of sending out humanoid Pokemon against it, just in case it makes a mistake!"
Golurk clanked angrily, grabbing the hilt with his other hand, fighting against the other ghost's drain with his own. He swung Honedge over his head, leaving the hilt on the ground and stabbing it a foot away from the hilt into the ground.
Clank.
"Alright, let's do this!" Hilbert snapped an Ultra Ball into his hands, and slung it at the blade, putting his entire weight into the throw.
Instead of activating, the ball crumpled against the hilt, with an ear-splitting metallic clang.
Hilbert looked at his fingers, flexing them briefly. "Huh."
Honedge broke free of the grip, cutting a fine line through the earth and arching toward Golurk's body, still wrapped around his arm.
"Hundreds have been defeated by my will. You shall not be different."
It bit into his side, cutting into the faux-leather straps, before Golurk realized he had leverage, and slammed the sword-like Pokemon against the ground.
"Puny sword."
"Honedge, you think we can talk about this?"
"My purpose is battle. Conversing with fools has no meaning."
"Golurk, hold it down. Both hands."
Clank. The golem took a solid hold of the hilt and the blade, pressing it to the ground with its weight.
Honedge, while sharp, did not weigh all that much. At most, this specimen was fifty pounds, going by size.
"Listen, Honedge. Why do you fight?"
"Battle is my purpose, fool." It spoke lamely, low-pitched and metallically toned, like a child's toy. "It is my duty to defeat the strong." The tail of the ribbon flapped uselessly, still wrapped around Golurk's arm.
"So you're a thrill-seeker?"
"Do not reduce my motivations to selfish ideals. It is my duty to protect. It is why I was forged, and why I am the only one left."
"So, there's someone you're protecting? Something?"
"This field is my battlefield. These Pokemon are under my protection."
"You didn't seem to have a problem with them getting caught."
"There is an obvious difference between merciless domination and choosing to travel."
"Yeah, I get that. You seem pretty strong, Honedge. I can respect that."
"What was your intent in coming to this place?"
"I heard about a wild Pokemon attacking people. Helping others is kinda what I do, so, y'know."
"I do not."
Hilbert shook his head. "Should've figured. Listen, you sound like a noble kinda guy."
"I am female."
"Cool. My point is, you want to protect Pokemon, I want to protect Pokemon. I travel a lot, so I can protect a lot more Pokemon. What's the logical conclusion?"
"I cannot take your word for it."
Yellow aura started seeping out of Golurk's arm, flowing along the ribbon.
"Hey, stop that-"
Zorp.
Hilbert floated in a senseless void.
"Damn it, Golurk!"
"I believe it was the reciprocal drain, sir."
Images were flashing in his mind. A battle, the sky choked with dust. People and Pokemon lay injured across the razed field. Honedge, the only left, surging in power, before flying into the brush. Countless attacks against Pokemon Trainers who were brutalizing the local Pokemon for 'training'.
"What is this?"
"Okay, so, how do I explain this in terms a Pokemon could understand… Golurk has a thing where he can mesh his soul with mine, and I take partial control of his body. I dunno how you got in here, Honedge."
"It may have been an aura transfer. Since she was draining my aura, I drained hers in response."
"That's… Well, calling it odd would be hypocritical of me, but calling it unexpected would be right."
"I'm viewing your memories, both of you. This is very strange. It seems you were telling the truth."
"I didn't really have a reason to lie."
"It matters little, now that I've passed on."
"We're not dead, we can get out. Hey, Golurk-"
Hilbert slid out of Golurk's handless arm socket, hitting the ground with a thump. Honedge's hilt appeared after, but not falling on its own. Shrugging, Hilbert grabbed it with both hands and pulled it from the stone.
"Call me King Arthur, because I- Whoa-" He wasn't prepared for the high center of gravity or the weight, and toppled over. It was a nine-foot-long sword. That's difficult, even with aura.
"Your heart is pure but your maturity is something else."
"Saw that too?" Hilbert laughed. "So, you want to come with us?"
"I can see now… When there is trouble, a knight's duty is to respond. Very well, young man!"
"Hell yeah!" Hilbert shot up, hand flying to a Timer Ball.
Honedge floated into the air, spinning in place.
"Alright, Honedge! I choose you!" He slung it, and the ball activated against its eye.
It didn't shudder once before clicking.
"Hey, guys, look what I caught!" Hilbert was about to show them his badass sword and tire bug before being tackled by a Furfrou.
"I'm sorry, she does that…" An older man padded over, picking up the fluffy Pokemon. "Always running off when I try to do her fur…"
Hilbert watched the man as he walked off, Dawn helping him up.
The other five looked at him expectantly.
"Listen, saying 'what a pain' or 'good grief' isn't on my character sheet, so if that's what you're waiting for, you're not gonna get it."
"Okay, Porygon, can we finally get around to checking out Mega Evo-"
"I heard there are some interesting fossils in Ambrette," Lucas mused, interrupting him.
"Setting route for Ambrette Town!"
Hilbert sighed. Maybe third time would be the charm?
"Fine, fine, let's check out some rocks."
Hilbert stood, slightly confused, looking at the foot-long rocks sticking out of the ground.
"Many Rock Slides occur in the area around Glittering Cave, courtesy of its native Rhyhorn! Luckily, they're just as willing to offer rides to passing trainers. Near here is where the first Rhyhorn Races took place!"
"Okay, we're not getting any further off track. I feel a reference coming on, you guys can get Rhyhorn, I'm good."
He called out Lucario as the other six walked off for assistance. "So, remember that fight I told you about, where they had to walk on needles?"
"The one where the opponent was named after electrical currents?"
"Exactly." He charged his aura shield and spread it around his feet, before hopping onto a spike and balancing on one foot. "You coming? This counts as training, kinda. I bet we can mess around until the others get there."
Most trainers traveling on Route Nine expected to hear Rock Slides and Rhyhorn cries. They didn't expect some idiot to run over the spiky ground, air rippling beneath his feet, throwing Aura Spheres at his Lucario.
Then he punched it in the face, and actually moved it, instead of just breaking his knuckles.
Didn't do an incredible amount of damage, but still.
"Hilby, what the hell are you doing?"
Hilbert and Lucario looked up, in the center of a completely flattened section of the route, covered in rubble.
"...Lucario did it."
"Oh, you did not just-" She threw an Aura Sphere at his head, and he quickly dodged.
"Okay, sorry, yeah, can we just get to the cave?"
Dawn's eye twitched. "You're not going to destroy that too, are you?"
"No, ma'am…"
The cave, as you might guess from the name, was Glittering.
"Visitors often smash rocks to find fossils and other items! This is completely sustainable as well, because the native Rhyhorn bring in so much earth!"
Hilbert cracked his knuckles at the same time as Lucario, and before he could run off into the cave, he was snatched by the collar.
"No, I think everyone else can go. You two are going to cause a cave-in."
"You're not the boss of me!"
She switched the grip from his collar to his ear. Lucario seemed intrigued by the method of causing pain, rather than actually helping him.
"I mean, uh, fine, I guess! Ow…"
Candice leaned over to Cheryl as they walked further into the cave, "Is this normal for them?"
"Hilbert gets a little… Enthusiastic. At some point, Lucas was the one who'd balance him out, but he caught the eccentricity, so I think Dawn's stepped in."
The others picked up a variety of fossils, mostly Lucas, because he wanted to complete the Pokedex as fast as possible.
There really was a wide variety, after they brought the fossils back to town to be revived.
Barry found a Jaw Fossil, which turned into a runty little dinosaur, fittingly called Tyrunt.
Cheryl got Amaura, the Ice-Rock-type. She really ought to work on that Fighting-type weakness. Marley got a badass Aerodactyl, a Flying-Rock-type. He heard it could Mega Evolve too, completely unfair.
Lucas scanned the new Pokemon, even the ones they wouldn't use, into his Pokedex, before they went on his way.
"Okay, can we finally learn about Mega Evolution? I wanna see if there's a Golurkite."
"...I think I'd prefer not to think about him getting even stronger."
"The center of Mega Evolution research is Lumiose City, though Shalour City is known better for its in-depth spiritual expertise."
"Alright, let's go, then!"
The Tower of Mastery was once the tallest structure in the Kalos region, constructed with the strength of a thousand Machamp. Relatively recently, it was beaten out by the Lumiose Tower, but its natural appeal and majesty remained.
Hilbert could get a clear view of the tower from the mouth of the trail leading into town.
"Whoa… I thought I saw that on the way here, but I figured it was a mountain or something."
"Well, we can look at it tomorrow, let's see if there are any hotels."
"Aw, man…"
The next day, rested up from their first day in the region, and finally fixing their windswept (From all the air travel between towns) hair, they visited the tower.
'ONLY THOSE THAT HAVE PROVEN THEMSELVES WORTHY MAY ENTER'
"You have got to be kidding me."
He noticed writing below the faded engraving on the arch, tacked on with a wooden sign.
'Shalour Gym and Roller Skating Club'
'Admission- Only five-hundred Pokedollars!'
"Okay, that's totally Bouffalant sh-"
"Why are they playing Space Jam in a roller skating rink?"
They stood at the entrance of the gym. That side of the floor was carpeted, with desks where they could rent skates, tables, and a snack bar.
The music was loud, blaring, and unapologetically fitting of the Gym Leader's tastes. Given she wasn't as old as them, that made a lot of sense.
The rest of the building was an oval surrounding a decently-sized arena, with an almost invisible glass box around it.
The front desk attendant told them that the Gym Leader, Korrina, would pick out a challenger when one signed up for a battle.
So, it was just a waiting game at that point.
"Alright, alright, alright, folks! Get ready, cuz I, Korrina, have a challenger!" A girl in white sportswear danced around the rink with a microphone. "So, come on up, don't be a stranger!"
Hilbert, barely keeping his balance on roller skates, and swearing he was going to beat up Barry for laughing at him, rolled onto the rink, waving weakly at the scattered whoops.
She rolled up to him, easily coming to a stop, and held the microphone to his face, "Are you gonna introduce yourself, challenger?"
"Uh, I'm… Black, from the Sinnoh region-"
"Use your real name!" Booed Barry
"Shut up, Barry!"
"Sinnoh, you say? Super cool. Are you taking on Kalos's Gym Challenge?" She asked, spinning around him, making him slightly dizzy trying to follow with his eyes.
"Ah, no, I just wanted to check out the Tower of Mastery while I was stopping by," he said, rubbing the back of his head, "I've been traveling on some business…"
"Right, right, old guys gotta get jobs, I get that," she said, nodding, to some hoots in the audience.
"I'm only sixteen, don't- Whatever, shorty, can we battle?"
Her eyebrow twitched at being called short, "Short?"
He remembered a very similar reaction from Lucario, when she was still a Riolu.
"I mean, uh, compared to me. You're probably tall for a ten-year-old."
"You- I'm THIRTEEN!"
"Ah, sorry-"
"Get in the arena!" She skated away towards an entryway on the left side of the area. He did the same, although in a more wobbly manner. "How many badges?"
"Four- Hey, any rules about Legendary Pokemon?"
"Yeah, right, sure, whatever."
"...What?"
"No way you've got any," she laughed at him. Pissing her off may not have been his best decision.
"I've got four Pokeballs on my belt with four more disagreements."
"Let's go, Abra!"
"Pff. Bringing a Pokemon like that? Did you just grab the first Psychic-type you had?"
Abra's eyes flashed red with light. "Boss."
"No maiming."
"Boring."
"Let's get this over with! Pangoro!"
A massive panda-like Pokemon with a leaf in its mouth roared as it appeared.
"Let's see how you do against a Dark-"
"Drain Punch."
Her eyes widened comically.
"Yeah, funny thing-" He was interrupted by Pangoro being sucker punched in the neck, after Abra used Teleport. "Abra likes punching things. Doesn't need much else."
Pangoro roared, spitting the leaf out of its mouth, and attempted to grapple the Psychic-type.
"I love TMs. Power Swap!"
Abra's body surged with energy, as Pangoro suddenly couldn't hold up its own weight.
It was the fall, rather than the following Drain Punch, that knocked out the Dark-type.
Korrina growled, though she would later deny being able to make such a graceless sound, and grabbed her next Pokeball.
"Let's see if you have any more tricks!"
"Abra, come on back." Abra dissolved into light, looking sufficiently smug, and returned to his Pokeball.
"Hawlucha!"
"Golurk!"
The golem appeared, luckily only a third as tall as the ceiling.
"Ground-type, huh? Bad luck, I guess," she said, shrugging her shoulders with fake pity.
"Rip and tear."
Golurk nodded, flashing red.
Hawlucha wasn't intimidated by Golurk, despite being completely dwarfed. It'd faced larger Pokemon, like that one time some idiot brought a Waillord to the match.
"Thunder Punch!"
"Dodge and use Swords Dance!"
Hawlucha jumped into the air, spreading its wings, and flexing its wings. A series of metallic clangs rang out, and Hawlucha soared above Golurk.
"Throat Chop!"
It swooped down, striking at Golurk, despite him not having a throat, and made him take a step back.
Perfect timing for a Shadow Punch.
Korrina swore, "Well, as someone with four badges, you should know that now you have to win every round to win!"
"Since when?"
"Wake didn't tell me… Or was that just implied?"
Golurk walked his way behind Hilbert, ignoring the argument and taking up a passive position.
"Eh, not important. Lucario!"
"Wha?" Korrina yelled, "There's no way someone like you has a Lucario!"
"I just called you short! That's not super bad!"
"Agh! Whatever! My Lucario will stomp yours flat!"
Their Lucario burst onto the field, his already hopping in a fighting stance and Korrina's rising from a kneel.
"Power-up Punch!"
"You've got this!"
Korrina's Lucario closed in fast, but was blocked by twin aura spheres.
Hilbert's Lucario shot forward, kicking the other Fighting-type in the chest and jumping back.
It, which was an obvious 'he', groaned, but shot back up quickly enough.
"Lucario!" Korrina held up a bracelet on her arm, which beforehand he believed was a scrunchie or something, but he could now clearly tell it had an embedded Key Stone.
He exploded in a flash of orange light, the kind he'd only seen twice before, in-person. The tan wrap on his chest lengthened, and a black mask followed behind it. Its limbs looked like they had been dipped in blood, and the furious glare on its face only made his believe it more.
"Time to think things through."
"Lucario, keep a Calm Mind! Don't lose your focus!"
"Got it!"
Korrina shouted, "Let's make this quick! Close Combat!"
He shot forward in a blitz of limbs, almost as if it had been using Extreme Speed.
She dodged, keeping a cool head, and waited out the attack, before using a Close Combat of her own.
It didn't quite knock him out, but he was dazed for a moment. Only that moment, though, as it quickly recovered and waited for orders. The barely-restrained anger in its eyes was clear to everyone watching, especially Hilbert. It barely even looked injured.
"Don't I want my Pokemon to be like that?" A bit of doubt wormed its way into his thoughts.
"Power-up Punch!"
"Use Psychic! Time to put that money where our mouth is!"
The other Lucario uselessly flailed into the air, suspended in the center of the room, nearly at the ceiling.
"Can I finally-"
"Hell yeah, you can!"
Lucario pulsed with energy, blue light whipping off of her in waves. Her excitement was palpable, and you could almost taste the adrenaline in the air.
"What are you-"
"Listen up, Gym Leader. You may have a Key Stone, you may have Mega Evolution, you may have experience, but you know what? To hell with that! I believe in my Pokemon, and my Pokemon believe in the me that believes in them! That's all that really matters in a battle, and everything else comes after! Lucario!"
Aura flared in front of her face, unmistakably in the form of sharp sunglasses. A feral grin fought its way onto her face, and two spheres flickered on her arms.
She held both in front of her, combining them into one.
"Giga…"
The other Lucario screeched in rage, but was not heard, as the air in the room spiraled into the aura sphere. Its shape became conical, and it seemed a Metal Claw scratched a helix into its surface. Every second, it advanced, getting larger and stronger, growing past what it was before.
"Drill…"
Lucario lost its footing in the vacuum it created, floating slightly into the air. The drill grew, twice as wide as Lucario was tall, and four times as long. Golurk was shining a bright white, like the sun itself, the soul-stone turning a colorless platinum. Hilbert shouted into nothing, the determination etched on his face as if carved into stone.
"BREAAAAAAAAK!"
For Gurkinn, the Tower of Mastery was a solitary place to study Mega Evolution. While Sycamore, that green professor in Lumiose, studied the phenomenon with instruments of science, he studied with a spiritual mindset. Meditation was common for him and his Pokemon.
So, he definitely grew more gray hair when after a loud 'crack' rumbled across the town, he saw a Mega Lucario, a massive drill made of aura, and another, normal Lucario driving it upwards.
He grew another few when a young man jumped out of the skating rink's roof, and followed easily, having an aura of his own.
"I'm sure Korrina will whine about this later…" He settled back into his meditation, impressing the few Ace Trainers that studied with him.
His Blaziken, sitting similar to him, hooted something like a snort, blew a flicker of fire from its lips, before doing the same.
Hilbert caught both Lucario, only around, eh, two-hundred feet in the air. At that point, he realized he'd probably broken his ankles and the roof from the jump, given the throbbing in his legs. Abra teleported them all back down, into a small crowd looking up at the hole in the ceiling.
After dropping the two Fighting-types, he barely managed to release Shaymin before falling over.
"Hey, give me some help, will ya? I don't think I'm built for those heights…"
Shaymin hit him with a few Heal Pulses, at which point, he remembered that move wasn't supposed to work on humans, and stored that factoid for later.
"Good as new."
He gave them a thumbs-up as he sat forward, "Thanks for that. So, did I win?"
"How!" Korrina stomped up, as much as she could on skates, "How did you do that without a Mega Stone?"
"Willpower, Lucario having learned from other Lucario, I can use aura too- Yes, don't call me a liar, and… Well, drills are just really cool."
"I can't believe this, this is completely unfair!"
"Sorry, that kinda thing happens."
She grumbled and looked up at the hole in the ceiling, "I don't even know how that broke, it's reinforced…"
"Well, see you guys later, I'm heading to the tower."
"Hey! Get back here!"
Hilbert, not exactly sprinting, but still outpacing the skating Korrina on his tail, ran towards the Tower of Mastery.
"I won, didn't I? I'm going to go get a Key Stone!" He yelled, looking back as he ran. The passerby seemed less surprised and more way-too-used-this-kind-of-thing.
"It doesn't work like that!"
Approaching the walled off gates they weren't allowed to enter before, a brilliant thought entered his mind.
It probably wasn't trespassing if he'd earned the right to enter, right?
So, he leapt over the twenty-foot wall in a single bound, feet barely skimming the rocky tops. Insert joke about a weakness to Kryptonite (here).
Korrina, not paying enough attention to where she was going, likely slammed into the gate, given the loud thump he heard.
Landing in a crouch on the cobblestones, he set off to look for Gurrkin, and looked to the top of the spiraling tower.
He smirked.
"Always glad to meet someone who gets it."
An old man with hair splitting in three directions stood at the top of the tower, looking over the town.
"I was wondering when you'd arrive."
"Have we met?"
"Your arrival has been foretold for-" The man broke down into a wheezing fit. Slow on the uptake, it took Hilbert a few seconds to realize he was actually laughing. "I love doing that, sorry about that, kid."
Hilbert grinned again, "If I was you, I'd do the same thing. Tell me, what are your thoughts on drills?"
Korrina, after shaking off what probably wasn't a concussion, managed to walk up the ramp. How she did that in roller skates, the world may never know. But when she finally did reach the top, she found her grandfather and that annoying challenger sitting at a tea table and talking.
"So, there I was, the middle of the ocean, rain slapping against me and Shaymin's face, staring down a Kyo-"
"What's going on here?" She shouted, impertinently.
Gurkinn and Hilbert looked over to her.
"...Talking?"
"Really, Korrina, you need to be more polite to the challengers. I know you only just stepped in, but-"
"I"m plenty polite! Black is just a menace to society!"
He leaned towards the older man, "I called her short by accident."
"Ah, that'd do it. She's got quite a temper for a young one."
Her eyebrow twitched, and forcefully, she asked, "Since when are you such good friends?"
"I'm always ready to talk to an Aura Guardian. Youngins never seem to be interested in those tales."
Hilbert scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly, "I don't know about that, I'm just a traveler."
"Oh ho, a traveler personally trained by a master Lucario?"
"It happens."
Korrina's other eyebrow twitched.
Gurkinn leaned forward, tenting his fingers beneath his nose, "Did they know anything about Mega Evolution? Lucarionite are the most relatively common stone."
"When I get back to Sinnoh, I'll stop by. I think Lucario would like to visit her folks, too."
Gurkinn held a large marble in his fingers, reflecting strange colors in the sunlight.
"From your tales, it sounds like you'll need this."
Hilbert eyed the stone, "...I don't know if I can take that."
"You know what Mega Evolution is, don't you? Why would you deny that power?" He didn't seem disappointed, but curious and amused.
"I mentioned how I met Garchomp and Tyranitar earlier. I don't think I could make them go that far again, it wouldn't be fair of me, not just for a power boost. And, I don't mean to offend, watching Mega Lucario act like that… I'm not sure if I could do that to her. Abra's never going to evolve, and I'm pretty sure none of my other Pokemon have Mega Stones."
"I see… I'm not the scientific type myself, but I understand your concerns. Many who read only from scientific journals and the like think the same thing," Gurkinn said, looking through the Key Stone. "Mega Lucario are said to be consumed by anger when Mega Evolved, and even here, that is true. Really, that's the exception, not the rule. In truth, Lucario are already incredibly willful Pokemon."
"Don't I know it, heh."
Gurkinn paused to laugh with him, "Yes, but Mega Evolution does not create or destroy, it only enhances what is already there. In the heat of battle, can you guess what it enhances?"
"Adrenaline?"
"Not quite. It enhances their willpower, as well as their physical prowess. Of course, its different for each Pokemon, but the effects are the same. What the Pokemon and Trainer desire, Mega Evolution will bring to fruition."
"What if they desire different things?"
"That's the reason Key Stones are only given to good trainers. The aura will attempt to fulfill both wants, and hurt the Pokemon. This is the reason most believe it to hurt Pokemon, because it is their desires that cause it to do so." he put the Key Stone down on the table, seriously looking at Hilbert. "A trainer like you, an Aura Guardian, with so much potential, and trust in your allies… There's no one better to take this."
He reluctantly took the stone, slipping the marble into a secure bag compartment.
"I'm not sure what an Aura Guardian is supposed to be, but I'll do my best."
Korrina watched Hilbert slip down the side of the tower, just for kicks, and turned to Gurkinn.
"Just like that? You'd give a stranger a Key Stone based on nothing but his words?"
He tented his fingers and leaned back in his seat, "Korrina, did I ever tell you what I did when I was your age?"
"You were the Gym Leader, until I was old enough."
He shook his head. "I was like that young man. I traveled the world, and I went to Hoenn. Things were much different back then, but the Pokemon were the same. I had no Riolu or Lucario to train me, and by the time I had met them, I was too old to learn. I've always been able to see aura, and that boy's… It's one of the strangest things I've ever seen. It's not just his life energy, it's his willpower, I watched it flare and sink during our conversation. He has potential, and if he knows that, then it can only increase exponentially."
"How can you be so sure?"
"There was aura leaking out of his Pokeballs, nearly half of them. I haven't seen anything like that since I met Registeel, back in the day. His Pokemon, even if they aren't Legendary… I'm glad he seems to be on the side of good."
Hilbert met the group, them having waited at the gates.
Lucas crossed his arms, "So, how'd it go?"
"Finally got a Key Stone. Anything else you guys wanna do in Kalos?"
On the way to the airport, it started raining. That wasn't much of an issue, they all had raincoats, but Lucas found a weird purple thing that turned out to be a Dragon-type, so he caught it. Barry saw a lonely lion cub and decided to be Litleo's friend.
Hilbert shook his head on the flight. He felt dazed for some reason.
"I feel like we've been here for a week…"
Ignoring the feeling, he dialed up Professor Rowan.
"Hey, old man, do you know how to embed a Key Stone? I have a special request…"
AN:
God, I really, REALLY didn't mean to make this chapter so long. It just happened. I'm glad to hear people like my stuff, it's pretty cool. I don't really think of it as 'crack', more as just light-hearted. Might just be my dislike of dark fics, cause I'm all about that friendship shit. I respect them, but at the end of the day, Pokemon is about bonding with friends and partners, and it always has been.
Hilbert: Same six, abnormally large Honedge, bug tire Whirlipede.
Lucas: Infernape, Mareanie, Roserade, Goomy, Toxicroak (Remembered he exists), Staraptor.
Barry: Prinplup, Phantump, Raichu, Tropius, Litleo, Tyrunt.
Dawn: Turtwig, Combee, Oricorio, Kecleon.
Cheryl: Chansey, Kangaskhan, Shroomish, Audino, Togepi, Aurorus.
Marley: Arcanine, Sharpedo, Yanma, Aerodactyl.
Candice: Yeah, no, she's temporary, sorry everyone.