Draco: PRE-SUBMIT EDIT: Can I write, like, one Pokémon fanfic without some fricker dropping a spam review? Is that so much to ask? I mean, really. END PRE-SUBMIT EDIT
Okay, let's start getting some deviations in here beyond simply changing the Pokémon lists and including more Shadow Moves.
Pokémon and all related properties © Nintendo and the Pokémon Company.
Chapter 10: Further Secrets
With Mt. Battle safe, Wes and Rui headed back to Agate Village - not just to purify the Shadow Pokémon they'd been training, but also to assure her grandparents that they were safe. As they stepped into Eagun's place, he and Beluh stepped out to greet them from the living room. "Ah, Rui!" she sighed, "you're home! Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"
"Not by a good margin," Rui assured her.
"It's good to see you both back," Eagun mused. "So? Have you trounced the cretins that raided Mt. Battle?"
"With some effort," Wes admitted, deciding not to give Eagun the exact details.
Eagun smiled. "I expected nothing less of my own granddaughter!" he praised. "And of course, Wes!"
Wes shot a look at Rui, who seemed a bit embarrassed by the priority of praise. "Grandpa, honestly," she insisted. "Wes did all the battling. My job was just to notice which ones were Shadow Pokémon."
With a hum, Eagun crossed his arms. "Yes, I suppose you have a point. After all..."
Rui quickly changed the subject. "By the way, Vander gave us something. Wes?"
"Yeah," Wes admitted, reaching into his pocket. "Look at this."
Eagun was impressed when he saw the flute in silver and gold. "Ah, so he has conferred the Time Flute upon you. And I assume you will be departing for the Relic Forest at once?"
Wes pocketed the flute again. "Yes and no," he admitted. "We have some Pokémon prepared for purification already... but we can't just use this carelessly. We need to save it for the Pokémon that really need it."
"...Perhaps you have a point," Eagun conceded. "If Celebi can indeed purify a Shadow Pokémon immediately, you must not waste your chance."
Beluh spoke up. "Oh, yes, speaking of," she mused. "There was something I'd forgotten about before you left. Are you familiar with cologne massaging?"
"I'm not much of a masseur," Wes admitted.
"It's not like that," Beluh insisted. "A cologne massage is simply a way of appeasing your Pokémon, that it will become more friendly towards you. The scents are quite pleasant. It should help with the purification process."
"Now that you say that," Rui recalled, "one of those Files mentioned something like that..."
Beluh nodded, picking up something that was sitting beside the couch. "Here," she insisted. "This is a Cologne Case. It's designed to store scent bottles safely."
"Thanks, Grandma."
As Rui accepted the case, Eagun turned to Wes. "Oh, Wes, could I ask for the contact info of your PD... thing?"
"You mean my PDA?" Wes felt like this was a recipe for disaster. "Why do you want that?"
"If something comes up, I'd like to be able to contact you," Eagun replied. "And if I happen to be worried for you again, I can simply try and reach you instead of fretting until you return."
Rui laughed. "Not like we're gonna be staying away," she admitted. "Whenever we've got Shadow Pokémon to purify, we'll be coming to Agate. We can take the time to stop in whenever we do."
Beluh smiled. "That's my granddaughter."
+x+x+x+
They took the Shadow Pokémon they'd been training at Mt. Battle to the Relic Forest for purification; Herdier, Slugma, and Remoraid all evolved once they were freed of the darkness, although Wes wasn't totally surprised that Mienfoo was the odd one out. Stopping at the Pokémon Center, he switched them out for Swablu, Croagunk, and Buneary, as well as taking Plusle with him; then he and Rui made their way back to the bike.
"So," Wes mused as he started the engine, "where to?"
He turned to Rui to find her looking at something - it seemed to be a pocket watch of some description. A stone of some kind was set into the base of the clock hands, and there was a picture on the upper casing - a young girl and a Riolu.
"How long have you had that?"
Rui started, closing the watch quickly. "S-Sorry," she insisted, "I was just..."
Wes hummed. "Keep that out next time we find a Cipher Admin," he requested. "If I need to throw Timer Balls again, it'll help to know how long has passed."
"I'll... keep that in mind," Rui insisted. "Anyways... do you remember what that Dakim said to his Peon?"
"You mean about going to some Lab?" Wes asked.
Rui nodded. "When we left Mt. Battle, I... I thought I saw a strange building, out in the desert. I know it might be reaching a bit, but..."
"But that's our best bet," Wes mused. "Might as well check it out."
+x+x+x+
They drove towards Mt. Battle until they saw it - a most peculiar structure that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. As they got closer, however, it was apparent that inspecting the place wasn't going to be a simple matter; there was a barrier of some description circling the lot, not an electrified metal fence but what looked like a laser grid extending from pillars around the place. A heavy steel gate rested on the south end, with what looked like a card reader sitting next to it.
"Well, this seems terrible," Wes observed.
"This has gotta be the Lab that Dakim mentioned," Rui mused. "But... how do we get inside?"
A ping from Wes' pocket broke his train of thought as his PDA went off. "Did your grandpa find something already?"
"I doubt it," Rui admitted as he drew it out. "I've never seen him use something more complicated than a TV remote. I was surprised when he asked for your contact info."
It wasn't Eagun - it was Duking. Wes, we just nabbed a pair of goons we think take orders from Miror B. They may be worth squeezing for intelligence. The police have them in jail, so come to Pyrite in a hurry.
"Miror Peons, huh?" Rui mused. "The ones from Phenac, or the ones from the Pyrite Building?"
Wes chuckled as he sent Duking a response. "Maybe they've got both pairs," he observed.
"Maybe," Rui giggled.
+x+x+x+
As soon as Wes turned off his bike upon arriving at Pyrite, he could hear the sounds of commotion from Duel Square. "Guess the fights are back on," he observed.
"You hear that, do you?" mused the gatekeeper, Cail. "Yeah, the punks with the Shadow Pokémon might be gone, but that doesn't make the place any less rough."
"That's not too surprising," Rui admitted. "I mean, this place does have a reputation as..."
She trailed off, her face falling as she looked further into town; Wes turned to her to find her braids trembling. "Something wrong?"
"...No." Rui's comment didn't sound particularly honest. "No, it's nothing."
Wes hummed. "Right," he mused. "Somehow, I kind of doubt it's nothing."
They had more important matters to worry about, however; the two of them quickly made their way to the police station, finding Sherles sitting behind his desk. "Ah, Wes," he greeted. "Duking told me he'd contact you."
"Yeah," Wes confirmed. "Who are the Miror Peons you guys have caught?"
"Four of them," Sherles admitted. "Two of them turned themselves in while you two were raiding Pyrite Cave - apparently fearing their boss' wrath from one of their failures. The other two, we apprehended recently, trying to sneak back into the Pyrite Building. We think they might have been trying to reach one of their superiors." He shook his head. "But so far, we haven't been able to get any information out of any of them. Not a word."
Rui set her hands on her hips. "I guess they're just hiding out and hoping Miror B. can't punish them in here," she observed. "They don't want to take their chances by revealing something that might get them punished worse. Let us talk to them."
As they started into the cells, Sherles spoke up. "Oh, Wes. Could I have your PDA info myself? If something like this happens again, it might be more efficient for me to contact you directly rather than asking Duking to."
"Fair enough," Wes conceded.
Rui left him to trade contact info with the chief as she approached the cells. Officer Johnson was pacing before two of the cells - inside of which were Trudly and Folly. "Oh, hey," Trudly accused. "You're the girl who can see Shadow Pokémon."
"You guys look comfy," Rui snarked.
"Comfier now that we don't have to share a cell," Folly admitted. "We were doubled up in the big one, but they moved us over here. Something about wanting to interrogate the new arrests."
Johnson turned to Rui. "I'll ask you to stay away from the prisoners, miss," he insisted. "Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on them. They won't be getting out of those cells as long as I've got the keys."
Rui remembered when she and Wes had first met Johnson - completely missing Cail's attitude and trying to catch up the Chief on outdated information. ...If this guy is keeping a good grip on his keys, she observed to herself, I'll eat the skin off a Pinap Berry and throw the fruit to Umbreon.
She stepped back out to join Wes, who led the way into the next room. The cell in this room was indeed a bit larger, though small enough to still make cohabitation uncomfortable; there was a desk in this room with some writing supplies on it, explaining the preference for interrogation here. Sure enough, a silver key was sitting on the edge of the table closest to the cell, but the table being armspan away from the cell meant that it didn't mean much for danger.
Not that the girls in the cell weren't making a good effort to try and get it anyways.
Ferma yelped when she saw them, pulling away from the bars. "You two," she muttered. "What are you two doing here?" Reath was lying on the bed with her back to the door, seeming to be asleep; there was enough room for Ferma to join her if they cuddled together, but even that would leave them a bit pushed for mattress space. Rui also noticed something poking out of her back pocket - it looked like a key of some kind, and looked rather heavy, at that.
"Back at you," Wes accused. "You got out of Pyrite the first time. Why'd you come back?"
"We were trying to sneak back down to the Under," Ferma muttered. "But now that Duking's not cowering with his Plusle in trouble, he's watching this place like a Hawlucha! It's all your fault!"
Rui narrowed her gaze. "The 'Under'? she asked. "You mean you weren't trying to go back to the cave?"
"There's nothing worth doing in there now that you've driven Miror out," Ferma accused. "We're better off taking the lift to the Under."
"Lift to the Under," Wes echoed, turning to Rui. "Didn't Miror say the Shadow Pokémon distributions were from an associate?"
"It's gotta be in the Pyrite Building," Rui confirmed.
She grabbed the key off the desk as Wes drew a Ball off his belt; Ferma stumbled back as they made to approach the cell. "You're not seriously asking me for a battle, are you?" she accused. "They confiscated our Pokémon when they apprehended us."
"That makes this easier," Wes mused, throwing his Ball forward. Plusle emerged in a flash of light; as Rui approached the cell door, the Plus Pokémon stepped up behind her, cheeks sparking with electricity. "Don't try anything."
Ferma stepped away from the cell door as Rui unlocked it, sliding it aside before stepping in. Reath was still well asleep; Rui approached the bed and knelt down, her fingers seizing the key in her back pocket and drawing it out, careful to make sure it didn't hook on the fabric of her pants. With a smirk, she stepped back out of the cell, closing the door; once she locked it, she put the cell key back where she'd picked it up from; Plusle lowered her stance, hopping back towards Wes.
"Here's our ticket down."
"Guess so," Wes agreed.
The two of them made their way out of the station, telling Sherles what they had learned in the process; as they stepped out, Rui turned to Wes. "Can I ask a strange favor?"
"What's this about?" Wes asked.
"I could really use a good night's sleep before we try and venture into unknown territory," Rui insisted. "Could we get a night at the Super Grand and check out this elevator tomorrow morning?"
Wes chuckled. "That's not much of a favor," he admitted. "Sure, let's stay the night." He rolled his arms. "I might have a go at Duel Square, first, before I call it a night. See if we can't get any closer to purifying the Shadow Pokémon we've got already. You wanna book the room ahead of me?"
"Sure," Rui insisted. "There shouldn't be any new Shadow Pokémon out here."
+x+x+x+
The battles in Duel Square did his Shadow Pokémon enough good that Wes reckoned they were ripe for purification when they next went through Agate Village; he detoured through the Colosseum to swap out Croagunk, Buneary, and Swablu for Sneasel, Hitmontop, and Mantine before meeting up in the Super Grand with Rui. They didn't have any two-person rooms available, which meant Rui had ended up booking two separate singles; the two bid each other good night and withdrew into their own rooms.
As Pokémon Trainers tended to, Wes had a habit of going to bed fully dressed; at the most, he took his Bag off and left it at his bedside with his Poké Ball belt inside, shedding just the bulk that would keep him from a good night's sleep. In Wes' case, that meant he slept on his right side to keep the pauldron of his Snag Machine from keeping him up; consequently, when morning broke, he found himself waking up with his right arm a bit numb, and so took it in his left hand to move it manually and get some feeling back into it.
Immediately he knew something was wrong - because he could see his left hand.
Wes shot out of bed in a hurry, panicking. His Snag Machine was gone; without it, he couldn't Snag the Shadow Pokémon. He quickly drew out his Poké Ball belt and equipped it before grabbing his Bag and dashing out towards Rui's room. "Rui!" he warned. "We've got trouble! Someone-"
He faltered out as he stepped in, finding the room empty.
"...Rui?"
Footsteps nearby drew his attention as the receptionist approached. "If you're looking for your lady friend," he mused, "she checked out earlier."
"Where is she...?" Wes shook his head and took off, leaving the receptionist befuddled as he dashed out into Pyrite Town.
Duking was standing outside, and Wes' exit from the hotel drew his attention. "Wes!" he greeted. "What are you two doing splitting up?"
"Splitting up?" Wes asked. "You saw Rui?"
"Kind of," Duking admitted. "I thought I saw her on top of the Pyrite Building. I reckoned you two were going back into the cave."
"What's she doing in the cave?" Wes muttered. "Miror's Peons said there was nothing in there..."
+x+x+x+
Despite Cipher's absence, the other Trainers in the Pyrite Building were still present - and eager for a rematch with the guy who'd taken them down the first time. Wes found himself backtracking to the PC at the entrance to make sure his team was healed up before he went into the cave. The trainers in here weren't any better off; Wes found himself nearing Miror's old dance stage with no sign of Rui.
He was just topping up his team at the PC on that end when footsteps from nearby drew his attention, and a voice yelled, "Wes!"
"Rui?" Wes turned to find her approaching him - with a familiar pauldron-and-plate one one arm. "You took the Snag Machine!?"
"It's a long story," Rui insisted. "But we need to get out of here!"
Wes didn't have time to ask what she was talking about before more numerous footsteps approached from behind her. Several Cipher Peons were charging after her - two females, and a male wearing a uniform that was much more darkly colored, with his helmet being red-and-white split down the middle like Miror's afro. "There you are!" he snapped.
"And who are you supposed to be?" Wes demanded, stepping between him and Rui.
"I am Mirakle B," the multicolored Peon replied. "Retrieval Advisor, and second to Miror B!"
Wes narrowed his gaze. Advisor?
"Not yet, you're not," retorted the female Peon on his left.
Mirakle jabbed her with his elbow. "Shut up!" he snapped. "When Miror hears about what I've been doing here, he'll make me Advisor for sure!"
"And what exactly have you been doing here?" Wes asked. "You know Cipher isn't welcome anymore, don't you?"
With a scoff, Mirakle glared at him. "You drove Miror off in the middle of things," he observed. "He was supposed to send out Shadow Pokémon and take them back once he had what he wanted. But you left a bunch of Shadow Pokémon still sitting around. So we've been picking up after him, and sending them back to the Under." Then he aimed a finger at Rui. "And just when we're wrapping up, she comes along and steals the last one from under our noses?"
"So that's why you took the Snag Machine." Wes turned to Rui. "Why didn't you let me come with you?"
"Can we discuss it later?" Rui pleaded.
"The girl's got a point," the other female Peon observed. "We're taking that one back like all the rest. You've got plenty of time to talk after we tie you up and throw you in the back room!"
Mirakle seized a couple Poké Balls off his belt. "Come on, then! Maybe you are Snaggers, but we can still take your Pokémon the old-fashioned way!"
You are challenged by Cipher Wannabe Mirakle B!
A Seaking and Sandslash appeared before Mirakle; Wes sent out Plusle and Mantine in return. The Plus Pokémon made the first move, leaping into the air and twisting to fling an Electro Ball that slammed into Seaking full-on as Mantine aimed a Bubble Beam at Sandlash. The Mouse Pokémon retorted with a rapid charge, brining her claws forward in an Aerial Ace as Seaking charged at Plusle, striking her with a Horn Attack.
Wes immediately realized why their targets weren't the other way around. "Some second," he reprimanded. "Miror's dance squad of Ludicolo gave me one of the toughest battles I've ever fought - your Ground-type doesn't even have a Ground-type offensive!"
"Shut up!" Mirakle snapped. "I'm gonna shut you down, take back the Shadow Pokémon, and give your Snag Machine to Miror as a trophy!"
Plusle clapped her hands over her head, and a light gathered around Mantine from the Helping Hand before it unleashed a Shadow Wave. The attack struck Sandslash and Seaking both, knocking them out; Mirakle withdrew them quickly, sending out an Electrode and Sudowoodo to take their place. Wes withdrew Mantine and Plusle to avert the type disadvantage, sending out Sneasel and Hitmontop instead; the Sharp Claw Pokémon promptly unleashed an Icy Wind, striking both of the opposing Pokémon before Hitmontop spun forward to strike Sudowoodo with a Triple Kick.
The Imitation Pokémon wasn't knocked out from the blow, but he clearly realized there wasn't much left to his fight; the Electrode raised a Protect barrier, and Sudowoodo started to bash his branches together, a light gathering upon his body. Wes cursed under his breath, making to cover his eyes as the enemy Self-Destructed; the blast slammed into Hitmontop and Sneasel hard enough to send them both reeling, but not quite hard enough to knock them out.
Mirakle withdrew Sudowoodo before the smoke had cleared, sending out a Linoone in its place; Hitmontop and Sneasel turned their attention to the Electrode as its Protect wore off, hoping to take it out before it could take a similar route. Hitmontop's Triple Kick connected first, three hits sending Electrode reeling, and Sneasel's Feint Attack followed quickly on the heels of the third hit, such that it seemed to be one succession of blows.
Unfortunately, they weren't quite hitting hard enough to take it out... but they were hitting hard enough to make it think better of fighting head-on. The Electrode began to spin and shake erratically as a similar - but much stronger - light gathered around it; Linoone made to Protect itself as well, and Wes stepped back worried, covering his eyes again as the Explosion burst out across the battlefield.
The second blast was too much for Wes' Pokémon to handle; he promptly raised their Poké Balls to withdraw them as Mirakle withdrew Electrode. Mantine and Plusle were sent back out again as Mirakle slipped the Poké Ball onto his belt, reached for his last one... and double-took. "What the-?!"
"You idiot!" one of the lady Peons reprimanded. "She Snagged the last Shadow Pokémon, remember?!"
Wes smirked. "I've heard of the dangers of counting your Torchic before they hatch - but forgetting that one ran away?" He aimed his hands forward. "Finish him off!"
Plusle leapt atop Mantine's back for extra altitude, flying into the air and sending an Electro Ball down on Linoone as Mantine unleashed a Bubble Beam; the two attacks connected with the Rushing Pokémon, but weren't enough to knock him out, leaving him open to charge Mantine with a Headbutt. Wes had to give him credit; the attack hit hard and true, and Mantine was knocked out by the critical hit - but it wouldn't be enough, and as Wes withdrew the Kite Pokémon, Plusle proceeded to land hard and unleash a Discharge to finish him off from point-blank.
When the voltage subsided, she was standing before an unconscious Linoone - and Mirakle was defeated.
"Had enough, fanboy?" Wes demanded.
Mirakle growled angrily, withdrawing his last Pokémon - he was full out, and Wes was standing between him and the nearest PC. "Let's get out of here!" he told the Peons behind him. "We've already sent most of the Shadow Pokémon back to Venus, our work's done!"
"You're out of your mind if you think Miror's gonna promote you after a trash showing like this!" the other lady reprimanded as they took off.
Wes waited until he was sure they weren't coming back before turning to Rui. "So?"
"Can we talk outside?" Rui pleaded. Then, when Wes gave her a look; "I'm not gonna keep this from you, I just don't want Duking to worry about us."
"...Fair," Wes conceded.
+x+x+x+
Duking was relieved to see they were alright; once he was assured, the two of them returned to the Super Grand under the pretense of Rui having left something in her room. The receptionist accepted the explanation, insisting that the housekeeping hadn't come through yet; once they were safely behind a closed door, Wes rounded on Rui.
"The Snag Machine?"
With a sigh, Rui made to remove it; Wes noticed that she had equipped it on her right arm, and only realized now that its design allowed it to be worn either way. As she handed it over to him, Wes saw the Poké Ball in her hand and realized she hadn't dropped it since the Snag had confirmed.
"So?" he asked, making to equip the Snag Machine on his left arm. "Who did you Snag?"
Rui held the Poké Ball before her for a moment before turning around and tossing it forward lightly. Wes immediately had his guard up as the flash of light filled the room; when it faded, a Lucario was kneeling there, and there was a surprising... peace to his movements. None of the single-minded aggression that Shadow Pokémon normally exhibited; he slowly opened his eyes, looking up towards Rui.
Suddenly, Wes realized why - it wasn't a Shadow Pokémon anymore.
"You... purified him already?" He turned to Rui, shocked. "How did you do that?"
Rui reached into her pocket, drawing out the watch that Wes had seen her carry before. "Because... I know him."
+x+x+x+
"I've gotta be out of my head."
Rui descended into the waterway of Pyrite Cave; by some blessed fortune, she had managed to avoid the gazes of the trainers littered throughout the cave so far, and was currently approaching the place where Miror B. had been dancing before. She felt bad about lying to Wes, and worse still about taking his Snag Machine; but when they had arrived in Pyrite Town, she had sensed an aura that she thought lost forever.
And the closer she got to it, the more she was certain that something terrible had happened to its owner.
The door to the dance stage wasn't closed securely; as she stepped up to it, she heard voices on the other side. "Hey, Miror kid-"
"It's Mirakle!"
"Whatever. We found the last one." Rui peered inside to find two female Peons facing one in a customized uniform that resembled Miror's; one of them was brandishing a Poké Ball. "The trainer gave us a bit of trouble, but this is the last of Miror's dirty laundry."
"Excellent!" The custom, Mirakle, accepted the Poké Ball. "I'm sure to make Advisor, now!"
"He says, like it's some kind of honor," the other female Peon retorted. "You know Advisors are just errand boys for the Admins, right?"
Rui made to open the door as Mirakle swept his free hand aside. "Shut up!" he snapped. "Getting direct orders to pass on from an Admin is still a better job than running around like a grunt! If you're happy being Peons, that's your problem!"
"Keep telling yourself that, wannabe. I don't see how..."
The speaker trailed off as the door squeaked on its hinges; Rui winced, realizing that the music that her stealth had been given away. The three Peons turned to face her as she mustered up her courage, stepping into the stage.
"Who's this now?" one female asked. "What are you doing here?"
"She hasn't even got any Pokémon on her," the other observed. "How did a non-trainer make it all the way down here?"
Mirakle scoffed. "Does it matter? If she hasn't got Pokémon, she can't give us trouble." He stepped forward. "Don't get any ideas, missy. You're gonna listen to us nice and proper, otherwise..."
He threw the Poké Ball that he was holding, and in a flash of light, a Riolu appeared before him - holding a small, round stone in one hand.
"...you're gonna regret it."
Rui gasped as she saw the darkness that surrounded the Emnation Pokémon. "Riolu...!"
Riolu barked at her, looking ready to fight as Mirakle laughed. "Oh, she knows this one!" he observed. "What, did you lose this little one so long ago? So sad to see him ready to fight you?!"
Rui blocked out his comments, kneeling down. "Please," she begged, raising one hand; her braids began to waver behind her as she tried to reach for his aura. "I'm right here..."
"Don't waste your breath," Mirakle mocked. "He's not your precious Pokémon anymore, don't you get it? Cipher's turned him into a fighting machine! You're not gonna-"
"Hey, Miror kid-"
"It's Mirakle!" the custom reprimanded. "How many times-"
"No, look!" the female insisted. "It's reacting to her!"
Rui was watching, with bated breath; Riolu was indeed reacting to her aura, his aggression starting to subside.
"What are you doing?" Mirakle muttered. "Stop! Riolu, attack her!"
"Don't," Rui pleaded. "I'm here. I'm right here. Riolu, please...!"
The dark aura around Riolu was changing; after a moment, it seemed to intensify, and Rui closed her eyes, knowing that it wouldn't stop her from seeing it.
...And then, after a long moment, the darkness vanished.
Rui opened her eyes, and Riolu was looking at her - with a smile on his face.
"What did you do?" one of the Peons demanded. "What did you just do!?"
She knew she didn't have time to waste; Rui brandished a Poké Ball at her side, in the hand covered by the Snag Machine, and rings of light traced its surface. Then, before Mirakle could try to withdraw him, she hurled the Snag Ball forward - and those rings extended outward, with Riolu not putting up anything of a fight as the Ball made to catch him.
Shake... Click!
"No!" Mirakle's angry screech echoed around the cave as the Ball bounced back towards Rui, and she caught it in both hands as he glared at her. "How could you-!? You Snagger! Give that Pokémon back!"
"Not on your life!" Rui protested; and she quickly turned, dashing out of the cave and hoping she was fast enough to outrun him.
+x+x+x+
"So that's what happened..."
Rui sighed. "I know I shouldn't have run off on you," she insisted. "But when I felt his aura... I had to do it myself. I had to get him back, on my own power."
Wes glanced at Lucario, who was watching the conversation uncertainly, moving something between his hands. "He was your Pokémon."
"He was," Rui confirmed. "A Snagger stole him from me, years ago. That's why I was so... hesitant when you first told me you used to be Team Snagem." She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry..."
"It's alright," Wes insisted. "I understand. But..." He turned to Lucario, who raised his gaze. "What is that?"
Rui smirked. "It's... kind of like you said at Mt. Battle," she insisted. "Any pretty rock can be a girl's best friend."
She turned to Lucario, who held out what he was holding - it was a small, spherical stone, smaller than the spike on the Aura Pokémon's wrist. It had a strange, twisting shape in it that made it resemble a marble; after a moment, Wes realized it was the same sort of stone that he had seen at the Mt. Battle prize counter.
"It's called a Mega Stone," Rui explained. "He's had that one since I was a little girl. If a Pokémon is carrying the right type of Mega Stone, and their Trainer has a Key Stone, and there's a bond of trust between them... the Pokémon can undergo a transformation known as Mega Evolution."
"Mega Evolution?" Wes echoed. "I thought that was just a story."
"It's not exactly a common occurrence," Rui admitted. "Relatively few people around the world can do it - even in Kalos, where it's most well-known, most people only dream of pulling it off. Mega Stones can be founded in the strangest places, but Key Stones are a lot more precious."
She drew out her pocket watch, opening it up. "...Grandpa gave me a scolding when I almost lost this one as a little girl."
Wes saw again, the stone set into the join of the clock hands. "That's... a Key Stone?" he realized.
"It is," Rui confirmed. "With this Key Stone, and that Lucarionite, he should be capable of Mega Evolution... in theory." She closed her pocket watch. "But... I don't know for sure that that's all there is to it."
"...Worth a shot, wouldn't you say?" Wes suggested.
Rui raised her gaze. "Huh?"
"It's not like we're gonna be short on opportunities to find out," Wes insisted. "We've still got Cipher to deal with." He turned to Lucario. "If you'd be willing... you'd make a great addition to the team. There are more Shadow Pokémon to help."
Lucario set his gaze and nodded with a soft cry.
"You're not mad?" Rui asked.
"No, I'm not," Wes insisted. "You had your reasons." He got to his feet. "So? We'd better find that lift the Miror Peons were talking about, and head down to the Under."
"Right."
Draco: You didn't think I was gonna have her go full Sir Aaron in her introductory scene and still keep her aura powers to just seeing Shadow Pokémon, did you?
Okay, so, Mega Evolution mechanics. Rui's Mega Locket is "acquired" at this point in the game, therefore unlocking Mega Evolution going forward. I'd like to imagine that the player-perspective Mega Evolution animation would have Rui handing him the watch, and he pops it open and touches the Key Stone. Shadow Pokémon cannot Mega Evolve. The story states that Mega Evolution requires a bond between Trainer and Pokémon; Shadow Pokémon can't create bonds.
Rui's Lucario comes with a Lucarionite, just like Korrina's... and his OT is Rui, not Wes. That's not just a one, either, you'll see later on.
...Rui and Wes would share Trainer IDs, though. No easy accumulation for the handhelds' Loto IDs.