A/N: Hey all, this is chapter 21 of Legends of Kalos. This is another original chapter, and the last one I'll be posting for awhile as I am still working on Chapter 22. This contains all new stuff, since I never got to post it last time. I hope you all like it. Tell me how I did, I appreciate all comments, except bad ones.
Pokemon XY
Legends of Kalos
Chapter 21
The Big City
It was around seven in the afternoon when Alex and Yvonne made it to Avignon Town. The large castle that watched over the town could be seen from anywhere in the town. The town itself was a port town nearby the large Orseille city. The bride that connected the two reminded Alex of Skyarrow Bridge, the one that connected the Pinwheel forest to Castelia City in the Unova Region. The large sky scrapers of the big city could be seen fully from the castle, which he had insisted in visiting. He even had a couple of battles with Sylvia, the Fairy type getting used to battling again after what had happened to her. It had been enough at least to get him through what had happened earlier in the day.
They had made it to the Pokemon center a few minutes past seven, the cool air making the two trainers sigh in relief. Alex immediately headed to the front counter, a smile on his face.
"Hello Nurse Joy, could you check my Pokemon over please?" he asked. The nurse nodded, handing him a tray.
"Just place your Pokeballs here and I'll take care of it. Would you also like to rent a room for the night? I can tell the two of you are dead tired." the nurse said, looking over the two trainers.
"Yes, a room for two should do." Alex said.
"Um actually Alex...I'm all set." Yvonne suddenly said. He looked her, a curious look on his face.
"Why? Is something wrong?" he asked.
"I'm heading across town for a few days. Shauna and I are meeting up and she's going to help me with my dress for the showcase. I'll be in Avignon for a little while...I hope you don't mind heading to Orseille on your own." she said.
"Oh...I guess it's alright. You have to focus on this showcase so it makes sense. We can meet up in Fennel's Laboratory, I called her ahead of time and she set up the guest rooms for us." he said with a smile.
"Wait...you're alright with going to Orseille alone?" she asked.
"Of course, we all have things to do. You are my friend Yvonne, and it would make me a shitty person if I didn't consider your wants and needs, besides It would be better for me to explore Orseille city as opposed to hanging around a boutique all day." he said. She pulled him into a tight hug, wrapping her arms around him.
"Thank you for understanding. This isn't temporary, we'll all be journeying around soon enough. No Gym battle, I want to actually see it." she said.
His eyes widened a bit at the sudden action, but then settled into the embrace. It was the first time she had hugged him. He chuckled, pulling away from the taller girl.
"No promises, you know how much I like to battle." he said.
"I won't forgive you if you do. Also, I want you to take my Town Map, this thing is much easier to use than that Holo Caster you bought. You still can't even use it properly." she said, handing him the black and blue device. He gratefully took it, placing it in his backpack.
"Good luck and try not to have a lot of fun over there, there are a lot of things I wanna check out there. Sadly I won't be making it to that concert, so if you go you better get me an autograph of whoever it is. See ya around Alex." she said, turning on her heel, taking off out of the Pokemon center. He held a single hand up, a frown on his face.
"Yeah...see ya." a little bid disappointed.
"Alex...here's your room key."
Alex turned around, accepting the key quietly from the nurse. He gave her a quiet thanks before heading up to his room, he was much to tired to care about anything other than sleep.
The next morning, he had woken up early and taken a fresh shower. He put on a blue tee shirt, with his black vest over it. He had put on a pair of slim straight jeans, and his black leather boots. He put on his Umbreon beanie, and grabbed his backpack, slipping it over his shoulders.
He had decided to place his badges in his badge case for safe keeping, placing them in his backpack next to the GS ball. He stopped by the front counter to grab his Pokemon before heading toward the bus station. Once on the bus to Orseille, he reached for the Pokeball containing Vixen and he let her out. The small Eevee looked around nervously before being picked up by her trainer. She looked up, seeing his saddened expression.
"Vee?" she questioned. He looked down, a smile on his face.
"We're all alone Vixen. Zera is back in Geosenge Town, and Yvonne is staying here in Avignon. I just needed someone here with me." he said, hugging her tightly against his chest. She settled into his arms, closing her eyes. It wasn't long before the bus pulled out of the station, heading toward the big city.
He wasn't aware that the Avignon bridge was pretty long, because they were driving over it for at least an hour before the bus got onto the main road into the city. He and his partner got off at the station, walking through the building until they finally made it into the city.
Alex looked around in awe at the large buildings.
They were taller than anything he had seen before, they rivaled even the buildings in Castelia City. The sidewalks were filled with people and pokemon, and dotted with bright green trees, where several avian pokemon were perched, chirping loudly. Cars could be seen driving on the main streets, going in different directions deeper into the city, and from where he stood, he could see the ocean, as well as hear the sounds from the Luxury cruise liners that were making port.
Someone bumped into him, muttering a quick apology before walking off. Alex noticed that it was a businessman, who was busy talking on a cellphone. He shook the feeling of nervousness off and started walking in a random direction, making sure his grip on Vixen was tight, as she was shaking a bit.
"Hmm, the Town map says that Fennel's lab is located on East 23rd street, that's not that far from the Bus Station, we'll be there in no time!" he said excitedly.
As he looked at the detailed map of the city, he noticed that it was split into four districts, and each of those had their own style and culture. There was the part he was currently in, the business district. It was the second largest district and housed all of the companies and large buildings in the city. There were several cafe's in the area, most likely for the businessmen and women that had to work all day.
The second part of the city was the coastal beach district, where it was more lively, as it was close to the beach. This area of the city housed more beach themed buildings, with small apartment buildings and traditional style houses. It was also where the port was located, so all of the tourists could enjoy the things Orseille had to offer, it was also filled with young trainers, either looking for a hot battle to pass the time, or taking a break between battles or their journeys, it seemed the most appealing to him by far.
The third district, was the largest district in the city, which was the pleasure district. This was the place where all of the stores and restaurants in the city were located. Dance clubs, arcades and Orseille city's largest Mall. It seemed to be the most popular attraction, as it boasted seven floors filled with different specialty stores and boutiques that rivaled even the ones in Lumiose city. It was the popular hangout for all of the teenagers in the city, as well as passing trainers who were looking to buy souvenirs or extra pairs of clothes for their journey.
This was also where the Orseille Stadium was located, the second biggest stadium in the region, second only the Pokemon League Stadium in Lumiose city. Not only was this the sight for the Pokemon Showcase, but it was also where Idols and famous singers came to perform and sing their hearts out. In front of the stadium was a large park, named Stadium Park, due to it being built at the same time the stadium was being built. It was lush and green and had large green trees filled with different types of Pokemon.
It was a park that paid homage to the National Park in Johto, having their own Bug Catching contests on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and they also gave out prizes to the winners, ranging from special Pokeballs to evolutionary stones.
The final district in Orseille city was of course known as the residential district. This was the fourth largest district in the city, containing many homes for the residents as well as historical buildings and small specialty shops that weren't found in any of the other districts. Many of the tourists in the area only came down here for two things, one to check out the historical sites found there, and two, to go to White Rapids Water Park, otherwise known as the Orseille city Pokemon Gym.
Looking at the map, Alex thought the park could be labeled its own district, as it took half of the residential area. He figured there were more apartments and houses in the other districts, which equated to the park being so big. The park was split into four sections, the Kiddie Area, the Pool Area, the Water Slides and the Main Attraction, which he assumed the area was named that because it was where the Gym leader was located. The entire park was labeled with a light blue color, the League Crest almost taunting him.
He wanted to desperately go check it out, maybe even challenge it, but he knew Yvonne wanted to see his battle. As he walked, he was debating on checking it out, to see just how the gym leader battled, and maybe check out the rides, it had been a long time since he had been to any type of amusement park, and the chance did present itself. He was about to turn toward the residential district, when he bumped into someone, making him drop the Town Map in his hand.
He panicked, expertly reaching for it, all while not dropping Vixen who's eyes were wide in nervous horror. He sighed with relief when he caught the device, if he ended up breaking it, Yvonne wouldn't forgive him, and he honestly wouldn't know how to tell her.
He looked up at the person who had bumped into him, noticing that it was a young woman, around seventeen years of age. She was wearing a short sleeved, blue striped collared shirt, which reached down to her waist. She wore a navy blue pleated skirt, with a white hem. The skirt fell just over her mid thigh. She wore a pair of white open toed sandals, the laces wrapping around her ankles, tying into a small bow on the side of her legs. She had whitish silver hair, pulled back into two perfect ponytails that fell down to her shoulders, and were tied with blue stripped ribbons.
She was wearing a black diadem, with a small blue stripped bow attached to it. Her face was soft, her complexion being a little pale, but not too pale. Her bright blue eyes were lined with black eyeliner, making them stand out more, and her lips were colored a light pink, most likely with a very expensive lipstick. He looked at her shirt, ignoring the fact that the two buttons were undone, due to her proportions, almost being too big for the shirt itself. He noticed her name tag, seeing that it had the league crest on it. She came out of her daze and looked up at him, freezing up instantly.
"I'm sorry for bumping into you miss. I couldn't help but notice the name tag, are you perhaps the Gym leader of this city?" he asked curiously. She didn't respond, instead she just stood there, looking at him awkwardly. He looked at Vixen, who just stared back at him in confusion.
"Miss...is everything alright?" he asked, waving his hand in front of her.
"I'm fine." she said, barely above a whisper. Her cheeks were tinged slightly pink, in a barely contained blush.
"Alright then." he said, once again looking at the name tag, seeing the big bold letters spelling out the name Kashima Azure on it.
He also noticed it said White Rapids Water Park Manager on it, most likely a park manager and not a person who ran the gym. He shrugged, looking at Vixen, scratching her ears.
"Um...well...I suppose an apology is in order. I'm very sorry for bumping into you Miss Azure, I guess I made you late for work so I won't keep you anymore. See ya around." he said, brushing past her.
He looked around for a few seconds, before finally turning onto 23rd street, instead of heading over to the gym, he figured he had plenty of time to check it out. As for Kashima though, she just stood there for a few more seconds, the blush she was holding back now finally dusting over her pale cheeks. She giggled, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers.
"He's so dreamy!" she whispered to herself, or at least she thought she did. The passing glances some of the pedestrians gave her shook her back into reality. She looked at her watch, eyes widening.
"Oh no! I'm late for work, Miss Juvia is going to be so mad at me!"
With that, the silver haired girl raced off, her heels clacking loudly over the sidewalk as she made her way toward the Water park.
After his small encounter with Kashima, Alex had finally made it to Fennel's lab. The building was huge, bigger than even Professor Sycamore's lab in Lumiose city. As opposed to his lab, which looked more like a traditional house, this lab looked more like a science institute. It was big, with a large front yard which was barred off from the main street with large iron fencing.
The building itself had large parlor windows, which let in a lot of sunlight. It also had a large dome over the roof, most likely holding a very expensive telescope. Fennel did like looking at this stars a lot during her free time. He took a deep breath and walked through the iron gates, which were surprisingly open. He made his way toward the front doors, looking around the area in awe.
"How could Fennel afford all of this? Sure her research into Pokemon Dreams and the bonds of Pokemon Trainers and Pokemon is interesting, but where would she even get the funding for something of this scale?" he muttered.
"Vee eevee vee." Vixen said. (Most likely from the Pokemon League, they would fund this)
"You're right Vixen. The Pokemon League would definitely fund this, and she's most likely responsible for helping the Coastal Part of Kalos with the Starter Pokemon, so Pokemon Trainers from this side of the region don't have to walk all the way to Lumiose city. She's giving Professor Sycamore a run for his money, that's for sure."
As he opened the door, a loud barking filled his ears. He looked around, noticing the large lobby was empty, only to be tackled into the ground by a small Pokemon. This pokemon was a small canine Pokemon, with light brown coat, and tail. It had a dark brown muzzle, along with draw brown paws and ear tips. It had a white furred collar around its neck with brown spots on it, it's tail was a light white color, fading into a very creamy brown color. It had big bright blue eyes, which bore into his own seconds before it started licking his face.
"Ah, stop it! It tickles." he cried with mirth, unable to stop the pup's advances.
He grabbed the puppy off of himself, holding it at arms length, it's tail wagging back and forth. Vixen seemed a little miffed, especially with being knocked to the ground. The Pokemon struggled out of his grip, landing on the ground on his haunches. He shook the pain off and started sniffing the floor, before approaching Vixen, it's tongue lulled from the side of its mouth. He gave a low bark in greeting, scaring Vixen a bit, though this time she didn't hide behind Alex.
Instead she gave a quiet yip of her own, which seemed to make the puppy happy, as he started licking her face, making Alex laugh. He pulled out his Pokedex, aiming it at the pokemon. It scanned it for a few seconds, before coming up with a question mark.
"Unidentified Pokemon. Storing data for future update."
"Well, that's the first time that's happened." he said, looking dumbly at the device.
He heard footsteps headed toward him and rapidly stood up, brushing his shirt and jeans off. He looked up, seeing a young man running into the lobby, a worried look on his face. He was wearing a violet and white stripped shirt, with a pair of black shorts. He was wearing low top shoes, which were light purple in color, and was wearing a violet fedora on his head, his black hair coming down to just above his shoulders. Alex noticed he was wearing a white lab coat as well, with long sleeves, which were rolled up, as well as large pockets, one of which contained a notebook. He breathed a sigh of relief, snapping his fingers.
"Rocky, it's not okay to just run off like that. I was worried sick, what if the door was open and you got outside? I wouldn't forgive myself if something bad happened to you." the boy snapped.
The puppy's tail drooped and he started whimpering a bit, completely ignoring Vixen, who had slobber all over her face now, her fur stood in different directions, and she was desperately trying to fix it. The boy sighed, rolling his eyes.
"I'm not mad Rocky, just don't run off like that okay?" he asked.
"Ruff!" the pokemon exclaimed, running circles around the young man. He laughed, looking up briefly, seeing Alex's curious face. He blushed a bit, scratching his neck.
"I'm so sorry, was my Pokemon bothering you? I'm sure new trainers like you don't want to be bothered." he said.
"It wasn't a bother to me. Actually, I'm not a new trainer, I was just stopping by to see Fennel. My name is Alex, I'm the trainer that she gave Petilil to." he said.
"Oh, you're that Alex...the famous kid right?" he asked.
"Damn it Fennel." he muttered under his breath. He quickly straightened up, giving the teen a nod.
"Yeah..that's me."
"Cool, don't worry I'm not one to blabber. Fennel was expecting you sometime this week, I didn't think you would show up this early though. Welcome, you must be tired. I'll take you to see Fennel if you want." he said.
"Sure thing." he said, picking Vixen up, placing her on his shoulder.
"My name is Jacques, but my friends call me Jackie, this is my partner Rocky." he said, petting the small pup.
"Ruff Ruff!" the pokemon cried.
"As you know, my name is Alex and this is my partner Vixen. Would you mind telling me what kind of Pokemon Rocky is? My Pokedex doesn't have any information on it." he said.
"Of course. Rocky's species name is known as Rockruff...we're both from the Alola Region. I was born on Melemele Island, and my dad got me Rocky here as a gift before I moved with my mom to Kalos. They had a nasty divorce, so he got me a friend for my travels. I was only ten at the time, now I'm fifteen and I've dedicated myself to researching the bond between people and Pokemon."
"The bond between trainer and Pokemon?" Alex asked, glancing at the puppy in his hands. Jackie gave him a nod.
"Yes, I want to know why it is that some Pokemon evolve with a special bond between their trainers. Pokemon like Togepi, Pichu and even Eevee are the subject of my research. Rocky here also happens to be a Pokemon that falls within my research." he said happily.
"Wow, such an interesting topic to study this early on in life. Good work, not many people think of going into something like this...they always want to partake in the league, or travel the world." Alex said.
"I'm not much of a traveler really. I have been outside of Orseille before, I mean I had to walk here from Coumarine city, and I do have other Pokemon with me. Battling wasn't as important as some of the other kids made it out to be." he said with a shrug.
"I understand...it isn't for everyone. So, what's Rocky's typing?" Alex asked curiously.
"He's a Rock type Pokemon. They have a keen sense of smell, and greet each other by rubbing the rocks around their necks together. They are also the only Pokemon that will take off when their close to evolving, and once their fully evolved, they'll come back. Though I've never actually seen it's evolution, so I can't explain it in detail." he said.
"Aw, that's a shame. The Alola region is looking like a very interesting place to visit. Rocky isn't he first Alolan Pokemon I've met, I also met a Comfey and I own an Alolan Vulpix that I got from a friend."
"I would recommend that you do visit my home region at some point, if you are collecting badges right now, then I understand. But it's a wonderful experience. We're more of a traditional region as opposed to some of the other places around the world. Well, here we are." Jackie said, leading him into the living area of the lab.
It was huge, bigger than even Professor Sycamore's. It had a second floor deck, the stairs spiraling from the ground floor up. There was also a large set of glass doors, leading into the Pokemon habitat, and just beyond it, Alex could see several different types of Pokemon. There was a large curved flat screen television placed a few feet from the glass doors, on a large black entertainment center, chock full of movies and games. There was a black leather couch in front of it, with a recliner and a glass table. A small wall separated the living room from the kitchen and dining area. There was also a hallway that most likely lead to the bedrooms. There was another set of glass doors, and just beyond it was a lot of computers and other machinery.
"Impressive." he said, taking in the entire area.
"Glad you like it Alex."
He turned around, seeing the smiling face of Fennel, who was followed by her Munna, Dream and her Musharna, Musha. Her little sister Amanita walked out after her sister, donning a lab coat over her smaller frame. Her tan colored hair was tied back into ponytails, messy bangs falling over her pink glasses. She was wearing a light pink shirt, along with a matching blue skirt and pink sneakers. She gave him a small smile.
"Heya Fennel, it's nice to see you again. You too Amanita, you've grown a lot since I last saw you." he said.
"Well of course, I've been eating my vegetables and drinking milk everyday so I can grow big and strong!" she cried happily, a proud smile on her face. Even though she was currently twelve, she had the maturity of an adult, at least at certain times.
"Jackie here was showing me around, and telling me all about his partner Rocky." he said.
"Excellent, it's nice to see you making friends Jackie. Maybe you two can get to know each other a bit more...hmm...didn't you say you were coming with your friends? Where are they?" Fennel asked curiously.
"Oh about that...Yvonne decided to stay in Avignon for a few days. She said she would be searching for the perfect Showcase dress, as her competition is coming up in a couple of weeks. As for Zera, she decided to stay in Geosenge Town searching for a Keystone. Both said they would meet me here, though the only one I know will show up is Yvonne, not so sure about Zera." he said.
"Why is that?"
"Those two idiots had a little argument that escalated into a full blown fight and now they're mad at each other, though Yvonne did agree to apologize. They're too damn hot headed if you ask me...they're always arguing about everything." he said, crossing his arms.
Fennel frowned a bit, she could tell he was upset, most likely for being left alone, but she didn't press the matter. Instead she clapped her hands happily.
"Well then, now that you are here we can get started on our research. I'm sure you've caught lots of new Pokemon, let's see them. I want to see the bond you've made with each and every one." she said excitedly.
"Big sis, do you want me to get the C-gear? I recently created a friendship checker application for it." she said.
"Sure thing, it'll be a great help!" Fennel said with a smile.
Amanita grinned and ran off in search of her precious C-gear. Alex reached into his pockets, pulling out his five Pokeballs. With a smile he tossed them all up.
"Come out everyone!"
They all snapped open, releasing Vulpix, Fleur, Sylvia, Lily and Kira. Vixen jumped down from his shoulder, and stood next to Kira, the Fairy/Steel type looked at her questioningly, glancing at her long since dried out fur, before she gave her a loving pat on the head, making the nervous Pokemon calm down.
"Interesting team, I see that Mawile is not only a shiny Pokemon, but she also has a Mega Stone. Did you acquire it recently?" Fennel asked, glancing at the Pokemon closely.
"Yeah, yesterday actually. You'll never believe this, but I actually got it by passing a trial set up by Drasna of the Elite Four." he said.
"Really? You met Drasna?" Jackie asked, quite surprised. Alex nodded his head with a grin.
"Apparently she likes testing trainers with Keystones to see if they are truly worthy of getting the mega stone. Kira had to touch it in order for it to turn into Mawilite. She's only Mega Evolved once, but she was really tired from it, so we need to train even harder for her to get used to it." he said, happily petting the deceiver Pokemon.
A tick mark grew on her head, and she rapidly spun around, chomping down on his arm, making him cry in pain.
"Ah...dammit, wish it didn't hurt so much." he said through grit teeth. Kira rolled her eyes.
"Mawile maw maw wile." (I've told you many times not to pet me.) she said, wagging her finger.
"Ugh...I know you have but jeez, do you have to bite down so hard?" he asked.
"Mawile wile maw." (Sorry, I'm asserting my dominance.)
"Yeah, my ass." he muttered.
Kira bit down a bit harder, making him yelp once more, only for her to let go of his arm. Fleur floated over to him in worry, but he brushed it off, giving her a grin.
"Alex...I have a question for you...can you...understand your Pokemon?" Fennel asked curiously. He stood up, giving her a nod.
"Yeah, it freaked me out at first, but the more we've trained together the more I've started to understand them. I can understand everything Kira is telling me, the same with Fleur and Sylvia, and just today I started to understand what Vixen was saying to me. I can make out most of what Vulpix and Lily say as well." he said. Fennel took out her notebook, and started writing everything down.
"Fascinating...does it have to be with the fact that most of these Pokemon happen to be Fairy types?" she asked.
"Um...I think so?" he said with a shrug, a questioning look on his face.
"Oh, that was a rhetorical question sweetie, it was mostly to myself. You know, Augustine had told me you have started to favor the Fairy type, but I didn't really believe him at the time. It's good, you are finding something you are good at, and I can tell you've been taking excellent care of these Pokemon." she said.
Amanita finally returned, holding an octagon shaped tablet in her hand, which was lit up, displaying several things on it.
"Alright, it's all set. With this newly upgraded app, I'll be able to scan all of your Pokemon at the same time, so hold still everyone or else I'll get messed up readings." the young girl said, tapping the screen on the device.
"She's been dying to test this thing out all week. She spent three nights writing different lines of code for it, hoping it would work." Jackie said.
"Poor thing, she'll get it eventually, hopefully it works now." Alex said.
"Hmm...this can't be." the girl said suddenly, causing everyone to look at her curiously.
"Is something wrong little sis?" Fennel asked curiously. The girl turned the pad toward her older sister, showing her the results.
"It's saying that these Pokemon fully love and trust Alex as a trainer, something that I haven't seen ever. Normally, Pokemon take time to build a bond with their trainers, but all of them are showing different results. I think it might be a glitch in the system." she said.
"Are you sure about that? Maybe they do love and trust him as a trainer." Jackie said.
"Impossible. I've been keeping a close eye on Alex's captures ever since I arrived here in the Kalos region, and trust me it took a lot of convincing for Professor Sycamore to allow it. He captured this Mawile only two weeks ago, and more recently he obtained this Vulpix. Just four days ago he caught this Sylveon, it's not possible for their love and trust to grow that strong in mere days." she said.
"You could be wrong about that Amanita, it's clear that he's been taking excellent care of his Pokemon. This is the healthiest group of Pokemon that I've seen in a while." Jackie said.
"That or he's been abusing Pokemon Amie." the little girl muttered.
"What was that little sis?" Fennel asked curiously. She smiled brightly.
"Nothing Fennel...I just have more research to do, and this thing needs to be re:coded. We'll test it out again later to see if we get different results." she said, returning to the lab, most likely to work on her C-gear some more.
"Honestly, I don't understand why she won't believe the results of that test." Jackie said.
"Hmm...Alex what have you been doing with your Pokemon recently? How do you take care of them?" Fennel asked.
"Uh well...I make sure to give them a bath everyday, for Vixen, Sylvia and Vulpix, I make sure to brush their fur until it's nice and straight, taking out all of the old fur and making sure there aren't any knots in it. I brush Kira's teeth frequently as well, even though she doesn't like it when I mess around with her maw, she tends to bite a lot.
Before Fleur evolved, I made sure her flower was well taken care of and it was healthy, as without them, Flabebe run the risk of dying. Now that she did evolve, I make sure she gets enough sunlight. The same goes for Lily, I feed her the best berries I can find and make sure she gets a lot of sunlight so she can grow strong. She's grown four inches in the last six days due to all the sunlight she gets." he said.
"Do you give them treats? Pokeblocks, Poffins? PokePuffs?" she asked, jotting everything down with rapid speed.
"I do give them plenty of PokePuffs. Yvonne taught me how to make them and I usually make a few batches whenever we're taking a break. The Pokemon seem to love them, and Yvonne seems happy that I'm learning quite rapidly. They don't complain at least...well...Kira doesn't like the Chocolate ones, as opposed to Fleur who seems to adore them. Vixen likes the sweet ones, while Vulpix likes the Spicy ones more. Lily seems to favor the sour ones, while Sylvia will try anything and pick out her favorites from each batch." he said.
"Hmm...that might be a key factor. Pokemon that are regularly groomed and given treats tend to form tighter bonds with their trainers, as opposed to those that just battle all the time and take their Pokemon to professional groomers. That might be why they developed such a strong bond with you." Fennel said.
"You think so?" he asked.
"Definitely...and since bond between trainer and Pokemon seems to be a key factor in Mega Evolution, it seems that increasing that bond will get you better results. Professor Sycamore's theory on the phenomena states that anyone can Mega Evolve their Pokemon provided they have the necessary stones. But those that have the stronger bond will achieve a successful evolution.
The closer the trainer is with his or her Pokemon, the stronger and longer the mega form lasts. Rare forms like the ones found in Hoenn seem to be associated with the war that happened 3,000 years in the past, it seems that when Xerneas's time arrived, it released all of it's life energy in a massive wave which circled the globe. It transformed regular stones into Mega Stones and Keystones, the forms found in Hoenn seem to date back 850 years, approximately the same time Xerneas was last seen by the human eye." She said, turning around.
She walked over to a glass case, and punched a code in, making the glass open. She reached in, pulling something from within.
"Since this factor will work in your favor, I believe it's time we put it to the test. What do you say?" she asked, turning around, revealing a Sun Stone in her hands.
It was a bright orange stone, with little spikes all around it. It was bright orange, resembling the setting sun. Alex swallowed hard, taking the stone into his hand. It was the first time he had actually held an evolutionary stone. It was really warm, as if the sun's energy had imbued the stone with power. He turned to Lily, who had a curious look on her face.
"Well, we already talked about this before, are you ready to evolve Lily? I don't want to force you into this, once you do, you won't be able to turn back." he said.
"Lil! Lil!" (Yes! Yes!) the Pokemon cried happily, giving him a nod.
He knelt down before her, holding the stone in front of her. Lily happily touched it, the stone started glowing, encompassing her entire body. After a few seconds, the glow died down, revealing the newly evolved Lilligant. Alex pulled out his Pokedex, scanning it's new form.
"Lilligant, the Flowering Pokemon and the evolved form of Petilil. The garland on it's head is capable of making a variety of fragrances. When well taken care of, the flower on a Lilligant's head will fully bloom. These Pokemon are very popular with celebrities."
"Lil Lil." the newly evolved Lilligant cried, clapping her leafy hands happily. She twirled around in place, getting used to her new from. Fleur happily floated over to her friend, congratulating her on her evolution. Alex placed his Pokedex back in his pocket, looking back at Fennel.
"Fantastic, it seems she's happy about her new form. You've raised her well Alex, even now that she fully evolved, her Flower is nearly in full bloom, something that can take years to happen. Now, for the more practical part, follow me to the outdoor habitat." she said, leading him toward the glass doors. He gestured to his Pokemon to follow, as they were lead outside.
The habitat was big, with large trees and lush grass. Tall hedges and stone walls surrounded the habitat, to ensure that the Pokemon living inside didn't escape. There was a large glass dome over it, which let in quite a lot of sunlight. Several Pokemon could be seen running around, most of them were native to the Unova Region, as he saw a Sewaddle, along with a couple Swadloon and a Leavanny as well.
He saw a Swanna playing around in the pond, with three small Ducklett next to her. He also saw several Vivillon flying around, all sporting different patterns, he counted two Meadow patterns, as well as an Ice Pattern, a Monsoon pattern and a Fancy pattern.
A few Whimsicott were also floating around, with a pink Jumpluff, that seemed to be cheerfully singing a song for them. As soon as they all saw Fennel they happily greeted her, most of them dashing toward her.
"Hey everyone. Help me welcome my friend Alex and his Pokemon, they'll be staying with us for a while, so make sure to treat them nicely!" she said, earning cheers from all of them. Alex chuckled a bit, holding his hand out for the Icy Pattern Vivillon to land on.
"All these Pokemon are amazing Fennel, I can tell you've taken care of all of them, especially the Vivillon. This is the first time I've seen different patterns together like this." he said.
"There are 20 known patterns for Vivillon. 40 if you get lucky enough to catch a shiny one." Jackie said.
"Who in their right mind wants 40 of the same Pokemon?" Alex asked, looking at the black haired teen.
"Shiny hunters for one. That's an actual trainer class, they go around searching for Shiny Pokemon to build their teams. Some spend their entire lives not finding a single one."
"And then there are those who get lucky enough to capture two of them." Fennel said, glancing at Alex, brow raised. He chuckled and rubbed his neck nervously.
"Anyway, it's about time we start this experiment. When we found this stone deep within the Pinwheel Forest, we assumed that it belonged to one of the native Pokemon of the forest. We tried it with the Whimsicott, but it didn't seem to resonate with them. One of the Lilligant under Professor Juniper's care seemed to be fond of it, now that your Petilil has evolved, we can see if this is a genuine Mega Stone. Are you ready?" Fennel asked, turning to Alex.
He nodded, reaching into his shirt for his keystone. He took it off, holding it in front of himself. The stone glittered brightly in the sunlight. He looked at Lilligant, who gave him a nod.
"Alright then, unlock the secrets behind this power. Lily, Mega Evolve!" he called out, flicking his wrist and catching the stone in his hand, activating it.
The stone around Lily's neck started glowing brightly, thin green and pink tendrils of light bouncing off of it, connecting with the bright golden light coming from Alex's keystone. The light started swirling around her body, changing her form. The skirt around her legs opened up more, forming more of a dress, and exposing her thin legs. Her arms grew slightly longer and gained a bit of muscle to them.
The large leaf behind her back morphed into a large set of wings, gracefully coming from her back. The bulb on her head grew in size, the flower petals shrinking to form a crown around the bulb. Finally the leaves around her face framed her face, making it look like hair. She swung her arms, dispelling the energy, which took the form of the Mega Symbol just above her head. A powerful wave of energy shot out, making them all shudder a bit.
"Lilli!" she cried loudly. She flapped her new wings, lifting off the ground a bit.
"Wow." Alex said, taken aback by his Pokemon's new form. Fennel grinned, a cheerful look in her eyes.
"Yes, my theory was indeed correct. Professor Juniper is going to flip out when she sees this! I can't wait to brag to Augustine about this as well, he's gonna be balls to the walls about it." she cried, pulling a digital camera from her pocket.
She immediately went into a frenzy, taking pictures, measurements, power readings, everything and anything under the sun. Alex simply shrugged, placing his Keystone around his neck.
"I think we need a more practical way of testing out her power don't you think?" He asked. Fennel looked away from her camera, turning back to her friend.
"What do you have in mind?" she asked. He grinned.
"How about a battle, one on one. I know you have to have a pokemon on you, your starter perhaps?" he said.
She gave him a nod, pulling a single Pokeball from her sleeve. She tossed it up, releasing the Pokemon within.
It was a long green serpentine Pokemon, with bright green leaves growing from its tail. It had golden markings around it's long body, as well as bright green stalks forming a collar of sorts around it's neck, as well as forming large ear like appendages on its head. It's bright red eyes scanned the area. It cooed happily upon seeing it's trainer.
"Hello to you too Serperior. I know I should let you out more, but I didn't want you causing trouble." she said.
"Perior." the pokemon called out, her tone a bit sour.
"Serperior, the Regal Pokemon and the final evolution of Snivy. It's red eyes are capable of paralyzing all forms of prey, as all will fear it. It will only fight those who can move past it's piercing glare. Their tails are strong enough to break even the hardest of boulders."
"Well...that was a very nice refresher. Hiya Serperior, remember me?" Alex called out, holding his hand high in the air. The Pokemon turned to him, looking at him closely before giving him a nod. She slithered over to him, wrapping her body around him in a tight hug. He chuckled, hugging the Pokemon back.
"Wow, she's an affectionate one. She doesn't like me much." Jackie said. Alex pat the Pokemon's head, looking at the younger teen.
"Serperior is like that with everyone she meets. Back when she was still a Snivy, she used to hate it when I picked her up, but after awhile she just got used to being near me, and I did take great care of her. She was left behind in the lab for a long time, since everyone seemed to like Tepig and Oshawott over her, but Fennel volunteered to care for her, the rest is history." he said.
"She was with me all throughout high school and college. When I got my degree at the age of sixteen, she had her first evolution, evolving into Servine. She evolved into Serperior one day when I was attacked by a revived Archen." Fennel said, scratching the large serpent's chin. She melted into it, allowing Alex to step out of her coils.
"So Lily, this won't only be our first battle since you've evolved, it'll be the first battle as a Mega Evolved Pokemon. It's going to get tiring at first, but I promise we'll work on it. You and Kira will need to work and train hard in order to master this new form, alright?" he asked.
"Gant!" she cried loudly, flapping her wings a little faster, to keep herself aloft.
It seemed she was really enjoying her new wings, which made him smile warmly. Fennel walked several meters away, before looking at the trainer.
"Alright then, we're ready to go when you are...but we battle for keeps, how about a bet?" she asked.
"Pfft, a bet? What do you have in mind?"
"Hmm...it has come to my attention recently that there is going to be a concert in the Orseille Arena, not just that there is going to be a Pokemon Coordinator performing there as well. If you two loose this battle, then not only will you have to go into that performance, but you also have to kiss the Coordinator that's on stage." she said.
"Damn dude, that's high stakes right there." Jackie said, surprised at Fennel's boldness.
"Is it a girl at least?" Alex asked in wonder.
"Of course, she happens to be the niece of the previous Hoenn League champion, the Water type master of Sootopolis city, Wallace." she said.
"The Wallace's niece? Does that mean this is the Wallace Cup?"
"Yes, this years Wallace Cup will be held here in the Kalos Region, so the place will be filled with tons of coordinators and tourists alike. We also have that Idol girl from Unova coming to perform in between the rounds of the contest, and it will all end with the Orseille city Pokemon Showcase. Apparently the mayor has been working closely with the Pokemon Contest Committee planning this out for awhile. To get it all to correlate at the same time...it must have been hard." Jackie said.
"So you want me to enter this thing, I'm betting?" he asked.
"Of course, and like I said, you have to kiss her and her alone. She's a tough cookie to beat, so I know you'll definitely make it to the last round." she said. Alex swallowed hard, giving her a nod.
"Fine, but if those are the stakes for me, then I'll raise the stakes for you too. I'll be taking on the Orseille city Gym leader sometime soon, I want you to be there with me, and when I defeat her, you have to kiss her, right on the lips." he said with a grin. Fennel blushed brightly, brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear.
"Wah...but I've never kissed a girl before." she said.
"Well...thems the breaks, you wanna battle against me you gotta accept the terms...deal?" he asked, spitting into the palm of his hand.
The Dream Professor nodded, spitting into her own palm, before clasping Alex's hand, as the two had met in the middle of their makeshift field. With a firm nod, the two returned to their sides of the field, ready for a tough battle between their Grass type Pokemon.