X
"Aw come on. It's called a Lucarionite. How hard is that to find!?"
Traveling to Geosenge Town came and went without a hitch, the short trip passing by in no time at all. What happened after Korrina and the group arrived, however, was a different story. The hunt for the illustrious Mega Stone was officially on, and with so many shops to cover, there was a pretty extensive search ahead of them. So, it was decided that the gang would split up: Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie in one group, Ash and Korrina in another.
That led those two to their current situation— Pestering every local in town with little to show for it.
"Fine. If you don't have it, we'll just go to the shop next door!" Korrina declared, turning and skating out of the store with a huff. It was about the dozenth time she'd threatened that today— So what was a dozen more?
Unfortunately, not everyone was liable to agree with her.
"Pikapi…" As Ash and Pikachu watched Korrina approach the next shop, the latter of the two was growing increasingly annoyed.
"Give it a bit of time, buddy. It's like searching for a needle in a haystack out here." Ash said, trying to assuage his partner's frustration. A thought came to mind as he glanced across the rows and rows of stands, all seemingly selling the exact same wares: Shiny stones. "Besides, if we keep our eyes peeled, maybe we can find a Pikachunite here too!"
Pikachu's mood turned as he grew a mischievous grin, catching Ash's meaning.
"Pika!"
"It's a very special kinda rock, I'll have you know!" Back with Korrina, things weren't going very well. Her attempts to explain what a Lucarionite even was were falling flat. Digging a Poké ball out, she sent out Lucario to try and make a point. "It, like, resonates with Lucario's energy, or something, and makes his power go woosh! Bang, bang, bang!"
A thought began to turn in Ash's head when he heard that. Then, some old memories began to play.
"Right, I think that's enough." Becoming decidedly unwilling to talk to the manic girl before him, the shopkeep took a stand. She was going to scare away the paying customers with her ravings! "Please just go."
With a firm finger pointed away from his stand, the keep sent Korrina and Lucario away, dejected—
—But not empty-handed.
"Korrina, wait! I've got an idea!" Ash ran after the two before they could get far, his mind racing with a realization. "I know how we can find the Lucarionite!"
"You do?! Well, spit it out!" Korrina exclaimed, spinning around with a look of fire in her eyes. Matching her tit-for-tat, Lucario was similarly excited.
"Why don't we have Lucario find it with his Aura!"
The suggestion made Korrina pause, her excitement diminishing.
"Do what with his huh? What're you talking about, Ash?" Her confusion wasn't the most encouraging look. "Aura is just the stuff Lucario uses to hit stuff!"
"It's way more than that, here, watch!" Ash chuckled as he faced Lucario. Fumbling with himself for a moment, he eventually settled on offering a hand to Korrina's partner, who took it after a second of apprehension.
"Lu-cario?"
"Give him a chance, Lucario. I trust him." Korrina reassured him, but gave Ash a sturdy look as she did. You better not mess this up, her face said.
"I never really got a chance to learn how this stuff works, but—" Ash's explanation did not inspire much confidence. "You can feel me, right? My Aura?"
Lucario closed his eyes, going quiet for a moment. A moment, however, was all it was. Opening his eyes once more, he shook his head.
Ash huffed, thinking as he glanced back at Korrina. She was growing impatient, a sentiment he couldn't blame her for.
Then, an idea struck.
"Oh!" Grabbing Korrina's hand, Ash pulled her in as she yelped. "What about her? If there's anyone you can feel, Lucario, it'd be Korrina!"
Lucario paused before closing his eyes once more, his head tilting down with a period of silence. All at once, he jolted.
"Lucario!"
"What is it, Lucario?" Korrina asked. Lucario had begun bouncing in place, looking between her and Ash. "What just happened, Ash?"
"I think he just felt your Aura!" he exclaimed, while Lucario disconnected and began looking around. Something was pulling his gaze. "And now he knows how to look for more!"
Ash laughed as Lucario began rushing down the street, his sight locked firmly toward the mountains in the distance.
"Let's follow him!"
XY
"So Lucario can feel the Lucarionite, because it resonates with his Aura?!"
"Uh, yeah, sure! Something like that."
After regrouping with the rest of the party, Ash and Korrina took off with Lucario to the nearby mountain range. Between his Aura Sense bringing them there and the mountain's numerous mines filled with precious stones, it seemed like the prime location to turn their search towards.
Now, all they had to do was get through Ash trying to explain Aura for the umpteenth time.
"Aura is like, well it's kinda like you and somebody are talking, and your heart goes 'bam-bam-bam, fwoosh!' and then they go 'boom, wham, grrr—"
"—hiya! Nyoom!' Like that?" Korrina's eyes lit up as, somehow, Ash's mixture of metaphors and onomatopoeia managed to click with her. "And then suddenly you're all like 'wham, bam! Brrrr!' Like that!"
"Yeah, exactly!"
"Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" Clemont asked, leaning over as the trio of him, Serena, and Bonnie followed the two from close behind. "I'm afraid I lost track of their conversation after the fourth or fifth bam."
"I stopped trying to figure out what's going on in their world a looooong time ago," Serena confessed with a laugh.
"It makes sense to me!" It was Bonnie who added that to the conversation, grabbing the wide-eyed stares of both Clemont and Serena.
"Wait, Bonnie, you—?"
"Cario!" Up ahead from the rest of the party, Lucario came to a sudden stop, before whipping back and letting out a fierce cry. He'd found something.
Catching up with their intrepid Aura tracker, the group came face-to-face with a sight that broke the monotony of the mountain paths they'd been trawling: A cave opening. The stone changed here, turning from the rough, bronze color of the exterior to a smooth, cobalt blue leading further in.
"This is it. The Lucarionite is here." Korrina tightened her fist, raising it in front of her while a determined look grew on her face. "This is everything that me and Lucario have been training for. This is our final test!"
She paused, as she felt Ash's hand on her shoulder.
"You ready?" he asked, bringing Korrina a moment of apprehension. A moment, however, was all it was. Her wild grin answered his question.
"Let's go, Lucario!" With that, Korrina and Lucario took off, Ash and the others keeping close behind.
The path through the cave was a short, but no less winding journey, forestalling their arrival for a few tense minutes. Yet, soon, the tunnel opened up again, and their destination revealed itself.
"Whoa." Korrina froze, as a room— a grand hall —stood before them. Pillars of rock bearing the symbol of Mega Evolution rose from a great lake of water, with a single carved stone path leading further in. The water shimmered a bright blue, some source of energy underneath providing the room's ambient lighting.
Despite the lack of much light, nothing could hide the room's crowning eye-catch, the thing that took Korrina's and Lucario's attention first and foremost: the bright amber crystal atop a stone pedestal.
"The Lucarionite!" Korrina exclaimed, hopping in place before she took off, Lucario following close behind. After so long, it was right there— After so long, it was almost in their grasp— "After so long, it's finally ours—!"
—With one last trial.
"Blaziken!"
Crashing down on the pair like a speeding fireball, an unexpected guest arrived. They slammed onto the stone path and blew out a wall of fire, forcing Korrina and Lucario to a stop.
"Korrina!" Ash cried out, as the pair leapt back to face their sudden opponent.
With the barrier of burning embers disappearing, a Blaziken appeared to stare the two down, taking a strong defensive stance.
"Huh!? Who's that Pokémon!?" Pulling out her Pokédex, Serena fumbled to get a read on the intruder, before Ash raised a hand and answered.
"It's a Blaziken," he answered, his brow furrowing while Korrina and Lucario took position ahead of their opponent. "I think… It's protecting the Lucarionite."
Korrina gritted her teeth, eyes locked with the Blaziken as it taunted them, beckoning them closer. Whatever Ash was saying, it rang true to her.
"One last trial, one final test," she muttered, skating back and forth, before giving her partner room. "You hear that, Lucario! This guy thinks they're gonna stop us from getting what's ours!"
Lucario howled, fists raised. He wasn't going to be turned away— Not without a fight.
"Let's show him what we're about! Everything we've trained for! Go!" At Korrina's roar, Lucario sprang into action. One moment, he stood at her side, the next he was flying through the air, a plume of energy at his fist.
Blaziken was no sitting duck, however. Bracing for impact, the guardian of the Mega Stone flawlessly tanked the first strike, before moving to counter-attack.
"Blaz!" With a proud cry, Blaziken turned on their heel, delivering a brutal Blaze Kick to Lucario's gut and launching him back.
"The buck stops here, Lucario!" There it was again, an incomprehensible but no less effective command. Summoning two staffs with the power of Bone Rush, Lucario brought himself to a stop, halting his momentum by jamming them into the ground.
"Second round, Lucario—" Korrina's voice boomed like that of an announcer, appropriate considering her calls. "—Bone Rush times two!"
Zigzagging across the platform separating them, Lucario immediately closed the distance to Blaziken. He had a bone to pick with his opponent— Two of them in fact.
"Lucario!"
"Blaziken!"
Lucario slammed his Bone Rush down on Blaziken, who parried the strike with a powerful high kick. Rearing back, Lucario tried for a follow-up, but Blaziken's legs were as nimble as they were sturdy. Lucario's Bone Rush came to a dead stop against his opponent's tree-trunk legs.
Lucario gritted his teeth.
"Cario! Lu!"
"Don't get frustrated, Lucario! You're leaving yourself open for—!"
Korrina's warning soon became fate, as Blaziken found an opening to exploit. Rearing back, they delivered a devastating roundhouse kick, sending Lucario careening.
"Ken!" They weren't done, however. Before Lucario even hit the ground, Blaziken brought their fists together, slamming down on Lucario for a double dose of damage.
"Lucario, no!" Korrina felt her lungs go empty, felt the air that was blasted out of Lucario's chest by the back-to-back hits. They needed to turn this around, fast! "Don't let them use their legs, Lucario—! Grab their arms!"
Gritting his teeth, Lucario lurched forward, latching onto Blaziken's forearms before they could pull back.
"Now, toss them!"
Lucario dug deep, planting his knees into the ground. Before Blaziken could counter, they were sent flying over Lucario's shoulders, straight through the air.
"Keep the pressure up— Bone Rush!"
With barely the chance to catch his breath, Lucario leapt to his feet— A newly formed staff from Bone Rush in hand. A moment after Blaziken was launched up, Lucario followed.
"Luuuuucario!"
"Blaz-iken!"
Lucario brought the Bone Rush down on Blaziken, but was parried once more. Even in the air, Blaziken had astonishing control of his positioning and legs.
"Don't get caught up there, Lucario— Hit 'em where it hurts!" Throwing her arms back, Korrina prayed her meaning came through to her partner.
As Lucario dropped the staff and went for Blaziken's chest, she knew it did.
"Cario!" Rearing a fist back, Lucario slammed into Blaziken in mid-air, returning the favor from earlier— He blew the air straight out of Blaziken's lungs, stunning them for a moment. A moment, however, was all it was.
Lucario wasn't the only one who could return favors.
"Blaze!" Tanking the hit, Blaziken grabbed Lucario's forearm, locking him down before he could pull away. What came next played out like déjà vu. One second, Lucario was flying above his opponent, the next, he was sent crashing down to the ground below. "Blaziken!"
"Watch out!"
Gravity wasn't all Lucario had to worry about— As Blaziken followed the seismic toss with a full force Blaze Kick. With perfect timing, they slammed into Lucario, just as he hit the ground, igniting an explosion of fire and dust.
"No! Lucario!" Korrina felt waves of wrecking pain coursing through her, as her partner disappeared from view. Even when she couldn't see him, every hit he took went through her bones just the same as his. She knew he couldn't take much more of this— She couldn't take much more of this.
The pain was bringing Korrina to her knees.
As the dust cleared, one fighter remained. Blaziken, damaged but no less domineering, stood firm on the path between Korrina and the Mega Stone. His gaze spoke volumes, telling Korrina she could not pass. Yet, she couldn't look at them for even a second— Her attention was firmly set on her partner, whose body hung limp in the hand of Blaziken.
"Ken. Blaziken." Tossing Lucario into the air, Blaziken dismissed their challenger without a thought, sending him flying back with another powerful kick.
"Lucario—" Korrina's voice cracked, as she could only sit and watch Lucario slam against the wall of the chamber, before sliding into the shallow water below. When he didn't even try to break his fall, cold fear ran through her.
"This, this is terrible! We can't just sit here!" Back with the party, Serena found herself speaking up for the first time since Korrina's trial had begun. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins, the battle clouding her common sense up till then. Now, however, the situation was clear. "Ash, we need to—"
"No." Cutting in once more, Ash put a hand up, surprising the party as he blocked them from taking a step forward. "Korrina said this was her battle, her test. She wouldn't accept our help— She'd sooner fight us too than let us do that!"
Serena saw something in Ash's eyes then, something she'd almost never seen in the boy. Underneath his fiery determination, behind his analytical gaze, was a look that seemed almost foreign: A sad empathy.
"Ash…"
"Isn't that right, Korrina! You won't give up, neither you, or Lucario!" Ash called out, taking a step forward as he tried to get a read on his friend. She sat still on the path separating them, on her knees with her face to the ground. "You've come so far, and I don't believe for a second you'd stop here!"
"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu let out a fierce cry in agreement, Ash's sentiment ringing true to him as well.
As the pair's declaration echoed through the cave, Korrina dipped her head back, and chuckled.
"Ash… You get me," she said, slowly rising to her feet. "You know me, the heights I want to reach, the training I've put in. You know I could never accept your help here, not in a million years. Because I want to be the best."
Turning back, Korrina shot Ash a smile, a genuine one, without a hint of pride or conceit to it.
"You and I are the same, aren't we?" Korrina's gaze returned to Blaziken before she had a chance to see Ash's reaction. It was time to finish this. "You're right. Me and Lucario won't give up! No matter the opponent, no matter the limit! We'll take on the whole world together!"
Placing her hands on her hips, Korrina smiled and glanced over to where Lucario sat. His body was half-submerged in the waters of the chamber.
"Isn't that right, Lucario!" she asked, watching her partner stir awake at her words. He was just as determined as she was, she just knew it. After a moment, Lucario gritted his teeth and rose to his feet, staring down Blaziken once more.
"Lucario!"
"Let's finish this! Every hit, full force! Every move, limit-breaking!" Korrina declared, pumping a fist and throwing it forward. "Power-Up Punch!"
Summoning forth a burst of speed, Lucario flickered from view, before flying towards his opponent with a massive plume of energy at his fist. The strike was too fast for Blaziken to parry with a kick. So instead, Lucario's fist crashed against his opponent's raised arms. The sheer shockwaves of the impact sent Ash and his party reeling.
"Blaaaaaz—!"
"Caaaaaar—!"
"Keep it up, Lucario! Don't let him recover!" Korrina declared, holding steady while the first clash approached its end.
Still in midair, Lucario swung his leg hard, delivering a massive kick to Blaziken's chest. The force was so great, in fact, it sent them flying.
"Bone Rush, times two, take two!" Korrina grinned as her partner touched down on the ground, a pair of staffs already procured. "Go!"
Lucario took off once more, chasing after his flying opponent. He carried his weapons with vicious intent, ready to knock Blaziken out of the air with one decisive strike.
Blaziken, however, was far from helpless.
Driving their legs into the ground, Blaziken halted their momentum, just in time to face Lucario head-on.
When Lucario's Bone Rush thundered down on them, they grabbed the twin staffs and brought them to a dead stop. Another series of shockwaves followed that, forcing even Korrina back a few paces.
"Cario! Lucario!"
"Blaaaaaziken!"
The two combatants were locked in a head-to-head, each putting in 110% to not give a single inch. Lucario held the twin staffs of his Bone Rush with an iron grip, summoning all his strength to try and beat down his opponent. Meanwhile, Blaziken was as sturdy as stone, fighting for every inch as they held the staffs back.
The battle was at an impasse—
—and impasses, like any limit, could be broken.
Smiling, Korrina stood tall and pointed straight towards her partner.
"Use your head, Lucario!" Her final command rang through the chamber, confusing most but bringing a smile to Lucario's face. This was it.
Staring Blaziken down, Lucario wrenched his head back, before crashing it into his opponent's, stunning them for a moment. That moment was all Lucario needed. With a ferocious roar, he barreled over Blaziken, slamming them onto their back.
"Now, seal the deal!" Not wasting a moment, Lucario drove a staff into the ground, then another, then another. Summoning a half dozen more of the aura weapons, Lucario made quick work of pinning Blaziken to the ground before they could recover.
"Bla— Blaziken!?" When Blaziken regained their senses, they were trapped in a web of the interlocking staffs. Lucario stood over them, chest heaving and with one final staff in hand.
"This is it, Lucario!" Korrina cried out, raising two fists into the air before throwing them down. "Before they can escape, use Bone Rush!"
Without a moment to hesitate, Lucario complied, raising his staff into the air. He took aim—
"Lucario!" —And swung!
"That's enough!" A deep cry rang through the chamber, startling Lucario to a stop and sending Korrina reeling back in shock.
"Huh?" She stared at where she heard the sound, up by the stairs leading to the Lucarionite. There, a figure cast in shadows stepped forth, a chuckle echoing out from him before he came into the light. The sight of the man who appeared made Korrina gasp. "Grandpa?"
The rest of the party followed suit.
"Grandpa?!"
X
"What are you doing here?" Korrina asked, skating forward and hopping past the still-pinned Blaziken. Despite her familiarity with her grandfather, the very man who had started her journey in the first place, she had little respite from her confusion. She blinked once then twice in disbelief. No matter what, however, Gurkinn still stood there, a grin across his face.
"Is it not obvious?" he pressed, glancing back at Blaziken and then up towards the Lucarionite. The gears turned in Korrina's head for a moment.
"You said this was my last test— I should've guessed you'd be the one running it," she said with a laugh, turning back. "Let them free, Lucario."
"And I'm glad I chose to do so. Your performance today was a sight to see!" Putting a hand on Korrina's shoulder, Gurkinn smiled. "You and Lucario have earned your prize. Now, take it."
Parting from their way, Gurkinn opened a path forward— A straight shot from Korrina and Lucario to the Mega Stone. An infectious grin grew across their faces before they took off, climbing their final summit in an instant.
The Lucarionite was still uncut, encased in a shell of stone and dull crystal. Yet still, to Korrina, it was the most brilliant gem she'd ever seen. It was her reward, her birthright. Wrapping her hands around the stone, she felt a jittering excitement race through her.
With an excited cry, she raised it into the air and turned.
"We got— The Lucarionite!"
Pride swelled in Korrina's heart, which only grew as Lucario howled and the others cheered her on from the entrance. Even her grandfather, who was usually far more moderate with his praise, applauded her success.
Slowly following her up the stairs, he gave her a wide smile.
"Congratulations. Korrina! Your achievement here with Lucario is nothing short of impressive. And to do it all on your own as well!"
Korrina paused then, her smile slowly fading as she brought the Lucarionite down to eye level. She looked at it, then over to Ash. He was still standing at the entrance of the chamber, smiling proudly back at her. Pursing her lips, Korrina walked down the steps to speak to Gurkinn.
"Weeeeell, about that—"
XY
Back with the group, Ash and the others watched as Korrina and her grandfather spoke, a sense of calm returning to the chamber after the exciting last few minutes. Clemont in particular was leaning in, squinting to get a look at the Mega Stone Korrina held in her arms.
"To think that entire endeavor was just a test from her grandfather," he said, pausing to readjust his glasses after a moment. "Her and her family lead very… interesting lives."
"Way more than interesting. That was so cool!" It was Bonnie who added that comment, throwing her hands into the air as she recounted the trial. "The way they went bang, bang, bang— Fwoosh!"
She made Ash laugh.
"There ya go. Now you're getting it!" he said, pumping his fist and giving Bonnie a high five.
"I don't know how any of you are getting anything from this besides a heart condition." Serena was surprisingly less excited than the rest of the group, muttering that quip to herself as she pressed a palm to her chest. Her hand shuddered in trepidation.
Looking up, Serena found Ash's attention pointed straight ahead again, locked onto Korrina and her Mega Stone. Her heart panged for just a moment.
"Ash—"
"Ash Ketchum!" A firm shout from Gurkinn summarily cut Serena off, grabbing Ash's attention in the process. "Could you come here for a moment?"
Pointing to himself in surprise, Ash looked back, just to confirm he heard correctly. After realizing he had, he approached the trio of Korrina, Lucario, and Gurkinn.
"According to Korrina here, you helped her complete her trial today," Gurkinn explained, motioning to the girl in question. She seemed rather embarrassed, though for what reason, Ash couldn't parse. "It takes a great trainer for my granddaughter to credit them, even if it's just for their words of encouragement. For that, I thank you."
"Aw man, you don't have to do that." Realizing he was being thanked and not derided, Ash switched his tune, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
"Still, is there anything we can do to repay you?"
Ash paused then, his usual manners getting away from him for a moment. A thought was turning the gears in his head, leaving him silent until he broke through it with a grin.
"Can you help teach me how to Mega Evolve?"