Finally being able to find some time after managing Devon and balancing his research on other rather interesting projects, Steven found himself flying towards Shalour on Meta's head, high above the forested regions and plains of rural Kalos. He'd arrived in the region the day before, refusing to waste time on trivial things like renting a hotel room. A pokemon center would have to do.
The only problem with that was he had to hide himself. Wearing a hoodie and shades indoors made him look very suspicious, not to mention irked his sense of fashion considerably. He'd looked in the mirror once and couldn't stop thinking about how much of a douche he looked like.
He was extremely glad he was back in his suit now. Horrendous, a champion having to wear shades indoors.
An image of Riven laughing his delinquent ass off came to mind.
He tsked distastefully, the sound drowned out from the howling of the wind against his ears. Meta inquired about its trainer's mental state briefly, but a pat on his head ceased any worries. The former champion stared out at the sight of the stretching ocean, light from the sun shimmering off the water and waves for miles—the color of it reflecting the very same as the sphere in his travel bag. That deep, pulsing blue that could utterly mesmerize him for hours on end. It lacked the flowing beauty of the legendary Soul Dew protected by Latios and Latias, but something else gave it its luster.
If nothing else, it was a testament to human ingenuity, a sign that man had overcome its bounds and unlocked hidden potential. Whether doing so had been this civilization's undoing or just another society that had collapsed under the strain they put on the environment remained to be seen.
I hope he's right about this.
He guessed it wasn't just Riven wasting his time for kicks. And who the hell knew where that guy was now. There really was no point in calling him if he wouldn't answer his holo caster. He had a tendency to go dark unless he wanted something. Something that usually either relocated Steven's stomach near his toes or metaphorically threw him into an icy lake. Both were far from preferable.
Steven sighed as Meta flew in view of Shalour, with its iconic bridge and beaches. In the distance he could see the tower, a proud edifice standing north of the town near the shoreline, displaying the Lucario after which it was built.
Slowing down, Meta descended slowly so as to not raise alarm. Spiked legs anchored in front of the entrance, startling a group of tourists that stared stupidly at the man who'd just come down from the sky on a blue metal psychic that could reduce a human to chunky goo with just a fraction of its power.
Paying them no mind while praying to whatever god could hear him that they wouldn't recognize who he was, Steven raised a friendly hand as Korrina, her grandfather, and several fighting pokemon emerged from the tower's giant doors. They all looked ready to brawl, probably because of the fighting pokemons' response to Meta's presence. With aura sensitive pokemon like Lucario, they became very reactive to psychic based threats fairly early on.
Self preservation instinct, perhaps.
"Good afternoon!" Steven said warmly, displaying no form of hostility. After what had happened in the region, the gym leaders and officials were in the right to suspect trainers who just seemed to fall out of the sky on a pseudo legendary pokemon.
"Who're you? Your psychic made all the Lucario antsy!" Gurkinn demanded. "Well then, spit it out!"
"You… do know who that is, right, grandfather?" Korrina asked, nudging the elderly man in the side. Slack-jawed and in disbelief, she slowly gestured for the fighting pokemon to stand down.
"No clue. Does dress rather elegantly, though. Maybe he's a duke's son? If he is, maybe we should shoot an aura sphere at him. Then we can see if rich people are made out of something other than ego and ignorance."
"Grandfather!" Korrina cried. "That's-" She leaned in, whispering in his ear as the trainer shied away from a curious group of tourists. "-Steven Stone, former champion of the Hoenn region. He would crush both of us! Don't provoke him!"
Gurkinn's eyes widened slightly, settling as he crossed his arms. "Oh sh- I mean, I'm quite sorry, Mr. Stone. I didn't mean to provoke you. That Metagross of yours did startle our Lucarios, though."
"Ah, it's all right," Steven reassured. "They wouldn't be the first. Meta has that effect on quite a lot of fighters. You don't have to apologize. I have been here before though, I'm surprised you didn't recognize me."
"Hmmmmm." Gurkinn's brows furrowed in deep thought, stretching out the hum for a damn eternity. "Sorry, son but no. I don't remember you at all. Must have not been wearing the suit."
If only I could be this invisible everywhere, Steven thought hopelessly. These days he couldn't walk to a store in Rustboro before getting assaulted by reporters. He was a natural introvert and desperately liked his alone time, something his job and general way of life kicked to the curb quite often.
"Yes, that's right," he replied. "I came here twice before with colleagues. Dressed much less formally and I walked here. I don't usually like to make dramatic entrances."
"We noticed," Korrina smiled, noting the ex-Hoenn champion's wary glances towards the tourists. "You should come inside before any reporters or fans come after you. You're pretty popular among the younger girls in Kalos, ever since the Lumiose incident."
Steven stammered for a second, mind briefly tripping over itself. Then a long heave of breath escaped him.
"This happens fairly regularly, I assume?" Gurkinn asked wryly.
A miserable nod confirmed it.
"Heh, being a champion must be tough."
When they went inside, Steven recalled the first time he'd seen the tower, amazed by its structure and interior. But what amazed him the most was the story of the first known mega evolution—at the time, anyway. The recent events regarding Rayquaza in Hoenn had been… eye opening to say the least.
"So, what are you looking for here, champ?" Korrina asked. "It's not every day a champion comes here to sight see."
"Former," Steven corrected with a small smile. "Wallace is the champion now. I just search for stones and follow myths and legends on my spare time."
"Wallace. Hmmm. Is he that guy that dresses... erm…" Korrina wiggled her fingers in the air, drawing blanks. "Strangely- no, flashy? Err-"
"Flamboyantly?" Steven suggested, seeing as how that and eccentric were about the only two words that could properly describe the man.
"Yeah, that. I remember him making a commotion at the international League meetings. My poor ears! Along with Alder, they make such a ruckus. At least Diantha, that short kid, and Lance are tolerable."
"Wallace drives me up walls sometimes too, but he's a good friend." Steven brought his hands up, clasping them together. "Complicated relationships aside, I came here to see the underground level, specifically a room with carvings etched into the walls. You know it, right?"
Both the gym leader and her grandfather eyed him suspiciously.
"Some guy came here some time ago looking for the same exact thing. Do you know him?" Korrina asked, raising a blonde brow.
"Somewhat, I guess. He told me about this location and I got particularly interested. Mind if I take a look?"
"Ummm, sure? I don't think you're going to find much, though. It's just a bunch of etchings and pictures."
"We'll see then," Steven smiled back.
Once in the room, his eyes scanned the sight before him. There were the depictions Riven described, ones he'd already seen, but now he was interpreting them differently. Whereas before he only assumed they were some kind of mythological stories made by an ancient civilization like they were in most other places, now they did tell a story. One that wasn't fictional. This was a recalling of past events, most likely.
Amazing. How unrelated things could be connected so closely. Maybe the world was a giant web of connections, with only some strands being able to be seen with the right tools.
Just like the sphere he held in his palm.
Taking it out, a dim blue light emanated from it in the sparsely lit room, catching the eye of Korrina and Gurkinn.
"What's that?" They both questioned, coming closer.
"Hopefully, answers." Steven followed the marks in the walls until his hand felt the spherical depression, hesitating as he looked back. "I'm going to tell you something that is going to shock you, and you have to understand that under no circumstances except in the most dire of cases that you must tell no one." A deep breath. "It might have something to do with mega evolution and…"
"And…?" Gurkinn eagerly awaited, intrigued by the mention of mega evolution.
"Human evolution."
Gurkinn and Korrina sat down hard enough to kick up dust.
"I sure hope you'd like to explain that," Korrina said, trying to rather unsuccessfully wrap her head around what Steven had just said. Even her Lucario seemed stunned by it. "H-human…"
Steven turned to face them fully, dusting a spot on the floor in front of them. Sitting down, he held out the azure sphere and begin the recollection of events.
"Oh, crap," Korrina uttered lowly as Steven finished his story. "That's… wow."
"You mean to tell us that humans, like you and I, can exhibit powers exactly like pokemon?" Gurkinn looked towards the Lucario behind him, eyebrows raised so high that if they went any higher they'd reach his forehead. "Along with the ability to heal and take punishment like them? Become a hybrid?"
Steven nodded. "I wouldn't call it a hybrid, but more of a –well, return to our roots? I believe that this was our natural state before some kind of drastic evolutionary or genetic change rendered us how we are today. But the important thing to note is that not only does this give people access to powers we've only been able to dream of, but it would also increase the likelihood to induce mega evolution."
"Okay, now I'm extremely interested," Korrina remarked. "I'm just guessing but is it because of the way keystones work?"
"Precisely. Devon's been conducting extensive research into the subject. What we found was that there's a latent energy within all of us, an energy that is channeled through the keystone and connects to the mega stone, which reacts to a pokemon's own energy. That energy fuels an explosive transformation, just like an exothermic reaction between molecules."
Steven gestured to the pin on his suit, his keystone embedded into the metal.
"We know, as keystone holders, how long it takes to reach the point at which mega evolution can be possible between trainer and pokemon. There needs to be a 'bond'. I suspect this is because we are generally very poor at harnessing this hidden potential and takes a long time to be able for us to do it effectively. However, if we could gather energy the way pokemon can… mega evolution could theoretically be achieved in a much shorter time. By anyone, and possibly boosted as well. The possibilities are really endless."
"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Korrina surmised. "For just anyone to use mega evolution?"
"Unfortunately, yes. We can't count on everyone to have benevolent intentions after all. From trainers or others alike. Recent happenings here in Kalos, in Hoenn, and as you know, Sinnoh—have all shown us just what some are capable of when pushed too far. That Tyranitar nearly destroyed Centrico Plaza. I couldn't imagine an entire team or terror group getting a hold of this power. This is why this needs to be kept strictly confidential."
"I understand," Korrina nodded grimly. "But why tell us this? I'd expect people more important than us should know."
"Truthfully, because I'm not quite sure what effect this sphere will have when I use it on the wall, provided it even does anything. A sudden explosion or flare of light with no sudden explanation after my arrival would make you suspicious of me and well… this is you and your grandfather's tower. I like not to damage things that aren't mine. So I just informed you beforehand to prevent any miscommunication."
"Thank you for being considerate, at least," Gurkinn said. "Let's see it then. What this sphere has in store, and if your contact wasn't feeding you a load of Swinub-wash."
With Gurkinn's permission, Steven stood up, facing the wall, sphere in hand. Truth be told, he was nervous. Nervous enough that his hand was trembling and a bead of cold sweat came down the side of his face. The feeling was hauntingly similar to finding that mega evolution stone in Hoenn, the beating of his heart drumming in his chest so loudly he could hear it.
With the most utmost care, he inserted the sphere into the depression and waited.
At first nothing seemed to happen, several seconds passing by in agonizing and awkward silence.
Just as Steven's excitement began to die down, however, the sphere lit up like a shining blue star, spreading its light across the room and outwards, bathing the surrounding area with the luminosity of a spotlight. Blinding, but beautiful. It expanded and burst, a spiraling chorus of dancing and flickering patterns spreading in the air. The carved lines in the walls began to glow blue, extending further until they covered the entire wall and floor. Hidden lines began finally revealing themselves as the light burned through the rock and dust concealing them.
A helix of blue lights descended into a fractal in the center, resembling the helix structure of DNA, the very symbol of mega evolution.
Steven, Gurkinn, and Korrina froze in shock and awe of the beauty they were witnessing. The fractal patterns continued to light up even outside the room, encompassing much of the older area of the tower, even the Diancie room. As the light reached the lattices, pink turned a brilliant azure, humming as they did. A large clunk came from beneath the ground, with the sound of what appeared to be gears turning. The floor opened up into a series of steps in a spiral corridor downwards, illuminated by the light of sphere.
The three humans and the Lucario headed inside without a word, too awestruck to formulate even the most baffled sputters, let alone words. Properly describing it was impossible, and the closest Steven could get was 'surreal'. Like something out of his dreams, an otherworldly blue shining out from the arrays of self repeating glyphs adorning the walls.
As they entered a subterraneous room large enough to be a grand hall, their eyes laid upon the largest concentration of mega evolution crystals any of them had ever seen. Appearing to be systematically organized, large six foot tall crystal lattices of the mineral covered the hall, arranged in cocoon like shells. The soft blue light descended into a large chandelier of blue light crystals, acting like light bulbs.
Steven, Korrina, and Gurkinn whipped around as the gym leader's Lucario grunted. Energy poured out of the crystals and into him, forming the tether of light that came prior to mega evolution. A sphere of light formed around the Lucario as he transformed, emerging as a Mega Lucario.
But something was different.
A powerful, concentrated aura of power rose from him, his own Aura bolstered by the influx of energy around him. He could see and feel the world above and around his self; from the layers of rock and silicate that composed the surface to the breathing of every human in the vicinity, being able to feel the oxygen and carbon passing in their lungs as they breathed. Even the motion of waves and the pokemon in the ocean were able to be observed, for miles in every direction'.
Lukan fell to his knees, overwhelmed by the sudden increase in his Aura. He could see the very souls of the humans before him, appearing as a silver coat of armor over Steven and a green, ethereal aurora over Korrina and Gurkinn.
"H-he mega evolved," Korrina stammered. She looked at her keystone, which remained perfectly inert at the moment. "Without me."
"These aren't mega evolution stones," Steven concluded. "They're keystones. The largest keystone deposit I've ever seen!"
"Enough to make keystones for hundreds of trainers…" Gurkinn trailed off, eyes wide as saucers.
"Not just for trainers," Steven said, running up to one of the cocoons. "But enough to power cities! With enough energy to induce an even stronger mega evolution." He was about to reach out with a hand to touch the crystal when Lukan shouted in pain.
"Stop!" He cried, voice thundering across the hall. His eyes were a bright blue, the powers of Aura overcoming his sight. "Pain. Too... much."
"What do you mean, pain?" Steven asked.
The Lucario struggled with the power in his body, shaking as his body attempted adjusting to it. He lifted a paw, a single finger pointed at the base of the crystal structure near Steven. "Not natural… human." His form reverted as he went unconscious, releasing a blast of energy that knocked Korrina and Gurkinn several meters back while flinging Steven against the wall.
The light within the hall dimmed slightly, returning momentarily after the energy shockwave dissipated into the walls. Coughing, Steven noticed the phenomenon as Korrina ignored the scrapes and cuts she'd received, rushing to the Lucario's side.
Steven noted his holo caster had neither reception, nor seemed to be working properly. Taking out his instruments from his bag after regaining his breath, he measured the readings of the stones; naturally they were off the charts, but waned to almost nonexistence near the walls.
The walls are made of material that absorb the energy? How is that possible? Is that how we couldn't detect this before? A type of mineral that acts like a blackbody that absorbs this particular type of wavelength? Amazing.
He went back to Korrina and her grandfather, who steadied himself with Lukan, who seemed to be regaining consciousness slowly.
"Are you all fine?" Steven asked, worried about the elderly man in particular.
"We train with our fighters every day. If we couldn't take a hit what would we be, hah!" Gurkinn replied, smiling wryly. Then let out a deep cough of dust. "Argh. The question is are you okay? You got thrown against a wall."
"I'll manage," Steven assured. "Only got the wind knocked out of me. Believe it or not, I was a trainer once too. Got thrown about more times than you think. I did fall down a ravine and broke my arm in three different places. Another time a hyper beam went off near me and launched me into a steel door. Regardless, I've never seen a release strong enough to send shockwaves, this is something else."
He's not a prissy rich guy… Korrina remarked in her mind. "Lukan, can you stand?"
The Lucario nodded, still disoriented but capable. He opened his eyes as Korrina hugged him tightly.
"You said something about human pain," Steven reminded. "What did you mean by that?"
Swallowing, the pokemon stared down at the floor, shuddering. "The energy, I could feel it. The feelings of those it came from. Pain, overwhelming pain. Like every part of you was being torn apart and cut. Every nerve dying and hardening… slowly and quickly."
"What do you-" Steven's jaw clenched when his eyes finally saw the structure of the cocoons that housed the crystals, making the connection in his mind. Six feet in height and at most two feet wide, with varying heights but never falling below five feet, the realization hit him like a meteor. A terrible, horrifying meteor.
"No. No, no, no." He repeated, running a hand through his hair.
"What is it?" Gurkinn and Korrina asked. Lukan's crimson eyes flashed with pain and grim acceptance.
"These cocoon structures are meant to house- these keystones…" Steven whispered, swallowing hard. "My god what did they do?"
Gurkinn and Korrina exchanged looks, dreading the answer.
"These- t-they're people, Korrina. These keystones used to be people."
I can't decide, Gale hummed.
She was perusing the items in a clothing store in Lavaridge, picking out traveling clothes designed for durability from the various selections they had. Being unable to decide between a red jacket or a white one, the flyer noticed a green headcrest sticking out from behind a row of clothes and sought a secondary opinion.
"Baron, which do you think looks better?"
Two pairs of red eyes peered over the counter and through a row of shirts when Haona decided to weigh in on the decision too. The store owner had long since controlled himself from getting spikes in blood pressure upon seeing her and not noticing fire and brimstone following her appearance. In fact, much of the town had grown accustomed to seeing her. The town was still standing after all, no need to worry.
"Red," Baron said idly. "Looks cooler."
"No, White. White is the most beautiful," Haona corrected, raising her horn high. "It demands respect. Unlike red, which is suited for hot-blooded males and arrogant trainers. Like Will and that fool of a Typhlosion, Quil."
"Oh, ho. Says the White Queen," Baron mentioned dryly, receiving a kick in the shin from the Absol's hind leg.
"Sky blue it is then!" Gale decided, figuring it was best to disappoint both of them rather than one or the other. Both pokemon groaned, going back to bickering at one another. Outside, she could hear the thundering of an all too obnoxious Castform trying to pick another fight, this time with a black haired girl's Honchkrow.
Typical Boagrius. How do I put up with you?
Dark clouds formed over the cloud pokemon, ready to unleash a thunderous flash of divine justice.
"HEAR ME, YOU DARK FEATHERED SON OF A GHASTLY, I CHALLENGE YOU TO A FIGHT OF HONOR AND STRENGTH WITH NONE OTHER THAN I THE OFFSPRING OF LIGHTNING AND DEATH ITSEL-"
A pokeball ended his tirade swiftly before they got into any more problems with the local trainer population. "Nope, not today." Gale chuckled, tucking the pokeball away. She waved at the girl apologetically. "Sorry for that, he gets really worked up."
The girl mouthed a soundless "thank you" as she uncapped her abused ears. Her Honchkrow squawked at her, ruffled feathers returning to normal from their fluffed up position.
Baron teleported next to her, peering over her shoulder at the game she was playing on her phone. Haona trotted alongside them, sending dirty glares at any person that dared look at her funny.
"What's next?" The Gallade asked, tapping the screen. Her ship veered up and into the enemy fire, ending her streak. Gale scowled briefly at him, which only increased his amusement.
"I need to order some materials to fix the screen door. You broke it when Aine threw you through it, remember?"
"My back remembers," Baron whined, then pouted. "My head doesn't. It hurt."
"Awww, poor baby Bib," Haona chided. "Just mad Aine kicked your ass."
"She'd kick your ass too! Slacker queen!"
Haona snorted, lifting her head regally as she walked.
Gale laughed at their antics, having grown far too used to having them around.
Her mind recalled the time that'd gone by after having received them and the letter. Three years and two months, to be exact. She'd grown now, being two inches taller and more womanly in various areas. Areas she still wasn't used to. Being a late bloomer was probably a result of that. It ran in the family, according to her dad.
I'm twenty one now, Gale thought, surprised. It was like yesterday she was just a skinny seventeen year old running around with a bunch of strangers. But now…
Now she could drink. Not that she would but it might've helped her mental state these past three years rather considerably. What had gotten her mind off things was taking up training with Aine and Baron. They went easier on her, of course, but they taught her how to defend herself. Baron had taught her the way Riven had taught him, even if the moves were more designed for crippling and brutal lethality than anything else.
But that was good. If some ass tried something, she could smash his knees in and gouge his eyes out.
Training was relaxing. She'd also set up a sort of flying service, taking trainers from Lavaridge back to Petalburg for a price. Not that the money was needed, but saving was never a bad thing. The service wasn't as enjoyable once word got out though.
She'd started to wonder why the majority of her clients were largely male. It got extremely suspicious once the older, more experienced trainers with bird pokemon, mind you, were paying to get rides. One even went so far as to pay her triple to take him around the western side of Hoenn for the better part of a month. She'd left him at Meteor Falls after he tried peeping on her in a stream.
Screw him.
Needless to say, Gale ended that quickly. Creeps were coming out in droves and she'd rather not sic Haona on anyone. Murder charges were serious business. So was assault. Even if it was an a perverted asshole.
Ordering the materials and filling out a request for repair, Gale prepared to go back home, about to reach for Emile's pokeball. Patting down her persona and around her waist, she cursed. Only three pokeballs. One of which housed that cloud of boisterous energy and none for her favorite, grouchy bird.
"Shit," she said, smacking a hand against her forehead.
"Something wrong?" Haona asked.
"She forgot Emile's pokeball," Baron laughed. "You want me to teleport us back? I can do it. But it'll get me tired. I'm only good at short range teleports."
"No, no, that's okay," Gale refused, huffing. "I'm going for a run I guess. It'll help me build up my cardio! Mind if I return you both?"
"Not at all," they both said in unison. "All that shopping made us sleepy."
"You know it's unsettling when you two do that."
"We know."
Baron extended a green hand and took the shopping bags with him as red beams of light returned both him and the Absol back to their respective pokeballs.
"Okay," Gale whispered. "Let's do this the hard way then."
Several hours and plenty of stops with refueling from Boagrius to prevent herself from dying of thirst, she arrived at her home after nightfall, legs feeling like noodles. The distance from her home and Lavaridge was extensive and the fact that she went to Lavaridge by riding on the back of the repairman's truck completely slipped her mind. She'd done it to go fill out the work order in town and get other things at the same time, forgetting Emile's pokeball at the same time.
"Not… worth… it," she panted, placing her hands on her knees. "Not doing that again. Man. How do marathon runners do this?"
Collapsing on a patch of grass, Gale enjoyed the coolness of it, as her body currently was searing. She was sweaty and tired and damp. A good shower would feel nice. Remaining there for a few moments, growling and snarling from inside her home broke her out of her relaxation.
Climbing to her feet, she approached the door without a sound, placing an ear against it.
Growls and snapping continued, with a muffled sound of a human voice inside.
Don't tell me, she thought, preparing herself mentally. I hope some idiot didn't try to rob a house in the middle of nowhere. Please tell me people aren't that stupid.
Quickly and quietly turning the key and the knob just as the snarling got worse, Gale swung open the door, revealing a hooded man atop her dining table. He was holding his hands out, shoving his foot outwards to keep the Mightyena at the foot of the table back. Clearly not working, seeing as the dark type was one moment away from pouncing and tearing his idiot throat out.
"Evie, stop!" Gale called out, gesturing for the pokemon to come to her side. She listened, not taking her eyes off the man for a second, licking her owner's face briefly before going back to snarling. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?"
The man lowered his hands, straightening. His jaw clenched and his hand reached out slightly before retracting back towards his side. He hesitated, not quite getting the words out. "Uh- er…"
"I'll ask again!" Gale demanded. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house!" Evie snapped again, electricity arcing between her fangs. Her ears reared back, tail stiff and bristled.
Exhaling, the man gave her a small, almost nonexistent smile. Hands reached up to take off the hood. When it came off, brown and deep blue stared back into Gale's widening grey, eyes cold yet strangely friendly at the same time.
"Hi, crazy girl."
Timeskips, ye. Short, but next chapter will be much longer. Midterms done so might release next one early this time! I'll elaborate on the relationship between keystones and mega stones later, as I've spent lots of time on the bulbagarden forums reading up on this when the answer hit me like a brick.
Also, the difference between humans and pokemon. But that will also come later and in due time.
Forgive any errors, will revise later.
The two events are not concurrent, no. Timeskip occurs in between them.