Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. Lucas arrives on Cinnabar Island and starts his investigation.

Chapter 43

The morning following Christmas, Sabrina returned to Saffron City. She promised that she would move in with him as soon as she completed her current mission. He was already looking forward to spending more time with her.

Lucas made his final preparations before heading to Cinnabar Island. He didn't know what he would encounter there, so he took plenty of supplies to ensure he was prepared for anything. He wanted to keep his identity hidden while he was there, so he was taking several face-changing potions with him.

After leaving Brock with some final instructions on how to care for his Eevees, he drank one of the potions before having Dante teleport him to the island. He wanted to conceal his normal appearance in case someone caught him teleporting illegally onto the island.

Lucas grabbed Dante's arm, and they vanished from the backyard. A moment later, they appeared in Pallet Town, in a secluded location. He used a potion to restore Dante's condition before they made the jump to Cinnabar Island. His feet touched the ground, and he looked around to gain his bearings. They had arrived on the outskirts of a forest, and there was a stretch of beach in front of him. He could hear the sounds of waves crashing against the shoreline.

Immediately, he noticed that he was overdressed. He hadn't taken into consideration that Cinnabar had a tropical climate, and it didn't experience snowfall during the winter because the temperatures never got cold enough. For that reason, the island was a popular tourist destination for those wanting to escape the cold season. Even if it didn't have the Cinnabar Gym, it would still attract a lot of tourists.

Lucas removed his jacket and placed it in his inventory. He summoned Meowth from his pokeball and had him translate for Dante.

"Where's the town?" Lucas asked.

Meowth pointed in one direction. "He says it's about two kilometres that way. Just follow the beach until you reach the town. You can't miss it."

Dante said something else, and Meowth repeated it. "He says this is the southern part of the island and isn't developed. You won't find any roads. Wild Pokemon are roaming the forests and beaches as well."

"Thanks, Dante." Lucas returned him to his pokeball and summoned Saphira.

"Tini!" Saphira looked around curiously. When she spotted the sea, she trilled in delight.

"You're eventually going to evolve into a flying Pokemon," Meowth said. "Stop acting so obsessed with the water. You're not a fish."

"Tini!"

"Since when have I ever minded my own business?" Meowth asked, then lowered his voice so she couldn't hear him. "I wonder what Dratini sushi would taste like."

Lucas laughed. "Behave. Let's head to town and look for the Pokemon Mansion."

He walked along the beach. Saphira slithered through the sand, leaving a trail in her wake. The skyline was dominated by a massive volcano in the island's centre. It was pretty famous in Kanto, even though it hadn't erupted in centuries. Moltres had been sighted on the island several times, but the last occurrence was thirty years ago.

They didn't encounter any Pokemon, so they made it to town in good time.

"What are they for?" Meowth asked, pointing ahead of them. "There are too many of them."

In front of the town, more than a dozen concrete piers extended into the sea for over a hundred feet. Some piers were occupied by boats, while others stood vacant. Seeing the segmented sections on the empty piers, it only took him a moment before he understood their purpose.

"It must be a place where people can fish," Lucas said.

Lucas returned Saphira to her pokeball and ascended a nearby set of stairs to enter the town. He started to explore, looking for the Pokemon Mansion. What caught his attention right away was the town's symmetry, with its strict grid-like layout. Each block was the same size, with identical houses and buildings along the streets. While it might make navigation easier, it also took away some of the charm of a small town.

The only thing that broke this pattern was the central town square, where the main services and shops were located, including the Cinnabar Gym. However, the gym had a sign on the door stating that it had closed down. Lucas wondered what that was about. He dropped Dante off at the Pokemon Centre to heal him and continued exploring the town.

There was a Pidgeot Charter service, something he should have been aware of before. Although he didn't know if he would want to fly from the mainland during the winter, he would likely freeze to death before he arrived on the island. He spotted some hot springs at the northern end of town and made a note to visit them at some point.

A road in the northwest extended out, breaking up the grid-like pattern's uniformity. It was where the Pokemon Mansion and Cinnabar Lab were located. The former looked abandoned, and half of the building had collapsed from some event in the past.

The massive three-story building housing the laboratory had a tall chain-link fence enclosing it, and it appeared to be fully operational. Signs warned against trespassing, and several soldiers and Pokemon patrolled the perimeter.

"I think I understand why the town is laid out like it is," Lucas said. "This town feels more like a military base that serves the Cinnabar Lab."

Meowth's eyes gleamed. "I wonder how long it would take me to infiltrate the lab."

"Don't even think about trying it," Lucas snorted. "It probably contains secrets they would go to great lengths to protect."

At one point, both the Cinnabar Labs and the Pokemon Mansion were separate labs, each pursuing different areas of Pokemon research. He was aware that Project Inception was being researched in the Pokemon Mansion. Red Ketchum had been part of the project due to his job in the army. The civilian scientists had been working in cooperation with the Kanto Army. He assumed Giovanni had also been involved because he knew Red so well. Giovanni may have used some of the research to aid in the creation of Mewtwo.

"The computer is supposed to be located on the Pokemon Mansion property," Lucas said, pulling out the piece of paper Bill had given him. "The apartment building is still being used to this day. Delia inherited Red's apartment when he passed away."

Lucas entered the property and found the apartment building situated behind the mansion. The reason it was still in operation soon became apparent. It housed employees working at the Cinnabar Lab. A road connected the property to the lab, with a reinforced gate separating them. He didn't understand why they hadn't demolished the mansion and used the space to build the new lab.

"There is even security here," Meowth said. "They sure are paranoid."

Lucas nodded. Several soldiers were patrolling outside the apartment building. What was the point of all the security? Would they stop him if he approached Red's apartment because he was a stranger to them?

As he deliberated, a woman approached the building from the other side of the property. One of the soldiers stopped her, and she pulled out some identification to show him.

"Dat's going to be a problem," Meowth said.

"No kidding. Should we come back this evening? It might be easier to sneak into the apartment under the cover of darkness."

"Now you're thinking like a thief."

Lucas returned to the town centre and ordered breakfast from a cafe while he waited for Dante's condition to recover. He wanted to explore more of the island while he waited for the evening to arrive.

He struck up a conversation with an elderly man named Roger, who had a fondness for sharing stories about the island.

"Why wasn't the Pokemon Mansion demolished?" Lucas asked. "It must be an eyesore for the locals."

"I think it may be superstition," Roger told him. "An explosion destroyed the mansion several years ago, but no one knows what happened. Some locals, however, reported seeing Mew flying away from the mansion. Perhaps Mew was responsible, and the people in charge believe he will return to finish the job."

That would explain the soldier's presence. In the original events, Mewtwo was created in the mansion, so it was not unexpected that Mew appeared there. He wasn't sure if the events in this world were the same as in the games and anime, but it wasn't a stretch to believe that Project Inception was linked to the legendary Pokemon.

"Has Mew been seen since?"

"Not a peep."

Roger had nothing else to say about Mew, so Lucas changed the subject. "What's with all the piers on the beach? It must be a popular fishing spot."

"At one point in time," Roger said. "But no one, besides the locals, uses it anymore. The majority of tourists stay on the island's north side, where a small town has been built to support the resort."

"I might use the opportunity to go fishing while I'm here."

It would be nice to escape the cold weather for a while. He had Dante, which allowed him to return to Viridian City at any time to deal with any problems that arose.

"If you are going to use the pier, then you need to take care," Roger warned. "The Pokemon levels can fluctuate a lot. Although Blaine frequently drives off the higher-level Pokemon surrounding the island, it doesn't mean you are safe. Do you have a Super Rod?"

"No. I've been meaning to get one."

"If I were you, I would invest in one. You can buy one from the local fishing supply store. It increases the chances that your rod won't snap when you hook a powerful Pokemon. If you are looking for a specific Pokemon, get some lures as well.

He proceeded to share some tips that would help improve the efficiency of his fishing.

Lucas was giving the idea serious consideration. He could spend some time fishing to gain some experience and effort values. If he used the lures to target specific Pokemon, he would have more control over how he wanted to develop his Pokemon.

The building suddenly shook, and his glass fell off the table and shattered. There were cries of panic from the diners, and they stood up to rush outside.

Lucas sat frozen in disbelief. "An earthquake?"

Meowth jumped off the table and ran outside.

The shaking intensified, and Lucas was galvanised into action, fearing that the building would collapse on top of him. He helped Roger to his feet and escorted him out of the cafe, which was a challenge because the building continued to shake. When they made it outside, the shaking finally stopped.

"What the hell was that?" Lucas asked.

A large crowd had gathered in the square, looking shaken.

"It has happened a lot recently," Roger replied. "No one knows if the earthquakes are occurring naturally, or if something is triggering them."

"Does the island have a history of earthquakes?"

"It doesn't."

Roger didn't look all that shaken by the experience. He seemed a little too dismissive, and Lucas thought the man should show a little more concern.

Roger nudged him. "Blaine has arrived to reassure the citizens. He doesn't make that many appearances in town anymore."

Blaine was standing in front of his gym, trying to get the attention of the crowd. The old man stood out but for all the wrong reasons. He wore a tropical outfit consisting of a burnished orange, which was an eyesore.

Lucas walked closer so he could hear what the man was saying.

"It's okay, folks," Blaine said, holding his hands in front of him in a calming gesture. "I know the earthquakes are frightening, but they don't have any deeper reason for why they are happening. I have already investigated the matter and haven't found any evidence to suggest something is causing this."

"What about the volcano?" A woman asked.

Blaine smiled at her. "I spend a lot of time inside the volcano. I would be the first to know if something is wrong."

"That's not reassuring," Roger called out. "Maybe all the heat has gone to your head and turned you into an idiot."

Roger's words were met with scornful laughter from the audience. For some reason, they didn't seem to think much of Blaine.

Blaine waited until they had finished laughing. Although he looked annoyed, he didn't express any anger. "Even though I haven't found anything, I have invited a friend to help me get to the bottom of things."

He turned to the man, who had been standing silently beside him the entire time. "This is Maxie from the Hoenn region. He's a volcanologist—someone who studies volcanoes. He's going to be here for a few days, helping me find the issue."

A man shouted from the crowd. "Are you saying the volcano is responsible for the earthquakes? It's about time you did something about it."

Maxie took a step forward. He was a middle-aged man who wore a red and black outfit and a pair of glasses. As soon as he spoke to the crowd, it quickly became clear that he was arrogant. His demeanour was aloof, and he spoke disdainfully, explaining things to them like they were children who couldn't understand what he was saying.

This riled up the crowd, and it looked like they were going to assault Maxie. Roger grabbed Lucas' arm and led him away.

"You don't want to be caught up with that nonsense," Roger said.

"Why don't people like Blaine?"

"He has become more estranged from the town over the last few years," Roger replied. "He despises how the island has turned into a tourist destination. Blaine used to be a soldier in the army. He is extremely disciplined in all aspects of his life and expects the same from others.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Is that why he shut the Cinnabar Gym down?"

"He built another gym within the volcano itself," Roger explained. "Trainers not only have to find the location but battle under extreme conditions to obtain the volcano badge. Not many trainers enjoy coming here."

"How hard is it to find the gym?"

Roger smiled impishly. "If asked, most locals will reveal the location."

Lucas said goodbye to Roger and headed for the fishing supply store. He purchased a Super Rod and splurged on a load of expensive lures for the different aquatic Pokemon found in the area. He was surprised to find a wide range of baits beyond the usual. The most valuable of these were baits that targeted Pokemon at a specific level. This improved the efficiency of fishing up Pokemon that suited his team's level. He didn't hesitate to purchase plenty of bait as well. The last thing he bought was a lawn chair, so he could have a comfortable place to sit while his Pokemon battled.

He went to a different store and bought an energy reader. He had an idea for training his Pokemon, and the device would help. It was something he had long wanted to try but never found the time.

He headed straight for the piers and chose the one furthest away from the boats. No one else was fishing today, so he had plenty of privacy. Each pier had several sections separated by fences, so fishermen didn't get in the way of each other. He set up his chair and summoned his team, including Dante, from their pokeballs.

"We are going to be doing some battles today to grind some experience," Lucas told them. "I will be primarily using Max, but you will get your turns in the next few days. I summoned you because I want all of you to learn a new trait called energy control."

His Pokemon nodded their heads.

Lucas had wanted his team to learn the trait after noticing Articuno had it. The trait would improve his team's energy efficiency, allowing them to stay in good condition for longer periods without having to heal. It would be especially useful for battles of attrition where they faced difficult opponents.

He conducted research at the Battle Arena, studying high-level Pokemon. He discovered that many had the trait. This prompted him to explore how trainers trained their Pokemon to understand how they developed those traits. While people weren't aware of traits generally, they understood that training could enhance a Pokemon's strength. One key aspect of training was learning to use energy more efficiently. At the elite level, sports science played a significant role in maximising Pokemon's capabilities.

Lucas continued. "Every time you execute a move, some energy is wasted. It's not something you usually need to worry about since there are ways to heal your condition. However, there are times when you will not have access to potions or are up against a difficult opponent. So, it's important to learn."

When a Pokemon masters a move, it only increases its strength and utility. If he wanted his team to learn how to control their energy output better, then it was something they had to learn separately.

Lucas pulled out his energy reader and notepad. Although it wasn't completely accurate, the device could break down Pokemon's energy reserves into numbers that he could measure. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it sooner.

"Max, I want you to shoot off a Thundershock into the air," Lucas said. "I need to know how much energy you use when performing the move."

"Kid!" Max sent an arc of electricity into the air.

Lucas noted down how much energy Max had spent. "Alright, when you are battling, I want you to focus hard on trying to use the absolute minimum needed to perform the move. It might take some time to get it down, but that's okay."

To get a baseline, he took more recordings of all of the team's moves and their energy usage. He included Dante in the exercise because he would benefit from learning the trait. Even though the cost of using Teleport was determined by the distance travelled, it still resulted in energy wastage. He was surprised that Pokemon hadn't already learnt the trait.

Lucas checked his Pokemon's parameters before he started. All of them had up-to-date stats for their current level. Since he upgraded the Pokemon Habitat, his team has easy access to a training facility. Most of the team was motivated to train hard. Only Meowth was a slacker, but at least he kept up the bare minimum.

He sent his Pokemon off to train in another section of the pier so they wouldn't disturb Max while he was battling. He wanted to focus on Max first because he had an advantage over water-type Pokemon and would earn some easy experience points.

Lucas equipped his rod with a Shellder lure and bait targeting Pokemon in the level thirty range. Even though Max was only level twenty-five, with his type advantage, he could deal with that level easily enough. He handed the rod over to Max, who happily cast the line out to sea.

It took him a few minutes to catch a level 31 Shellder on the line. The Pokemon landed on the pier and immediately attacked Max. The battle began, but it soon became obvious that the Shellder was outmatched. Although the Water Manipulation trait helped the Pokemon move on land, it had the disadvantage of affecting its speed.

Lucas used Insight on the Shellder to highlight two important details. While its defence was extremely high, its special defence was the complete opposite. It wouldn't take long for Max to finish off the Shellder with a few electric attacks. He also noticed that Shellder gave Defence EV points, which Max needed.

Max would earn two points per Shellder, which meant it would take him five battles to earn a Defence EV. His teammates would earn half that amount from ExpShare. Even though they would be earning EVs in potentially suboptimal stats, it was fine. He could manage the stats they got from level-ups to enhance their strong points.

Max defeated the Shellder and tossed his unconscious form back into the water. Lucas heard the battle report and received a nice surprise. The amount of experience he earned in the level thirty range compared to the twenties was massive. It jumped from four hundred experience points to twelve hundred. That meant he would get three times the return for the same effort.

After watching Max in a few battles, he was confident in Max's ability to manage himself. He monitored the training of his other Pokemon instead. After two hours, Max defeated twenty Shellders. As soon as he had adjusted to fighting them, he became extremely efficient. The lure and bait helped a lot, as they ensured Max had a steady supply of Pokemon to fight.

Lucas fed Max and his teammates Super Potions to restore their conditions so they could continue. After a moment of consideration, he moved to the adjacent pier. While he didn't think he would run out of Shellder to battle anytime soon, he thought he might see a drop in encounter rates if he didn't move to another spot.

He spent some time practising his aura vision as they trained, and he made some good progress. Something about the environment was agreeable to him. It was becoming easier for him to see his surroundings with his eyes closed. He felt he could push the ability further, but he wasn't sure how to go about it.

After Max defeated another twenty Shellders, he took his team into town to feed them and give them a break. He returned to the pier afterwards to continue grinding for a couple more hours.

Lucas called it a day when Max had defeated a total of seventy Shellders. The amount of experience he earned was incredible. He found his new favourite way to grind for experience and effort values. The Shellder lure wasn't perfect because Max fished up some other Pokemon, which he chucked back into the sea. Since he wanted to keep his Pokemon EV training organised, he didn't allow himself to battle other species.

In total, Max earned fourteen Defence EVs and a tonne of experience. His teammates received half of that. This was an impressive result for only half a day's work. He would choose another Pokemon with a different EV to grind experience from next time.

He calculated Max's total experience and determined he had enough to level him up to thirty, with enough left over to meet the bonus evolution requirements. He had fulfilled the other evolution requirements as well. All Max needed to do now was train his stats at each level, and he would be able to evolve.

The evening came, and Lucas and his team dined at a restaurant before heading to Red's apartment.

As they were eating, he received another pleasant surprise.

"Lucas!"

"What do you want, Icarus?" Lucas asked.

Icarus stared at him in confusion. "I didn't say anything."

"Over here, dummy!" Max raised his arm and waved at him.

"Max, you can speak telepathically!"

"It took you long enough to figure it out."

Lucas reached out and flicked him in the forehead, causing him to protest. "I don't know if it's a good thing that I can hear you speak now."

Max's voice sounded a lot different than he imagined, and he was a lot ruder.

Lucas checked Max's parameters and saw his favourability had reached the 'loved' status. Since Max was his second Pokemon, it wasn't surprising that he was the next to achieve it after Icarus.

After dinner, Lucas and Meowth returned to the Pokemon Mansion. As they walked, he noticed something odd, and it took him a moment to grasp the situation. His improved vision in the dark allowed him to see objects and details more clearly. Though it wasn't true night vision, it was still impressive. When he mentioned it to Meowth, the Pokemon had a quick explanation.

"It's probably your aura training," Meowth said.

Lucas couldn't believe he hadn't thought of that. Was this the true capability of his aura vision ability? At first, he thought the skill was kind of useless. Being able to see his surroundings with his eyes closed didn't sound like the most useful ability unless he was blind. However, aura vision enabled him to see in the darkness. It sounded much more useful.

"But is it a passive ability?" Lucas asked. "Am I even using aura energy to enhance my eyesight?"

Meowth shrugged. "It may have an active component that improves your eyesight further, but you are only getting a small passive benefit that doesn't cost you anything."

Lucas nodded. He spent the remainder of the walk trying to activate it but failed.

When they got closer to the apartment building, they saw that it still had the same number of soldiers patrolling it.

"Should I just go for it?" Lucas asked. "I don't think it's ever going to get easier."

"You said it yourself," Meowth said. "The lab holds a lot of secrets. If they are keeping tabs on the workers, you will definitely stand out."

Lucas scrubbed a hand over his face. "What a pain."

"I have an idea," Meowth announced, his teeth gleaming amidst the darkness.

"What is it?"

"Just wait until I have drawn their attention," Meowth said, and he disappeared into the darkness.

Lucas found a bush to hide behind and summoned Dante from his pokeball. He handed him the key Delia had given him and explained the plan. Dante nodded to show he understood. They waited for Meowth to provide the distraction.

"Hey there, ya bunch of Yahoos!"

Lucas almost jumped when he heard Meowth shout out. "What the hell is he doing?"

He saw the soldiers react swiftly, turning their heads in the direction the shout came from. Several Growlithe patrolled the area with the soldiers, and they growled low in their throats at the noise.

"Why don't you stop playing soldier and get a real job? G.I Jackasses!" Meowth heckled.

Half of the soldiers left to investigate the disturbance, leaving the apartment block with some gaps in its defence.

"It's your turn, Dante," Lucas whispered.

Dante teleported to the second-story walkway. None of the remaining soldiers saw him arrive. Lucas had instructed Dante to find the apartment that matched the key before returning and teleporting him to the location.

He waited anxiously, scared something was going to go wrong. However, Dante returned half a minute later, and Lucas grabbed his arm. The next moment, he stood outside an apartment door. They walked inside, and Lucas quietly shut the door behind him.

Thanks to his improved vision, he navigated the apartment in the dark and found the computer. It was better not to turn on the lights and attract attention. He sat down and pressed the power button. He exhaled a sigh of relief as the computer turned on. He was afraid that someone had cut off the apartment's power. The apartment probably shared a power source with the other apartments.

Once the desktop was displayed on the screen, he pulled out two floppy disks from his inventory. He first inserted the encryption programme and installed it on the computer. A prompt greeted him as he inserted the disk and clicked to open the folder. There were dozens of files saved on the disk. He paused his browsing when he came across a file named Mega Legendaries. When he opened the folder, he found a word document at the top, so he clicked on it and began reading.

Legendary Stones

The first legendary stone was discovered at a dig site on Mt Moon. We had no idea what it was for at first, but after several years of research and a happy accident, we figured it out. It was both a thrilling and frightening discovery. A legendary stone could temporarily transform a legendary Pokemon into a Mega form. Legendaries were already terrifying existences, so you can imagine our reaction when we discovered the truth.

It was thanks to a fortuitous encounter with Mew that we discovered this fact. The first time that we met Mewtwo after Mew transformed, it was a catastrophic disaster. Unlike Mew, who was more benevolent, Mewtwo was hyper-aggressive and attacked everything in sight. We don't know whether the transformation changed the Pokemon's behaviour or if it was simply a matter of Mew being unable to handle the increased power.

We can only assume that Mew wasn't happy with how it affected him because it chucked the stone away and disappeared from the island. Further studies revealed that the stone contained some of Mew's DNA. An ambitious plan was hatched.

Project Inception was born from the idea of using the stone to create a legendary Pokemon in the laboratory. If we managed it, we could control a legendary Pokemon. Imagine the possibilities that would arise from such a scenario. Not only would it give us a massive military advantage over the other regions, but it would also allow us to contend with the other legendary Pokemon.

Project Inception was about us playing gods, but we never could have imagined the consequences of our actions.

Doctor Fuji.

Lucas sat in stunned disbelief, processing the information. It took him a few minutes to gather his thoughts and finally consider the ramifications of what he had just read.

From what he understood, a legendary stone was essentially a Mega Stone, except it gave legendaries the ability to Mega Evolve. Kanto had discovered this stone long before Kalos found the first Mega Stone, and they kept it a secret. He could understand why they did this, but it was scary to think they had known about it all this time.

In this world, Mewtwo was Mew's Mega Evolution. But that raised the question. Could Mewtwo also Mega Evolve? He knew it had two Mega Evolutions but didn't know how it would work.

What happened between Project Inception's closure and the present? Did Giovanni have Mewtwo stored away somewhere, awaiting his release?

So, what do you think? Introducing legendary stones as a concept opens up some interesting possibilities for the future.

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Thanks for reading.