"Wow!" Ash exclaimed; eyes wide open with wonder. Ele and Ladon wearing similar expressions as they look around Geosenge Town. "It's such a beautiful and peaceful town," he murmured to his pokemon, who nodded back in reply. "Mom you really outdid yourself this time!"
"Sweetie, this is just the beginning," Delia chuckled. "We still have many towns and cities to visit in these three weeks. Kalos is a beautiful region and I want us to see the most of it."
"Great plan!" Ash exclaimed, practically vibrating in his place.
Delia and her Mr. Mime, Mimey, laughed at the teenager. "Go," his mother said, "Have fun!"
"Thank you, mom!" Ash climbed on Ele, with Ladon sitting in front of him. "You are the best!" He told her, as Ele took flight.
"That boy never changed," Delia chuckled, shaking her head as she watched her son and dragons fly away.
"Mi-Mr mime," Mimey agreed.
With Ash.
"Wow!" He exclaimed for the tenth time that day.
They had taken their time to fly all over the town and decided to leave the sightseeing of the shops and cafes for later. They preferred to continue flying and look at the surroundings of the town. The forest was peaceful and full of life just like the town. Ash was having a blast, new pokemon at every corner. Kalos like Unova had so many pokemon he had never seen. So, different from Kanto.
"Look at that!" He suddenly pointed out towards the pillars of rock. "It seems to be some kind of ruins," he thought out loud. "Ele, land there," he commanded, and the dragon obliged. Landing in the middle of a circle, with various pillars surrounding the place. Ash decided to look around, fascinated with the place. He led them all over the place, leaving the ruins behind towards a rocky pathway until they reached the mouth of a cave. "What do think guys? Fancy a little adventure?" Ash asked his pokemon.
"Taria!" Ele cooed, puffing her wings.
"Gible!" Ladon roared, clenching his small fists.
"Let's go then!" Ash exclaimed, marching inside. Ladon guarding the front and Ele their behind. "It's so dark in here," the young trainer complained. "Ladon Sunny Day!"
"Gible!" Ladon shot a ball of light, small enough not to damage anything in the cave but big enough to illuminate their pathway.
Now with light, they continued down the path with ease, until they reached an open room that led towards a large chamber with a single path leading to some king of orange marble with blue and red curved strips. Ash sighed in amazement and Ladon almost rushed towards it. But both were stopped by Ele, who opened her wings and covered them and the path with Safeguard. She then flew towards the marble and picked it up with her peak.
"Thank you Ele," Ash thanked her, as he picked the marble. "That was a smart decision," he chuckled. "Now that I look at it closer, more than a marble it looks like a pearl but with a design inside," he mused out loud. "Why do you think it was in this place for? How is it even possible that a pearl is orange and has stripes on the inside?"
"Ria," Ele shrugged her wings, not knowing what to say. Ladon didn't even bother to reply, he had no answer.
"Well, we can always ask mom!" Ash brightened back up. "Let's take it with us and let's ask mom about it," ready for answers, he rushed outside with his pokemon following close by. As he was climbing on top of Ele, his stomach growled just like his dragons. Making Ele and Ladon snicker and Ash blush. "Let's go buy something to eat first. Take us to the town Ele."
What neither of them knew was that a blonde woman and her Lucario had come to George Town intending to find that pearl/marble in specific. They searched every stone seller shop, only finding a pink Mega Stone with white and teal curved strips. They don't know to which pokemon it belongs, but who knows? It might be for a fighting type. Mega Stones are hard to get by, to skip the opportunity of buying it. What they did find is a photographer who told them about a Mega Stone hidden inside a cave not that far away from the town. He did not know to which pokemon it belongs to either, but the pair thought it was a good idea to check it out. However, they did not expect to find, on their way to the cave, a boy playing with a Lucarionite while having lunch outside a café with a Shiny Altaria and a Gible.
"You over there! Do you know what you are playing with?" Korrina shouted at the boy, not being able to stop herself. She has been searching for that Mega Stone for years and here it was, a toy to a boy barely entering his teenage years.
"A pearl, right?" He replied, tilting his head cutely. "Kind of a weird one but hey, it's pretty and will make a beautiful necklace for Ele." He beamed at her. He looked so cute that Korrina and Lucario forgot to get angry at him. "But hey you have another one too!" He exclaimed, getting the attention of the two dragons. "That one's pink! It will look much better on Ele. Would you like to exchange them?"
This was her chance! Korrina thought. She could easily let that boy keep on thinking that they were pearls and exchange the Mega Stone she had for the one she needed... but that was not right. The boy is clearly a tourist and Mega Evolution is not that well known outside of Kalos yet.
So, doing the right thing Korrina sighed and said: "Do you know about Mega Evolution?"
"Yes," Ash answered, surprising both the girl and her Lucario. "We tackled the topic in class. Our homeroom teacher said that Mega Evolution is a phenomenon that appeared in Kalos, that allowed some specific fully evolved pokemon to evolve one more time, for short periods of time. Sometimes even changing their typing," he cited. "From Professor Sycamore's research, it happens thanks to the strong bond between pokemon and trainer. It is also theorized by the Shalour Gym Leader that aura is involved in it, allowing a connection between human and pokemon that pushes the pokemon for the artificial evolution." Korrina could only stare at the boy with her jaw dropped. "But what does this have anything to do with the pearls?"
"Well... for the Mega Evolution to happen the trainer needs a Key Stone and the pokemon needs their respective Mega Stone. This is why my grandfather theorized that aura is involved, as his Lucarios always feel energy being exchanged from the trainer and the surroundings to the pokemon, with the help of the Key and Mega Stone. It is also why only a few pokemon can Mega Evolve, as only their Mega Stone were discovered yet." Korrina explained once she regained her composure. "This," she rose the pink Mega Stone, "Is a Mega Stone, for what pokemon? I don't know. But the one you are holding is a Lucarionite, the Mega Stone for a Lucario. Where did you find it?"
"A Lucarionite?" He said in wonder. "I found it at a cave outside the town limits," he answered. Korrina and Lucario sighed, they were too late. "Wait your grandfather is the Gym Leader of Shalour City?!" He exclaimed. "That's so cool!"
"Yeah, it is." Korrina chuckled, at the adorable boy. Smiling despite knowing the fact that she had lost another Lucarionite. "But it is hard to live up to," she continued, taking a seat on the boy's table with Lucario. "I'm Korrina, by the way, and this is Lucario," she gestured to her friend.
"Lucario," the aura pokemon greeted the boy.
"Hi! I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in Kanto, but my mom and I are living in Opelucid City at the moment. This is my starter Nephele, but you can call her Ele," he pointed at the Shiny Altaria. "This is Ladon," he pointed at the Gible.
"Altaria/Gible!" They both greeted the newcomers.
"By the way, do you still want to exchange the Mega Stones?" Ash asked, taking both Korrina and Lucario by surprise.
"Really? But that's a Lucarionite! They are one of the hardest Mega Stones to find... and Mega Stones are very hard to find!" Korrina exclaimed, shocked.
"Well, it is useless to me," Ash replied, shrugging. "I want to be a Dragon Master, I will never catch a Lucario. That Mega Stone you have might be for a dragon type," he explained. "Dragon Types do have Mega Stones, right?"
"Oh, yes!" She answered once she snapped out of her shock. "Incidentally both Altaria and Garchomp can Mega Evolve."
Ele cooed, tilting her head in interest, while Ladon growled, eyes burning with desire.
"Cool! Let's hope that Mega Stone is an Altarianite or a Garchompite," Ash said, exchanging stones with Korrina. "Or at least, I can always use it to exchange with someone who does have one of them."
"That's a good idea," Korrina told him, giving the Mega Stone to Lucario- who put it on his wristband. "We finally got it, Lucario. We got it!" Both trainer and pokemon cheered.
"Well done Korrina," someone congratulated her. They both snapped their heads towards the voice, only to find Gurkinn the Gym Leader of Shalour City standing there with a smile on his face. "I was expecting to test you with a fight against Blaziken, but when I got to the cave the stone was missing." He looked at Ash, who blushed and chuckled sheepishly. "Then again, a test of temptation is as good as one of strength. It shows your character. You, young man, are lucky. The Mega Stone my granddaughter found is an Altarianite."
Ele cooed happily at the news, while Ladon was a bit disappointed but happy for his mom. Gurkinn looked at the young dragon with assessment, knowing the Gible was walking a thin line between desiring power and losing control.
"Don't worry Ladon, I'll try and find you a Garchompite soon," Ash assured the Gible, who perked up immediately. "We have time and you still need to evolve two times for it to be of use."
Gurkinn was surprised by the control the boy had over the dragon. The Gible might desire power but his love and respect for his Thunder Alpha and Trainer kept him under control... for now at least. Who knows what will happen once he evolves?
He did say he was living at Opelucid City. Gurkinn thought to himself. This might be Drayden's precious apprentice. He does seem to control the dragon with incredible ease.
"All you need now is a Key Stone," Korrina cheered Ash on. "Put it to good use!"
"I will!" Ash replied, with his Sunflora smile.
"Are you here on vacation?" Gurkinn asked the boy.
"Yes, winter break," Ash answered. "My mom and I wanted to see as much of Kalos as we can."
"Then let's stay a couple of days here, Korrina." Gurkinn suddenly said, taking everyone by surprise. "We can all go to Shalour City together and we can give you a tour."
"Really?! You would do that?" Ash asked, excitedly. "Mom is gonna love this!" He jumped off, climbing on Ele with Ladon in his arms. "Let's go tell her, Ele!"
As the fighting type specialist watched them go, Korrina turned towards her grandfather and asked him about the sudden change of plans.
"That boy is Drayden's apprentice," he answered, surprising Korrina who knew about the Dragon Master's very high standards. "I want to see what he is made off... I can already see he has potential and will make it far."