Although they hadn't actually fought a single battle, Silas was in high spirits.
Of course, that was stating the obvious.
Anyone would be happy if they didn't lift a finger yet still received rewards.
"Tch." Yezo looked at Silas, whose grin nearly split his face. "Seriously? Do you have to look that smug? And you even feel no shame taking it?"
"What's there to be embarrassed about? I spent so much time and energy finding you, and I even trained with you to practice coordination."
Silas didn't care what Yezo thought. "Besides, I'm smiling because I just remembered something that makes me happy."
Yezo rolled his eyes, but he still walked side by side with him, unwilling to fall behind.
At the moment, they were trudging up Mount Crown in the harsh snow.
If not for Silas's Blaziken clearing the way with its blazing flames, the two of them would have been shivering like the other four companions in the howling winds.
Of course, even that was mostly an illusion. Despite their faces stinging from the icy gusts, the high-grade expedition suits they wore kept their bodies well protected.
Kanto natives really weren't built for the cold.
"We're here."
Soon, the group caught sight of a massive stone door sealed shut ahead.
This could only be the entrance to the Ruins of Revelation.
"Come out—Dusclops."
A plump, mummy-like Pokémon materialized in the snow, its single red eye glowing faintly.
It was the Pokémon Grandma Agatha had entrusted to them before they departed, meant to swap places with the guardians stationed inside.
Dusclops drifted forward as though it were intangible, slowly phasing into the stone door.
Rumble…
With a low groan, the massive door split open.
Two Dusclops were inside, seemingly communicating with each other.
The six of them stepped into the ruins.
The walls were smooth as mirrors, barren of carvings or records.
Even when they reached the central stone tablet, Silas couldn't find any sign of where objects might have once been placed.
It was as though the entire ruin existed solely to house this single monument.
No wonder it was said to be resource-poor. This wasn't "poor"—this was empty. Silas sighed to himself.
"You guys go first," Yezo said.
The other four didn't hesitate. One by one, they pressed their hands to the monument. As questions surfaced and were answered, each received their reward.
But none looked particularly pleased.
Silas clicked his tongue. Luck couldn't be changed by sheer will, only by belief—or by finding something like Jirachi, perhaps.
Their rewards weren't bad, but compared to what past challengers had gotten in previous years, they were noticeably underwhelming.
And nothing stung more than comparison—especially when luck was the deciding factor.
With that in mind, Silas quickly released Togepi and held it in his arms.
Yezo glanced at him. "Lend me Togepi for a second?"
He knew his own luck all too well. He didn't expect much, but maybe Togepi could change things for him.
Silas immediately pulled back, wary. "No way. Use your own."
Resigned, Yezo stepped forward and pressed his hand to the stone tablet. The question that surfaced translated roughly as: "Raichu surfs with its tail."
Without hesitation, he pressed "O," meaning correct.
It was true—whether Alolan Raichu or even a regular Raichu, they could indeed learn Surf and ride the waves on their tails. It was a natural racial trait.
The text faded, and Yezo's prize materialized—a pair of sleek black sunglasses.
The item was a "Black Glasses," boosting the power of Dark-type moves.
"Well, not bad! Just what I can use." Yezo grinned, pleased. He didn't know the exact percentage of the boost, but any increase was a welcome bonus.
After all, even he had trouble outfitting all his Pokémon with held items at this stage.
Silas wasted no time shoving the lucky Yezo aside and pressed his own hand to the stone tablet, eager to see his result.
The question was laughably simple—almost like it was meant for children. He breezed through it without effort.
A glow emerged.
What appeared was a small glass marble, its colors patterned in a perfect five-tone spectrum. Within, faint black markings twisted like fragments of a gene sequence.
"This thing's worthless—it's just a glass bead. But hey, I'll be generous—how about I buy it for 100 million Pokéyen as an investment?"
Yezo suddenly popped up behind him, eyes practically glowing red with envy.
Silas shot him a strange look. "Do I look like I've lost my mind to you?"
"You know what this is?"
"The Key Stone, obviously," Silas answered matter-of-factly, casually naming the glass orb.
Hearing him call it by name so directly, Yezo could only sigh in defeat.
"Fine, but may all your luck be spent on that thing. May you live single forever, trip into every hole you walk by, and choke on every sip of water…" Yezo spat curses like a sore loser.
Childish, Silas thought, not even bothering to respond.
His gaze was fixed on the Key Stone in his palm, ecstatic.
The Key Stone was one of the essential catalysts for Mega Evolution.
Mega Evolution not only transformed a Pokémon's appearance but also temporarily elevated its strength to new heights.
Of course, the transformation was time-limited—once the duration expired, the Pokémon reverted to its normal form.
Records suggested that the very first appearance of Mega Evolution dated back more than 3,000 years ago.
But it wasn't until about 2,000 years ago that people truly came to understand it.
That was when an unprecedentedly massive meteor crashed into the Hoenn region.
The impact reshaped the land, creating what is now Sootopolis City and it also awakened two legendary titans from their slumber: Groudon (the immovable land behemoth) and Kyogre (the sea sovereign who could flood the world).
Their ensuing battle was cataclysmic. It was said that the reason Hoenn's landmass and oceans are nearly equal today was precisely due to their clash.
During the fight, both legends displayed alternate forms—more powerful states known as Primal Reversion.
The name was meant to commemorate their battle 3,000 years prior, when the two had fought in those very same primal forms.
Humanity could do nothing to stop them.
Ordinary people could never withstand the might of legendary Pokémon. All they could do was pray.
And in response to those prayers, a Pokémon recorded as Δ appeared.
It forced both Groudon and Kyogre back to their normal states.
The battle ended. Groudon returned to the depths of the land, and Kyogre sank back into the ocean's abyss.
After the fight, Δ also reverted to its true form—leaving people stunned to discover that it was none other than the legendary sky guardian itself: Rayquaza, the Dragon of the Skies.
And it was the same Rayquaza who, more than 3,000 years ago, had ended Groudon and Kyogre's very first Primal battle.
From then on, a new legend was born: whenever Groudon and Kyogre clashed, the Sky Dragon would descend from the heavens.
A group of people who revered Rayquaza as both a Dragon God and a savior even constructed the Sky Pillar—a colossal triangular spire reaching all the way to the ozone layer.
At its peak, they placed the very meteorite that had triggered Rayquaza's transformation.
They hoped that, when the next meteor disaster struck, they would once again be able to summon Rayquaza to save the world.
That meteorite became known as the first Key Stone.
Its meaning: the key that unlocks the sealed, unknown power hidden within Pokémon.
From there, through centuries of excavation and research, people gradually uncovered fragments of additional Key Stones, along with the Mega Stones corresponding to different Pokémon.
When a Trainer held a Key Stone, and their Pokémon carried the proper Mega Stone, resonance occurred. The Mega Stone would draw out the sealed power within the Pokémon, and the Trainer's Key Stone would act as the key, unlocking it.
Thus, the Pokémon would undergo Mega Evolution, gaining temporary but immense strength.
Both the Key Stone and the Mega Stone were indispensable.
However, because of their extreme rarity—and the deliberate secrecy surrounding them—few people openly knew about their existence.
Just look at the other two companions from Yezo's family—their faces were filled with blank confusion.
"I'll speak to Grandma about this. You two keep your mouths shut," Yezo said coldly, sweeping his gaze across his two kinsmen.
That was enough to extinguish their scheming thoughts.
"Yes," they replied, exchanging a helpless glance before agreeing.
"Come on, let's go. Dinner's on me tonight!" Silas slung an arm around Yezo's shoulders.
"Dinner? That won't cut it. At the very least, you owe me a year's worth of meals," Yezo shot back.
"Hey, that's not fair! Shouldn't you be thanking Togepi instead? Right, little one?"
"Togepriii~!" chirped Togepi happily.
As they exited, the massive stone door slowly closed behind them, just as it had when they first entered.
Bertha Inn, Silas's Room
"…and that's basically what happened, senior," Silas reported through the video call with Bruno.
"Hmm. The Key Stone isn't quite as valuable as the Mega Stones themselves, but still significant. And rumor has it that artificial Key Stones may soon be possible," Bruno said after a thoughtful pause, sharing a piece of startling news.
"Artificial? Is that even possible?" Silas couldn't help but exclaim.
"It is. Modern technology still lags behind the ancients, but with centuries of research, some breakthroughs have been made," Bruno explained.
"Regardless, make sure you thank him properly," he added as a reminder.
Silas nodded. Of course, that went without saying.
"That Yezo kid… he's not bad," Bruno remarked with a warm smile.
Silas chuckled. "I may have signed a whole series of unfair treaties with him."
Of course, he was only joking. In truth, Silas was touched by Yezo's goodwill—offering to buy the Key Stone at market price, warning him afterwards, and even risking offense against his own kin.
After all, Silas was just a newly met friend, while those two were Yezo's family.
Even taking social obligations into account, Yezo had gone beyond what was necessary.
"Oh, by the way, remember the gift I promised you? The one I mentioned before? I've got it ready. When you have time, stop by Pallet Town and I'll give it to you," Bruno said, revisiting an earlier topic.
"Senior, really, there's no need. You're far too generous," Silas hurried to decline. It wasn't the first time Bruno had offered.
"I'll tell you this once—three times is the limit. This is already the fourth time. Do you even have any manners?" Bruno scolded him with mock annoyance.
Silas could only give a helpless smile. He couldn't handle that kind of pressure.
"Alright, alright. Once I finish my last Gym battle along the way, I'll stop by Pallet Town. Happy?"
"Now that's more like it." Bruno's expression brightened immediately, all smiles again.
.....
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