"Lorekeeper?"
Kashiwagi was quite taken aback by the title. "Aren't you guys Lorekeepers too? You clearly command the power of Mega Evolution."
"Of course not," Jinya chuckled.
"The Lorekeeper carries the heavy responsibility of passing down the history of the People of the Meteors. They are essentially the candidates to become the next Elder. It actually doesn't have much to do with Mega Evolution itself—though, typically, every Lorekeeper is a Mega Evolution user."
"So that's what they're keeping..."
Kashiwagi suddenly realized that a "Successor" in Kalos and a "Lorekeeper" in Hoenn didn't mean the same thing, even if both possessed Mega Evolution. It made sense why Korrina's title was "Successor" once she obtained her Key Stone.
"If you're willing, you could try to become a Lorekeeper yourself," Jinya said, clapping him on the shoulder.
Kashiwagi blinked. "Me?"
Jinya nodded. "Exactly. You haven't mastered Mega Evolution yet, right? Once you pass the trial and receive a Key Stone, the Elder will naturally give you that opportunity."
"The... trial?"
"Mhm. That's arranged by the Elder. As much as I'd love to give you a few pointers, keeping our mouths shut is the most basic rule." The young Tamer shrugged helplessly.
Kashiwagi couldn't help but think of the promise Zinnia had made him. It seemed that after obtaining six badges, he truly would face a trial regarding Mega Evolution.
For a moment, he felt a surge of excitement, itching to go grab his fifth and sixth badges immediately. Unfortunately, while the Meteor Village had everything else, it lacked a train station, making his plan impossible to execute right then.
On the other side, Jinya and the others deactivated their Mega Evolutions to avoid draining their Pokémon further. "Remember, we've got a date at Meteor Falls this afternoon!"
"Wait, I actually have other plans—"
Kashiwagi quickly tried to decline, explaining his intention to focus on training his Shiny Feebas and Porygon first.
"That's fine too!" Jinya said dismissively. "Even if you aren't catching new Dragons, you should still see it. Meteor Falls contains the ancestral lands of our people. Our ancestors lived there for generations—we did too, until quite recently. You should definitely go pay your respects, right?"
"...Right. Right."
What else could Kashiwagi say? Jinya had covered all the bases.
"Audino~" A cute Audino appeared at the door of the Pokémon Center, waving to Kashiwagi and the others to signify their Pokémon were ready for pickup.
As the group walked inside, the three members of the Village Guard began whispering.
"Lure him over there first. Once he sees those elegant, beautiful Dragons, he won't be able to resist. He's a descendant of Dragon Tamers, after all; no matter what environment you grow up in, a Tamer is a Tamer."
"Too true, too true!"
"I... I think so too."
Kashiwagi: "..."
Could you three maybe not 'conspire' so loudly?
But truthfully, he was curious about the former living conditions of the People of the Meteors. Knowing that Meteor Falls was located inside a cave, he had a mental image of the ancient clan living like cave-dwellers in alcoves.
...
Noon.
Kashiwagi parted ways with Jinya and the others and returned to Zinnia's house.
The woman who had guided him earlier brought over a lavish lunch featuring the unique cuisine of the People of the Meteors, including portions for the Pokémon.
"I guess no matter what world you're in, culinary arts never lag behind."
Kashiwagi picked up something wrapped like a corn husk. Peeling it back, he found it stuffed with steaming rice. "A giant rice ball? Or a rice wrap?"
Nearby, led by Aggron, his Pokémon curiously tasted their allocated food, finding it both novel and strange.
Occasionally, if one tasted something they didn't like, they would swap with a teammate.
Seeing them so harmonious warmed Kashiwagi's heart.
He was always happiest when his Pokémon got along; while bickering was one way to bond, it certainly wasn't the only way.
However, his smile soon stiffened.
Hydreigon, after burying his heads in his food for a while, suddenly and inexplicably slammed into Aggron, who was trying to feed Shiny Feebas.
A bystander might have thought it was an accident, but as their Trainer, Kashiwagi knew the difference between a clumsy bump and a deliberate shove. This guy was picking a fight!
"Aggr-n?" Aggron turned his head, looking at Hydreigon with confusion, asking if there was a problem.
"Hydrei!" Hydreigon doubled down on the provocation, wearing an expression that clearly said: Yeah, I hit you. What are you gonna do about it?
Aggron was even more baffled. "Gron?" He looked toward Kashiwagi, hoping for an answer. Hydreigon was hard to read, and only Kashiwagi could truly decipher what was going through that dragon's heads.
But how was Kashiwagi supposed to know why this "Husky-Dragon" was acting out after winning so many battles this morning?
He walked over and grabbed Hydreigon's central maw. "What are you doing? Why are you bumping into Aggron for no reason?"
"Hydrei-g-on!" Hydreigon thrashed his heads to break free, then suddenly turned serious. He pointed his left head at Aggron, then his right head at himself. "Hydrei!"
"Huh?" Kashiwagi and Aggron both froze. The other Pokémon nearby all stopped eating to look.
"You want to challenge Aggron to a battle?"
"Hydrei!" Hydreigon nodded with a grin, happy his Trainer understood, and then roared provocatively at Aggron once more.
Today, this dragon was coming for the "Ace" spot!
Aggron looked at him with surprise. While he knew his position as the Ace would be challenged eventually, he hadn't expected it so soon. And that the challenge would come from Hydreigon first.
In this situation—he absolutely had to accept!
"GRO-O-O!" Aggron let out a low growl. He never feared any challenge to his status. He would prove that he sat in this position not because of the Trainer's favoritism or seniority, but because of his strength. He possessed true power!
As the two locked eyes, a fiery tension seemed ready to ignite.
"—Stop!" Kashiwagi stepped between them, raising his hands to block their line of sight. Even at 1.8 meters tall, it was hard to shield these two behemoths from each other. "We have things to do this afternoon. Besides, Hydreigon fought enough this morning. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing!"
Seeing his Trainer deny the battle, Hydreigon let out a frustrated rumble. "Hydrei—"
"Hmm?" One cold look from Kashiwagi instantly made all three of Hydreigon's mouths snap shut.
Seeing this, Aggron turned back with indifference and continued feeding Feebas. He knew the Trainer was only banning the fight for today. They had plenty of time. They weren't going to be separated; an opportunity would arise eventually.
Hydreigon realized this too. He shot one last provocative glance at Aggron before burying his heads back into his food. He needed to be full to have the strength to fight!
Having finished its meal early, Galarian Corsola silently closed her eyes. "Sola..."
What a pity they didn't fight. Corsola actually trusted Aggron more, so she had been looking forward to seeing the big guy give Hydreigon a thrashing to vent her own frustrations—this annoying dragon refused to leave her alone even after evolving.
That husky insisted on "nibbling" her every morning like he had some kind of mental disorder.
Porygon watched Aggron and Hydreigon with concern. It was worried that a fight might lead to grudges, ruining the harmony they'd built.
"Happy~!"
Blissey comforted Porygon with a wide smile, telling it not to worry. Their Trainer would surely coordinate everything perfectly.
And... if possible, she actually wanted to join the fray too, just to prove herself.
Porygon shivered, sensing a hint of darkness behind Blissey's smile. Fortunately, her expression quickly turned warm again, leaving Porygon wondering if it had just hallucinated.
On the sofa, Mawile was buried in a pile of plushies, silently observing the drama while calmly sipping fruit milk.
Boring~ I wanted to see blood rain down!
As Aggron brought food over to Shiny Feebas, the little fish—who had watched the whole scene helplessly—looked at her protector with worry. "Feeb?"
"Gron~" Aggron smiled at Feebas, signaling there was nothing to fear. He could handle a mere Hydreigon.
"Feeb?"
"Gron!"
The monster and the fish communicated in their own strange way.
After the meal, Feebas watched Aggron's departing back, still feeling a trace of anxiety. At the same time, a feeling she had never experienced before welled up in her heart—an intense dissatisfaction with her current role as a mere bystander.
She wanted to participate.
Whether it was bickering, mediating, or training better for Contests with Blissey and Mawile without needing to stay in the water.
This feeling of only being able to watch through the glass... she didn't want it to last any longer.
The Trainer had said she could evolve, right?
As long as her level went up and she gained confidence, she could evolve into a new form that could move on land, right?
Feebas desperately wanted to grow stronger. She wanted to evolve. She wished that when she woke up tomorrow morning, everything would be different.
This fervent desire began to take root and sprout deep within her heart.
So much so that, when Kashiwagi came to play with her, he could hardly believe how this once-insecure Shiny Feebas had suddenly become so motivated.
But it was a good thing.
"Then let me show you what evolution looks like again." He pulled out a photo of Milotic on his phone for Feebas to see. "Look, beautiful, isn't it? If you can evolve into this, I probably won't have to worry about the next Contest!"
"Feeb-as~"
Feebas stared at the phone. In the past, she would only feel inferior seeing a Milotic, but now she only cared about whether a Milotic could truly move on land.
Beauty was important too, as the Trainer said it could be used in Contests.
At this moment, Feebas suddenly became a pragmatist. She no longer dwelled on her current appearance but cared more about the benefits evolution could bring.
This change wasn't sudden; her environment had shifted from one where she was mocked for her looks to one where everyone was striving upward and cared only about a heart of gold.
Subtly, Shiny Feebas sometimes forgot that she was ugly and shabby, and was intoxicated by the praise from her trainer and teammates.
Was appearance that important? Feebas knew that to her Trainer and teammates, it wasn't.
Aggron didn't take care of her out of pity for her looks; he was truly friendly and wanted to help the Trainer. Just like Blissey.
Could she, who sat in a tank or a Poké Ball all day, really deserve such a good Trainer and such good teammates? She vowed to work hard to prove she was worthy.
...
...
After a short afternoon nap, Kashiwagi was awakened by Jinya and Pompom.
"Ah~ looks like it's time to head to Meteor Falls."
He stretched and recalled his Pokémon. When it came to Mawile, he paused. "We're going to Meteor Falls. There might be wild Dragon-types everywhere; I won't feel safe without you."
"Maw-ile~"
Mawile put her small hand to her mouth and let out an adorable yawn. She peeked at her Trainer with one eye before tilting her face up slightly.
"I know, I know."
Kashiwagi tidied the stray hairs on her forehead and gave her a light misting of scented water.
Perhaps she had felt a sense of crisis after Blissey's evolution, but Mawile had become quite clingy lately—though only when they were alone.
She was even more extreme than Raikou.
At least Raikou is fine as long as there are no strangers around.
It was clear where Kashiwagi's patience for her came from—it was cultivated by the little "young miss" of the household who had essentially moved to the countryside to help with poverty relief.
Kashiwagi pulled back the screen and walked outside with Mawile.
The three members of the Village Guard had been waiting for a while. Crouched beside them were three Flygon and a Garchomp, all wearing specialized Alolan-style saddles for Ride Pokémon.
"Your Hydreigon still needs rest, right? I prepared this one for you! A great helper for traveling!" Jinya patted a large Flygon.
Since he was much larger than his kin, Hydreigon could actually carry Kashiwagi, but his body structure would make the posture quite awkward.
Maybe he should get a saddle like this for Hydreigon?
Jinya noticed Kashiwagi eyeing the Flygon and laughed. "Great, isn't it?"
"It is!"
"Want one?"
"A little!"
"Then go catch one!"
"Catch one... huh? I just think the saddle is nice." Kashiwagi shook his head at Jinya's enthusiastic promotion.
The latter was stunned. "The saddle? You can just ask Grandpa Qingshan to make one. What's so special about that?"
"It is special. I've never seen one like it outside." Kashiwagi said, "Could you introduce me to Grandpa Qingshan tomorrow? I really want one."
Jinya nodded. "Sure... but you really don't like Flygon? They're so cool!"
"Fly-gon!" The Flygon, hearing the praise, showed off its posture happily.
Knowing he was about to hitch a ride on the Pokémon, Kashiwagi didn't dare say anything bad. He simply said, "I told you the reason already, I just don't have the time. Flygon is amazing, but I can't just abandon my two current Pokémon. Of cource, Flygon is definitely beautiful"
He added a second compliment for good measure.
"Fly-go-on~!" The Flygon happily rubbed his head against Kashiwagi's face.
These guys are so easy to read, Kashiwagi thought, sharing a secret glance with Mawile.
Shortly after, they were soaring through the sky on the backs of the Flygon, heading toward Meteor Falls with Jinya and the other Tamers.
"By the way, you guys are—"
"Huh? Speak louder! I can't hear you!"
"I said, you're going to Meteor Falls to look for signs of Team Rocket, right? Isn't being this relaxed a bit dangerous?!"
"Hahaha! It's fine! Meteor Falls is our backyard! Don't worry!"
Hearing Jinya's mysterious level of confidence, Kashiwagi felt like the man had just planted a massive "death flag." Heroes always seem to trip up over the simplest things—things that could be avoided with just a little caution.
To prevent the village from disappearing just after he'd joined it, Kashiwagi decided to find a way to make Jinya and the others realize exactly why Team Rocket was a threat.
Speaking of which... would the Dragon Elder have hidden the Key Stones and Mega Stones inside Meteor Falls?
Even if they were hidden there, she'd likely moved them by now. That old woman wasn't a hothead like Jinya; she had wisdom and foresight.
Meteor Falls wasn't far. Soon, the Garchomp and Flygon landed on the mountain slopes.
Kashiwagi hopped off the Flygon's back and helped Mawile down. "Meteor Falls..."
He looked around. The pale ground was dotted with craters of all sizes—all made by falling meteors.
"Some of these craters look pretty fresh?"
Jinya laughed. "They should be. Look at that big one; when do you think it hit?"
"Last week?"
"Whoa! how did you know?"
"...Just a hunch."
Kashiwagi twitched his lip and asked, "Do meteors still fall here?"
"Of course. That's why it's called Meteor Falls. They say the showers used to be even more frequent. Legend says a massive meteor once fell here, creating the largest crater of all."
Jinya led the way. "Follow me. I'll show you the biggest crater inside the cave. You won't believe the scale of it!"
Pompom and Renza followed. The three were so familiar with the place they could name which craters were new.
Soon, a massive cave entrance appeared.
"Hear the roaring water inside?" Jinya asked.
Kashiwagi nodded. With his sharp hearing, he'd heard it long ago. Meteor Falls wasn't just named for the falling stars; it was also because of the countless waterfalls of all sizes within its depths.
As they entered, the world went dark, then bright. The darkness came from the dim path, while the light came from the blue glow of the river flowing from a massive waterfall and the sunlight peeking through the holes in the ceiling.
Seeing such a sight for the first time, Kashiwagi couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder—especially at the thought of how humans managed to live in such a place.
"Let's begin the patrol."
Jinya might have talked lightly about Team Rocket, but he was professional enough to split the four of them into two teams. "We'll go through floor by floor. It'll be quick."
Kashiwagi: "...I don't think I'm part of the Village Guard..."
Jinya burst out laughing. "No big deal, no big deal~"