Alex and Sable soon reached their guest house. It was a large stone building with tall, wide doors designed to let Dragon types come and go with ease. Even the furniture was carved from stone, layered with wood and cotton for comfort. Surprisingly, it was quite accommodating.
They ate dinner by the open fire, a small tradition for the very rare guest or outsider who managed to earn the tribe's trust and enter the sanctuary. Well, it wasn't quite that rare, considering most trainers who left often returned with their spouses and new Pokémon.
"So, what's this about a test?" Alex asked over the campfire.
"Trainers are judged by the dragons they have raised," Zinnia replied. "If the dragons show traits of loyalty and respect towards their trainer, the trainers pass and become adults, able to leave on their journey outside the sanctuary. It obviously doesn't apply to you or Sable, given your age, strength, and experience, but it does allow you to enter the crystal cave to search for a Key Stone."
Alex was immediately intrigued once the Key Stone was mentioned. It was the human's side to Mega Evolution, an absolute requirement, on top of a Mega Stone and matching Pokémon, to achieve Mega Evolution.
"What does the ceremony entail?"
"You just need to enter the crystal cave and return with a Key Stone that calls to you."
"That doesn't sound so bad," Sable said.
"The cave has multiple untamed Pokémon at the Expert rank, so the children have to fight with their dragons to go deep enough to search. It's a walk in the park for you, so you can consider it an apology from our tribe for the disrespect."
"That's quite generous," Alex remarked.
"Hardly. We've been taking Key Stones from that cave system for millennia, and we haven't come close to running out. Using it for goodwill with the both of you wouldn't be a waste."
"We humbly accept this honor," Alex said, bowing lightly.
"Good. Let bygones be bygones."
Alex appreciated the gift, even if it felt more like compensation for what they had endured. Considering it was a Key Stone, he decided it was well worth it. Zinnia had certainly been a bit too commanding after the conflict was resolved, but he felt this gesture settled the matter completely.
"There's something I'd like to ask," Alex added. "You mentioned back in the cave how fate worked through you. Would you mind telling me that story?"
"Sure. It all started a few decades ago when my mentor, Aster, the previous lorekeeper, passed away," Zinnia recounted. "I had just become the lorekeeper when I read in the archives that a meteorite was falling to Hoenn around my time. It predicted the meteorite's fall and noted that the only way to stop it would be to have Rayquaza Mega Evolve and intercept it before it struck."
Alex tilted his head in confusion. He didn't know anything about a meteorite falling in Hoenn during the game; perhaps it was part of the anime or something.
"I was still quite young and naive," she said, "so I left and joined Team Magma and Team Aqua to teach them how to awaken Groudon and Kyogre. In the process, they would summon Rayquaza who could stop the meteorite from destroying Hoenn."
It seemed the story was a bit twisted. To Alex's understanding, there was no meteorite. The player just had to stop Groudon and Kyogre when they awakened. Then they would become the Champion, capture some Legendaries, and call it a day.
"My plan ultimately failed," Zinnia said. "I gathered Key Stones and used them in an ancient ritual to summon Rayquaza. It wasn't my first choice, since I lacked the proper stone, but I thought sheer numbers might be enough. I did manage to summon it, but no matter how many Key Stones I used, it refused to Mega Evolve."
She continued, "Along the way, I met a young couple named Ruby and Sapphire, who were investigating the disaster. It was through their help that Rayquaza was able to Mega Evolve, destroy the meteorite, defeat the evil Pokémon Deoxys, and save the world."
Alex had read about Deoxys. It was reported as an alien virus Pokémon that fell to Earth through a meteorite, so this might have been the exact meteorite in question. He just never realized Hoenn was almost destroyed by it.
"I returned to the tribe after that and reflected on the events. It turned out my purpose was to summon Rayquaza and hand the responsibility off to Ruby and Sapphire, those who carried the burden of fate. I've stayed as the lorekeeper ever since, with a renewed understanding of Rayquaza's greatness."
The tribesmen around the campfire nodded along with the story and Zinnia's conviction. It seemed this story had been repeated more than a few times.
Alex focused on the fact that a Legendary Pokémon was captured and in the hands of the League. It was either personally owned by Steven Stone, kept at the Mossdeep Space Center, or held by Ruby and Sapphire, who were likely the players of the game's events.
He remembered they were supposed to be named Brendan and May, but perhaps this was a different version from what he remembered playing. There were plenty of remakes to the games he never kept track of, so it was possible he had missed them.
They continued their discussion until the end of the night, when Alex and Sable were finally able to get some sleep. It had been a hectic day full of surprises for both of them, so it was a well-deserved rest.
The next morning, the pair went to the crystal cave and dived deep to find their Key Stones. Along the way, they encountered Carbink, Sableye, Solrock, Lunatone, and even some exploring Bagon and Gabite. It seemed this place was quite popular for the dragons as well, considering all the shiny things that could be found in the cave.
The Pokémon kept their distance as Alex and Sable walked, likely wary of their Elite rank.
The pair eventually found a dead end full of excavated crystals that had Key Stones inside them. There were gems with the same S-shaped curve, but these displayed the colors of a rainbow. It was the difference between a Mega Stone and a Key Stone.
Alex picked one at random since there didn't seem to be one calling out to him, as Zinnia claimed. He ran his energy through it, allowing it to shine briefly before settling. Now he could feel a connection between himself and the stone. It felt like a conduit that allowed energy to flow smoothly, unlike the open air where it often met strong resistance.
"Run your energy through it," Alex instructed.
Sable did as asked and found the Key Stone she was holding shine briefly.
"I can feel it sucking my energy."
"Let it until it's satisfied."
"Hmm… I think it's done. It feels weird. Like a connection I never had before. It almost feels like a Pokémon."
"Now we just need the right Mega Stone and Pokémon, and we can use Mega Evolution."
"Do you think they have a Mega Stone for Garchomp?"
"They should. Have you tried asking?"
"Zinnia says I would need to earn it but didn't mention what they had."
"They probably do. It would be quite popular, though, so the contribution would have to be significant."
"Yeah, but what do you give to a tribe that has everything?"
Alex had contributed information about ancient Dragon type Pokémon, so in a way, he deserved that Ampharosite. Sable, however, hadn't made any contributions, so she would have to earn it.
The pair returned to the tribe and handed the crystals to Zinnia, who had them cut and processed. Nothing complicated, they simply smoothed the crystal and set it into a leather strap, making a bracelet out of it.
Once finished, she handed them back and congratulated them for reaching adulthood. The trio chuckled before Alex and Sable toured the sanctuary.
First, they went to the market, where they could buy or barter for food, raw materials, meat, clothing, trinkets, and toys for dragons. They had a bit of everything, and they surprisingly accepted Pokedollars.
There were plenty of raw materials up for grabs, but Alex needed them by the crate, not by the handful. He did, however, get a few crates of Champion ranked dragon dung. It was supposed to be quite good as fertilizer for crops. Since he was having the ammunition delivered, he suddenly had a ton of space for other resources.
He didn't bother collecting anything else other than handcrafted souvenirs for the girls and Alvera. He picked out some necklaces that were made of dragon bones, fangs, and claws, strung together by entwined leather. He made sure to get different designs that complemented their eyes.
Except for Nyx and Rhea, for whom he picked out chokers with leather leashes attached. He was sure they would love being choked while taken from behind.
"Your girls are pretty wild," Sable commented as she picked out a necklace for herself as well.
"A few of them are my property," Alex said, somewhat proudly.
"That's… kinda hot, I'm not going to lie."
"You want one too?" Alex asked with a knowing smile, holding up another choker with its leash dangling from his hand.
"I'm not there yet," she answered with a heavy blush. "Let me get used to your size before we do anything too wild."
"Let me know when. And let me get that for you."
"Aww, thanks."
"My pleasure."
The stall owner stared judgmentally at the couple the entire time. These collars were meant for disobedient baby dragons to teach them patience. They weren't supposed to be used for humans in bed. Still, it was something to consider. Maybe he could increase his sales with the right advertising.
As Alex and Sable continued shopping and sightseeing, Zinnia's phone buzzed with an incoming call. The name on the screen made her straighten slightly. It was Steven Stone, a powerful man she had built a connection with during the crisis of the meteorite.
"Steven Stone. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?" she answered, her voice carrying a professional edge.
"I need your expertise."
"Rayquaza?"
"Not this time. Groudon and Kyogre."
Her tone sharpened. "What happened?"
"Someone stole the Red and Blue Orbs."
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