"Hey, hey — you really need to use psychic power for everything, huh?" Ash said, his mouth twitching in disbelief as Sabrina levitated the Pokédex into her hands.
Yuko Draconis chuckled warmly at his reaction. It had been a long time since she'd felt the joy of simply being a grandmother. Lance had been mischievous as a child and grew into quite the playboy, while most of her other grandchildren treated her with distant respect. Only Ash — earnest, polite, and full of spirit — had truly warmed her heart.
"Hmph~! I don't need you telling me what to do," Sabrina replied, her cheeks tinting faintly red as she huffed and opened the Pokédex with pride. The device chimed softly.
"Ding~!"
Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokémon.
A Psychic and Fairy-type Pokémon. Gardevoir is known for its elegance and loyalty to its Trainer. It can sense when its Trainer is in danger and will distort space itself — even creating miniature black holes — to protect them.
Gardevoir can foresee the future and will sacrifice its life without hesitation to defend the one it loves. Using psychic power to support its body, it is unaffected by gravity.
Ash's Pokédex wasn't an ordinary one — it was a national edition, filled with information from across every known region, including notes and research he'd personally compiled. In many ways, it was one of a kind — the culmination of his own journeys and the vast resources of Professor Oak's lab.
"It's beautiful…" Sabrina murmured, staring at Gardevoir's image.
Her expression softened — perhaps even enchanted. The serene, queenly grace of Gardevoir reflected her own poise in battle almost perfectly.
In contrast to her usual cool demeanor, Gardevoir's gentle and nurturing nature outside of combat gave it an irresistible charm — something even Sabrina found herself drawn to.
Suzie, standing nearby, noticed Sabrina's gaze and couldn't help smiling. The pale green-and-white Pokémon egg resting in Ash's hands suddenly seemed even more precious.
"By the way, Cynthia," Ash said, turning to her with a grin, "hand Grandma the Beedrill's Mega Stone. That Ralts egg she helped get for us is amazing — I owe her a big favor for it."
Hearing that, Cynthia nodded and handed over the shimmering Beedrillite to Yuko Draconis.
"You really didn't need to be so polite with me, dear," Yuko said warmly, though she couldn't hide how touched she felt.
"I did owe a favor for this Ralts egg, after all."
Human debts, Ash knew, were often the hardest to repay. If it had been just a normal Ralts egg, Yuko wouldn't have gone to such trouble. She could've simply arranged one from Sinnoh — a minor inconvenience at best.
But the egg in Ash's hands was something special. Even without extraordinary training, the Pokémon that hatched from it could easily reach an elite, perhaps even near-Champion level. That level of potential didn't come easily — it spoke volumes about Yuko's connections and effort.
Still, the Beedrillite was more than enough to repay that debt.
Though it could only be used a few times, and raising a Beedrill strong enough for Mega Evolution wasn't easy, it would remain a priceless heirloom for generations. Someday, someone in the Draconis family would surely raise another formidable Beedrill.
Even so, the fact that Yuko's friend had offered such a rare and high-quality egg showed how close they were. Had that friend kept it within her own clan, it would have surely birthed a powerful Trainer in their lineage — so this gesture clearly came at a cost.
"Wait—did you say Beedrill's Mega Stone?"
Yuko asked suddenly, her eyes widening as she turned the gem in her palm.
"Ash, where in the world did you find something like this?"
Her earlier warmth turned to astonishment. She hadn't even processed what he'd said before; now, the realization hit her fully.
Ash explained how he'd discovered it — just as he had told Cynthia before. He found it by accident while exploring the ancient mountains, tripping over it by sheer chance.
Yuko could only sigh in amazement.
"Your luck truly defies the heavens, Ash."
"This really helps me," she added with a gentle smile.
"This Mega Stone will be enough to settle that favor. My friend's relationship with me is close — this Ralts egg was originally meant for her daughter."
"But her daughter doesn't train Psychic-types, so it remained unused. Because of our friendship, she gave it to me… though she faced pressure from others in her family for doing so. With this, though, everything will be fine."
Yuko smiled again, then stood and walked toward the door — likely to call her friend and explain the exchange.
A Pokémon Egg with great potential is considered highly valuable within the family. Even if no one in the family intends to use it, it's often treated as a treasured gift or favor to strengthen alliances. Yuko Draconis's friend happened to be from the Unova region.
However, her friend's family believed that gifting such a rare Egg to the distant Draconis family in Kanto would bring them no benefit. Naturally, many within that family opposed the idea, placing her friend under considerable pressure.
Fortunately, with the recent discovery of several Mega Stones, the trade became more balanced in value. After all, a Mega Stone for Beedrill isn't exactly priceless—few have the time or resources to raise one properly. But for the Draconis family, who always plan with long-term vision, such investments are never wasted.
After receiving the Ralts Egg, Ash took care of it diligently every day, even if Pikachu—his companion for so many years—showed a hint of jealousy now and then.
According to Ash's observation through the Chakra Eye, the Egg would likely hatch within one or two weeks. Conveniently, that timing aligned well, as the Indigo League was set to begin in about a month.
...
TN:
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