Chapter 99: Thunder Stone, the Mineral That Absorbs Electricity
A few days later, Ryan and his companions arrived in a mountainous region. Ryan also found the old man who was said to be able to speak with spirits.
Resting near his shabby hut, Rosa, after hearing about the old man's story, asked curiously, "Ryan, I remember you seemed to be able to speak with Pokémon, too."
"Oh. Is that true? Young man, can you speak Pokémon language?" the old man asked excitedly.
"Uh. Not that I can speak Pokémon language, I just understand Pokémon language. If I encounter a Pokémon that can't understand human language, I'll be at a loss." Ryan shrugged.
"I see. But that's quite remarkable!" the old man said seriously.
Ryan scratched his head and said, "Old man, I'd like to ask you if the geology here is special and can absorb electrical energy?"
"Yes. That's right, young man. Why do you ask that?" the old man asked.
"I have a very special Pokémon. Although it's an Electric-type Pokémon, it doesn't have power-generating organs or energy-storing sacs. So I wanted to study the geology here to see if I could find a way to actively absorb electricity," Ryan said.
"I see. Then why don't you go to that hill over there? It absorbs electricity very quickly. That's why power lines can't be run through there, and it's basically abandoned," the old man said kindly.
Ryan thanked him and headed for the hill the old man mentioned.
"So you came here because you heard this news," Rosa said.
"Indeed, Zeraora can't generate its own electricity; it can only absorb free electricity from the air. If we could find a way to harness this energy, it would greatly enhance Zeraora's strength," Ruby said.
"Let's start looking," Ryan said. He then took out three Itemfinders and gave one to Ruby and Rosa each. "These are Itemfinders. They use ultrasound to detect if there are any valuable items underground. I'm giving them to you since it's a good idea for you to help me search. My guess is it's a special mineral that absorbs electricity."
"Okay. Then let's split up and search. How about we meet here at lunchtime?" Rosa suggested. "And then we can have a competition to see who gets the most treasures, huh?"
"Interesting. I agree," Ruby said.
Ryan held his forehead with one hand, letting them do what they wanted. Rosa and Ruby also borrowed Sylveon and Tyranitar, respectively. After all, most of the items were underground, and having a Pokémon with the Dig move would definitely make things easier.
Ryan also called out Lucario and Togepi. He was still a little unsure about his luck, so leaving it to Togepi was definitely the right choice.
Holding Togepi, he said, "Togepi, can you help me find the reason this place absorbs electricity?"
Togepi nodded eagerly. Ryan smiled, "Don't worry, just go wherever you want. We'll follow you."
Togepi waved excitedly, and Celebi smiled back, petting Togepi's head. Togepi was Ryan's beloved Pokémon, and he doted on it constantly. Even Celebi loved playing with Togepi.
Togepi jumped out of Ryan's arms, looked around, and headed to the left. Ryan and Lucario followed. Celebi, a little worried about Togepi, left Ryan's shoulders and followed closely behind Togepi.
Ryan activated the Itemfinder, which began to work, scanning the surrounding terrain.
Soon, the Itemfinder beeped, and an item appeared ahead. Ryan took a few steps forward, confirmed the location, and said, "Lucario, use Dig."
Lucario nodded, and with quick movements of his paws, he rapidly dug a large hole. He then handed Ryan a small stone. Ryan examined it and saw it was a Hard Stone, which increased the power of Rock-type moves.
A good start, it seemed. After collecting the Hard Stone, Ryan and the others continued on. After walking for a while, Togepi stopped and pointed to a cave in the rock face.
Seeing this, Ryan picked up Togepi and led Lucario and Celebi into the cave. Upon entering, Ryan and the Pokémon were completely amazed. Their clothes and fur seemed to be affected by static electricity and were standing on end in all directions.
"Looks like this is it," Ryan said excitedly.
He touched the cave wall, trying to figure out what was causing this phenomenon. But as soon as he made contact, there was a crackling sound, and Ryan shuddered from the electric shock. It took him a long time to recover, and he said with a pained expression, "What powerful static electricity!"
"System, scan this area for me and see what's causing this," Ryan said.
"Ding. Scanning," the system responded.
After a long while, the system finally said, "Ding. Scanning has revealed that the rock wall here contains a small amount of a mineral that can absorb electrical energy. It absorbs electricity and stores it within the mineral. Once the ore is fully charged, it can emit electrical current."
"Can you extract it and make a belt for Zeraora?" Ryan asked.
"Ding. Extraction fee: 10,000 PokéDollars."
"Do it. Extract this ore for me and make me a belt. It's perfect for Zeraora, and it can work with a Power Amplifier. This ore can absorb the power from the Power Amplifier, thereby supplying Zeraora with electricity," Ryan said happily.
"Ding. Extracting, please wait," the system said.
After a while, Ryan and the others' hair and fur stopped standing on end and returned to normal. The system announced, "Extraction complete. The belt is in your bag. The ore has been named Thunder Stone and is now available in the shop. You can purchase it with PokéDollars."
Ryan nodded, impressed by the system's efficiency. Leaving the cave, he released Zeraora, who looked at him with some confusion.
Ryan pulled the belt from his backpack. Its golden color perfectly suited Zeraora, and it was encrusted with 24 thumb-sized golden orbs. Electric currents could be seen flashing through them. Zeraora's excitement instantly grew upon seeing the belt.
Zeraora took the belt from Ryan and immediately put it around its waist, finding it a perfect fit. Ryan also attached the Power Amplifier to Zeraora, causing its fur to instantly stand on end. This usually only happened when Zeraora was about to use a powerful Electric-type move. But now, Zeraora was fully charged and ready to battle freely!
Patting the excited Zeraora, Ryan said, "Let's go back. We've achieved our goal. We'll see what Ruby and Rosa have found later."
Ryan led the Pokémon back to the agreed location and waited for them by the tent and camping stove.
After Ryan prepared lunch, Ruby and Rosa returned, looking jubilant. Seeing their hauls, Ryan couldn't help but chuckle, "You two are like the main characters of some adventure story! Your luck is incredible!"
Ruby's findings: Mega Stone for Gardevoir, Mega Stone for Swampert, various Evolution Stones, and a Claw Fossil.
Rosa's findings: Mega Stone for Lopunny, several useful items, and some Evolution Stones.
This disparity left Ryan feeling somewhat gloomy. It seemed as if, aside from the Thunder Stone belt, he had found nothing but ordinary rocks.
Forget it, no more comparisons. It hurts my pride!
(End of Chapter)
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P@atreon/Soulforger (advanced chapters)