Once again, Sableye watched Kashiwagi disappear into the distance.
If it knew how to use Poké-Blog, it would definitely save his contact under the tag: "Super-Duper-Mega Generous Human Friend."
A heavy iron block that even an Aron couldn't chew through, and a stone it had hidden away because it wasn't tasty but felt "precious"—those two items had secured it a mountain of treats! Plus, by trading with the local Aron, it could get even more.
The Aron didn't eat gems anyway; they only craved metal.
A win-win for everyone.
However, Sableye had no intention of trading the premium Pokéblocks. Something that smelled that good was meant for its personal stash.
------
On the other side, Kashiwagi held the handful of gems Sableye had forced upon him, his feelings still a bit complex.
"Whatever, let's not overthink it. Everyone's happy."
He shook his head and, standing in the waterfall cavern for the third time that day, finally released the "wild" Aggron he had captured.
"Agg-ron? Gr-on!"
The wild Aggron landed and felt slightly relieved to see its familiar surroundings. However, it immediately became timid upon spotting Kashiwagi and the "alpha" of its own kind who had previously suppressed it.
Clearly, it had been thoroughly beaten into submission by Kashiwagi's Aggron, losing all the ferocity it had shown when it first charged the intruders.
"Relax, stay calm. I'm not going to hurt you."
Kashiwagi stepped forward slowly. Once he reached the wild Aggron, he started by feeding it a handful of the remaining standard Pokéblocks.
As the delicious food hit its tongue, the creature's tense expression softened into relaxation.
Next, Kashiwagi began to scratch it.
As an Aggron Trainer, he knew their weak spots better than anyone—those itchy patches where the armor plates met, places they could never reach themselves and usually had to rub against stone walls to soothe.
After this "combo" of treats and grooming, the wild Aggron's eyes cleared up significantly.
It looked around, no longer on guard.
Seeing that the timing was right, Kashiwagi made his request to learn its moves.
He promised more Pokéblocks and swore he would return it to this exact spot once they were done.
He didn't have much of a choice.
His own Aggron refused to let another male of its species "invade" its territory—and by territory, it meant the mountain range it lived on back home.
The thought of it working hard to grow stronger while a peer occupied its turf and acted like a king made Aggron physically ill.
With his ace making its stance so clear, Kashiwagi wouldn't have dared keep the wild one even if he'd wanted to.
Fortunately, the wild Aggron didn't realize it had just lost its chance to live on a massive private mountain.
It happily accepted the Pokéblocks and agreed to the human's request.
Dragon Rush was officially in the bag.
Kashiwagi then asked if there were any other Aggron nearby. To his disappointment, the answer was no.
This one had fought its way up from an Aron specifically to claim this waterfall pool, becoming the undisputed tyrant of the lowest level.
It seemed one pool could only support one Aggron.
Why no second Aron had evolved to challenge it was a question for Professor Birch and his research into Pokémon habitats.
Switching gears, Kashiwagi asked about something else.
Since there were Mega Stones in this cave, the murals from Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire likely existed here too. He wanted to see them.
The wild Aggron couldn't comprehend the word "mural," but after Kashiwagi sketched the rough patterns from memory, it seemed to recognize them.
"Does this exist?"
"Agg-ron!"
Seeing the wild Aggron nod, Kashiwagi grew excited.
"Where? Take me there!"
The beast began to lead the way. The murals were located in the deepest sanctum of the cave—the place where, in the games, players first met Steven Stone and battled Zinnia.
The murals themselves held no great secret to Kashiwagi:
They depicted the ancient "Primal" Groudon and Kyogre awakened by a seven-colored meteor, their clash for power, and the Lorekeeper of the Draconids summoning Rayquaza to end the strife.
That was the game lore, though. The anime often tweaked these stories, and he was curious to see this world's version.
Based on the Mega Evolution Special, the "Giant Rock" (the seven-colored meteor) definitely existed, and Lysandre had nearly destroyed Kalos with it later on.
Moments later, they arrived. T
wo large murals, separated by some distance, came into view.
One featured a dinosaur-like behemoth breathing curling flames toward the sky, surrounded by thick smoke and erupting volcanoes.
The other showed a massive whale-like Pokémon calling down storm clouds and lightning, churning the ocean, its head also tilted toward the heavens.
Both were gazing at a triangular meteor falling from the sky.
The artwork had a profound, ancient feel to it. Kashiwagi pulled out his camera and snapped several photos.
"It looks like the 'Giant Rock' from the anime might really be the legendary meteor passed down from antiquity, hidden away by the Draconids. Only for Steven and Alain to accidentally find it and trigger a disaster," he murmured.
Technically, the Mega Evolution Specials were promotional material for the Hoenn remakes, but the way they tied into the main XY plot was masterfully done.
Aggron and Mawile stared at the walls, completely failing to grasp the historical significance. T
hey opted to wander around and sniff the dirt, hoping to find more "treasures" to earn a compliment from their Trainer.
Unfortunately, there was nothing here but soil.
"I wonder if Zinnia exists in this world"
Kashiwagi said, putting his camera away.
As the key NPC of the Delta Episode, she was the representative of the Draconid people.
Her ruthless methods to save the world were controversial, but in the end, she couldn't beat the player's "protagonist aura"—Rayquaza chose the player to Mega Evolve and shatter the meteor.
Half an hour later, Kashiwagi stepped out of the cave.
Though he hadn't found an Aggron with Head Smash, Dragon Rush was a great consolation prize.
Plus, he had a Mega Stone and a mysterious black metal cube.
He took a long, deep breath of the salty sea air, letting the sunlight warm his face.
After the dusty, stagnant air of the cave, the ocean breeze was a godsend.
He immediately sent photos of the black cube, the Mega Stone, and the gems to Lyra, asking for her opinion. He didn't get an immediate reply.
She must be busy,
he thought.