The girl named Esmira Mahogany stood next to her, holding a tail cat in her arms. She smiled and said, "I want to participate in the Gorgeous Contest! Sister Runa Sigrid is here to accompany me!"
Gorgeous Contest...
The image of Mi Keli, the top coordination trainer, flashed through Albus' mind.
He had never seen a Gorgeous Contest in real life. After thinking for a moment, he nodded. "Alright."
And just like that, Albus temporarily joined the team of two girls.
There were still three days left before the Gorgeous Contest began. Initially, Albus had planned to continue looking for opponents to battle. However, Runa Sigrid mentioned that they also needed to train for the upcoming contest and suggested they could do it together.
But before training, they had one more stop to make—visiting Dr. Solans, who lived in town.
Following Runa Sigrid and Esmira Mahogany, Albus arrived at a large mansion. Soon, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged man with glasses and an ordinary appearance.
This must be Dr. Solans—the researcher who, in the games, had worked alongside Team Lava and Team Ocean to excavate meteorites from Meteor Falls.
"It's you, Isley Celestin!" Dr. Solans adjusted his glasses and greeted fondly, "It's been a year since we last met, right?"
Isley Celestin nodded and retrieved a gift from her backpack. "Yes, Uncle Solans. My mother prepared this gift for you."
Dr. Solans smiled warmly. "Oh, you didn't have to bring a gift! But since you're here, come in, come in!"
He ushered the three of them into his home.
The living room was large but cluttered—tools, papers, and various stones were scattered across the floor.
While Dr. Solans went to the kitchen to prepare tea, Runa Sigrid lowered her voice and explained, "Don't mind the mess. Uncle Solans is a meteorite researcher, and he's always surrounded by rocks."
Albus didn't mind at all. In fact, he found it interesting. He activated his Identification skill to examine the stones scattered across the floor.
[Meteorite fragments from space. They seem to have little practical use.]
[Skull fossils of ancient humans—valuable for research purposes.]
[Fossilized excrement of ancient Pokémon—dried and preserved.]
At that moment, Dr. Solans returned with three cups of tea. He settled into the sofa and began chatting with Runa Sigrid about her family.
Meanwhile, Albus continued his observations.
[Fire Stone vein fragments—formed from condensed natural energy. Often found in regions with volcanic activity. Some Pokémon evolve when exposed to them.]
[Fossilized remains of an ancient Onix. Can be revived at Devon Corporation.]
[Gallade's Evolution Stone—when held by Gallade, it allows it to Mega Evolve during battle.]
[An unknown meteorite from space—rich in energy and capable of allowing Deoxys to change forms.]
Albus nearly choked on his tea.
"Ahem…" He coughed, trying to recover.
"What's wrong?" Runa Sigrid and Esmira Mahogany turned to look at him.
Albus waved a hand dismissively. "Nothing, I just choked on my tea."
Dr. Solans chuckled. "Relax. Take your time drinking."
But Albus was too preoccupied to relax. He hadn't expected the doctor to have so many valuable treasures just lying around.
"Doctor," Esmira Mahogany suddenly asked, pointing at an oddly shaped stone, "Did you find all these in Meteor Falls?"
Dr. Solans smiled and nodded. "Yes. A meteor shower once rained down over Meteor Falls, and ever since then, the area has been full of meteorite fragments."
Albus felt a surge of excitement.
No wonder treasure hunters in some regions were so obsessed with digging—this kind of discovery was incredibly tempting!
He needed to visit Meteor Falls. If he could find rare stones, he could sell them for money and afford to raise a second Pokémon.
Digging for stones, making money, and capturing new Pokémon—Albus couldn't sit still anymore. At that moment, he finally understood what drove collectors like Steven Stone.
The only difference? Steven collected stones out of passion. Albus was in it for the money.
Dr. Solans began recounting the legend of Meteor Falls.
"A long time ago, meteor showers frequently streaked across the sky. Groudon and Kyogre battled day and night, shaking the earth and causing the oceans to rise."
"The Hoenn region was nearly destroyed. But then, the ancient Pokémon Rayquaza descended from the heavens to put an end to their fight."
"Thousands of years later, a meteorite struck what is now Lilycove City. Its energy awakened Groudon and Kyogre once more."
"The chosen heir of that time stood atop the Rainbow Stone and prayed for Rayquaza's return. It's said that Rayquaza's form changed due to the power of those prayers."
"Rayquaza once again quelled the battle between the god of land and the god of the sea. Afterward, Groudon and Kyogre retreated to the depths of the earth and ocean, while Rayquaza returned to the sky."
"The people of Meteor built the Sky Pillar to honor their guardian and prophesied that another meteorite would strike the world in a thousand years."
"And when that time comes, the people of Meteor will summon Rayquaza once again to protect the planet."
"Wow, that's amazing!" Esmira Mahogany's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Are these legends really true?"
"Rayquaza, Groudon, and Kyogre… Do they really exist in this world?" Runa Sigrid asked.
After all, the events in the legend had happened a thousand years ago. No one had seen Groudon or Kyogre in modern times.
"Of course they exist!" Dr. Solans' eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. "My research on meteorites is aimed at uncovering the truth about the people of Meteor. If Groudon and Kyogre ever awaken, I want to be the one to summon Rayquaza and save the world!"
Runa Sigrid sighed. "Uncle, you're already over forty. Isn't saving the world a job for younger people?"
Dr. Solans chuckled sheepishly.
Albus, however, was focused on another detail. "Doctor, did you say that Rayquaza's appearance changed due to the power of prayer?"
Dr. Solans grinned mysteriously. "That's right! We call it Mega Evolution—evolution beyond evolution! And let me tell you something: this phenomenon could happen to other Pokémon as well!"
He turned to Isley Celestin and added, "Like your Combusken."
"What?" Runa Sigrid was surprised. "That's impossible!"
Dr. Solans shook his head. "I have a friend in the Kalos region who is researching this very subject. I believe that within ten years, we'll uncover the truth behind Rayquaza's transformation."
Albus frowned.
Was he talking about Professor Sycamore?
And ten years? That was too long!
Did that mean the Gardevoirite he had in his possession would remain unused for an entire decade?
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