"You weren't even this discouraged after losing a battle, but now you're this upset over a rock?"
Seeing Korrina wilt like a frostbitten eggplant, Elias couldn't help but grin and tease her.
Having known her for years, he was aware she could be unusually stubborn about certain things.
At Elias's words, Korrina's eyes widened.
"But it's a Mega Stone... Of course I'm discouraged!"
"If I lose a battle, I can train harder and win next time. But finding a Mega Stone depends entirely on luck. With bad luck, you might never encounter one your entire life!"
Korrina spoke to Elias with utmost seriousness.
Hearing that, Elias considered her words and couldn't deny she was right.
Mega Stones were already rare; even if you found one, it might not be for Lucario.
With poor luck, it wasn't strange to go your whole life without ever seeing one.
But…
"I'd say you actually have pretty good luck. Here, take this Mega Stone."
Elias chuckled softly and casually tossed a round stone toward her.
He had two Diancie at home.
One was the current queen of the Underground Kingdom, and the other was a princess soon to inherit the throne.
However you looked at it, there was no way he'd ever lack anything mineral-related.
Besides, this particular stone for Korrina… he'd just swiped it from Lysandre earlier.
He'd intended to give it to her as a parting gift anyway.
Across from him, Korrina caught the object Elias tossed almost instinctively.
She opened her palm. It was another crystal-clear stone, with a peculiar blue-and-red pattern at its core.
But compared to the one embedded in her hand, this one was noticeably bigger…
"Gulp—"
As Korrina fully processed Elias's words, she unconsciously swallowed hard.
She always believed what he told her.
And… she'd seen her grandfather's Mega Stone many times, and it looked exactly like the one in her hand.
In other words, the Lucario Mega Stone she'd dreamed of was suddenly right there in her palm?
"Bro… can I buy it?"
"Or trade you something for it?"
Coming back to her senses, Korrina asked carefully.
She didn't want to miss out on the Mega Stone right before her.
But her grandfather's teachings since childhood made it impossible for her to accept such a precious gift without guilt.
Buying it seemed like the only option.
"It's just a stone."
Elias shook his head, unwilling to complicate things.
He had no use for a Lucario Mega Stone anyway, and even if he did later, Diancie had plenty.
She usually treated them like marbles.
As for money… he had even less of a need for more.
"If you really want to repay me, hurry and become a Trainer capable of standing on her own."
"When the time comes… if Diancie ever runs into trouble, I hope you'll help her."
Seeing Korrina still looking conflicted, Elias thought a moment, then said this.
...
[After thanking you repeatedly, Korrina carefully put away the Mega Stone.]
[It's the first time you've seen tears well up in her eyes, and you can't help feeling surprised.]
[Since it was already late and the battle had ended, you parted ways soon after.]
...
With an ability as convenient as Teleport, Elias naturally had no intention of trudging back on foot.
Staring at the spot where he'd vanished, Korrina tightened her grip on the Mega Stone.
Elias had promised her that next time they met, he'd accompany her to the Gym.
But…
It was something she should've been happy about, yet for some reason, Korrina felt a heaviness in her chest.
"Must be my imagination…"
Shaking her head, Korrina murmured softly.
She glanced again at the Mega Stone in her hand, her fighting spirit rising even higher.
Pop—
Lucario, who'd been staying in its Poké Ball, suddenly emerged at that moment.
The instant it appeared, its eyes locked onto the Mega Stone.
Even inside the ball, it had sensed everything happening outside.
It had heard every word of their conversation.
So… could it finally Mega Evolve too?
Lucario wore an eager, impatient expression.
However…
"I'll think about whether I want to give it to you."
Korrina abruptly tucked away the Mega Stone and strode off toward the Gym alone.
She'd give it to Lucario eventually, of course—but she wanted to hold onto it just a bit longer.
It was her gift, after all!
Watching his Trainer's back, Lucario's face flickered through a series of very human emotions, finally settling into shock.
Why?!
...
After a long-distance Teleport, Elias soon returned to the house Team Flare had prepared.
It was only a temporary residence, but it was spacious, fully furnished, and impeccably clean.
Someone probably came regularly to tidy up.
As soon as he arrived, Elias pulled out the communicator and selected Diancie's contact.
Even underground, the communicator allowed them to talk.
Beep—
The dialing tone had barely sounded before the call connected.
"Elias!"
Diancie's soft, sweet voice instantly came through.
She'd been waiting by the communicator the entire time, and at last the person she'd been longing to hear from had reached out.
Nearby, Dianna also sat upright.
With the communicator on speaker mode, she could clearly hear everything.
Hearing his Pokémon sounding lively, Elias relaxed considerably.
But before he could speak, a furious, teeth-gnashing voice erupted from the other side.
"Elias, did that stinking fox chase after you?!"
"I couldn't find her at home!"
Diancie had realized something was wrong in the afternoon.
In her memory, when Elias left, Delphox had been asleep.
At the time, she'd even snickered, thinking Delphox would regret sleeping through it.
But after Diancie finished training for the morning, she still hadn't seen Delphox anywhere.
She'd gotten worried—thinking Delphox might be sick.
Yet when she anxiously threw back the blanket, she found only a pillow from the head of the bed.
The Delphox who should've been sleeping had disappeared without a trace.
She'd stopped training immediately, spending the whole afternoon searching.
When she'd turned the entire territory upside down with no luck, a bold suspicion finally emerged.
Had Delphox run away?
As Diancie finished speaking, Delphox—clearly prepared—excitedly sprang from her Poké Ball.
Before Elias could react, a soft, furry face pressed affectionately against his cheek.
"Del~"
A gentle cry slipped from her mouth, reaching Diancie's ears through the communicator.
To ensure maximum effect, she'd even deliberately used Charm.
That soft, sweet whimper, tinged with coyness, made even Elias stiffen slightly.
On the other end, Diancie froze completely in her seat.
---
A/N: Delphox used Charm. It was super effective!
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
hehe every 100 followers on either instagram or twitter is a bonus chapter...?
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl
instagram: hanbaowise
twitter: WiseKingOfUruk_