A completely silver Mega Stone, adorned with special symbols where the silver took on a slightly deeper, almost silver-gray hue.
Upon seeing this Mega Stone, Cain confirmed that it was the same one he had encountered in his previous life.
In the end, no one had ever discovered which Pokémon could use this Mega Stone.
However, seeing it now made Cain's heart skip a beat—he felt that this Mega Stone might be compatible with one of his Pokémon.
It was different from the Mega Stone obtained from the leader of the Kabutops, which hadn't given him any sort of sign. With this Mega Stone, Cain had a special feeling.
It was his sixth sense as a psychic.
He immediately retrieved several Poké Balls and summoned all his Pokémon.
After capturing all the Houndoom, there were no longer any Pokémon in the area that could pose a threat to them.
When the smaller Pokémon emerged and saw how beautiful their surroundings were, they smiled happily, ready to play.
But Cain stopped them. Although there didn't appear to be any danger, they were still surrounded by advanced-level Pokémon that his smaller companions wouldn't be able to handle.
He simply wanted to test if the Mega Stone would react with any of his Pokémon.
He began by testing Gengar, as it was the only one among his Pokémon that was in its final form and capable of Mega Evolution. If this Mega Stone were for Gengar, it would be a tremendous boon.
However, there was no connection between the Mega Stone and Gengar.
That left only the smaller Pokémon.
Generally, if a Pokémon hadn't yet reached its final form, a Mega Stone wouldn't show a clear reaction.
Even if there wasn't an obvious reaction, there could be subtle signs that Cain, as a psychic and with the aid of his system, might detect.
The Pokémon with the potential for Mega Evolution in their final forms were: Combusken, Marshtomp, Larvitar, Aron, and Bagon.
Combusken and Marshtomp were already in their second evolution stage. If the Mega Stone were for them, the signal would be clearer.
But after testing, it wasn't for them either.
Only three were left, and Cain's heart began to race.
If the Mega Stone were for Larvitar or Bagon, it would be a monumental gain. Though they would require significant time to evolve into their final forms, the benefits of their Mega Evolution would be immense.
But to Cain's disappointment, when he brought the Mega Stone near Larvitar and Bagon, nothing happened.
That left only Aron, and Cain's strange feeling grew stronger.
Didn't the silver color of the Mega Stone match Aron's skin and its final form, Aggron?
In truth, Cain should have considered Aron from the beginning, but he didn't want to test the most likely candidate first.
After all, sometimes the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
Holding the Mega Stone, he slowly approached Aron, who was munching on minerals.
The moment the stone touched Aron's body, both Cain's system and his psychic powers detected a strange ripple in the Mega Stone.
It disappeared quickly, but it had been there.
During the tests with the other Pokémon, no such change had occurred. Only when it touched Aron did something happen.
There was no need for further tests—this was Aggron's Mega Stone.
This stone could allow Aron's final form, Aggron, to Mega Evolve into Mega Aggron!
Cain's heart leapt again.
It was true!
Aggron would be the one to use it!
He only needed to maintain a close relationship with Aron, and once it evolved into Aggron, it could Mega Evolve.
At last, he had found a Mega Stone that one of his Pokémon could use.
The effort had been worth it!
It hadn't been for nothing that Drapion had spent so much effort digging through dung.
The other Pokémon didn't notice Cain's change in mood, but Slowking, whose psychic powers had improved, sensed the excitement in Cain's psychic energy.
Slowking also guessed that this Mega Stone must have a special use for one of the Pokémon. Based on Cain's psychic reaction, it deduced that it was for Aron.
Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't be a big deal, but the origin of this Mega Stone...
As Slowking looked at Aron, it showed a sympathetic expression.
Poor creature.
It was better to stay silent, lest Cain decide to use Aron as a test subject. Drapion, too, should understand this reasoning.
Meanwhile, Drapion was still calming itself under the waterfall.
Although Aron couldn't use the stone yet, they at least had a target. Cain stored the Mega Stone in his storage space.
He would bring it out again when Aron evolved into Aggron, though that evolution would require a considerable level.
Watching his Pokémon enjoying their lunch, Cain sat down on the soft grass with a long sigh of relief.
It was rare to have such a relaxing moment.
During this expedition, Cain had completed all his tasks. Though there had been some unexpected events, the outcome had been good.
Bagon had finally begun to undergo the physical adjustments Cain was making for it. After finishing its daily dose, it gazed enviously at Larvitar and Aron, who were crunching on diamonds.
And they had found the planned Mega Stone.
Cain also gained some unexpected rewards.
The key to the plans of Team Aqua and Team Magma.
Torchic successfully evolved into Combusken, proving the effects of the quality-enhancing potion on a dark blue-quality Pokémon.
He obtained knowledge about dragon-type Pokémon training from Elite Four member Drake, and Slowking had reached quasi-elite level, improving its quality to light Purple.
And a few smaller accomplishments: capturing a group of Houndoom as guard dogs, defeating the current Rustboro City Gym Leader Roxanne, gaining a bit more recognition, and raising the levels of his second Pokémon team to varying degrees.
Reflecting on everything he had done, Cain realized that he hadn't been away for long, yet he had achieved a lot.
Lying on the soft grass, Cain relaxed under the sun. His Pokémon, imitating him, also lay down to bask in the sunlight after finishing their meal.
The small Bagon, seeking comfort, snuggled up next to Cain. Having been used to living in underground tunnels, this was its first time in the sun.
It was warm, almost as if it were energizing.
For Bagon, this life felt like a dream. It always stayed close to Cain, afraid that the dream would suddenly end.
All the Pokémon enjoyed the sunlight in silence.
Meanwhile, Drapion continued calming itself under the waterfall.
Cain didn't know that, at that moment, two incredibly powerful figures were quickly approaching from the sky.
(End of Chapter)