Chapter 161: The Reappearance of the Mega Stone, The Two's Escape

Cheng Cheng and Muzi finished ordering their dishes, and the waiter soon served the meal. Once the service was complete, the waiter seemed to vanish entirely from sight. Yet, whenever assistance was needed, he would reappear instantly. This subtle touch of attentiveness added a truly unique charm to the experience.

Cheng Cheng and Muzi tasted the dishes, and they were indeed exceptionally well-prepared.

"Cheng Cheng, try this."

Muzi picked up a piece of food with her fork and fed it to Cheng Cheng.

"Is it good?"

"Delicious."

The dish was genuinely appetizing, and knowing it came from Muzi made it taste even better.

"You should try this too."

Cheng Cheng picked up a piece of an unknown vegetable and fed it to Muzi.

Muzi’s expression changed the moment she tasted it.

"Cheng Cheng, what on earth did you give me to eat?"

"Is it not good?"

Cheng Cheng retrieved the piece from Muzi’s plate and popped it into his mouth.

He realized the flavor wasn't particularly pleasant. However, upon careful tasting, it felt remarkably novel. It seemed this particular dish was crafted for novelty rather than deliciousness.

"Alright, try this one instead. This should be good."

"Mmm, this is not bad. Okay, you should just stick to eating your own food."

After finishing their meal, Cheng Cheng and Muzi decided to head to their next destination.

The two of them arrived at the Stone Pavilion.

"The Stone Pavilion? Do they sell stones here?"

"That's right, they do sell stones. But not ordinary stones—these are evolutionary stones. And who knows, there might even be a Mega Stone appearing here."

"Really? Then let's hurry up and take a look!"

Muzi eagerly pulled Cheng Cheng into the exhibition hall. Just like the Poké Ball Pavilion from earlier, this Stone Pavilion was divided into an exhibition area and a shop. True to form, Cheng Cheng and Muzi headed to the exhibition hall first.

All kinds of evolutionary stones were on display in the hall: Fire Stones, Water Stones, Thunder Stones, Leaf Stones, Moon Stones, Sun Stones, Shiny Stones, Dusk Stones, Dawn Stones, and Ice Stones. Every conceivable evolutionary stone was present. Alongside them was the Everstone, which prevents Pokémon from evolving and allows them to maintain their original forms.

Muzi gazed at the stones with rapt interest, desperately hoping to spot a Mega Stone among them.

Cheng Cheng quickly realized that there were no Mega Stones whatsoever among these general exhibits. He pinned his hopes on the three centerpiece displays.

Right in the middle of the exhibition hall sat three special exhibits. The first was a Leaf Stone. This Leaf Stone was remarkably large, almost rivaling the size of the Moon Stone Cheng Cheng had seen at Mt. Moon. It was the first time Cheng Cheng had ever laid eyes on a Leaf Stone of such magnitude.

"Cheng Cheng, is this really a Leaf Stone? I thought the one at Mt. Moon was one of a kind. I never expected to encounter another one so soon."

"This stone isn't purely a Leaf Stone; the Leaf Stone composition only accounts for about thirty percent, which is lower than the Moon Stone from Mt. Moon. Still, it's quite impressive."

Next, Cheng Cheng turned his attention to the second stone. The second exhibit on display left Cheng Cheng somewhat astonished. This stone was none other than a Mega Stone, and it came paired with a Keystone.

"Muzi, come look at this. This is a Mega Stone and a Keystone."

Muzi hurried over, admiring the Mega Stone enclosed within the display.

"Cheng Cheng, which Pokémon's Mega Stone is this?"

Cheng Cheng used his psychic powers to perceive the aura radiating from within, sensing the fiery presence of a Blaziken.

"I can sense the aura of a Blaziken inside. It should be Blazikenite."

"Blaziken!"

"Yes, Blaziken is one of the three starter Pokémon of the Hoenn region, though they are also quite common in the Kalos region. It is the second evolution of Torchic."

"Is that so? Thank goodness it's not a Dragon-type Pokémon's Mega Stone, or I really wouldn't be able to resist snatching it."

Upon hearing Muzi's words, Cheng Cheng's heart skipped a beat.

To blatantly snatch it—she would probably be caught before even making it out of the exhibition hall! Cheng Cheng felt a fleeting shudder of fear at Muzi's audacious thought.

Cheng Cheng looked at the final stone. This stone was pitch black, possessing an intense, absorbing darkness. When Cheng Cheng extended his psychic energy toward it, he discovered that the stone felt completely ordinary, devoid of any special energy fluctuations.

Suddenly, Cheng Cheng was reminded of the mysterious Poké Ball he had seen earlier. Could that Poké Ball have some sort of connection to this stone?

Cheng Cheng noticed that this stone didn't have any label bearing a name either. It seemed there truly might be a link between the two; perhaps that Poké Ball had been crafted from this very material.

"Cheng Cheng, should we go buy some evolutionary stones?"

"Buy evolutionary stones? Which of your Pokémon needs an evolutionary stone?"

"None?"

Muzi thought carefully, only to realize that none of her current Pokémon required an evolutionary stone to evolve.

"Then let's go check the shop anyway. Who knows, maybe there will be a Mega Stone."

At the mere thought, Muzi's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Buy a Mega Stone? How could that be possible? Items like that are exceptionally rare to begin with. Who would ever be willing to put one up for sale?"

"Let's just go try our luck! Maybe they have one."

"Fine, have it your way."

Cheng Cheng and Muzi entered the shop. While the store indeed stocked a wide variety of evolutionary stones, there were no Mega Stones or Keystones to be found.

"See? I told you there wouldn't be any."

"Hmph, how can this be? I really thought I'd be able to buy one."

"Use your head. If items like that were just sitting in a shop, it would never be your turn to get one. Mega Stones get bought up the moment they appear."

"Then what should we do? I really, really want a Mega Stone! Besides, didn't you say you needed to conduct experiments with Professor Oak? How are you supposed to do experiments without a Mega Stone?"

"Alright, don't worry. We will get our hands on a Mega Stone eventually. There's no need to fret."

"Oh, very well."

"Ugh, no, I insist on buying something today!"

Seeing Muzi like this, Cheng Cheng felt a mixture of helplessness and amusement. But she was his girlfriend, after all; her shopping desires simply had to be satisfied.

"Alright, alright. Even if we can't buy a Mega Stone, we can go buy some other things."

"Like what?"

"Follow me."

Cheng Cheng led Muzi to a place he had previously been rather reluctant to visit: the Haute Couture Fashion Boutique.

"Is this place for buying clothes?"

"Indeed it is. What do you say, want to pick up a few things?"

"Yes!"

Muzi darted straight inside without hesitation.

True enough, shopping had the magical ability to wash away the vast majority of a girl's unhappiness. The longer Muzi shopped, the happier she became, until she had practically cleared out Cheng Cheng's entire wallet.

"Alright, alright, even if you buy this many, you won't be able to wear them all. Let's tone it down a bit."

"You're the one who told me to buy whatever I wanted, so how could I not get a few extra things? Come look, I picked this outfit out for you."

"Oh right, there's an exhibition hall over there. Shall we go take a look?"

The garments on display in the exhibition hall were exquisitely crafted, far surpassing the items sold in the regular store. However, these were classic masterpieces, never meant to be put up for sale. Naturally, Cheng Cheng couldn't afford them anyway.

Muzi dragged Cheng Cheng into the exhibition hall, where they lingered for a full two hours before hunger finally drove them out.

The two of them returned to the upscale restaurant. Admittedly, the atmosphere inside the restaurant was magnificent, and the food was delicious, but it came with one major drawback: it was undeniably expensive. Since Cheng Cheng was completely out of cash by this point, Muzi had to foot the bill.

"Cheng Cheng, do you have any plans for tonight?"

"Of course! Didn't we agree to visit the Prism Tower tonight?"

"Oh, I completely forgot! Then let's eat quickly so we can head over."

"Relax, there's no need to rush. The Prism Tower is famous precisely because it lights up in brilliant, multicolored hues after dark, so we have to wait until night falls completely."

"I suppose you're right."

After sharing another sweet and leisurely dinner, Cheng Cheng and Muzi made their way toward the Prism Tower.

The Prism Tower stood proudly in the Central Plaza, which itself lay at the very heart of Lumiose City. By nighttime, the area grew densely packed with people, bordering on crowded.

Although the Prism Tower was still undergoing repairs, it could still be admired from the outside at night, even if climbing it was currently out of the question.

The perimeter of the plaza flashed with vibrant lights, while the tower at the center was a breathtaking spectacle of illumination. A symphony of shifting colors made the entire structure appear utterly enchanting.

"Cheng Cheng, let's go up there and take a look."

"No way. Didn't you see that the place is under maintenance? If we sneak up there, something bad might happen."

"Oh, come on, nothing will happen. We aren't that heavy. Let's just go up for a peek; I really want to see what the view is like from the top."

Cheng Cheng glanced up at the Prism Tower, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately nodded.

"Woohoo!"

"Cheng Cheng, let's hurry up! Oh right, how are we even going to get up there?"

"Using conventional methods is obviously out of the question. Besides, the tower is closed off, so there's no way inside. See that platform up there? That's where we're heading."

Higher up on the tower's structure, a relatively wide section formed a compact observation platform.

"Let's go there."

"Alright, are we going to fly up on a Pokémon?"

"No need for that, it would draw too much attention."

"Gardevoir, I leave it to you."

"Gardevoir!"

With the aid of Teleport, Cheng Cheng and Muzi instantly materialized on the tower's upper platform.

"Wow, it's so beautiful up here!"

Looking down from the tower, they could see the shimmering lights below and take in the panoramic night view of Lumiose City. Lights twinkled across every corner of the metropolis, creating a scene of mesmerizing beauty.

"All right, let's sit down. Be careful."

Cheng Cheng pulled Muzi down beside him, and the two sat together, letting the gentle evening breeze wash over them as they soaked in the scenery.

"So, are you happy today?"

"Of course I'm happy! Cheng Cheng, truly, thank you."

"As long as you're happy. Anywhere you want to go, I will always accompany you."

Cheng Cheng gazed at Muzi, and Muzi looked back at him. Inch by inch, the distance between them closed until their lips met in a tender kiss.

"Hey! You two up there, get down this instant!"

A sudden shout echoed from below—they had been discovered.

"Gardevoir, let's go."

Gardevoir used Teleport, whisking them away to a distant street, whereupon the two of them broke into a dash.

Though no one was actively chasing them, Cheng Cheng and Muzi ran swiftly down the street, laughing as they went. The thrill of the escape filled them with an extraordinary, buoyant joy.