The next few days passed in similar fashion, with my parents checking out the ranch most of the time. Even on vacation, there were still some emails to answer and calls to make to ensure things ran smoothly in their absence. For my part, I made sure to give my team some basic training while waiting for the auction. I also spent a fair amount of time with Mom and Dad at the ranch and even tested myself against one of the handler Pokemon.

  It was a short affair, Nightwing easily crushing the Gyarados, hardly Intimidated by the massive Pokemon and landing a few well-placed Thunder Fangs to defeat it. They’re strong, and more to the point, smarter than a lot of the wild Pokemon around here, but it’s still not enough. I was reaching the limits of what my Pokemon could learn from the Pokemon nearby, though I knew there were greater challenges further north and in a few key locations, like the Hollow looming in the distance.

  Those were challenges for another day, however, as today we had an auction to get to. The city had several nice locales, a few parks and the like, but the Auction House was clearly the star attraction of it all. A massive structure hung overhead to keep out the rain and worst of the elements, while the large openings gave it an open-air market feel. There were rows upon rows of all sorts of merchants and auctioneers, the line blurring between the two as people tried to outbid each other against other merchants or would haggle over smaller stands where others seemed uninterested.

  So many items are on sale here, everything from regular Potions to rarities like Regi Trio Pokedolls. So many ships come from all around the globe every day to stock these stands. It feels overwhelming when I picture myself as such a small piece of these massive systems that make up our everyday life.

  As much as I could lose myself over the fun and unique finds of the open market, we were headed deeper inside, to the ‘exclusive’ section. Here, the truly incredible finds were stored and sold. It also came with higher security, a big guard standing at the door with three Pokeballs on his belt checking anyone who tried to pass through the double doors to the enclosed hallway.

  I get the feeling he was checking us out more by our clothing than the registration ticket. Looking around as we walked inside, our high-priced, fancy clothing fit in with the other potential bidders. Lavish gowns and pristine suits filled the long hallway with multiple doors leading to different auction rooms.

  The hallway itself was plush and warm, richly decorated in soft gold and reds. It created an interesting contrast with the cold stares we got from some of the people there, instantly sizing us up. Why are they so on edge at our entrance?

  A whisper I caught on the wind of ‘Glitterati’ clicked the pieces in my mind. Each of them is worried we might be trying to outbid whatever they're looking for. Not that everyone was reacting poorly to our presence, however; a few saw us with little more than curiosity. Including a familiar face.

  I was caught between approaching him or not, but upon seeing auction room #3 just past where Freddrick was standing, I bit the bullet and marched over to him. “Freddrick,” I said awkwardly, giving him a curt nod of my head, somewhat unsure how to react here. Feels weird to just ignore him since we’ve clearly seen each other, but I’ll leave it up to him if he wants to make anything more of it.

  He jerked slightly, as if surprised by me (despite having his eyes trained on me like a hawk as I walked closer). “Nemona. I take it you’re here for the Lucarioite?” He asked after a second.

  My mind whirled, rapidly considering denying it before rejecting the idea. While I’d rather not give the crowd information on what we’re going for, they’ll realize soon enough. “Yeah, I’d like to grab it if I can.”

  Frederick’s signature sneer came out. “This is why you’re taking a break from the Gym Circuit? Afraid you won’t make it without Mega Evolution?”

  “Nope. If I can’t get it, I can’t. I’ve got faith in Athena no matter what.” Honestly not even sure the Gym Leaders will allow me to use Mega Evolution; this is more for the Elite Four and beyond. The Great Crater loomed heavily in my mind. I might not be allowed to use Mega Evolution and Terastalization in the same League-sanctioned battle, but anything went down in Area Zero.

  Seeing my brazen confidence, the boy faltered, so I pressed on. “What are you here for?”

  “Ah- There’s a Soul Dew auction coming up,” he muttered before clamping his mouth down.

  My eyes widened. “Soul Dew!?” I whistled. “Wow, that’s rare. But… why do you want that? You got a Latios or Latias in your pocket? Or is it just to have a nice collection piece? Though I guess maybe you could want to study its energies and effects…” I trailed off, mostly talking to myself as I pondered how that strange item worked. How did people even find out how Soul Dews worked in the first place? Did they even, or was it one of the Eon Pokemon who knew and told them with their Psychic powers?

  “Wha- no, I’m not getting it just as a collection piece. And how would you even study it without a Latios or Latias? You’re weird,” he shot out before regaining himself. “I’ll get my Pokemon soon enough - don’t forget that no matter how good you do in the Treasure Hunt now, I’ll be crushing you in a few years.”

  I quirked an eyebrow before saying, “Good luck with that.” Then I turned and walked inside to auction room #3. As I left, I heard the rich boy whispering to himself, wondering how he was going to get a Latios, and I chuckled. That guy, still so concerned about appearances. Still, he seems a lot calmer and less rude than before (not that it’s a challenge), so that’s something.

  He was a minor concern, and one that I put out of my mind as I focused on the challenge ahead. Billy and O’Nare boldly strode through the doors to the relatively cozy audience hall while I trailed behind them. There were forty some seats set out, with room for more to be brought in towards the back if need be, though less than half were currently occupied.

  At the front of the hall was a small stage, with a podium and a professional man standing behind it, calling out for bids. Items would get carted onstage from the back and either be given to the bidder directly (if the item was small enough to carry) or would be sent to the other side of the backstage to have their hard-bought item arranged to be sent to them via other means.

  I wonder how they plan on getting that near-full Tyrantrum fossil moved to that woman’s house or how they shipped it all in one piece in the first place? I shook my head from those thoughts as a new item caught my eye, the next bid being called up.

  “Next up, we have an artisan handcrafted Apricorn Ball. Dubbed the ‘Friend Ball’ by its creator, Maizie of Azalea Town. Any Pokemon within is sure to appreciate the level of detail and care that has gone into making this fine piece of art. The bidding starts at 100,000 Pokedollars.”

  An honest-to-Arceus Apricorn Ball here?! I saw the listings for the auction house, and it just said Friend Ball… which is a type of Apricorn Ball, duh! And I don’t recognize the name Maizie, but if she’s from Azalea Town, then she probably trained under Kurt, right?

  As I was thinking it over, bids were already being placed. In a panic, I flipped up the number sign sitting on the armrest of my chair. The auctioneer pointed at me. “Yes, number 63?”

  “150,000,” I stated, causing a swift murmur to ripple through the crowd as they took in my bid. Even my parents were looking curiously at me.

  “Is this something you truly want?” O’Nare whispered, barely moving her mouth. I didn’t have the skill to do the same but could reply back with Aura to shape the air to deliver my response.

  “Yes.” Not just want, need. If things go bad and I have to confront Turo in his lab, I need to know how to make a Pokeball that isn’t connected to the League network. This will help more than even how much Mega Evolution could, to be honest.

  “160,000 Pokedollars,” an elderly gentleman closer to the front said, restarting the calls for bids.

  “Then bid high for the next one,” my mother instructed me.

  “160,000 going once, going twice…” The auctioneer said before I shot up my sign.

  “200,000.” My voice echoed through the room, and while the man who had bid against me crumpled his hat up in his lap, but didn’t make a move to counter.

  “200,000 going once, going twice, sold! Please come up to the stage to collect your bid, Miss.” I did so, carefully holding it in the palm of my hands. To most, it just seemed like a (very expensive) item of prestige, like a painting or a statue that I might show off. To me, it was potential.

  The potential to crack the code on how a lot of Pokeballs work. Something that was considered an international League secret and one that I could be heavily punished for trying to figure out without proper authorization. Hopefully Geeta and others will understand if it comes down to that. If it works. Which it should! Everything I’ve read about Apricorn Balls implies that pieces put on after the fact that connect it to the network would be easy to differentiate from the rest of the pieces-

  “Are you going to put Dun in that ball?” Billy’s hushed question snapped me out of my thoughts and reminded me of where I was, having wandered back to my seat and staring at the ball in my hands.

  “Maybe later,” I replied, distractedly painting a smile on my face. Assuming it withstands the deconstruction process I put it through.

  Mom clapped her hands together. “Oh, it’s so wonderful when you find an unexpected treat like that.” Practice kept my grin in place even as guilt crept up in my mind. “We should visit places like this more often; it looks like there are all kinds of fun trinkets to buy.”

  “Why did you give me that advice?” I asked, distracting myself from other thoughts.

  “Ah, by bidding high twice in a row, it shows you’re a big spender willing to crush the competition. The bids for the Friend Ball were fairly tepid back and forth. If you had only slowly raised the price, they might have been willing to match you for longer.”

  Not quite the sunk cost fallacy, but I get it. Especially since that man didn’t look like the professional stand-ins they have here. Most of them were dressed professionally but far less well than any others. From what my parents had told me, each of them had to be given a set amount as the highest they could bid by whoever hired them to avoid any impossible bids being made.

  The next few bids passed without particular note until finally, the item we came for was here. Even before the fabric was dramatically pulled off the stand holding it, I could feel the energy radiating off of the Mega Stone. Athena likely could as well, as I felt her Pokeball stir, though she retained enough control not to pop out of it.

  “Our final item of the day is a Mega Stone, one Lucarioite. This rare item comes to us straight from Kalos, where it was unearthed…” The man droned on like that for a while, but I could hardly focus on it, Athena’s excitement bleeding through to me. Despite that, I did my best to appear neutral and relaxed.

  “We’ll begin the bidding at 1,000,000 Pokedollars.” As the auctioneer was announcing that, Dad was whispering to me.

  “We’ll feel them out first, don’t worry.” I nodded, noting as different people in the crowd pushed the price up. There were a few eager bids only raising the price by a million Pokedollars that quickly petered out by the time it reached twenty million. After thirty million, there were only three competitors left, until my father made his bid.

  “31,000,000,” he announced to the auctioneer. The three other bidders turned to face him, if only briefly. An elderly lady gnashed her teeth together (literally clutching the pearls around her neck; didn’t know anyone did that) before sitting down in a huff.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  While she had clearly given up, a young man dressed in a surprisingly sporty blue jacket glared at us. Upon his belt, I noted three Pokeballs and realized he wasn’t just some young rich guy but likely a skilled Trainer, possibly an Ace.

  Is he looking for an edge to boost his team? Am I taking away from someone else’s dream by obtaining this? It’s not like I need it… On the other hand, I promised my team that I’d give everything I could to make them strong. And he still has money and could become strong through other means. Not to mention it’ll provide a real benefit if I have to confront Turo in Area Zero.

  While I was thinking it over, the bidding rose up and up, with the young man giving up as Dad finally jumped the price up to forty-five million.

  “45,000,000, going once,-”

  “50,000,000.” The voice came from the last of the three original bidders, one of the stand-ins who had stepped back suddenly speaking up again. It sent a series of whispers through the crowd, but I caught the flash of a smirk on Billy’s face.

  “50,000,001.” He bid, causing me to blink. That feels a little low- huh, the stand-in isn’t moving to counter us. Oh! The stand-in must have reached the maximum they were allowed to bid from whoever hired them.

  “Going once, going twice, sold!” The auctioneer cried out. “Please come up to collect your prize.” My father did so, walking up and receiving the Mega Stone before walking back to us.

  Huh, feels like this would be the moment where an evil Team bursts in to run off with the auction items, or the Ace Trainer challenges me to a fight to prove himself ‘more deserving’ of the Mega Stone. A quick glance around the auction hall determined I was in no such risk of hidden thieves, and the other bidders remained in their seats.

  Anticlimactically, I stood up as Dad approached, only to be beaten to the punch as Athena burst out of her ball, standing eagerly in front of me, tail whipping back and forth into the (thankfully empty) chairs on either side of her. With a chuckle, Billy passed it to her at my nod.

  The stone came with a stretchy yet durable cloth loop, letting her put it around her neck. As it snapped on, she turned to face me, and with a toothy grin, howled in triumph. I couldn’t help but cheer as well. “Woo!”

  This was met by a few polite claps and a very aggravated clearing of the auctioneer’s throat. “Ahem,” he said pointedly, and we both looked embarrassed at making a scene.

  “Sorry,” I said with a quick bow before we left the hall. My first Mega Evolvable Pokemon. I can’t wait to try it out!

  ***

  Luckily, I didn’t need to wait long; the three of us (Athena returned to her Pokeball) left the main auction structure and city. Billy and O’Nare veered off to the ranch while Athena and I were eager to practice her new power amidst the fields, though they stuck around long enough to watch (and record) Athena’s first Mega Evolution.

  “Alright Athena, you ready?” I asked, getting an impatient nod from her before my question was even finished. “Haha, ok, let’s go.” Taking a deep breath, I held up my Keystone, pointing it at her. “Mega Evolve!”

  I didn’t receive any instruction guide on how to use the Mega Stone with the winning bid, but the process was instinctual enough. My Auric awareness made the energies surrounding the two stones clear, and I pushed my Aura into the Keystone. The stone greedily drank up my life force, leaving me feeling drained so fast I almost reactively pulled back.

  Recognizing it as normal, I instead let the energy go, simply directing it through the bond I had with Athena. I had studied Mega Evolution enough to know that it couldn’t kill me, though it would be quite draining. That part feels weird. I know I have a bond with all of my Pokemon, but I usually can’t feel it, not so vividly like this, even without my Aura. Or is it just that I’m sensing my own energy rushing through the channels that make our bond, making it appear more tangible in this moment?

  Such questions were pushed out of my mind as I saw the glowing shell appear around Athena before she burst out, the energy exploding off of her. With a proud cry, she shouted out, “Lucario!”

  Her appearance wasn’t that different from before. Some brown fur on her paws, her yellow fur a bit shaggier, and a slight bit taller. But her eyes had taken on an orange tint, and the energy radiating off of her was palpable. An air of danger surrounded every twitch of her muscles as newfound power flowed through her, to the point that anyone could sense the threat she represented. Off in the distance, I saw herds of Tauros stampeding away in fright, Murkrows and Staravias taking to the sky, and other Pokemon like a Donphan slinking away, even as they tried to place themselves in between this new threat and the young Phanphys they looked after.

  Anyone would be foolish to approach her like this… So I shouldn’t be surprised that my parents are rushing towards her.

  “What a unique dazzle!”

  “Indeed! Terastalization has its own shine, but this puts a whole new twist on it. How innovative!”

  More the other way around with Terastalization coming after Mega Evolution. Athena growled lowly, baring her teeth a little as my parents approached her, so I stepped in.

  “Let’s give her a little space, shall we?” My voice came out in quick gasps. Feels like I ran a marathon. Turning to face her straight in the eye, I managed to ask. “How are you doing?”

  ‘Powerful. Eager. Need- Fight. Destroy.’ Her empathic communication came in sputtering spurts, her control going all over the place. It was clear that she was having trouble controlling this much power, and it was interfering with her communication. She was hardly angry with us, but that much power made things dangerous even with the best of intentions.

  “Why don’t you guys go back to the ranch?” I suggested to my parents. Before they could complain, I added, “We’ve got a lot of training to do. We can show you some cool Moves when we’re done.” Or at least, get her to the point where she isn’t feeling uncertain about her control and feels proud about showcasing her regular Moves in this boosted state. Though, if all goes well…

  “Splendid. There was a delightful pair of Pokemon I was looking at before and I can’t wait to see them again,” my mother said, her eyes literally sparkling. Is that an anime-esque thing, or did she buy some expensive contacts for that? Either is possible with my family.

  It was hard to say, but soon they were off, leaving me and Athena alone in the field. “I was going to have you train against the local Pokemon, but I don’t think anyone here is eager to fight you. Though they probably wouldn’t have been a challenge even without this.” She nodded tersely.

  “So, let’s run you through the basics. Practice a few Moves in the open here where you don’t need to worry about anyone getting hurt. Then you can spar against some of the team.” Tossing her a bone, I added, “I know Dun has been looking forward to a rematch.

  That lit a fire in her eyes, and she stomped the ground eagerly. “Luuu!” Even the relatively light tap on the earth sent out an Earthquake rippling through the ground all around and matched what Dun or Nightwing could do when putting their all into the Move.

  “...Ok, let’s hold off on Earthquake for the moment; don’t want to drop the cliff edge onto the city below.” We were a decent distance away, so I wasn’t too worried, but I couldn’t rule out the possibility entirely. Even with that slight fear, I couldn’t help but feel excited about this. Terastalization, especially defensive ones, is still a huge game changer in its own right, but the sheer power Mega Evolving brings makes me giddy nonetheless.

  She ran through her Moves. Some of them, like Trailblaze, were clearly stronger and faster than before, but the exact impact of how much more power they had was hard to discern without a living target to hit. Overall though, it was still an impressive showing of her new abilities. As well as her new Ability.

  That made the largest difference in the power on display, her Adaptability stacking with the general power boost she got to let her fire off Aura Spheres larger than her whole body, which sent cracks running through the rocky Collonade Hollow. They were small in comparison to the massive structure dominating the landscape but still significant in scope.

  Off in the distance, a loud, challenging cry rang out, so far away that even I could barely hear it. Clearly, I’m not the only one who thinks so. I forgot about them, but they might be a good challenge for Athena.

  “C’mon out, Dun,” I called as I released my starter. He turned immediately to face Athena, his tail already spinning slowly, anticipating their fight. Athena grinned violently, slamming her knuckles together, making a small shockwave.

  “I can see I don’t need to tell you two anything, other than a reminder to be careful. And maybe give me a minute to get out of the way.” I huffed and puffed as I pulled myself up on top of a nearby cliff. God, this would be easy without the drain of Mega Evolution. I hope it gets easier with time and practice.

  When I got to the top, I saw Athena simply pointing at Dun and communicating, ‘Power.’ I blinked before realizing what she was getting at. Dun himself gave the shoulderless equivalent of a shrug.

  Fair enough, I guess he won’t be using many Normal Type attacks given her Steel Typing. Still, it doesn’t hurt. I tossed the Tera Orb over in a long arc, Terastalizing Dun. He gave a fierce cry as the bejeweled Tera ‘hat’ appeared over his now glittering body, the land snake staring Athena straight in the eyes.

  This was a mistake (and one I wouldn’t have expected her to fall for in her regular state). Without a signal to begin, Dun opened the fight by Glaring at her, and she had no way to resist it, her muscles seizing up. Then they disappeared.

  “What?” I questioned aloud; before my eyes managed to track onto them, Dun had been knocked half a kilometer away by Athena’s Extreme Speed. Even Paralyzed, and I couldn’t track her movements at all!

  Dun was used to being slower than his opponent and didn’t let a little thing like getting beaten around stop him from fighting back. A wide Flamethrower stream had her jumping back, but before she could go around it, she jerked to a stop.

  My starter used the opportunity to run through an Agility, zipping around and speeding up with the Psychic Type Move to better match her. He still ended up clipped by the Aura Sphere Athena launched at him, several scales breaking and shattering from the blow.

  Dun spun his drill, ducking underground to avoid the shot before tunneling rapidly towards Athena. She scoffed, shooting up high in the air with a powerful jump. An Aura Sphere in hand, she launched it at where he was going to pop up, beneath where she had been standing… only for him to pop up a dozen meters away.

  Did she lose her Aura Sight enough that she couldn’t find him- No, he deked her out, I realized as I saw Dun flap his wings furiously, conjuring a massive Hurricane right in Athena’s path. His twisty body let him get very close to the surface where Athena targeted, then change paths.

  Throwing her arms behind her, twin Dragon Pulses rocketed her back towards Dun and away from the storm. My land snake breathed out a stream of fire straight at her, and though she narrowly dodged it with a Quick Attack, she lost a lot of her momentum with the maneuver.

  The battle continued, with Athena throwing all sorts of attacks at Dun, forced into an uncomfortable position of having to launch darting blows, trying to keep up with a foe physically stronger than him, while usually he was the nigh-invincible juggernaut pressing forward on them. The Type match-up didn’t help either, but he was experienced enough to know how to adapt to that situation, even without my direct guidance.

  Athena, for her part… She’s not fighting intelligently. I could hardly say she was fighting ‘foolishly,’ though; she still had good form and exceptional reflexes, but as I saw her strike at Dun with her Force Whips, hitting him and the ground around him, I noted how she could have driven him towards a cliff face, backing him into a corner as opposed to the open road she let him escape to. Her tactics have gone out the window. She's fighting solely on instinct, like why she uses Quick Attack to dodge some shots instead of Extreme Speed, just because she’s more used to one than the other.

  The sheer strength she had at her disposal was enough to even the difference between her tactics and his, however. A powerful Close Combat should have knocked Dun out clean only to land into an odd doll-like construct, my Starter Substituting out of the way before pelting her with Air Slashes.

  The Mega Evolved Pokemon flinched, caught off guard by how sharply the wind cut into her. Usually her innate Ability would have protected her from that, but her new one, while granting her tons of power, left her surprised by that facet of his Move.

  Dun followed up with a Body Press, proving that Miles wasn’t the only member of the team he’d been copying. The heavy press crushed down hard on Athena, Dun’s body twisting to pin her down and prevent any powerful strikes.

  This mattered little as spears of Aura, akin to Force Palm, lanced out from her body in every direction, throwing Dun off with a pained hiss. A quick Drain Punch followed it up, helping her recover. Impressive, the instinctual alteration of that Move.

  She wasn’t the only one healing throughout the fight, with Dun performing many ‘micro-Roosts’ in between getting knocked around. They don’t do much, but it’s still an impressive edge and makes him seem even bulkier than he naturally is.

  Despite that, all good things came to an end, and he was clearly running out of steam as his latest gambit with Invisible Yawn failed utterly; the transparent cloud blasted apart before ever getting near her. The Mega Pokemon knocked him aside with an Extreme Speed punch, and I thought things were over there before she kicked him up into the air. I don’t recognize that Move.

  She leapt up, kicking him through the air, less up and from side to side. … That’s not a Move. She’s playing hackysack with him. She’s toying with him.

  A decision she came to regret as he beat his wings furiously, creating an upside-down Hurricane, slamming them both into the ground. The force of his impact fueled an Earthquake that wracked Athena’s body further, and when she rose, it was on unsteady limbs. Her particular Mega Evolution makes her miles faster and stronger, but she’s pretty much as vulnerable to harm as she was before.

  Dun was hardly in better condition, forcing himself to glare across the ruined field at her. “Dudun. Arce.” He challenged. There’s something in there about being weak and worthless, though I’m missing the exact wording there.

  Whatever it was, it was enough to get her to charge up a powerful grayish ball of energy in front of her, between her hands. Steel Beam, that’s the play then. Glad I caught his plan, or I would have called off the battle here.

  For his part, Dun surrounded himself with a green energy as if preparing to charge ahead with a Giga Impact. Athena released her beam, so blindingly bright I had to shield my eyes. When I opened them, I saw it went as I expected: Dun gasping for breath, utterly exhausted, but safe behind his Protect barrier. Across the road from him, Athena stood, slack-jawed for a second until her Move took its toll, and she passed out, falling flat on her face.

  “Dun is the winner,” I said tiredly, to a small cheer from him before he too fell asleep. I stood there in silence for a moment before I looked around at the ruined landscape. “Dammit, who’s gonna help me clean this up then?”

  Discord to talk about it. Thank you and have a great day.

  - Tera Type: Normal

  - Held Item: Expert Belt

  - Abilities: Run Away, Serene Grace

  - Moves known:

  - 'Miles' (Rotom, Genderless, Electric/Form dependent Type)

  - Tera Type: Electric

  - Held Item: Life Orb

  - Ability: Levitate

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Nightwing' (Gliscor, Female, Flying/Ground Type)

  - Tera Type: Water

  - Held Item: Toxic Orb

  - Ability: Hyper Cutter, Poison Heal

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Notch' (Carbink, Genderless, Rock/Fairy Type)

  - Tera Type: Fighting

  - Held Item: Light Clay

  - Ability: Clear Body

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Phantasm' (Hisuian Zoroark, Female, Normal/Ghost)

  - Tera Type: Ghost

  - Held Item: Lax Incense

  - Ability: Illusion

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Athena' (Lucario, Mega-Evolveable, Female, Fighting/Steel)

  - Tera Type: Fighting

  - Held Item: Clear Amulet

  - Ability: Steadfast

  - Moves Known:

  -'Bahamut' (Fraxure, Male, Dragon)

  - Tera Type: Dragon

  - Held Item: Dragon Fang

  - Ability: Mold Breaker

  - Moves Known:

  *Custom Moves