The forum post included several photos, each one depicting a different room filled to the brim with rocks and minerals. Cabinets lined all four walls, each shelf stacked full of stones. By Naoki's rough estimate, there had to be at least a thousand.
The seller, Yama, also noted that buyers were welco to visit in person. They could browse the stones themselves and pick whichever one they liked on the spot.
After reading through it all, Naoki found himself a little conflicted.
Wasn't this basically just stone gambling?
Whether you hit the jackpot or not all ca down to luck
Still, the dream of ga Evolution was real. The power to take your Pokémon beyond their limits, unlocking new strength, majestic forms, and overwhelming speed, it stirred every Trainer's heart.
Even Naoki wasn't immune.
If he were just a regular rancher with limited funds, he might hesitate.
But he wasn't.
These days, he had more than enough money flowing in from selling Life Goat Milk, crops, berries, and high-quality Wooloo fleece. And his unique ability, the power to identify item properties, gave him an edge in spotting true treasures.
The more Naoki thought about it, the more excited he beca.
This could be a huge win!
Even if so stones ended up incompatible with his current team, just owning rare ga Stones for collection would be thrilling enough.
At that mont, Naoki realized sothing funny: he and Teddiursa really shared the sa collecting habit. Both of them loved hoarding rare and exotic things.
And this was the perfect opportunity!
Besides, the Kalos region wasn't even far. It was directly north of Paldea.
Technically, the ga took place in northern Kalos, and the area near Paldea bordered southern Kalos—but that didn't matter much to Naoki.
Either way, it was still Kalos.
And with Koraidon at full speed, the journey would take no more than an hour.
He quickly checked the address listed in Yama's post:
203 Autumn Avenue, Lumiose City.
That afternoon, since the Levincia Gym was on its regular day off, Naoki told Iono about the trip. He left the ranch and baby Elara in her care, gave her a warm goodbye, and set off for Kalos with Koraidon.
...
Kalos Region — Lumiose City
When Naoki and Koraidon arrived in the city, it was just past nine in the morning.
The city, still quiet and hushed from the early hours, was slowly waking up—like a great beast stirring to life. The cobblestone streets curved around sleek office buildings at the outskirts, while the inner avenues were lined with classic Parisian-style architecture. Broad roads allowed for smooth travel, and a diagonal canal sliced gracefully through the city's heart.
There was no doubt, this was a tropolis steeped in romance and artistic charm.
Naoki and Koraidon strolled down the bustling street. Back in Kosaji Town, Koraidon's wild and prehistoric form always drew stares. But here? He actually blended in.
After all, the streets were teeming with Pokémon.
There was a majestic Gogoat carrying its Trainer through traffic, an elegantly posed owstic sipping tea at a corner café, a Noivern preening its wings atop a building, and a grumpy Pangoro casually chewing on a stalk of vanilla herb.
Naoki passed nurous cafés, each with its own personality and flair. Café Roue, Café Soleil, Le Grand Chic, Shooter's Café, Boutique Brew, Bark Bark Café… the café culture here was thriving.
Well-dressed socialites lounged by the windows, sipping espresso while flipping through physical newspapers as if digital devices had never been invented.
"Aaah-ghaaah…" Koraidon croaked in awe. He had never seen such a dazzling tropolis. Compared to this, Kosaji Town might as well have been a forgotten village in the mountains.
Naoki smiled as he glanced up at a large billboard advertising a movie: Kalos: Queen of the Skies, featuring none other than Diantha—the Champion of the Kalos League and a famous actress.
Despite her grace, Diantha had a mixed reputation among fans. In the ani, she had trouble keeping up with Ash. In the manga, she was overwheld by Malva of the Elite Four. And in the gas, most players steamrolled her team with ease. Because of this, she'd gained the playful nickna of "the weakest Champion."
"I wonder how strong Diantha really is in this world," Naoki mused.
But he wasn't here today to challenge Champions.
Continuing down Autumn Avenue, Naoki quickly spotted the address listed on the forum—No. 203, nestled along the left side of the cobbled street.
He knocked on the door.
After a few monts, footsteps approached. The door creaked open to reveal a dark-skinned man with a rugged beard and a thick mountaineering jacket. He gave off the unmistakable vibe of a nature-hardened explorer.
This had to be the man who ran the blind box stone sale on the forum.
Naoki introduced himself and explained his visit. Yama gave a hearty laugh and welcod him inside.
"Ah! You must be the guy from Paldea, right?" Yama asked cheerfully.
Naoki had ssaged him online the night before and said he'd be visiting this morning, so the man had been expecting him.
"That's right," Naoki replied.
The man's gaze fell on Koraidon, and he whistled in admiration. "Now that's a magnificent Pokémon! Look at that fra! That noble look! What a stunner!"
"Gaaah!" Koraidon puffed out his chest, clearly understanding the complint. His crimson scales glead, and his proud tail whipped the air.
Naoki gave his partner a sidelong look.
"You two are great. Co on in—I'll take you to the collection room. Just a heads-up though, there's already another custor browsing, so you may have to wait a bit."
"No problem," Naoki nodded.
He and Koraidon followed the man to a large stone display room. Inside, a young man in a baggy sweater stood at a display cabinet, intently inspecting one of the stones.
Naoki glanced around. The room looked exactly like the pictures posted online. Cabinets lined all four walls, packed full of mysterious stones—at least a thousand by his estimate.
But trying to identify anything with the naked eye was nearly impossible.
Each stone was partially buried in dried clay or still fused with raw rock. So stones had a shard exposed, but even then, it was difficult to tell whether it was an actual ga Stone, a pretty mineral, or just a piece of gravel.
The custor seed deep in thought, pacing between the displays. After a while, he pointed confidently at a particular rock.
"This one! I'll take this one!" he said to Yama.
"Are you sure?" the mountain man asked.
"Absolutely! This has to be the ga Stone for Greninja!" the young man declared with unshakable confidence.
He handed over the money, took the stone carefully, and rushed off to the Sycamore Institute to have it appraised.
As the custor left, Naoki stole a glance at the stone, and a surge of information surfaced in his mind, courtesy of his unique ability.
[Fin Fossil: A fossilized remnant of an ancient Pokémon that once road the land. Appears to be part of a cranial fin. Can be revived into the ancient Pokémon "Aurorus" if taken to a certified fossil research facility.]
Naoki raised an eyebrow.
"A sha," he thought silently. "That's not a ga Stone—but still, it's a decent pull. Fossils like that are rare in modern tis."
After all, Aurorus, a majestic Ice- and Rock-type Pokémon from the distant past, was a rarity in the present day.
"Alright, your turn!" said Yama cheerfully. "These stones are from my past 20 years of mountain climbing. I've found them in caves, mole-dug tunnels, and even tracks left behind by wild Onix. Whether there are any actual ga Stones among them… well, that's up to fate!"
"One stone for 40,000 Poké Dollars. Let's see how lucky you are."
Naoki nodded and stepped closer to the massive display cabinet. Carefully, he began scanning the stones, one by one.
Koraidon stood beside him, eyes wide, tail swishing with excitent. The sight of so many glimring rocks made even him a little dizzy.
"Aaaah… gah…" Koraidon muttered in awe.
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