Chapter 288: The Four Meet

Rex and Mai continued toward their final marked point, passing the area where they had encountered the Steelix earlier. By now, the passage had partially collapsed, evidently the result of the Steelix's earlier rage.

After navigating through the rubble-strewn corridor, the two felt fortunate that the Steelix hadn't completely destroyed the path. Otherwise, they would have needed considerable effort to clear the way.

Moreover, their worst fears did not materialize—the Steelix was no longer there. It seemed it had only been passing through and their encounter was merely coincidental.

After spending most of the day, they finally arrived at the fourth marked point. This time, they were lucky not to face many wild Pokémon attacks. Most of the Pokémon they encountered actively avoided them.

Rex found this puzzling at first, but later came up with a reasonable explanation.

They had been in this underground cavern long enough that their foreign aura had been masked by the cave's natural atmosphere. As a result, the wild Pokémon residing in the cave no longer viewed them as intruders.

In simpler terms, the local Pokémon had come to see them as part of the ecosystem. Unless provoked, the cave-dwelling Pokémon would leave them alone.

Thanks to this, their journey to the fourth marked point was much smoother. Aside from a Claydol that attacked for unknown reasons—quickly defeated by Mai's Gallade—they encountered few disturbances.

Navigating the area's winding paths and numerous forks took the better part of the day, but they eventually reached the final marked point.

To their surprise, they found Beach and John already there. However, the two didn't seem surprised by Rex and Mai's arrival since this area had been designated for Rex's team to explore.

"Beach, how did you end up here?"

After the four met, Beach led Rex and Mai to a campsite they had prepared. Unable to suppress his curiosity, Rex asked.

"We've already explored all our marked points," Beach explained while leading the way. "We found a path connecting to this point and decided to meet up with you."

At the campsite, Rex and Mai were satisfied with the location. A faint light filtered through cracks in the ceiling, creating a unique and tranquil environment.

"By the way, did you find any Mega Stones?" John suddenly asked.

"I managed to get one by sheer luck, but I'm not sure which Pokémon it belongs to. What about you two?"

Rex didn't hide his discovery and responded honestly.

"Unfortunately, no. Although we did find some good stuff, we didn't come across any Mega Stones," John replied, his expression brightening momentarily before dimming again.

"Cheer up, John," Beach said optimistically. "Since Rex found one, it confirms that this place does have Mega Stones. Even if we didn't get one this time, we can always come back after regrouping and trying again."

"You're right. Rex, could you tell us how you found yours?" John asked hesitantly, scratching his head.

Though it felt a bit impolite to ask so directly, his curiosity got the better of him.

Rex didn't mind sharing the details, including the location of the marked point where he found the Mega Stone.

He wasn't being overly generous—he simply had no intention of coming back to play the role of a miner here. Besides, Mega Stones could be found in many places, particularly throughout the Kalos region.

Rex already planned to visit Kalos, where he might stumble upon more Mega Stones during his travels.

What intrigued Rex most was identifying which Pokémon the Mega Stone he had found belonged to. If it was usable for his team, that would be ideal.

Among Rex's Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution were Gyarados, Combusken, Haunter, Heracross, and Flaaffy (shiny variant). Additionally, his Carbink, if it evolved into Diancie, could also Mega Evolve.

Though Diancie's evolution was a distant goal, Rex couldn't help but imagine the potential. A Mega-Evolved Diancie could rival some legendary Pokémon in strength.

"Rex, could we take a look at your Mega Stone? I've never seen one up close," John asked eagerly after hearing Rex's story.

Rex obliged, taking the Mega Stone out of his bag for everyone to examine.

"It's so mysterious and beautiful," John marveled as he reluctantly returned the stone. "I can feel a strange power emanating from it."

Rex wasn't convinced. To him, without a Key Stone and the proper activation, a Mega Stone was no more than a decorative bauble.

"So, Beach, what are your plans next?" Rex asked after putting the Mega Stone away.

With only a few days left before their one-month deadline and their supplies nearly exhausted, Rex and Mai planned to remain at their final marked point until it was time to leave.

"We originally planned to stay here until the deadline, but after learning about your Mega Stone, we can't resist exploring that marked point," Beach said after exchanging a glance with John, who nodded in agreement.

"Well, good luck!" Rex said, understanding their excitement.

Time was tight, so Beach and John quickly packed up their tents and headed toward the marked point Rex had shared.

Although the encounter with Beach and John was unexpected, it didn't change Rex and Mai's plans.

Who knows—this marked point might still yield unexpected rewards.

(End of Chapter)