Chapter 212: Super Stone

As soon as Luo Mu finished speaking, the Oranguru suddenly came to its senses. Recalling the blessing left by the Luxray, a smile spread across its face, and it conveyed its words to Luo Mu via telepathy: "It says this is a gift of gratitude for the food I've provided it over this period. It's truly fortunate that it could be delivered exactly today."

Luo Mu smiled with understanding and said, "What a good child who knows how to repay kindness; even after being abandoned by humans, it holds no resentment toward the world around it, but instead chooses to repay your kindness with its own."

The Oranguru nodded in agreement, first putting away the berry given by the Luxray, then picking up the most beautiful item from the pile of small trinkets—the round glass marble—and examining it carefully under the sunlight.

Among that pile of trinkets, this little glass marble was undoubtedly the most beautiful; with a sea-blue base and an orange-grey pattern at its center, it resembled an exquisite playing marble used by children.

"As expected."

Just as the Oranguru was observing the glass marble under the sun, Luo Mu leaned in, stroking his chin with a look that said 'just as I thought.'

He had been wondering why the System was so anxious; he hadn't expected that among the Luxray's gifts there would be such a fine item.

"Yare?"

Perhaps due to Luo Mu's sudden outburst, the Oranguru forgot to use telepathy and instead spoke directly through its vocal cords.

Unfortunately, Luo Mu couldn't understand the untranslated phrase, but judging by the Oranguru's expression, he could roughly guess its meaning and explained with a smile, "This thing... should be called a Key Stone, or Mega Stone; it possesses the miraculous power to help Pokémon evolve one step further."

The moment he finished speaking, Luo Mu took out a Poké Ball and released his Swampert once more.

As soon as the Swampert left the Poké Ball, it was puzzling over why Luo Mu had called it out again, when a strange sense of summons made it involuntarily turn its neck, its gaze fixed squarely on the "glass marble" in the Oranguru's hand.

For some reason, that marble gave the Swampert an unprecedented sense of affinity, even as its mind frantically urged it to snatch the marble from the Oranguru's hand and claim it as its own.

Yet the Swampert would not be driven by such desires; even though the longing raged wildly within its heart and its gaze remained firmly glued to the marble, the Swampert refused to move a single step, embodying what it meant to have a will of steel.

Observing the Swampert's reaction, Luo Mu understood: "Judging by the pattern and the Swampert's response, this Key Stone is likely... a Swampertite, capable of granting the Swampert the power to evolve once more."

The Oranguru listened thoughtfully; once Luo Mu confirmed that this stone most probably belonged to the Swampert, and considering how absurdly powerful the already formidable Swampert would become with a new form, the Oranguru handed the stone over to the Swampert without any hesitation.

The Swampert did not rashly accept it, but instead first looked toward Luo Mu.

Luo Mu sighed at what a coincidence this was—that among the gifts the Luxray gave the Oranguru, there happened to be a Swampertite; could its Hidden Ability be Pickup?

Facing the Swampert's inquiring gaze, before Luo Mu could even open his mouth, the Oranguru proactively spoke via telepathy: "Since we will be living together from now on, my belongings are also Young Master Luo Mu's belongings; this stone is useless to me, so it is better to entrust it to the Swampert, who can unleash its power."

"I imagine the Luxray would also be delighted to know that the item it found can serve a purpose."

The Swampert looked at the Oranguru with considerable surprise; after receiving Luo Mu's signal of approval, it silently accepted the Swampertite, internally acknowledging the goodwill of this future new member of the farm, and resolving that from now on, it would look after the Oranguru within the farm.

"I thought you wouldn't let the Swampert accept this gift so quickly."

Sitting on a swing built by a certain Pokémon in the garden of the Butler Academy, the Oranguru's telepathic voice rang out in Luo Mu's mind.

Thanks to his prior experience communicating with Moltres, Luo Mu was now quite skilled at holding telepathic conversations with the Oranguru.

"This stone represents a qualitative leap for the Swampert; how could I hesitate? As long as we find the corresponding Key Stone, the Swampert will be able to undergo Mega Evolution."

"At that time, with its brand-new form, it might even surpass the Luxray and become our new ace..."

Luo Mu replied to the Oranguru's question with considerable emotion in his thoughts.

"You are very honest."

The Oranguru felt that through their chats, it was gradually coming to understand Luo Mu as a person; so far, it was very satisfied and certain that it had not chosen the wrong person, for in both character and strength, Luo Mu matched the master it had hoped to serve.

"That said, having suddenly received such a grand gift, I feel it is necessary to thank the Luxray. Butler, do you know if there is anything the Luxray likes, or anything it desires?"

"So that is why you accepted the stone so directly; so that was your intention? Actually, regarding what the Luxray seeks, after spending this time together, I have some ideas."

"As for it, although it seems very accustomed to living alone as a Pokémon, in reality, it probably deeply longs to meet again the person who 'abandoned' it."

The Oranguru recalled its past exchanges with the Luxray; thanks to its wisdom, the Luxray's story and its inner thoughts had been thoroughly perceived by the Oranguru.

Luo Mu frowned and said, "It still longs to meet again after being abandoned? Could there be some hidden circumstance?"

The Oranguru nodded slightly and recounted the story it had heard from the Luxray.

A Shinx, Suffers Heavily injured and starving, one day met a youth studying at an Electric-type Pokémon vocational school, and together they made a vow: "To create a town and a world where all Pokémon can live happily."

In the days that followed, the Shinx and the youth ate and lived together, inseparable, creating many beautiful memories.

The Shinx firmly believed the youth was its future Trainer, and the youth seemed to feel the same, issuing an invitation to the Shinx one day and agreeing upon a specific time and place.

In the Shinx's eyes, the youth was surely going to extend a formal invitation to it.

However, on the agreed meeting day, the youth failed to show up, leading the Shinx to believe it had been abandoned by him.

Yet even to this day, the Shinx, now evolved into a Luxray, still guards the invention the youth left behind within the school.

After finishing the story, the Oranguru sighed, "If possible, it would be wonderful if they could meet each other again."

"I suspect that must have been a misunderstanding, a regrettable missed opportunity."

Luo Mu felt this story sounded somewhat familiar, yet something seemed missing, so he asked, "Regarding that youth, Butler, do you have any clues?"

The Oranguru recalled for quite a while before hesitatingly saying, "What the Luxray guards seems to be the power transmission system for those electric baths established within this city of Lumiose."

Power transmission system?

Luo Mu listened intently to the Oranguru's clues, with terms like Lumiose City, Electric-type Pokémon vocational school, electric baths, Luxray, and power transmission system flashing through his mind.

In an instant, a spark of inspiration struck Luo Mu; speaking of the connection between an Electric-type inventor from the Kalos region and a Luxray!

Taking out his phone, Luo Mu quickly typed "Lumiose City electric bath full name" into the search engine and hit search; a name appeared in his field of vision.

The full name of the electric bath is—"Clemontic Gear."

(End of Chapter)