[Dungeon "Team Magma Base" (completed), the rewards are as follows:]
[1.Random advanced Pokemon props
[2.Rare skill TM
[3.Team Pokemon random exclusive props
[4.Designated Pokemon MEGA Evolution Stone (reward for completing side missions)
[5.Red Orb (Imprison) (The first time you complete it, you will get a special reward)]
John flipped through the rewards for this dungeon with childlike excitement, practically bouncing on his heels.
After defeating Mega Camerupt, Maxie had retreated with his tail between his legs. John wanted to chase him down, no villain escapes on his watch!, but Executive Courtney of Team Magma swooped in to block his path. His Greninja, always the showoff, dispatched Courtney with a swift Water Shuriken that left puddles on the dungeon floor. Just like that, the dungeon cleared with a satisfying chime.
"Same old script," John muttered to himself. Just like Team Aqua scenario, these organization bosses always manage to slip away, living to fight another day. Their final confrontation would inevitably take place in Sootopolis City, as the game designers intended.
But John couldn't care less about the predictable plot right now. His fingers practically itched as he reached for his hard-earned rewards.
The Red Orb (Imprison) was nothing new, it had the same attributes as the Blue Orb. Both would need the main storyline completed before revealing their true power. No surprises there.
For his designated MEGA Stone, John chose one for Aggron, just as he'd planned.
"That takes care of one hole in my lineup," he said with satisfaction. His team was still short a few key MEGA evolution stones: Salamence, Aerodactyl, and eventually his Haunter, which would evolve into Gengar once its Imprison status was lifted.
John had a plan for Haunter, but it hinged on raising Gardevoir to LV75 first. With John-Greninja and MEGA Gardevoir fighting side by side, future battles would be considerably easier. Relying solely on Greninja made John feel like he was walking a tightrope without a net.
His Aerodactyl had recently hit LV50, progress, but not enough to join his main rotation yet.His Toten Salamence was powerful enough, but their bond remained too weak for effective teamwork. That would take time.
After clearing countless dungeons, John had figured out the pattern. Every evil organization's base was a dungeon, and even the pathetically weak Team Skull's lair could yield MEGA Stones. He grinned at the possibilitiesn what treasures might await in the bases of Team Flare, Team Galactic, or Team Plasma?
"I'll get more MEGA stones when I need them," he decided, moving on to the next reward.
This time, he'd scored exclusive props for Gardevoir, a pristine white top hat labeled Cap of Consciousness.
"Cap of Consciousness, John read aloud, "All moves consume stamina in half." He whistled appreciatively. "Exclusive for Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir, and Gallade. Invalid when carried by other Pokemon."
In game terms, this meant all of Gardevoir's moves would have double PP! In reality, the effect was even better, Gardevoir could use moves more simply and quickly with half the usual energy cost.
"This means faster Teleport and longer, more detailed Future Sight," John realized, grinning from ear to ear. Much better than a simple boost to Psychic move power!
He carefully placed the elegant top hat on Gardevoir's head. Even if it didn't boost stats, it looked absolutely stunning on his elegant Pokemon.
The rare skill TM he received contained "Trick", a Psychic-type move that exchanged held items with an opponent. Gardevoir couldn't learn it naturally, but the TM would solve that problem.
"The perfect combo," John mused. If Gardevoir used Trick while holding the Cap of Consciousness, the opponent would get a useless hat while Gardevoir could potentially snag something valuable. And since the props automatically returned after battle with trained Pokemon, there was no downside! Wild Pokemon, however, wouldn't know what hit them.
Finally, John examined the secret treasure with widening eyes.
[Critical Strike Lucky Egg: Experience gained increased by 100%, with a chance for 1-3 times critical experience bonus.]
"Holy Miltank!" John exclaimed, nearly dropping the shimmering egg. He'd crafted a treasure-level Lucky Egg before, but it only provided a 50% experience boost. This special egg doubled experience AND had a critical strike multiplier!
"If these stack, that could mean up to SIX TIMES the original experience," he calculated, mind racing with possibilities. With this egg, he could level up his benched Pokemon in no time.
When Greninja had worn a regular Lucky Egg through Team Magma base, triple critical strikes had boosted it by one or two levels from a single run.
"I could actually make group battles worthwhile again," John realized, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Sure, wild Pokemon gave less experience than NPC Trainers, but with potentially fifteen times the usual experience per battle? That math definitely worked in his favor.
John carefully tucked away the Lucky Egg and exited Team Magma's base.
Outside, the sun blazed mercilessly, turning the air into a shimmering haze. The temperature had climbed several degrees during his time in the base, someone's idea of a "warm welcome," no doubt.
But within minutes, dark clouds rolled in without warning, blotting out the sun. A torrential downpour followed, drenching the scorched earth and sending steam rising in thick clouds.
Just as John was about to seek shelter, the rain stopped abruptly. The clouds vanished as quickly as they'd appeared, and the punishing sun returned with a vengeance.
"Well, that's not ominous at all," John said dryly, immediately understanding what was happening.
Groudon and Kyogre were at war, the only legendary Pokemon with enough power to manipulate an entire continent's weather with their temper tantrums.
John quickly summoned his Salamence and prepared to use Fly, setting Sootopolis Island as his destination.
A notification instantly popped up on his Gameboy: [Do you want to enter story mode?]
This was new, his first time seeing such a prompt.
"Two legendary Pokemon battling to destroy the world? Yeah, that deserves special treatment," John chuckled, pressing "Yes" without hesitation.
It was time to save the world... again.