With the assistance of Slowking's Teleport, Aoki escaped the ancient ruins and emerged in a barren stretch of desert. The distance to the exit had been too great for Slowking to traverse in a single jump, but repeated uses of the move would eventually get them to safety. The scorching sun beat down on the dunes as Aoki examined the strange glowing stone in his palm, its surface pulsing with an otherworldly energy.
"This really is a Mega Stone," Aoki murmured, turning the artifact over in his hands. "But which Pokémon does it belong to?"
It had been pure luck that he'd brushed against the porcelain jar while leaving the chamber, revealing the hidden treasure inside. Discovering such a rare Mega stone in these ancient ruins was extraordinary. He couldn't help but hope it might be compatible with one of his own team members - that would be ideal.
The previous Mega Stone he'd acquired was for Lairon, but his Aron had only recently evolved. It would be quite some time before it reached its final evolution as an Aggron. Moreover, simply possessing the stone wasn't enough - the deep bond between Trainer and Pokémon remained crucial for Mega Evolution to occur.
"Slow...king!"
Slowking's urgent cry snapped Aoki from his thoughts. Through their psychic connection, Slowking conveyed a warning - someone had tracked their teleportation trajectory and was pursuing them.
Aoki immediately suspected the Team Magma operative whose Pokémon had demonstrated psychic abilities. They must have detected Slowking's earlier Teleport within the ruins. Normally, even psychic-types of equal strength couldn't intercept a teleportation over such distances without preparation. The fact this pursuer could follow their path suggested their Pokémon possessed exceptional spatial awareness.
His hand went to Altaria's Poké Ball. If a Team Magma admin had given chase, escape might be necessary. But if it was just a grunt...
Space distorted as a green-feathered Pokémon materialized in the desert heat, its Trainer close behind. Seeing only one opponent, Aoki returned Altaria's ball to his belt. He studied the approaching Team Magma member with narrowed eyes - a smirking man accompanied by a Xatu.
Among psychic-types, Xatu, Alakazam, and Gardevoir were renowned for their teleportation mastery, their biology naturally predisposed to spatial manipulation. This explained how the Xatu could trace Slowking's movements. Aoki activated his scanning system to analyze the avian Pokémon:
Pokémon: Xatu (Light Cyan)
Gender: Male
Level: 57
Type: Psychic/Flying
Ability: Synchronize
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Quick Attack, Feather Dance, Refresh, Roost
Basic Moves: Air Slash, Tailwind, Peck, Leer, Confuse Ray, Teleport, Ominous Wind, Psycho Shift, Future Sight, Miracle Eye, Power Swap, Guard Swap, Stored Power
Learnt Moves: Pain Split, Psychic, Calm Mind, Haze
TM Moves: Protect, Psyshock, Light Screen, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Trick Room
A level 57 Xatu certainly possessed the capability to track teleportations. However, since the opponent hadn't reached Champion-tier strength, Aoki felt little pressure. Mismagius remained concealed, its aura perfectly suppressed - had these pursuers sensed the Ghost-type's true power, they would have fled immediately.
This presented a valuable training opportunity. Aoki released Weavile- at level 53, the Ice/dark-type stood slightly below the Xatu in raw power, but its typing gave it a distinct advantage against a Psychic type opponent.
The Team Magma operative, Batim, wore a confident smirk. This teleporting thief might possess treasures from the ruins' inner chamber - eliminating him could prove profitable. He'd only joined this mission to curry favor with Team Magma's rising star, Yu. The official rewards meant little to someone of his caliber.
As he walked, Batim discreetly released a small device from his pant leg into the sand - a tracking beacon to alert his teammates.
"I don't care who you are," he declared loudly. "Hand over everything you took from that room, and I might let you live."
The bravado masked his true strategy. His orders were simple: prevent escape via teleportation until reinforcements arrived. If he could claim Aoki's loot for himself, so much the better.
Aoki smiled, holding the Mega Stone between two fingers. "It's right here. Come take it."
Batim's eyes gleamed with greed. He hadn't expected such easy confirmation of treasure. But he wasn't foolish enough to charge blindly - if valuable loot was confirmed, he'd fight seriously to claim it before his teammates arrived.
"Xatu, Miracle Eye!" Batim commanded.
Normally, Psychic attacks would fail against Dark-types, but Xatu's move Miracle Eye could bypass this limitation. The avian's eyes glowed as it peered through Weavile's defenses.
Aoki remained calm. "Weavile, Shadow Ball first, then follow with Agility!"