The plane touched down at Lumiose City.
As the heart and largest metropolis of the Kalos Region, Lumiose City stood as the region's de facto capital. It was a seamless blend of technology and art, with research labs, art galleries, and stylish Khoury coffee shops that buzzed with white-collar workers.
John stepped out of the airport into the vibrant streets of northern Lumiose City, where the towering Lumiose Station loomed ahead.
His first stop? The Pokemon Center. Healing his team there acted like setting a return point, ensuring a safe base.
John opened his map, selecting Mossdeep City for Fly.
[Would you like Flygon to use Fly to Hoenn Region – Mossdeep City? Estimated time: 234 hours, 21 minutes, and 17 seconds.]
"Almost ten days? That's insane!" John muttered. A plane had gotten him here in a single day.
He pondered the absurdity. Planes refueled mid-journey, but Flygon was a living creature—it needed breaks. Shrugging it off, John focused on the task at hand. Traveling within the same region took seconds, but cross-regional flights were another beast.
Leaving the Pokemon Center behind, John headed west toward Route 13.
This trip to Kalos had a purpose—the Mega Ring.
He remembered that in the games, the protagonist got the Mega Ring from Gym Leader Korrina in Shalour City. Though he wasn't following any set plot, it was the only lead he had. Even if she didn't hand it over, a gym battle might reveal some clues.
He skipped Lumiose City's gym for now and ventured into Route 13—the Lumiose Badlands.
Barren and rugged, the Badlands stretched out before him, leading either to the Kalos Power Plant or Coumarine City. The power plant, now overrun by Team Flare, was inaccessible without a key.
So, Coumarine it was.
As he trekked across the uneven terrain, something leaped out from a slope.
John froze. A wild Gible?
Reacting swiftly, he threw out his Smeargle. A quick False Swipe left the Gible barely hanging on, followed by a Sleep Powder to knock it out cold. With practiced ease, he tossed a Pokeball.
The capture was smooth, but checking its stats left him disappointed. Not a single perfect IV.
"Off to Professor Birch with you," John sighed, transferring the Gible.
Still, finding a Gible here was a surprise.
"Is this easier than catching a Bagon?" he wondered aloud.
Half an hour later, after some data gathering, he realized the truth. In Kalos, Gible wasn't that rare. In fact, the Lumiose Badlands had a 20% encounter rate for them. Every fifth wild Pokemon could be a Gible, with Dugtrio and Trapinch making up the rest.
With Sweet Scent, hordes of Gible could be summoned, making shiny hunting a breeze.
"The trainers here don't know how lucky they are," John chuckled, thinking back to his days hunting Bagon in the Dragon's Den.
He jotted down notes in his notebook. This area was prime Gible hunting ground. Maybe, someday, he could breed high-IV Gibles and sell them to trainers looking for a competitive edge.
After the Badlands, he arrived at Coumarine City. Its gym specialized in Grass-types, led by the elderly Gym Leader Ramos.
John . "Hope I'm still that spry when I'm his age."
He skipped the gym for now, heading west to Route 12.
Route 12 was peaceful, filled with common Pokemon like Heracross, Pinsir, and Miltank—all ones he'd seen before in Hoenn. Without much reason to linger, he pressed on to Shalour City.
Once there, he healed up at the Pokemon Center and made a beeline for the gym—only to find it empty.
"Korrina's not here," the receptionist informed him. "She's at the Tower of Mastery. You can wait here, or head there to find her."
John didn't hesitate. He set off toward the Tower.
The Tower of Mastery, Shalour City's most iconic landmark, loomed over the coastline, its spires reaching for the sky.
As John approached, a prompt appeared before him.
[Would you like to challenge the special instance: Tower of Mastery?]
[Recommended Level: 70]
[Special Rules: Only one Pokemon allowed. Choose wisely.]
"This is where the fun begins."