The Theory of Grey | Pokémon X

Seventeen | Mega Ring

The entire time I sat waiting for Nurse Joy to treat Sylveon, I couldn't help but think about her performance during the gym battle. She pushed herself to the limit in order to win the battle, and that unwavering determination she had was admirable. Her innocent exterior would've never suggested she'd pull something like that; I knew I never had. She was just as stubborn as her trainer, and so were the rest of my Pokémon. Huh, I wondered why they took after me in that way.

Despite what happened, I was grateful for Sylveon's performance. It was thanks to her that I earned the Rumble Badge to begin with. She more than deserved a treat later on because I owed her something for that victory.

Nurse Joy called me over and informed me of Sylveon's health status. According to her, Sylveon's poisoning was nullified and all of her external injuries were recovered. Since the poison had weakened her considerably, Nurse Joy advises I kept Sylveon under strict resting orders, which I highly agreed with. Overall, I was relieved she was going to be okay. I wouldn't forgive myself if I had unknowingly allowed her to take a big risk for a victory in battle.

Once I got back Sylveon's PokéBall, I thanked Nurse Joy and left the Pokémon Center. Knowing that Sylveon was going to be just fine, I was more than determined to get that Mega Ring for myself. The size of the Tower of Mastery wasn't as intimidating as it was the first time I saw it. My eyes traveled to the very top, knowing what awaited me up there.

This was it. It's now or never. A battle between successor and worthy opponent.

After stepping foot into the Tower of Mastery, I wasted no time climbing up the enormous staircase that led to the very top. These stairs were quite steep and there was no railing to hold on to, which was a little risky if I rushed to get up there. I wasn't going to run up and risk falling to my death. The whole time I walked up the stairs, I stayed close to the wall as I kept going up.

I took a deep breath when I finally reached the top. It was bad enough I wasn't used to traveling again, but climbing all those stairs really knocked the air out of me. Once I managed to catch my breath, I proceeded to open the large double doors that led to the balcony. Korrina's back was facing me when I approached her. Her Lucario stood at her side, looking over its shoulder at me.

"It's so peaceful up here," she spoke in a sincere voice. "When I'm up here with my Pokémon, looking at the wide open sky above, all my worries disappear. I feel like I can do anything."

It must be nice to feel as though you can do anything. Some people would do anything for that kind of freedom. I know I certainly wished I had that kind of freedom.

The blonde woman turned around to face me, her Lucario doing the same. A genuine smile was on her face, a smile that matched her words from earlier. She didn't don her competitive attitude she normally shown as a gym leader. This time, she was showing me her side as a successor to a powerful device.

"Thanks for coming all the way up here." She moved some of her blonde fringes away from her face. "It was decided that this must be the place where the Mega Ring must be handed over. Something about making sure we never forget to set our sights as high as the sky."

"That's one way to put it," I commented as I took a quick look around. "I can confidently say that I will never forget this battle."

Korrina walked over to the far side of the balcony where a wooden box resided. She took out the box's content and closed it before walking toward me, holding out the object in her hand. My eyes trailed down, only for them to widen with disbelief.