After parting ways with Sableye, Kashiwagi returned to the waterfall cavern.
He first examined the black metal cube. Its surface was covered in pits and gouges—evidence of a hungry Sableye attempting to gnaw through it.
However, the material was incredibly resilient; at the very least, Sableye's bite hadn't been enough to crack it open.
He turned it over and over, examining all six faces. There were no visible seams or gaps; it looked like a solid piece of precision-engineered metal.
"A metal block? Ancient technology? Or some modern industrial product?"
He weighed the black box in his hand. It was surprisingly heavy, suggesting it might be solid. What on earth is this?
"I might get an answer if I ask Lyra", Kashiwagi thought, recalling the Devon Corporation researcher he'd met when selling the Leaf Stone.
With her broad knowledge, she'd likely recognize it.
Next, he pulled out the black rock Sableye had given him just before he left.
It was also quite heavy and shaped like an irregular long bar. Given Sableye's habits and diet, it was unlikely the creature would keep an ordinary rock in its nest. It had to be a crystal or a gemstone.
"Grind this down for me, would you?"
Kashiwagi handed the rock to Aggron.
"Last time you dug up eight million. Maybe we'll make even more this time. We'll be set for life!" he said, using an encouraging tone.
At the mention of being "set for life," Mawile's eyes lit up. The last time her Trainer had said that, he'd taken her on an all-day shopping spree.
"Maw-wile! Maw-wile!"
She patted Aggron's leg, giving him a "it's all up to you" smile.
"Agg-roon..." The giant beast felt the weight of expectation. He wasn't a professional at grinding stones, his job was fighting! Why did everyone look to him for this?
Still, he remembered the excitement when they'd earned those millions of credits. Even if he didn't fully grasp the value of money, he knew it made his Trainer happy.
Besides, he had no appetite for this rock—it didn't smell like metal. He extended a sharp claw and began to grind the surface.
As a mixture of black and gray dust fell away, a hint of translucent orange-red was revealed.
"—Stop!"
Kashiwagi barked.
"Roar?"
Aggron looked at him, confused.
Mawile was equally puzzled, but she quickly noticed that her Trainer looked incredibly tense and excited.
"Cough, cough... let me catch my breath. I'm a little nervous."
Kashiwagi stared at the orange-yellow crystal reflecting in his flashlight's beam.
He had never expected to find this in Granite Cave.
After half a minute, he gestured:
"Continue! But don't scratch where the crystal is exposed!"
"Roar!"
Aggron responded and resumed his work.
Dust flew everywhere, creating a hazy cloud, but Kashiwagi didn't care. He kept his eyes glued to the stone.
Soon, a whole, mottled orange crystal lay before him. Though the surface was a bit rough, he could vaguely see a gray sphere inside. Within that sphere were streaks of pure sky-blue and white.
"Roar...?" Aggron looked at the object and immediately pulled his own Mega Stone from his armor to compare.
They look so similar! Mawile agreed.
They both looked at their Trainer, only to find him taking deep, shaky breaths, as if trying to suppress an explosion of emotion.
"A MEGA STONE—!!"
Kashiwagi couldn't hold it in any longer. He punched the air, feeling the same rush of adrenaline as pulling a legendary item in a gacha game.
He pulled out his phone to compare the stone with images of known Mega Stones. Based on the colors, there were three possibilities: Steelixite, Absolite, or Abomasite. All three featured a gray base with blue and white stripes, distinguished only by the specific pattern and hue.
In the dim light, it was hard to be certain, but Kashiwagi was 90% sure it was Steelixite. In the Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire games, that was exactly where you found the Steelixite—in Granite Cave.
He never imagined he'd receive a Mega Stone from a Sableye—and as a "gift of friendship," no less.
The creature might not have understood its significance to humans, but the fact that it had waited until the very end to give it away showed that it cherished the object.
"What a gift... truly a massive gift."
Kashiwagi felt a twinge of guilt for his previous stinginess. Sableye had given him a priceless treasure, and he'd only given back a small tin of food.
"..."
He rubbed his face.
"Do you guys still remember the way back to the Sableye's nest?"
"Maw?" Mawile didn't quite get the sudden change in mood, but she remembered the way.
"We're going to give a friend some 'warmth,'" Kashiwagi said, patting her head.
"I can't just take this and walk away."
Mawile led the way back. Halfway there, they heard a faint rumbling, like a localized earthquake.
Kashiwagi knew the sound—it was a large group of Aron moving.
Why are they so worked up?
No way... He shared a worried glance with his team. He couldn't help but fear for Sableye's safety.
They quickened their pace. As they neared the nest, they saw the tunnel almost completely blocked by a crowd of Aron.
Kashiwagi's heart sank.
"ROAR!!"
Aggron let out a thunderous command.
The roar echoed through the cave, deafeningly loud.
The wild Aron turned around, and seeing the massive Aggron, they immediately scrambled in panic.
"Tell them to clear a path!"
Kashiwagi waved his hand.
Aggron roared again, and a path through the metallic crowd opened instantly.
Kashiwagi rushed toward the den, his mind racing with images of Sableye beaten and bruised, its food stolen.
He shouted out, "Sableye!"
From the end of the dark tunnel, a hesitant, surprised voice responded.
"Sa... Sa-ble!"
Kashiwagi ran forward, only to stop dead in his tracks.
He witnessed a surreal scene: several Aron were spitting out various gems and crystals onto the ground.
In exchange, Sableye was handing them Pokéblocks.
The Aron were waiting their turn in an orderly fashion, moving aside to let the next one trade once they got their treat.
Not a single one was fighting, despite the delicious food sitting right there.
"Sa-ble?"
Sableye looked up at Kashiwagi, then down at the mountain of gems it had acquired.
It looked a bit embarrassed.
Kashiwagi: ...
"You... you little rascal."
Kashiwagi facepalmed.
Mawile looked away, pretending she didn't know the creature.
Only Aggron scratched his head, completely lost.
"I guess I overreacted.
You've lived here for years; of course you've got your own connections.
If you can trade with me, why wouldn't you trade with the locals?"
Kashiwagi sighed, opened his bag, and handed over every premium Pokéblock he had left.
"Here. These are for you."
"Sa-ble?"
Sableye looked at the bounty, then back at Kashiwagi, looking lost.
"Sa-ble-sa-ble!"
It had nothing left to give in return!
Kashiwagi understood.
"It's fine. These are a gift. I have plenty. I'll bring you more when I get the chance."
Sableye didn't fully understand the words, but it was immersed in the same pure joy Kashiwagi had felt when seeing the Mega Stone.
At that moment, their happiness was identical.