It wasn't just those two Mega Stones. Every single Mega Stone he had acquired had been from a ruin of some kind. Twilight's Mega Stone came from an ancient waterway beneath Lake Pyre. Without Isaac Merlo 's help, he would have lost the Mega Evolution to Kyurem's wrtah. Without Navy 's help in exploring a sunken temple in Hoenn's deepest trenches, he would never have been able to Mega Evolve his Sharpedo. He had Eva Morales to thank for being able to Mega Evolve his Pidgeot, as well.

"They're not easy to find," Josh cautioned. "My Pidgeotite I had to piece together from fragments in a floating ruin high above the desert mountains. Couldn't have done it without Rayquaza's Avatar helping me. If you want to find Mega Stones, talk to Eva Morales . She and illeana reyes have this machine that can detect Mega Stone signatures." Perhaps once she did so, the two would go on an equally grand adventure tracking down a Mega Stone.

Miyako seemed enthusiastic to see Mega Evolution in action. "Tell you what. If you've caught your fill, where you going next? Back to Pacifidlog, or somewhere else?"

Anywhere but back home? There were exciting places to show Miyako, but in Josh's mind, none were better than the densely-populated Mauville City. It was an architectural marvel, the city never truly slept, and most importantly, it was where the Mauville Racing Grounds were located. The sooner she could get a tour of the place, the sooner he would have another paying customer. "Ares and I can take you to my home town in style then," Josh offered, gesturing toward the saddle on the black dragon's back.

Were she to sit on it, Josh would join her, grabbing the fire-type's reins with his left hand while pinching the Key Stone of his MEGA GLOVE with the two forefingers of his other. "This is what Mega Evolution looks like!" The black Pokémon's scales turned a deep green, trails blue fire lighting up from the sides of his jaws and his tail. Every muscle in his body bulged as the purple-pink light of MEGA EVOLUTION transformed him into an apex form worthy of being called a true dragon.

All three parts of Ares' open flame roared brightly, both riders able to feel the awe-inspiring power behind every wingbeat. The Mega Evolved dragon may not have been as fast as Josh's other flying Pokémon, but his strength bordered on absurdity. The blue fire was so hot that the air wavered around them, balancing out the otherwise cold temperatures that would have enveloped them both at the height the winged Pokémon reached.

Josh hadn't flown so high in the air on a dragon Pokémon in so long. The air was a bit thinner than he was used to, forcing the rider to direct his dragon steed downward. Even from their reduced altitude, one could see for miles. Sootopolis, Slateport, Dewford, and Mount Chimney were all clearly visible, though the mountain's collapsed crater looked far different than when he took Isaac Merlo for a flight above Hoenn so long ago.

Rather than wheel Miyako about, Josh kept Ares' flight steady; he was still unfamiliar with the cop's talents as a rider. In this muscular form, the Charizard had frightening strength; as much as Josh wanted to guide the dragon into a dive and swoop, the power behind his wings risked flattening the two. Instead, he directed his mount into a shallow dive, picking up speed as his shadow descended upon Slateport and Route 110 like a low-hanging cloud. The two whizzed past several wild bird Pokémon, many screeching as they swerved out of Ares' way.

Once Mauville was in sight, Josh made sure Miyako had good posture before reining his ride straight back. With a growl the two could feel, the Charizard raised his wings, creating drag to serve as an air brake. Dragon and riders circled Mauville City once before landing not far from Mauville's north gate, giving Miyako a good look at his Gym grounds to the west. "We've arrived at my home town, Mauville City," Josh announced as he slid down from Ares' back, the Charizard's Mega Evolution growing unstable and forcing him to revert to his standard form. "This city never sleeps; whether at dawn, dusk, or in the middle of the might, there's always something going on. You can get almost anywhere in Hoenn easily from here." He would list suggestions for tourist attractions, hotel recommendations, and restaurant recommendations. "It's been fun, but I need to head back to my Gym to catch up on some reports. I'm sure we'll see each other again!"