Aoki and Lance learned some information about Fradari from Professor Syncamore.
The three of them spent a morning in the institute. After lunch, Lance and Aoki left. Lance wanted to investigate the specific situation of the Fradari Institute, but Aoki once again rejected Lance's invitation. This was just an early-stage investigation, and it wouldn't involve any important tasks. Aoki preferred to leave these troublesome matters to Lance. He would only consider joining Lance when he truly needed to take action against the Fradari Research Institute.
Aoki had his own goals, and he worked more efficiently alone than with others. Even though Team Flare had not yet appeared, the fact that they could cooperate with Team Rocket suggested that the Fradari Research Institute had already begun developing combat capabilities. Acting rashly would still be dangerous.
Aoki guessed that Lance should already possess Champion-level strength at this point. After all, the last time they met, Lance had already reached the peak of the pseudo-champion level. With a helpless expression, Lance bid farewell to Aoki.
Aoki's first destination was Shalour City. Shalour City held valuable information about Mega Evolution and could be considered half of the origin of Mega Evolution in the Kalos region. The family of the Gym Leader in Shalour City had long kept Mega Evolution a closely guarded secret. At some point, they had discovered Mega Evolution and allowed their heir to utilize it. The League still didn't fully understand the matter. In fact, even the Gym Leaders in Shalour City themselves didn't realize they were using Mega Evolution—they simply believed it was a special ability.
But before leaving Lumiose City, Aoki had one more task—to visit someone who might possess the Blazikenite. He vaguely remembered that the future Gym Leader of Lumiose City was a young boy who loved mechanics, and his father was a powerful Trainer. This man owned a Combusken that would eventually evolve into a Blaziken capable of Mega Evolution.
However, this man's personality could generously be described as immature—or, less generously, as foolish. He enjoyed wearing a mask and cloak, pretending to be the "Blaziken Mask." Since Mega Evolution had not yet been officially recognized, it was uncertain whether he truly possessed the Blazikenite.
At this time, he should still be running a small, run-down electronics shop in Lumiose City. Finding such a shop in a city as vast as Lumiose would be quite troublesome. Fortunately, the shop shouldn't be too far from the central Prism Tower. There was no need to check every building one by one—as long as Aoki got close to the right shop, his system could scan the strong energy fluctuations of the Pokémon inside.
After changing out of his investigator's uniform and into sportswear, Aoki began jogging through the streets of Lumiose City. Most passersby paid little attention to him.
Surprisingly, the search wasn't as difficult as he had anticipated. Aoki eventually found the electronics shop on a street not far from the Prism Tower. The storefront was unique, and his system detected intense electrical energy radiating from inside—not just from the appliances, but from the presence of Electric-type Pokémon.
Aoki exhaled in relief. The running hadn't been too exhausting—his stamina had improved significantly after prolonged training.
He pushed open the door and stepped inside.
"Welcome! How can I help you?" a childish voice called out.
Aoki glanced down and saw a young boy sitting on the floor, tinkering with some tools as he dismantled an unknown electronic device.
Aoki smiled. "Hello there. Are your parents home?"
Before the boy could respond, a middle-aged man emerged from the back. He had brown hair and brown eyes, dressed in a pair of khaki overalls that resembled a work uniform. The man paused briefly upon seeing Aoki.
"Sorry to intrude," Aoki said politely.
"Are you Aoki?" the man asked suddenly.
Aoki blinked in surprise. "Huh? Uh, yes."
The man laughed heartily. "It really is you! One of the Sinnoh League's top four Trainers! I didn't expect you to visit my shop. What can I do for you? Do you have any electronics that need repairing?"
"Woo?" A yellow head peeked out from behind the man, a red orb glowing on its forehead.
An Ampharos!
The powerful Electric-type energy his system had detected was emanating from this Pokémon.
Ampharos (Cyan)
Gender: Male
Level: 59
Type: Electric
Ability: Static
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Iron Tail, Agility, Thunder Wave, Electric Terrain
Basic Moves: Thunder Punch, Zap Cannon, Magnet Rise, Charge Beam, Dragon Pulse, Fire Punch, Tackle, Growl, Thunder Wave, Thunder Shock, Cotton Spore, Charge, Take Down, Electro Ball, Confuse Ray, Power Gem, Discharge, Cotton Guard, Signal Beam, Light Screen
TM Moves: Thunderbolt, Protect, Volt Switch, Wild Charge
Seeing this Ampharos confirmed Aoki's suspicions—this was indeed the man he was looking for.
Clemont's father, a hidden master residing in Lumiose City. His true ace Pokémon was a Blaziken, likely already at Champion-level strength. This Ampharos was also formidable, on the verge of reaching Champion-tier.
Noticing Aoki's gaze on the Ampharos, the man grinned. "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Lemone, the owner of this shop. This is my Ampharos, a dear friend of mine. The boy on the floor is my son, Clemont. Handsome, isn't he? Takes after me, hahaha!"
As he spoke, he shamelessly praised himself.
Clemont, still sitting on the floor, rolled his eyes and continued fiddling with his gadgets, ignoring his father entirely.
Aoki had already suspected that Lemone might be the current Gym Leader of Lumiose City. Now, seeing his Ampharos, it was highly likely—or at least someone closely connected to the position. Otherwise, a young boy like Clemont would never have become the Gym Leader of Kalos' largest city without an exceptionally strong father backing him.
"Mr. Lemone," Aoki began, "I actually have something here that needs repairing. Do you think you could—"
Before he could finish, Lemone waved a hand confidently. "Don't worry! There isn't a single electronic device in Lumiose City that I, Lemone, can't fix!"
He then led Aoki further inside, into his private workshop.
Shelves packed with electronic components and devices lined the walls. Aoki's eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the setup.
"By the way," Aoki asked casually, "do you happen to have any portable Pokémon teleportation devices, Mr. Lemone?"