Chapter 421: The Legendary Treasure Vault
"Here are the legendary Pokemon items collected by our Hoenn Alliance. Take your time choosing." The person guiding John to the Hoenn Alliance treasure vault was none other than the Alliance president himself, flanked by two honorary presidents.
The vault was located directly beneath the Alliance headquarters, a hidden basement accessible only when all three officials were present with their respective keys. John couldn’t help but notice a pattern: whether in reality or the games, Pokemon Alliance officials seemed to have an obsession with underground facilities.
The Pokemon Inspector’s base was underground too, though that basement was far more complex than this one.
This vault was surprisingly modest, no more than 50 square meters, with an empty center surrounded by walls lined with display cases. Each legendary item was protected behind glass covers typically used for museum exhibitions, with white placards underneath describing their origins.
John’s breath caught as he surveyed the room. Thirteen legendary Pokemon items in total, each one representing immense power and rarity.
Unable to contain his excitement, John began his inspection, starting from the right side of the room.
The first legendary item was a silver-white feather. According to the placard: "A feather containing Flying and Psychic energy, believed to originate from Lugia, the deity of monsoons and ocean currents."
John’s pulse quickened. If his guess was correct, this had to be Lugia’s exclusive item, the Silver Wing. Having just captured Lugia, equipping it with its signature item would be perfect. Unfortunately, he couldn’t examine the item’s specific attributes while it remained in the display case.
Stay calm, John told himself, forcing down the urge to snatch the Silver Wing and leave. Look at the other options first.
The second item was a block of ice condensed to stone-like density. The placard read: "Eternal Never-Melt Ice
, discovered in an extremely frigid location. Expert analysis suggests it’s at least 10,000 years old."John had no immediate use for the ancient ice, lacking any water-type Pokemon in his current roster. However, its presence reminded him of an important truth about this world: not only items directly related to legendary Pokemon qualified as legendary-tier items. Common Pokemon items could also achieve legendary status through age, exposure to powerful energy, or other extraordinary circumstances.
His assumption proved correct as he examined the remaining eleven items. Most were legendary-grade "versions" of common items: a Miracle Seed pulsing with life energy, a Metal Coat with diamond-like hardness, cursed Relic Gold, and similar enhanced variants. John was curious about how their attributes compared to standard treasure-tier items, but the display cases prevented detailed examination.
Only two other items came directly from legendary Pokemon: soil from the Land’s End and seawater from the Sea of Origin, materials connected to Groudon and Kyogre’s Primal Reversion abilities. Given Hoenn’s history with these titans, their presence made perfect sense. Still, neither could compare to the Red and Blue Orbs John already possessed.
After reviewing all thirteen legendary items, John recognized a clear hierarchy among them. The best were exclusive items for legendary Pokemon, like the Silver Wing. Next came naturally occurring legendary materials, such as the life-infused Miracle Seed or diamond-hard Metal Coat. The least valuable were items merely connected to legendary Pokemon abilities.
With this ranking in mind, John’s choice was obvious.
"I choose this one," John announced, indicating the Silver Wing.
"Excellent choice!" the president praised, stepping forward with a special key to open the glass case. He carefully removed both the feather and its display base, a protective box designed for transport.
The moment John received the container, he immediately checked the Silver Wing
’s attributes:[Silver Wing: Flying and Psychic move power increased by 100%. Immune to Flying moves. Water damage reduced by 50%. Ignores Whirlpool effects. (When equipped by Lugia: Immune to water moves, water move power doubled.)]
John’s jaw dropped, saliva nearly escaping. The Silver Wing was incredibly powerful!
The 100% power boost to two move types was impressive enough, but the defensive bonuses were equally valuable. Immunity to Flying attacks and halved water damage would prove invaluable in battle. The Whirlpool resistance seemed situational but could counter specific strategies.
Most importantly, when Lugia wore the Silver Wing, it gained complete immunity to water moves while doubling their power when used. Though Lugia wasn’t primarily a water-type, it had once been revered as a sea deity for good reason, it spent most of its time in ocean depths.
"Now we’re talking," John muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Before acquiring the Silver Wing, Lugia hadn’t quite matched Zeraora’s power even more so with the Orb of Thunder held item. Now it could potentially gain the upper hand in their battles. While type disadvantage might still favor Zeraora in certain matchups, Lugia would likely win in a pure contest of move power.
After equipping Lugia with the Silver Wing, John returned to the Alliance Hall. The mission board remained empty, leaving him hoping new tasks would appear soon. Not just for the legendary item rewards, but for the missions themselves.
All three previous quests had involved legendary Pokemon, too significant to be mere coincidence. As champion, John suspected he’d only receive high-level missions connected to legendary Pokemon. If he could capture Lugia during one mission, perhaps future quests would offer chances to encounter Ho-Oh, Giratina, Dialga, or other legendary titans.
What a beautiful dream, John thought wistfully.
Stifling a yawn, John stretched and looked toward the horizon. Tomorrow, he’d set off for the Johto Region, a new adventure awaiting.