Ring of spell storing specifies that metamagicking up your spells makes them take up more room.
Pearl of power says the spell it allows you to recall must be "of a particular level, depending on the pearl." This refers to the level of the spell, not the level of the slot required to cast it. Or so I assume.
And if I am correct, would the metamagic effect be preserved when the spell is recalled? The only convention I have to guide me one way or another on this point is the fact that wands/potions/scrolls of a given metamagicked spell are named "(item) of (metamagicked) (spell name)," a format indicating to me that the metamagic effect is considered part of the spell. But the fact that it doesn't increase the level of the spell seems contradictory to that, and it does feel a bit like having my cake and eating it too.
Comments/questions/rulings?
Wands of metamagicked spells can still only cast one spell.
The Pearl of Power can recall any spell; it is not limited to one specific spell.
I imagine it does what it says it does:
1. If you prepare a Fireball in a 3rd level slot, and cast that spell, you can recall it and it is automatically prepared in a 3rd level slot.
2. If you prepare an Empowered Fireball in a 5th level slot, and cast that spell, you can recall it and it is automatically prepared in a 3rd level slot.
This is because you are recalling the Fireball, not the metamagicked Fireball. The Pearl of Power is quite specific that you recall a spell (not an altered or metamticked spell) of a specific level, and as you point out, metamagic doesn't change the spell level.
Further, under Metamagic feats on page 113, it references that you can apply metamagic to spell stored in an item like a scroll, potion, or wand, but it is noteworthy that a Pearl of Power does not store anything at all.
Evidently, per RAW, this is how it should be understood to function.
However, I can certainly see a generous DM allowing the actual spell that was prepared being recalled exacly the same way it was prepared and therefore including all applied metamagic. I just think that such would be a lenient misreading (or houserule) of what the Pearl actually should do.
I believe it would recall the metamagic version of the spell because it merely restores the slot that was used. I could be wrong though.
That could be a risky and maybe even a game-breaking assumption.
Instead of paying 81,000 for a 9th level pearl, I could merely pay 25,000 and use it to recover my Quickened Teleport.
Instead of paying 64,000 for an 8th level pearl, I could merely pay 9,000 and use it to restore my Maximized, Empowered Fireball.
Etc.
Unless your intent was to suggest that recovering a Quickened Teleport would, in fact, require a 9th level Pearl of Power.
That, however, would completely defy the rest of the rulebook that says enhancing a spell with metamagic does not increase the spell level, so a Quickened Teleport must be a 5th level spell, not a 9th level spell.
I don't think this item was meant to break the general rules of how spells interact with metamagic in such a fashion.
Alternatively, I suppose, we could argue that the Pearl was meant to say it "restores one spell slot of its appropriate level. This slot must be filled with the same spell originally cast from that slot."
Completely different wording, but I guess I can see how it might be assumed that this was the actual RAI all long.
The simple answer is if you want a ring to recall a spell you prepared in a 5th level spell slot you need 5th level pearl.
This same question has been beaten about at least 3 times already. Basically the whole spell level wording is wonky. If your GM lets you push the rules he might let it fly.
I'd indicate you should follow the intent of the rules. I think the intent of the pearl of power is to cast a spell from your 5th level slot and be able to recast that exact spell if you want with a 5th level pearl of power. Any other ruling would not be balanced except for maybe the ruling that an empowered fireball can only be recast as a normal fireball using a 3rd level pearl.