Chapter 0680: Legendary Giant Rock! Steven VS Alain(Two-in-One)

Hoenn Region, Rustboro City.

About ten kilometers north lay the famous Meteor Falls, known for its natural meteorite craters and eroded terrain.

Adjacent to Meteor Falls stood the ruins of an ancient town—crumbling walls overgrown with bushes, weathered steles barely legible.

Morning mist swirled densely, the light unable to pierce through, adding to the ruins' mystique.

On a raised mound overlooking the lowlands, a blue-haired man in a tailored suit strolled leisurely, his curious gaze scanning the surroundings for potential mineral specimens.

No luck.

Steven sighed as the wind ruffled his tie and suit jacket, his blue locks swaying. Hands in pockets, he surveyed the terrain from the elevated vantage point.

"This must be the Draconid people's ruins," he murmured.

The Draconids—an ancient Hoenn clan who worshipped the "Dragon God" as their totem.

Legends spoke of them as masters of Dragon-type Pokémon, guardians of the "Rainbow Meteorite," said to be the origin of Mega Evolution.

Time had eroded their presence in Hoenn, and the Rainbow Meteorite's whereabouts remained unknown.

Steven's current expedition aimed to study these ruins and uncover clues about the meteorite's location.

After all... meteorites held an irresistible allure for him.

Compared to his duties as Hoenn Champion, mineral collecting suited Steven far better.

Yet this trip yielded nothing.

Undeterred, Steven turned to explore deeper when his PokéNav suddenly beeped.

The PokéNav—a Devon Corporation invention combining GPS, communication, and Pokédex functions.

Natsume had a more fitting nickname for it:

The kiddie smartwatch!

Steven activated the wrist-mounted device, a holographic screen flickering to life.

"What brings the call, Natsume-sensei?"

"Busy, Steven?"

"Mineral hunting," Steven admitted wryly. "Zero success all morning."

Classic Steven—the rock-obsessed Champion!

"Then I'll be brief," Natsume said. "I need custom flight gear for a Flying-type. Heard Devon Corp handles specialty equipment?"

"You caught a Flying-type?" Steven sounded surprised.

"Not exactly caught..."

Natsume glanced sideways where Latias stubbornly remained invisible—understandable shyness for a new companion.

"More of a travel partner."

Steven chuckled. "Devon does offer custom gear. Between us, even Team Magma and Aqua outsource their heatproof/hydropressure uniforms to us."

Natsume blinked.

Evil teams buying gear from a corporation?

Take notes from Boss Giovanni—he just seized the damn Silph Co. building!

"My requirements are simple," Natsume continued gravely. "Just one thing..."

"Name it."

"Install guardrails."

Steven: "..."

Considering advanced aerial maneuvers demand safety precautions...

I understand Natsume-sensei's concern. Perhaps we should develop full-body harness systems instead.

With Devon Corporation's technological capabilities, creating portable space suits wouldn't even be difficult.

After thoughtful consideration, Steven nodded in agreement. "Request received. Production should take about a week."

"Oh, and there's one small favor I'd like to ask!" Steven suddenly recalled.

The cost of custom gear meant nothing to Steven. While Natsume believed "even brothers should settle accounts clearly," he couldn't help feeling curious about Steven's request.

"What favor?"

"It's regarding a recently unearthed stone tablet containing ancient research notes," Steven explained. "Rather than hiring other experts, I thought to ask for your assistance instead."

"Consider it fair exchange, yes?" Steven added with a smile.

Natsume had no objections, though the request put him in a contemplative mood.

Had Steven not mentioned it, I'd nearly forgotten—I'm technically an Ancient Languages professor!

While Professor Rowan specialized in Evolution and Professor Elm focused on Egg Hatching and Egg Groups, Natsume's expertise undoubtedly lay in Archaic Scripts.

In the Pokémon world where ancient civilizations flourished, this research field proved surprisingly practical...

"Send it over now—I have time," Natsume agreed.

"Excellent. One moment."

Steven transmitted a scanned copy of the bamboo scroll, its glyphs enhanced by blue fluorescent tracing for clarity.

Natsume skimmed the text and instinctively recited:

"■■■■■!"

Steven blinked. "Wh-what does that mean?"

"My apologies—forgot to switch language systems," Natsume coughed. "The translation would be:"

"'The path to the monolith begins at the gate.'"

He added, "This appears to be only half the tablet. There should be a latter portion completing the message's full meaning."

Steven's eyes flashed with surprise and gratitude.

The path to the monolith... That must refer to the Rainbow Meteorite.

"Natsume-sensei, my thanks. The custom gear will be delivered to your residence shortly," Steven said warmly.

"No need for special delivery—I'll be visiting Hoenn next week," Natsume replied.

"You're coming to Hoenn?" Steven sounded genuinely surprised.

"Yes... home visits for several students."

"Understood. We'll meet then," Steven smiled.

After ending the call, Natsume reflected quietly.

Steven—ever the consummate mineral enthusiast!

The thought of Hoenn having both Steven and Wallace as Champions brought unexpected reassurance.

In Emerald, Steven fought Hoenn's Legendaries nonstop for 22 days before collapsing—his dedication as Champion was never in question.

Yet something nagged at him...

Why does that research seem familiar?

Almost like it's connected to the origin stones of Mega Evolution...?

Natsume shook his head.

Probably nothing important.

"Alright, Latias," he addressed the empty air around him.

"Let's go mooch dinner at Saffron Gym!"

"This counts as Gym evaluation...?" Latias whispered skeptically.

"Of course! Take Elite Four Siebold—cooking's part of training!" Natsume bluffed.

"Latias..."

Latias nodded thoughtfully, amber eyes gleaming with realization.

Traveling with this human... might truly broaden my horizons.

……

After ending the call, Steven relayed the requirements to Devon Corporation.

"That's right... From an aerial combat perspective, considering both safety and technical demands... Yes, fixed guardrails should be installed..."

Then,

Steven ventured deeper into the ancient ruins, his Key Stone brooch glowing faintly against his lapel.

This reaction indicated the presence of another powerful energy source nearby.

"Another Key Stone in this area?" Steven murmured in surprise.

Key Stones were far rarer than regular Evolutionary Stones, typically found in ancient ruins and often accompanied by danger.

At least his trip wouldn't be wasted!

Suddenly, Steven paused mid-step, noticing reckless movement behind him.

"Alain, hurry up! I can see the ruins ahead!"

A petite red-haired girl barely over 1.5 meters tall wore a ridiculous-looking green beret and overalls, her expression brimming with natural excitement.

"So this is the legendary Meteor Village..."

A proud young man with a blue neck accessory followed behind, hands in pockets as he surveyed their surroundings. His expression suddenly tensed.

Mairin skipped forward oblively, then paled when she spotted a figure down the slope.

She was going to crash!

Closing her eyes instinctively, she suddenly felt warmth.

The blue-haired gentleman gently stopped her by placing a hand against her forehead while his other arm shielded her from the nearby ditch.

"Are you alright?" His voice was pleasant and gentle.

Mairin looked up, meeting the blue-haired man's gaze, her face flushing before she quickly stepped back and bowed.

"S-sorry for the trouble!"

"Mairin!"

Alain's brow furrowed as he pulled his hands from his pockets, glaring warily at the stranger.

"This guy's dangerous... Get away from him!"

"Huh? Oh!"

Mairin blinked in confusion before scrambling behind Alain like a startled Pokémon.

Alain stared down the composed blue-haired man, a drop of cold sweat trailing down his temple.

The last time he'd felt this oppressive aura... was at that café in Lumiose City.

This man was extremely dangerous!

Steven's face showed faint exasperation.

Had retirement made him so obscure that Trainers only recognized Wallace now...?

"Allow me to introduce myself."

Steven placed a hand over his chest, his lips curving into a smile, his eyes the color of clear skies.

"Steven Stone of the Hoenn Region."

Alain's expression clearly asked 'Who's that?'

Mairin gasped behind her hands, tugging urgently at Alain's sleeve while whispering:

"Alain! He's Hoenn's Champion! Champion Steven!"

"I thought that was Wallace."

"Rude! Steven's the former Champion!" Mairin chided.

Alain's frown deepened. So that explained the sense of threat...

However!

His eyes sharpened as he raised his arm, the Key Stone embedded in his bracelet glowing like tidal waves.

Charizard and I have grown stronger since battling Natsume-sensei's Blastoise!

Steven's gaze fixed on Alain's Key Stone bracelet.

"A Key Stone..."

So that was the energy source he'd detected.

"I'm Alain." The young man's eyes burned with determination. "My goal is to become the strongest Mega Evolution messenger. Mr. Steven, I challenge you to a battle!"

"Though I'm retired," Steven shook the mining tools at his waist with an amused smile, "I'm still quite busy."

"When Trainers' eyes meet, they battle."

Alain declared solemnly: "That's what Mr. Natsume taught me!"

Natsume...

Steven rested a hand on his hip, considering briefly before smiling.

"A Mega Evolution messenger, hmm... Very well. Then please demonstrate your Mega Evolution first."

The implication was clear—if Steven went first, Alain might not even get the chance to Mega Evolve.

Alain's jaw tightened. Though more mature now, he still took a deep breath before hurling his Poké Ball skyward:

"Answer my heart, Charizard! Transcend evolution!!"

"Charizard!!"

Dazzling light erupted as Charizard beat its wings, blue flames spewing from its maw as radiance enveloped it, its wings sprouting jagged spikes!

"Quite well-trained."

Steven smiled faintly, removing his lapel pin as his demeanor shifted abruptly, his focus razor-sharp.

A powerful gust whipped at his suit as a colossal Metagross crashed down in an explosion of light.

Steven pressed a light kiss to his Key Stone, eyes narrowing:

"Metagross! Mega Evolve!!"

"Metagross!!"

Two opposing auras clashed as Mega Metagross' four iron fists clenched, its entire body sheathed in devastating white energy before it rocketed toward Mega Charizard like a meteor!

"Charizard! Dragon Claw!"

Mega Charizard's claws surged with emerald draconic energy, attempting to block the onslaught.

Yet Meteor Mash plowed through relentlessly, the shockwave sending dust devils swirling!

A single exchange decided everything.

Alain stood frozen, staring blankly at his fallen, de-Mega Evolved Charizard.

A... critical hit from Metagross?

This was his second glimpse of a Champion's true strength.

Once again, he faced an insurmountable gap.

But!

Alain gritted his teeth. This power wasn't eternally out of reach!

"I have matters to attend."

Steven recalled Metagross, his expression warm again.

"We're heading deeper into the ruins... Care to join?"

Mairin glanced at Alain's dejected form before nodding firmly. "We're coming!"

"Mairin!" Alain hissed.

"Relax! Didn't you say you wanted to decipher those inscriptions?" Mairin ruffled Alain's hair into a bird's nest, giggling.

Alain fell silent.

He'd discovered the fragmented stone tablet while investigating ruins for Mega Stones... Hoping this Hoenn trip might provide answers.

"Inscriptions..." Steven's interest visibly piqued. "I've done some research in that field... May I see?"

After a hesitant pause, Alain wordlessly produced an eerily similar stone tablet fragment from his pack.

Steven studied it intently, his expression growing solemn before he gazed toward the ruins' heart.

"It seems... I'll have to trouble Natsume-sensei again."

……

"You found the second half of the stone tablet already?" Natsume chuckled. "That's some impressive efficiency, Steven!"

"It's a long story," Steven sighed. "Do the two fragments match up?"

After careful examination, Natsume confirmed:

"They do. The second half reads: 'The key lies in two stones' radiance. When gathered, a new path shall appear...'"

Before he could finish, a powerful sense of déjà vu washed over him.

Natsume's spine tingled as cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

This scenario... felt eerily familiar.

Steven discovers the Rainbow Meteorite, then Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre awaken!?

Steven exhaled in relief, smiling gratefully:

"That answers everything. Thank you, Natsume-sensei!"

"Don't mention it."

As Natsume steadied his breathing, his gaze caught on a familiar figure in the video feed. "Wait... is that Alain?"

"You know each other?" Steven sounded surprised.

"We've met," Natsume replied with complicated expression.

Well... all the pieces fit now!

Alain traveling with Steven, his Mega Charizard X getting schooled by Primal Groudon's Precipice Blades!

Normally... it would take about a month from the time the two of them travel together until the two big guys recover.

Natsume looked up at the clear baby-blue sky and made a decision.

Whatever!

Worst case scenario, I'll just call for backup and have Darkrai return as bodyguard.

As long as we avoid aerial combat, I'm invincible!