Chapter 105: Giving You a Stone From the Past
A glowing Pokémon naturally also attracted the attention of the customer who had been concentrating on observing the stone.
"Interesting..."
Seeing the scene of Rio emitting a dark purple light, a hint of curiosity flashed in the eyes under the customer's sunglasses.
He chuckled lightly and beckoned to Rio.
"Ah, is he calling me over?"
Rio pointed at himself. After receiving an affirmative reply from the customer, he walked over, glowing like a lightbulb.
Ming Rizhao, as Rio's trainer, also hurried to follow.
A glowing Pokémon, and an unknown one at that—various factors prompted all the customers to curiously take out their phones and start snapping pictures.
Even the shop manager and the dessert master from the back kitchen and behind the counter couldn't help but come out to see the commotion.
"This Pokémon of yours..." The customer waited until Rio got close before carefully examining his appearance. But one look and his brow furrowed.
The customer seemed to remember something. He nodded, then shook his head. Finally, feeling that his hat and sunglasses were somewhat obstructing his vision, he reached up and took both items off.
"Hiss—!"
Rio, who was walking at the very front, naturally got a clear look at this customer's uncovered face. But seeing that familiar appearance made Rio suck in a sharp breath of cold air.
Then, Ming Rizhao, with a surprised shout, revealed the true identity of this man.
"You are... Mr. Steven!!!!!"
The young girl's shout obviously made the already lively shop even more tumultuous.
"What? Is that the former Middel Region Champion, Mr. Steven?" came a voice of disbelief.
"Ah—" There were also voices that could only scream with excitement.
"Mr. Steven, I'm your fan! Please give me your autograph!" There were also the frenzied cries of fans.
The crowd grew even more agitated, scrambling to surge towards the table where Steven was.
Rio stared blankly at the Steven before him—this young master of the Devon Corporation, the former champion of the Middel Region, a person as elegant as a noble scion, was currently looking back at Rio with burning eyes.
"Very similar, really very similar to the depiction on that mural... No, something's still off. You're not as tall as that one, your build and appearance are a bit different... I'm very curious, what exactly are you..."
Steven muttered to himself, then suddenly looked up and smiled at Ming Rizhao.
"Hello, young lady. I wonder if you would be willing to have a Pokémon battle with me?" Steven lightly tapped Rio's doggy head. "Using this Pokémon."
One of the most powerful Pokémon trainers in the entire Middel Region, the regional champion who was the dream lover of countless young girls and women, Steven, wanted to have a Pokémon battle with her?
Ming Rizhao's head spun for a moment. She stammered in response, "O-Okay, Mr. Steven."
"Of course, I won't battle you for nothing. This stone is a gift for you."
Steven handed the mysterious stone in his hand to Ming Rizhao, who also took it in a daze.
"This is no simple stone. It came from beyond the heavens, a fallen meteorite."
Those familiar with Steven's life and deeds would know very well that Steven, who was extremely passionate about excavating and collecting rare and special stones everywhere, would often make many strange and wonderful discoveries. And a stone that he would part with so ceremoniously was bound to be no ordinary thing.
Leaving aside what Steven gave to Ming Rizhao, just the fact that the two were going to have a Pokémon battle was already sensational, like a bomb being dropped that stirred up huge waves.
"What? Champion Steven is going to have a Pokémon battle?"
"His opponent must be someone of great importance, right? Is it the previous champion, Cynthia? Or the current champion, Sapphire?"
"No, it's a rookie trainer."
"Ah, how is that possible?"
"But that's good too. Ever since Mr. Steven withdrew from the regional championship contention and became engrossed in ore collecting, it's been rare for anyone to see him in action. To have the opportunity to witness Mr. Steven's style again now is truly an honor!"
The news from "Hoenn Ice Room" spread throughout Zidian City in no time. For the people living in the Middel Region, Steven was a living legend. Whether it was how he and his father, in just a few short years, developed a small, unknown company that mined iron ore and refined steel into a powerhouse now comparable to the behemoth of the business world—the Silph Co.; or his ability to unearth a variety of rare minerals and ancient relics, shaking both the Pokémon world and the archaeological world; or his unparalleled, champion-level strength as a Pokémon trainer—any one of these would be considered a huge achievement if placed on anyone else, yet now they were all concentrated in one person.
It was no wonder the people of Zidian City were so fanatical.
Even the Zidian City Gym Leader, Wattson, personally came out, lending his own gym's battlefield to Steven and Ming Rizhao for their battle, and also personally serving as the match's referee.
"R-R-R-R-Rio, is, is, is, is, it okay? I, I, I..."
Looking at the massive crowd of spectators around them, the heaven-shaking uproar, and the countless flashing cameras, such a grand scene made even the usually carefree and big-hearted girl unable to help but become nervous. The hand holding the Poké Ball was trembling.
Rio, inside the Poké Ball, naturally also felt the atmosphere of the scene, but this instead awakened memories from his previous life.
In his memory, it was also on such a stage, under the watchful eyes of thousands, that he defeated the reigning champion of the previous fighting tournament and successfully took home his first gold medal...
"Relax. As a rookie trainer, even if you lose the match, no one will think there's anything wrong. Besides, a person like Steven must have his reasons for doing things. We just need to show our best."
Rio, in turn, comforted his trainer.
However, Ming Rizhao's mental fortitude was indeed strong. After getting through the initial tension and discomfort, she gradually relaxed.
Steven, standing on the other side of the battle arena, also nodded secretly upon seeing the young trainer opposite him adapt so quickly.
"Very good! Both sides, prepare..." Uncle Wattson raised the flag in his hand, then swung it down fiercely. "Let the match begin!"
"Come out, Riolu!"
This time, Ming Rizhao very formally called out Rio's Pokémon species.
"Come on out, Metang!"
Steven also threw out his Poké Ball.
The appearance of both Pokémon instantly ignited the clamor in the audience.
Needless to say, the mysterious and unknown Riolu; those spectators frantically flipping through their phone's Pokédex app had turned the Pokédex upside down without finding a single bit of information on this Pokémon. Some, not giving up, even tried to roughly research all the Pokémon depicted in various myths, stories, or legends, but still came up with nothing, as if it had been completely erased by some force.
And returning to Steven's Pokémon—Metang. It was common knowledge that Steven's favorite and most proficient Pokémon type was Steel. And when it came to Steel-types, Beldum, Metang, and its final evolution Metagross were not only Steven's ace Pokémon but also "pseudo-legendary" Pokémon whose strength was comparable to that of legendary Pokémon. However, it seemed that facing Ming Rizhao, Steven had sent out Metang instead of his final ace, Metagross, showing that Steven was still holding back.
After all, Steven's purpose was...
Steven looked at the Pokémon opposite him, which had seriously taken its stance, his eyes seeming to hold a certain expectation.
"Alright! Fighting-type versus Steel-type! We have the advantage!"
Ming Rizhao was overjoyed.
But Rio immediately poured a basin of cold water on her in their telepathic communication.
"No, Metang is a dual-type Pokémon. Besides Steel, it also has the Psychic type. Although Fighting is super-effective against Steel, it is in turn countered by Psychic. So strictly speaking, we do not have a type advantage."
Metang's data unfolded before Rio's eyes.
————————————
[Pokédex]
Encounter Progress: 75/100
Battle Progress: 46/50
[Real-time Analysis]
Pokémon: Elite - Metang (Genderless)
Level: lv32
Type: Steel + Psychic
Trainer: Steven Stone
Ability: Clear Body (This Pokémon's stats will not be lowered by the effects of an opponent's moves or abilities)
Special: Hardness (An incomparably hard body)
Moves: Metal Claw (lv3), Flash Cannon (lv3), Confusion (lv3), Strength (lv2), Rock Smash (lv2), Cut (lv2), Flash (lv2)
————————————
"…"
☆☆☆
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you