"You're actually a dog, you know that?"
After a long moment, Steven finally spoke through clenched teeth.
He genuinely hadn't expected Chen Shi to be this shameless—
to say something like that out loud, and then admit it without the slightest embarrassment.
Valuing romance over friendship?
Just saying it straight to his face?
What, was dignity something he'd completely thrown away?
"Oh, come on. You already got Mawile, didn't you?"
Chen Shi waved his hands casually, utterly unconcerned.
"That's a Steel–Fairy-type Pokémon. Raise it properly and it'll be insanely strong too. It's not like it's that much worse."
Steven glanced at the egg in Cynthia's arms, then at the one in his own, and immediately shot back,
"How is Mawile comparable to Goomy?"
"One's an ordinary Pokémon, the other's a pseudo-legendary—and a Steel–Dragon one at that. How is that even remotely the same?"
Beside him, Phoebe grabbed a bottle of juice, took a few big gulps, and watched the scene with the unmistakable expression of someone enjoying the drama.
Cynthia, meanwhile, looked mildly speechless and couldn't help shooting Chen Shi a sideways glance.
He really was saying anything these days.
"Don't sweat the details so much," Chen Shi said quickly, noticing Steven's darkening expression and immediately switching tactics.
"Didn't I also help your family pull in a ton of goodwill this time?"
"Look at it—Diantha, Leon, Wallace. Those are all big shots."
He was clearly trying to revive some sense of brotherhood.
Steven snorted softly.
He didn't continue the argument, instead bringing up another topic.
"By the way… back at Meteor Falls, that old woman mentioned a 'Dragon God.'"
"That disaster she talked about—was it stopped using Mega Evolution?"
This was something he'd been thinking about.
After all, they'd accepted benefits and made promises.
And it was a serious matter.
So there were questions he wanted answered.
"That's right," Chen Shi replied.
"And honestly, you already know that Dragon God."
"It's Rayquaza, the guardian of Hoenn."
"Rayquaza?"
Steven froze for a moment, then reacted instantly.
"Wait—what? The Dragon God was Rayquaza?"
Chen Shi shrugged.
"What's so impossible about that? Isn't Rayquaza qualified to be called a Dragon God?"
"I—I didn't mean it like that…"
Steven tried to say something, but couldn't quite find the words.
Rayquaza's existence wasn't exactly a secret to certain circles.
Hoenn had countless records and legends about it.
In ancient lore, Rayquaza was the embodiment of absolute power—
an existence that could do anything.
Even among Legendary Pokémon, Rayquaza stood at the very top.
After all, Legendaries had tiers too.
The Legendary Birds.
The Regis.
Strong, yes—but nowhere near Rayquaza's level.
Those Pokémon were occasionally documented, sometimes even encountered.
But Rayquaza?
It lived purely in legend.
People had heard of it—but no one had ever truly seen it.
Steven had always assumed the "Dragon God" was just a particularly powerful Dragon-type Legendary.
He'd never connected it to Rayquaza.
Chen Shi sighed lightly.
"Do you really think those ancient factions that've survived for thousands of years are simple?"
"The Draconid people have always worshiped Rayquaza."
"As for the 'disaster' the old woman mentioned—it's actually pretty straightforward."
"It was just Groudon and Kyogre fighting."
"The catastrophe was nothing more than the aftermath of their battle."
Steven swallowed, his mind going blank for a second.
He never would've imagined that the truth behind the so-called disaster was that simple—
Just two Legendary Pokémon fighting.
But the real problem was which two.
Groudon.
Kyogre.
The God of Land.
The God of Sea.
The supreme beings said to have created the continents and oceans of Hoenn.
No wonder even Rayquaza had needed the power of Mega Evolution to intervene.
At the end of the day, it wasn't about defeating them—
Just stopping two gods from continuing to fight.
Steven suddenly felt a hint of regret.
Had he made the wrong call agreeing to this?
Thinking back, those stones he'd received from the Draconids…
They didn't seem that attractive anymore.
Maybe he should return them?
As if sensing his thoughts, Chen Shi immediately spoke up.
"We need to get stronger—fast."
"From what that old woman implied, those two idiots from Hoenn might fight again."
"If that happens and we're not strong enough, we won't even be able to protect ourselves."
"And don't forget—we already promised them."
"We can't go back on our word."
Steven let out a soft sigh and nodded.
He hadn't truly wanted to refuse in the first place.
This was too important to ignore—it wasn't in his nature to turn away.
Still…
It really felt like a bad deal.
Risking his life over a few stones?
Absolutely terrible value.
"What exactly did you promise them?"
After listening quietly for a long time, Cynthia finally couldn't hold back her curiosity.
She knew some of the Hoenn trio's legends too—
and now that she'd heard part of it, she naturally wanted the full picture.
"Nothing much," Chen Shi replied casually.
"Just that when Groudon and Kyogre start fighting again, we'll go back to Meteor Falls."
"And help them summon Rayquaza."
Steven stared at him.
"…You're really good at saying world-ending events like they're nothing."
Steven looked at him strangely.
"I remember you weren't like this before."
"When that old woman brought this up, you practically wanted to teach me Mega Evolution on the spot just to avoid getting involved."
"So why do you suddenly seem so unconcerned now?"
Chen Shi frowned, looking righteous and indignant.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"This is a matter that concerns the safety of the entire Hoenn region."
"How could I retreat? How would I retreat?"
"For the peace and happiness of everyone—
even if the path ahead is a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, I'll charge straight through!"
Phoebe's eyes sparkled like stars.
"So cool, Chen Shi!"
"Low-key, low-key," Chen Shi said modestly, waving his hands.
Seeing this, even Steven started to doubt himself.
Had he really misjudged Chen Shi back then?
But back in Meteor Village, this guy had clearly looked like he wanted nothing to do with the situation.
On the other side, Cynthia let out a cold laugh.
She didn't believe a single word he'd said.
Not one.
No retreat?
For everyone's happiness?
Maybe that would fool Phoebe.
But not her.
She looked at him coldly.
"Tell the truth."
"Ahem."
Seeing Cynthia's expression darken, Chen Shi coughed awkwardly and raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright."
"It's just that…"
"They offered way too much."
"One Champion-tier Dragon Fang, one Metagross Mega Stone—"
"And they even said that once it's done, there's a real treasure waiting."
"I seriously couldn't refuse!"
Steven: ...
Phoebe: ...
Cynthia: ...…
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