Join my p@treon for more chapters
[email protected]/Tempest_29
Kalos Region, Shalour City.
"Professor Sycamore told me that Master Gurkinn is at the Tower of Mastery..."
Steven sat on a stone railing, cradling Honedge in his arms.
He gazed at the tall tower standing majestically upon the sea.
"That must be the Tower of Mastery, right?"
This made Steven quite curious as to why the Tower of Mastery was constructed on the ocean.
Simply for aesthetics?
After all, any Pokémon capable of flight or swimming could reach it easily.
"Are you... Mr. Stone?!"
Steven turned his head sharply, startled, nearly tumbling from the stone railing onto the beach below.
He hadn't realized that a crowd had gathered behind him.
He'd been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed them at all!
Perhaps Metagross and Lucario sensed they meant no harm, so they hadn't warned him.
"Uh... I am."
Steven turned around and dropped lightly to the ground.
"Ahem, that was an unsafe action just now. Please don't imitate it."
Although falling wouldn't truly harm people in the Pokémon world.
"Mr. Stone, could I please take a picture with you!"
"Me too!"
"Please take one with me as well!"
Steven observed the group of enthusiastic fans rushing forward—there were mature women in their twenties, energetic teenagers, and even young girls!
Steven's eye twitched. Who said that a regional Champion wouldn't be bothered in public!
Oh right, League President Goodshow had promised him a month's vacation.
Who leaked the information about his whereabouts!
Steven smiled graciously and agreed to each request.
In the past, people had stared at Steven occasionally, but no one had ever stopped him like this!
Dusk gradually descended, and the ocean surface was painted golden-yellow.
Honedge in his arms had long since fallen asleep from boredom.
Steven finally concluded his role as a "photo opportunity."
"Huh?"
Steven was surprised to discover at that moment—
A path leading to the Tower of Mastery had actually materialized on the sea.
"This is..."
Steven chuckled softly. No wonder the Tower of Mastery was built upon the ocean.
It actually possessed such a remarkable feature.
Steven arrived at the tower's entrance, returning Honedge to its Poké Ball to rest.
Then he grasped the door handle and pulled the door open.
Creeeak...
This massive door actually produced sound effects when opened!
It was just somewhat strenuous to move.
After pulling open the door, Steven passed through a shadowy corridor and beheld a huge statue standing within the tower.
Bang—
"Lucario..."
Lucario emerged from its Poké Ball on its own, gazing up at the statue.
The statue resembled Lucario quite closely, but possessed slight differences in appearance.
"Are you... a Gym challenger?"
Steven turned his head toward the source of the voice.
From the shadows, an elderly man slowly emerged.
The old man's eyebrows were long and upturned, and he had little hair remaining on his head—only a hairstyle resembling a mohawk in the center.
Steven could only offer a mental thumbs-up. Very avant-garde!
"Eh? You appear to be..." Gurkinn looked closely and noticed something unusual.
This person seemed quite familiar!
It felt as though he'd just seen him yesterday.
"The new Champion of the Hoenn Region?"
"Yes, Master Gurkinn. I am Steven Stone." Steven smiled warmly, introducing himself to Gurkinn.
"Are you here to..."
Gurkinn first glanced at the Lucario beside Steven, then observed the Key Stone brooch on Steven's chest, and immediately understood the purpose.
"Are you here to inquire about Mega Evolution?"
"Yes, I heard from Professor Sycamore that you are the inheritor of Mega Evolution." Steven nodded politely in response.
Gurkinn regarded this newly appointed, youngest-ever League Champion, and smiled.
"Then I'll tell you the history of Mega Evolution first."
"Okay, thank you, Master!"
"This is the statue of our family's companion—Mega Lucario."
Steven nodded, following Gurkinn's gaze upward at the Mega Lucario statue.
"Actually, my ancestor's arrival on this island marked the beginning of Mega Evolution's recorded history."
"My ancestor, who trained alongside Lucario, discovered two mysterious stones on this island."
"The two mysterious stones resonated when held in their hands, and Lucario evolved into Mega Lucario."
"It is said that this was the first Mega Evolution in the world."
Steven nodded thoughtfully. Currently, the phenomenon of Mega Evolution in the Kalos Region was more prevalent than in the Hoenn Region.
And Hoenn had not yet reported any Mega Evolution cases earlier than those of Gurkinn's ancestors.
"Since then, our family has guarded this sacred ground of Mega Evolution."
"Professor Sycamore mentioned that a young man from the Hoenn Region visited his laboratory recently and provided him with Mega Evolution data."
"That person was you, wasn't it?"
Gurkinn turned his head and studied the Key Stone brooch on Steven's left chest.
"It was me." Steven confirmed with a nod.
"Steven, are you here to learn about Mega Evolution, or to train in Mega Evolution?" Gurkinn asked curiously, crossing his arms.
"Actually, I wanted to ask Master where I might obtain a Mega Stone for Lucario." Steven stepped back and bowed slightly to Gurkinn respectfully, making his request.
Gurkinn appeared momentarily stunned by the question.
This was an unexpected inquiry for him.
After scrutinizing Steven carefully for a while, he suddenly smiled.
"We possess Lucarionite in our family, and we can give it to you, but..."
Steven straightened up, looking at Gurkinn intently, waiting for him to continue.
"But that is our family's legacy. If you want it, then you must become engaged to my granddaughter."
"En... engagement?!" Steven froze completely.
He had absolutely not expected Gurkinn to make such a request.
"Yes, that way you'll become part of our family, and I can naturally entrust you with the Lucarionite." Gurkinn said with a knowing smile, his arms still crossed.
As for Steven—he was remarkably handsome and the youngest regional Champion in the entire League's history.
He'd reached the pinnacle of the Hoenn Region within half a year of his debut.
Moreover, Lucario was quite sensitive to emotions and character.
So, aside from some minor "controversy," Steven was an outstanding person overall.
As his granddaughter's husband, he would be excellent.
Steven felt somewhat at a loss, and a golden-haired girl came to mind.
Her hand chop descended, while the Garchomp behind her revealed a mischievous grin.
The shark's raised fin seemed to gleam with an ominous light...
"Uh... I'm afraid I cannot accept..." Steven replied with an awkward smile.
"Hmm? Why not? My granddaughter is a beauty, trust me! Look!"
Gurkinn rummaged through his belongings, located a photograph, and handed it to Steven.
Steven examined it closely—indeed, she was quite beautiful, and would likely become even more stunning as she matured.
But...
Still not comparable to Cynthia!
"Master... your granddaughter is very beautiful, but I..."
"My heart already belongs to someone else."