Hoenn Region — Ever Grande City / Meteor Falls / Sinnoh Region
"Sidney, do you have any idea where the Gym Leaders ended up?"
Steven leaned back in his seat aboard the League's private helicopter, watching the dark landscape scroll by below.
"Since a lot of this year's Gym Leaders are newly appointed, the League arranged a month-long training program for them right after the conference," Sidney explained, arms folded. "By my count, it should be wrapping up soon."
"I see." Steven nodded. Which means Wallace should be back before long — though knowing him, he's probably stayed on to accompany them.
"Champion, Gym Leader," the pilot's voice came through evenly, "we're now above Meteor Falls."
"Understood. Thank you." Steven glanced out the window. Below them, Meteor Falls cut a dark shape through the landscape under a clear night sky.
"So, Champion," Sidney said, tilting his head with a grin, "how do you want to play this?"
"It's just the two of us," Steven replied, his tone carrying a quiet amusement, "and you're already asking me for a plan?" He pulled open the cabin door. Cool air rushed in, tossing his silver hair back.
"Simple enough. We go in."
He stepped out.
Thud.
Metagross dropped from the helicopter below him, hitting the ground with enough force to crack the rock underfoot. It turned smoothly, using Psychic to lower Steven the rest of the way and set him down without so much as a scuff on his shoes.
"Now that's my kind of entrance!" Sidney laughed from above — and then jumped.
The ground came up fast.
His speed did not decrease.
"Hey — catch me!"
"Metagross."
Steven said it softly, almost as an afterthought.
Metagross's eyes gleamed. Sidney stopped with a lurch, hanging in the air, close enough to the ground that he could have pressed his nose against it.
He let out a very slow breath.
"...Why didn't you catch me sooner?" Sidney muttered, straightening up once Metagross set him down.
"You didn't ask," Steven replied simply, already walking toward the entrance of Meteor Falls.
"So if I don't say anything, you'll just let me fall?!"
"I had faith in you."
"That's not—" Sidney exhaled sharply and fixed his jacket. "Forget it. I'll have a punching bag soon enough."
He jogged to catch up. After all, Steven was the Champion. Even Sidney, with all his experience, couldn't beat him in a battle. Getting left behind at the cave entrance was a very real possibility.
Far away, in the Sinnoh Region —
"The final quarter-finalist has been decided! It's Cynthia, from Celestic Town!"
The crowd roared. Cynthia stepped forward across the field and extended her hand to her opponent with a calm smile.
"That was a truly wonderful battle."
Her opponent shook it, looking as though they were fighting back tears. Wonderful for you, maybe. You swept my entire team with Roserade. But they returned the handshake all the same.
Cynthia made her way back to the Pokémon Center and up to her room. With the quarter-finals behind her, the format would shift to full six-on-six battles from here on out. She sat on the edge of her bed and picked up her phone, intending to call Steven.
She noticed a message from him first.
Steven:I'm on a mission, so you won't be able to reach me ╭( ･ㅂ･)و
Cynthia's cheeks puffed slightly. She typed back without hesitation.
Cynthia:Who said I wanted to call you anyway (＞皿＜)
She set the phone face-down on the mattress and looked at the six Poké Balls lined up in front of her.
Four days left.
Behind her, Togepi quietly rolled across the floor, unbothered by anything.
She had already made up her mind. The moment she won the conference and received the title of Champion, she would do exactly what Steven had done — challenge the Elite Four immediately.
Her gaze steadied. Her lips moved in near-silence.
"This time... I'll be the one to say it to you."
The next morning, Cynthia stood at the edge of the battle arena and breathed in slowly.
She glanced back over her shoulder, out of habit.
The spot where he had stood and watched — every match, from the very first round — was empty.
She faced forward again. Her eyes sharpened.
"Both sides, please send out your Pokémon!"
The referee's voice rang across the field. Cynthia drew her arm back and released the Poké Ball in a clean arc toward the sky.
"Lucario!"
Meteor Falls.
"Phew." Sidney pressed the back of his hand to his forehead. "That's finally all of them."
The last of the Team Magma grunts had been rounded up. They sat in a row — or rather, a pile — bound tightly in their red uniforms, looking thoroughly miserable.
Steven perched on top of Metagross's head, turning a small brooch over in his fingers in the early morning light.
"Sidney," he said without looking up, "will we get any time off after this?"
"Technically," Sidney said, stretching his arms above his head with a groan, "'time off' just means sitting at your desk going through documents instead of being out here." He dropped back and leaned against the nearest pile of Team Magma members as though they were a perfectly acceptable backrest.
One of the grunts stiffened but said nothing.
"Ah." Steven's gaze drifted sideways toward Sidney.
"...What's with that look?" Sidney's eye twitched. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I was thinking," Steven said pleasantly, "that since I have a few things to take care of this week, I'd leave the documents to you."
Sidney spread his hands flat. "Absolutely not."
"Those reports are mind-numbing. You think the higher-ups sent me along on this mission because they thought I was enjoying the office?"
"I think you'll reconsider," Steven said, still smiling.
"I won't. You're the Champion — it doesn't work on me." Sidney crossed his arms. "Final answer."
Steven nodded slowly. "Then I'll ask Glacia."
"Great idea! She'd probably actually enjoy it—" Sidney paused. Something about the way Steven had said it made the words land differently on the second pass. He frowned. "...Wait."
Steven had already risen from Metagross's head, noticing Officer Jenny approaching from the tree line with a small team of officers behind her.
"Let's head back," Steven said, returning Metagross to its Poké Ball.
"Can't we rest a bit first?" Sidney grumbled, getting to his feet. "We were up all night."
A Poké Ball appeared in Steven's hand — Scizor's, notably. He didn't say anything. He didn't need to.
"All right, all right!" Sidney threw up both hands. "Let's go. Happy now?"
Steven allowed himself a quiet laugh. That's more like it.
After handing the captured Team Magma members over to Officer Jenny, the two of them boarded the helicopter and flew back to Ever Grande City.
Sidney returned to the office to find his documents exactly where he had left them — on Phoebe's desk, completely untouched. Phoebe had stacked them back on his desk with something approaching ceremony.
He stared at them. He pressed both hands over his face. A long, low sound escaped him.
"No~~~"
"That's what you get for dumping your work on me before you left!" Phoebe stood with her hands on her hips, grinning with the satisfaction of someone who had been waiting all night to say exactly that. "Karma, Sidney!"
Steven stepped past both of them, set a hand lightly on Phoebe's shoulder, and spoke with a calm, easy tone. "Phoebe, I have a few things to see to over the next few days. If any new documents come through, could you help me handle them?"
Phoebe's grin evaporated. "...Is there any room to say no?"
Steven glanced at Sidney — still staring into the void above his paper mountain.
"You could say no the way Sidney did," Steven offered.
"...I'll do it," Phoebe said quickly.
He was new to the position, she reasoned. It probably wouldn't be much. She could manage.
"Thank you." Steven reached into his pocket and produced a small, polished stone, holding it out toward her. "Consider this a token of appreciation."
Phoebe took it, turned it over, and her eyes went wide. "This is — a Mega Stone?!"
Slam.
Sidney's palms hit the desk as he shot upright. "A Mega Stone?!" He stared at Steven with open disbelief. "Why didn't you say there was a reward involved earlier?! I bravely put myself in harm's way for you last night — I took an ambush hit for you — and all I got was a 'thank you?!'"
Steven tilted his head. "You slipped on a discarded Oran Berry peel and stumbled into the way by accident," he said. "Metagross had the situation covered."
A beat of silence.
"...I see," Sidney said quietly.
He sat back down.
"This is a Mega Stone for Sableye," Steven said, turning back to Phoebe. "It's yours."
Phoebe straightened up, clutching it with both hands. Something in her expression shifted from surprise into complete, unwavering resolve. She stood at attention.
"Champion! You can count on me! I won't let you down!"
"I know," Steven said, satisfied.
The Mega Stone had been well spent.
Now he could make it to Sinnoh in time for Cynthia's finals.