Looking at the fallen Golurk, the seventh layer of energy returned to its original place once again.
Tetsuya did not feel the slightest joy. Although he had fought a world-class Trainer like Steven to a draw, he did not actually own that capacity yet. Golurk had merely experienced an eruption of energy while in a berserk state, something that was completely beyond his control.
Steven and Tetsuya both recalled their Pokémon.
The two of them didn't say a word and simply shook hands in the middle of the field.
At that moment, Steven's father, Joseph, the only spectator, also came down and said to Tetsuya, "I just investigated your background, hope you don't mind. Coming from an ordinary family, yet possessing a level comparable to Steven's at only fifteen or sixteen years old… This is more than enough to demonstrate your potential."
He then said to Steven, "Come with me. I have something to discuss with you."
'…?'
The two brought Tetsuya to a reception room, where dedicated staff attended to him, while Steven and his father left.
Even without listening, Tetsuya could roughly guess what father and son were going to discuss. It was undoubtedly about Tetsuya's experiences, character, and the like.
In that regard, Tetsuya had done an exceptionally thorough job. All of his publicly available records consisted entirely of events that had "benefited" society.
In addition, although his courageous battle against Team Aqua this time had not helped Devon Corporation recover its research materials, fighting alongside Steven would certainly earn him considerable goodwill.
Given the Stone Family's resources, they would certainly also know that Tetsuya had come to Hoenn this time to assist Norman in dealing with Team Magma. All these events would surely make them regard Tetsuya as an ambitious young Trainer, a future star "overflowing" with a sense of justice.
---◓---
About half an hour later, Steven and his father came back in and had the staff attending to Tetsuya leave.
Mr. Stone solemnly said to Tetsuya, "Tetsuya, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Mm, go ahead," Tetsuya said.
"Our company would like to invite you to join us. Of course, don't feel any pressure! It's only a position.
The company will provide all the funding or any other assistance you need to raise your Pokémon, but whenever the company faces a crisis… you must appear, or whenever a major event occurs in society, you will need to lend your strength on behalf of the company," Mr. Stone said.
"Well…" Tetsuya pretended to think it over.
"Tetsuya, I also hope you can join our team. There are only three people in it right now: me, Wallace, and a Trainer named Nate from the Unova region," Steven said.
Tetsuya nodded. As expected of Devon Corporation, it possessed remarkable foresight. All three of them were Champion-level figures. No wonder Devon Corporation had been able to remain standing firm in the Hoenn region.
After all, Hoenn had experienced multiple incidents involving rampaging Legendary Pokémon, yet Devon Corporation had always managed to emerge unscathed from these massive, catastrophic battles. It seemed these Champion-level individuals deserved much of the credit.
And Tetsuya, of course, wanted to attach himself to such an immensely wealthy company…
Giovanni had relied on Silph Co. to establish a powerful force of his own, while Nate had become a renowned Elite Four¹[1] with the help of Devon Corporation.
With this powerful backer behind him, the Stone Family would pave the road ahead for him, and his life would be rewritten…
He would never again have to worry about funding or logistics, and he would be able to raise his Pokémon without the slightest reservation. Once his strength reached the necessary level, he would begin with his original goal of… dominating Johto.
"I agree," Tetsuya said.
"Hahahaha! Welcome to Devon Corporation!" Steven and his father stood up at the same time as they spoke.
'In this life, I…'
---◓---
Over the course of the following day, Steven took Tetsuya through all the necessary procedures. Tetsuya officially became a registered member of Devon Corporation and was also given a credit card. He could apply directly to Steven for his monthly limit, and if there was anything he needed the company to handle, dedicated personnel would arrange it for him.
Tetsuya's first request was, "Build a house on the hill not far from the… Foggy Forest. Basic supporting facilities will be enough. Then, please, have Mr. Stone personally request that the Hoenn League isolate the forest on safety grounds."
For Devon Corporation, this was simply a trivial matter, but for Tetsuya, it would become a crucial location for empower his Poison-type Pokémon in the future.
He had already stayed in Rustboro City for two days. Sure enough, around evening, Norman called and told him to hurry to Dewford Island and meet up with him.
Norman had already arrived on Dewford Island at noon, and according to reliable information, Brodie, "the Man of a Thousand Faces", would also appear during this operation.
Upon receiving this news, Tetsuya could no longer sit still. Capturing Brodie was also an important part of his plans. This time, he absolutely would not let him escape!
When he returned to the Pokémon Center, all of his Pokémon had already recovered, except for Golurk. After all, its berserk state had consumed far too much of its vitality.
Without Golurk, and with no flights to Dewford Island at night, it would be difficult for him to depart that evening.
But now that he had a powerful backer, every problem naturally became easy to solve. Moreover, this was where Devon Corporation's headquarters was located!
The company prepared a private speedboat for him to travel overnight to Dewford Island. With a dedicated driver, Tetsuya could rest as well, killing two Pidgey with one Rock Throw.
He arrived at Dewford Island at around eight the next morning. Without stopping to rest, Tetsuya headed to the agreed meeting place to rendezvous with Norman.
To avoid alerting the enemy, Norman had not chosen the Pokémon Center, but merely an ordinary hotel.
Only after meeting Norman did Tetsuya learn that many of the League's elite personnel, dressed in plain clothes, had already spread out among the various hotels on Dewford Island. Starting the following morning, they would enter the mountains in separate groups and rendezvous at the designated location.
Naturally, Tetsuya would travel with Norman. They were scheduled to depart around noon the following day as the final group.
In the meantime, Tetsuya naturally hurried to send Golurk to the Pokémon Center so it could recover as quickly as possible.
---◓---
Dewford Island was one of the more comprehensively developed islands in the Hoenn region. It had its own Gym, which specialized in Fighting-type Pokémon. The island was surrounded by ocean, while its interior had everything from mountains and forests to waterfalls and contained abundant resources. It was no wonder Team Magma had set its sights on this island…
Dealing with Team Magma this time would mainly depend on Ditto's abilities. Tetsuya had Ditto rest early. Above all, it needed to keep its mind clear, and the most important thing was its eyes!
Only Ditto's eyes could see through Brodie's disguise.
By noon the following day, Golurk's injuries had almost completely recovered. Only Tetsuya and Norman were traveling together. After lunch, they headed deep into the mountains.
Before setting out, Norman had already informed every team by radio, and he now knew the progress of each team like the back of his hand.
The members of these teams were all professional Investigators from the Hoenn League. Each also had Pokémon for transportation in the terrain they specialized in, so their traveling speed was extremely fast.
In an environment where they could avoid being seen, naturally, the faster they moved, the better!
•.
•.
¹. Reference from "Pokemon: Sandstorm Elite".
[1] Reference from "Pokemon: Sandstorm Elite".