"Me and Wallace, huh?" Steven fell into deep thought, starting to suspect that the boy in front of him was doing this on purpose. Could he be a fan of Wallace?
Wallace hadn't become Champion by defeating Steven in a formal challenge, so privately, their fans often debated who was stronger. Some even speculated that there might be some underhanded deal between the two, leading to Wallace's rise.
However, both Steven and Wallace found these rumors amusing.
After all, in their private sparring sessions, Wallace had never won against Steven. Wallace didn't mind either. He had openly stated that Steven's strength was superior to his own, though many dismissed his words as mere politeness.
"Of course, Wallace is stronger than I am; he's the current Hoenn Champion, after all," Steven replied with a polite smile. He didn't care much for titles. If he did, he wouldn't have given up the Hoenn Championship for the sake of freedom.
"I see. But I still think you're the stronger one, Steven. I'm a fan of yours," Dylan chuckled as he spoke to Steven. In his past life, he really admired Steven. After all, a man who was not only handsome and rich but also responsible and powerful was incredibly charming.
"Is that so? I'm honored," Steven responded with the same warm demeanor.
"Are you three here as tourists?" Steven asked, observing Dylan, Ilene, and Lillie. He could tell they weren't ordinary people. At the very least, their backgrounds seemed significant, judging by their clothes and bearing.
"Yes, we're visiting relatives from another region. You seemed to be in a hurry earlier, Steven. Is something urgent?" Dylan inquired.
"Because of my father, I'm afraid I have to excuse myself," Steven said apologetically after glancing at the time.
"No worries, it was nice meeting you," Dylan said with a polite nod.
"Goodbye," Steven replied with a smile as he prepared to leave. His father had suddenly summoned him, and it seemed urgent.
"Oh, by the way, Steven," Dylan called out just as Steven was walking away. "You might want to ask your father, President Joseph, what he did at the Embedded Tower in Johto back then."
"My father?" Steven paused, turning back to Dylan with a puzzled look. Dylan smiled politely.
What did that mean? Did his father do something in the past? Steven sensed something was off.
"Please, speak plainly," Steven said, frowning slightly.
"You'd be better off asking President Joseph directly. If he's willing to tell you, that is. It's not exactly something to be proud of," Dylan responded with a faint smile, making Steven frown even more.
"But please convey a message to your father from me: eventually, there will be a price to pay for what he did. Tell him to be prepared," Dylan added before nodding politely and leaving with Ilene and Lillie.
The reason Dylan brought this up with Steven was to let him know the truth. Steven was someone who viewed the world with kindness. Finding out that his father was responsible for the death of an innocent girl wouldn't be a small matter to him. The real question was how Steven would handle it.
"..." Steven watched the trio walk away, deep in thought. He then turned and quickened his pace toward Devon Corporation.
Meanwhile, on Dylan's side…
"Dylan, is there some secret about Devon Corporation?" Ilene asked, her curiosity piqued by the conversation between Dylan and Steven. Lillie, too, seemed puzzled.
"Yes, it's related to Aster," Dylan nodded but didn't elaborate, considering they were still out in public.
"Let's go, I'll tell you more later. For now, let's enjoy our time in Hoenn," Dylan said with a smile to the two girls. The matter with Aster would come to light eventually, but now wasn't the time.
Back at the Devon Corporation President's office…
"Father."
"Steven."
As Steven entered the office, a white-haired man in an elegant deep purple suit smiled at him. Despite being 52 years old, Joseph carried himself with an impressive presence that made him seem much younger.
"Father, why did you call me back?" Steven asked as he sat beside Joseph, curious.
"It's about a new type of stone the company has discovered. I've been in contact with the Kalos region, and they say it can allow Pokémon who have reached their final evolutionary stage to evolve again!"
"Is that true?" Steven was shocked. A stone that could make fully-evolved Pokémon evolve further?
"Yes, Kalos calls it Mega Evolution. I want you to go there and verify its authenticity and safety," Joseph explained with a smile as he sipped his coffee.
"Alright," Steven agreed. He was intrigued by the idea. If his Metagross could evolve further, it would be a huge boost to his strength—assuming Mega Evolution was real.
"Thank you," Joseph said warmly, proud of his son. "By the way, have you met anyone special lately?"
"Father," Steven replied, a bit exasperated.
"You're not getting any younger, and neither am I. If you won't take over the company, are you planning to let it fall into someone else's hands? Just find a girlfriend, get married, and have a child already! I've arranged so many dates for you, and you keep turning them down! You're worrying me sick!"
"Yes, yes," Steven sighed, his head aching. This was why he didn't like coming home—every time, Joseph would lecture him for ages.
"Father."
After Joseph finally finished his lecture, Steven hesitated, then spoke up.
"What's wrong? Is something on your mind?" Joseph noticed his son's unusual behavior. Steven rarely acted like this.
"Father, did you visit the Embedded Tower in Johto a few years ago?" Steven asked cautiously.
Joseph's expression changed. How did Steven know about that?
"Where did you hear that?"
"So something did happen," Steven confirmed immediately. His father had indeed been hiding something, and it probably wasn't good.
"..." Joseph frowned deeply, remaining silent for a long time before finally sighing.
"That... was the biggest mistake of my life," Joseph admitted, lighting a cigarette as he spoke in a weary tone.
He then slowly recounted the events of the "Rayquaza Capture Plan."
"In the end, Rayquaza broke free and escaped."
"And the girl?" Steven's heart sank. If Rayquaza escaped, that was one thing—but what about the innocent girl?
"She... died," Joseph said hesitantly, his voice bitter.
Steven's eyes widened in shock as he stared at his father, someone he had always respected. The office fell into a heavy silence.
"You mean, you killed an innocent girl to capture Rayquaza, and that Rayquaza even had a trainer?" Steven finally spoke, his voice dry.
"We didn't know Rayquaza had a trainer at first…"
"However, father, the Pokémon League has strictly prohibited the use of mechanical devices to capture wild Pokémon!"
Steven's voice gradually grew more angry as he questioned his father.
"And even after discovering that Rayquaza belonged to that girl, why did you still continue to attack Rayquaza?"
Steven couldn't imagine the despair that innocent girl must have felt when her Pokémon was surrounded and attacked.
"The Pokémon Association was responsible for implementing the plan at that time, I..." Joseph sighed, understanding that his son was deeply disappointed in him. He had only learned about the girl with Rayquaza after the plan had already started.
But by then, it was too late to stop it. No matter what, he had committed an unforgivable mistake.
Steven's mind was in turmoil. He never expected his father to have done something like this.
Regardless of the original intent, trying to capture a legendary Pokémon using mechanical devices was a clear violation of the Pokémon League's laws. And to make matters worse, that legendary Pokémon already had a trainer, and they even killed that trainer.
This...
Steven stood up, holding his head, feeling the need to calm down.
"Steven."
Joseph also stood up, but Steven didn't respond. He walked straight to the door, ready to leave.
"Steven, are you going to report your father?"
Joseph's forlorn voice reached Steven's ears, causing him to pause with his hand on the doorknob. His expression became extremely complicated, his emotions shifting continuously.
"Father, I need some time to think."
Steven's voice was weak and exhausted. His thoughts were a mess. Logically, he should report this to the League. He was a person with a good heart.
Such a terrible act couldn't be ignored, but the person responsible was his own father, whom he respected. Steven felt utterly confused.
He couldn't make a decision right away. Choosing between morality and family had never been easy.
"And..." Steven turned back, looking at his father with a complex gaze, thinking of the boy he had met on the way.
"Father, someone seeking justice for that girl may already be on their way."
...
Meanwhile, Dylan, Ilene, and Lillie finished touring the shopping district and returned to the hotel, where they booked flights back to Kanto.
The next afternoon, they arrived back at the Rota Gym.
"Wow, Gym Leader! You're finally back."
As they returned to the gym, the receptionist was the first to rush out, her face full of excitement, followed by Selene.
Dylan had left the gym keys with the receptionist and Selene, since the gym provided food and accommodation.
But normally, the two would go home to rest since their houses were close to the Rota, not too far away.
"What's wrong? You look like you've been bullied," Dylan teased, amused by the receptionist's reaction.
"Hehe~ It's just that this is the first time you've been away for so long, Gym Leader. And while you were gone, we actually had a lot of challengers."
"There's been a lot of online complaints, too. Our gym is getting a lot of attention now."
The receptionist playfully stuck out her tongue, her voice cheerful and happy, while Selene nodded enthusiastically beside her.
"Then post an announcement. We'll resume accepting challenges tomorrow," Dylan chuckled.
"This is Lillie, my sister. She'll be staying at the gym for a while."
"Lillie, this is our receptionist, responsible for greeting challengers. And this is Selene, my apprentice."
Dylan introduced them to each other.
"The Gym Leader's sister? Wow, she's so pretty!" The receptionist's eyes lit up as she marveled at Lillie, who looked elegant and pure in her white dress.
Selene also couldn't help but admire Lillie's cuteness.
"Thank you," Lillie smiled sweetly and curtsied with a graceful lady-like bow.
"Oh, and get someone to replan the spinner's zones and add another type."
Dylan stretched his arms, preparing to go to the backyard to let his Pokémon out for some fresh air.
"Sure thing, Gym Leader. By the way, what type should we add?"
Selene eagerly picked up the phone to contact the designer. As long as it was a symbol representing a type, it would work.
"Add the Ghost type."
"Hmm... Got it!"
Selene tilted her head slightly, remembering how martial artists and fighters used to call the Ghost type "heretical."
Well, this time the Gym Leader was really going "heretical." The Ghost type—such a healthy choice!
Good news: The Rota Gym is reopening.
Bad news: The Rota Gym's spinner has added another type.
In the backyard, Dylan took out two shrunken Poké Balls, his face once again bright with a sunny smile.
He hadn't had any fun with those cute challengers in days—he missed them already.
And now, with two new Ghost-type Pokémon, his Ghost team might not be full yet, but it was enough to handle challengers.
(End of the chapter)
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