After dinner, Angie had Diancie prepare a room for Steven and said to him, "You can stay here tonight and rest easy. Let's wait until the rain stops to talk about everything else!"
Steven responded, "Thank you very much," and then headed to his room with Lairon.
As for Angie, his routine remained unshaken. Just like any other day, he spent some time relaxing and playing with the Pokémon, followed it up with training, and finally retired to his room for the night.
The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room as Steven opened his eyes.
Outside, a trio of Pokémon—Fletchinder, Spritzee, and Swablu—stood in a row on the balcony, curiously peeking at the still-sleeping Steven.
The moment they noticed him stirring, they chirped noisily and took off, disappearing into the bright blue sky in an instant.
"Lairon~~"
Steven's movements startled Lairon, who had woken up long before but had been resting with its eyes closed.
Smiling, Steven greeted his Pokémon, "Good morning, Lairon!"
"Lairon~ Lairon~"
Lairon squinted its eyes, responding warmly.
Steven threw off the covers, got out of bed, and walked quickly to the balcony. What greeted him was a sky washed clean by the overnight rain, dazzlingly blue with the bright sun shining warmly. The air was exceptionally fresh.
"What a magical place," Steven murmured to himself as he took a deep breath.
After all, it was clearly the dead of winter outside.
After freshening up, Steven went downstairs with Lairon. As he descended the stairs, he could hear the joyful chatter of Pokémon coming from below.
Just then, Diancie appeared at the staircase landing. With a polite smile, it greeted Steven and Lairon, "Good morning, Mr. Steven and Lairon!"
Though it found the way Mr. Steven looked at it a bit odd, as a well-educated member of royalty, Diancie would never act impolitely.
Steven returned the greeting with a smile, "Good morning, Diancie."
Diancie gestured towards the dining area. "Mr. Steven, please come and have breakfast."
Nodding, Steven made his way downstairs with Lairon in tow.
When he entered the dining hall and saw the Pokémon gathered around the table, both he and Lairon froze momentarily.
The Pokémon, who had been happily chatting while enjoying their breakfast, fell silent all at once upon noticing the unfamiliar face. It was as if someone had pressed a pause button, and the entire hall went still for a brief moment.
Seeing this, Diancie stepped forward to calm everyone, saying, "This is our guest. You don't need to be afraid."
Upon hearing this, the Pokémon resumed their breakfast, though the lively chatter from earlier was noticeably absent. They occasionally cast furtive glances at Steven out of the corner of their eyes.
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Steven quietly asked Diancie, "Diancie, these Pokémon are...?"
Diancie explained, "They're Pokémon that live on the Nebel Plateau. They usually help us with various tasks, so they eat here with us."
"I see," Steven nodded in understanding.
"Mr. Steven and Lairon, please have some breakfast as well." Diancie motioned for Steven to sit at an empty table before bringing over steaming hot buns and porridge for him and Lairon.
As soon as Lairon bit into milky buns, it immediately noticed the food's extraordinary quality and ate with even more enthusiasm.
While eating, Steven asked Diancie, "Where's Prince Angie? I haven't seen him around."
Diancie replied, "He went to Azoth Kingdom early this morning to open his shop. He probably won't be back until noon."
Steven looked surprised. "Isn't Prince Angie royalty? Why does he need to run a business?"
Diancie smiled and answered, "It's true that the royal family provides enough for us to live comfortably, but simply existing isn't enough for everyone. Angie has other ambitions, so of course, he works hard to earn money."
Steven nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. It seems like you know Prince Angie quite well."
Diancie looked slightly proud. "After all, we've lived together since childhood."
Steven nodded again, understanding their bond. It reminded him of the rapport he shared with Lairon and Metagross.
After breakfast, Steven asked Diancie, "May I take a walk around?"
Diancie nodded. "Of course, Mr. Steven. Feel free."
"Thank you."
After expressing his gratitude, Steven left Diancie's dining hall with Lairon.
Once outside the fence, Steven finally got his first clear look at the Nebel Plateau. The vast grasslands stretched out, with carefree Pokémon chasing and playing on the meadows. Gogoat leisurely grazed with their heads lowered.
In the distance, he could clearly see the mountain range from which he had come. It was there, while mining for stones, that he had gotten lost.
Spotting a lake not far away, Steven headed there with Lairon.
Azurill and Marill were playing by the shore, but as soon as they saw Steven approaching, they quickly dove into the water and disappeared.
It seemed the Pokémon on the Nebel Plateau were quite shy, Steven concluded.
On a lotus leaf by the lake, Poliwag and Poliwhirl were focused on watching fry in the water when they suddenly heard someone greeting them.
"Good morning, Poliwag and Poliwhirl."
They turned around and saw the person who had been at Angie's house earlier. With Lairon beside him, he was making his way through newly sprouted berry saplings toward the lake.
Poliwag and Poliwhirl stiffly waved at Steven in greeting before quickly leaping into the water and vanishing.
After all, they were employees of Angie's household and represented its reputation. They couldn't be impolite to guests.
Their evasiveness, coupled with their effort to maintain decorum, left Steven both amused and exasperated. He then began to carefully observe his surroundings.
Vibrant berry trees, fish fry faintly visible in the lake, and Pokémon working diligently...
What a wonderful place.
Steven found himself wondering if he might someday retire to a similarly peaceful life.
But then he chuckled softly. Probably not. He'd likely still be out exploring with his Pokémon, digging for stones.
Suddenly, a noise caught Steven's attention. He headed toward the source with Lairon and found two Pokémon battling on the grassland.
One was Aron, and the other was Drilbur.
Since moving into the staff quarters, Aron and Drilbur had resolved to work hard for Angie. But after planting all the berry trees, they found themselves at a loss for what else they could do to help.
They weren't like Water-type Pokémon, who could manage the fish farms. Nor were they as agile as Gardevoir or Meowstic, who could work as servers in the dining hall. And they certainly couldn't produce milk like Gogoat...
They contemplated for a while and eventually decided that the best way to contribute was to grow stronger and protect Angie and the Nebel Plateau with their strength, just like Lord Volcanion.
So, after breakfast, Aron and Drilbur headed to the grassy field to train.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted them, "Aron, Metal Claw isn't supposed to be used like that."
The two Pokémon froze mid-battle.
It was Steven who had spoken.
The Pokémon were visibly nervous upon seeing him, but Steven continued, "Lairon, why don't you show Aron how to properly use Metal Claw?"
"Lairon~!"
Lairon stepped forward, raising one of its forelegs high. Its claws gleamed with a silvery light before it swung forcefully forward. With a loud crash, a deep trench appeared in the grass.
Impressive!
Aron and Drilbur were awestruck, their eyes filled with admiration.
"Aron! Aron!"
"Drilbur! Drilbur!"
The two Pokémon circled around Lairon, begging it to teach them how to become stronger.
Steven smiled and said, "Lairon, why don't you help them out?"
Lairon hesitated for a moment but then nodded shyly. It was usually considered the weakest among Steven's Pokémon, so being admired like this was a new and slightly overwhelming experience.
The three Pokémon moved to a corner of the field, huddled together and murmuring. Before long, the sound of Lairon instructing Aron and Drilbur in battle techniques filled the air, accompanied by the earnest and determined cries of the trainees.
Steven observed them for a while before finding a patch of grass to sit on. He quietly took in the scenery of the plateau, enjoying a rare moment of peace.
At noon, Angie returned from the Azoth Kingdom just in time to see Steven walking back with Lairon, Aron, and Drilbur.
He casually asked, "Where have you been?"
Steven replied, "Just wandering around. I came across these two little guys training, so I stayed to watch."
Angie glanced at Aron and Drilbur curiously and asked, "You two enjoy battling?"
"Aron! Aron!"
"Drilbur! Drilbur!"
The two Pokémon nodded vigorously, gesturing excitedly. Their movements seemed to imply that they were praising Lairon's abilities, which made Lairon a bit embarrassed.
"I see…" Angie muttered thoughtfully, an idea forming in his mind.
In the afternoon, Angie finally got to work crafting tables and benches. He even called Robert No. 1 to assist him.
Seeing this, Steven asked, "Angie, what are you working on?"
Angie explained, "There are too many Pokémon coming here to eat every day, and it's getting cramped indoors. I thought about making some tables and benches to set up outside. When the weather is nice, everyone can eat out there."
"Ah, that makes sense!" Steven nodded in understanding. Then he offered enthusiastically, "Why don't I help too?"
"Sure! I'd appreciate the extra help," Angie said cheerfully. After all, who wouldn't welcome an extra pair of hands?
What Angie hadn't expected was that Steven turned out to be quite the craftsman. The tables and benches he made were remarkably beautiful—so much so that one might mistake this League Champion for a part-time carpenter!
Making tables and benches out of tree stumps didn't require excessive finesse—just simple processing to retain their natural style.
However, when the stumps were in Steven's hands, they seemed to transform, becoming refined and subtly elegant.
Of course, the most efficient worker was still Robert No. 1. Being a robot, its productivity far surpassed that of humans.
Yet, the tables and benches crafted by Robert No. 1 lacked the charm of Steven's work.
How to put it… they felt soulless?
Angie didn't exactly know what "charm" meant in craftsmanship, but comparing Steven and Robert No. 1's creations, he felt he had an inkling of its essence.
Compared to Steven and Robert No. 1, Angie felt utterly inadequate. Left with no better option, he brought out Munchlax, Diancie, and Sobble to help him apply tung oil to the finished tables and benches.
The oiling process was essential for preventing moisture, insects, and wood decay—without it, the furniture wouldn't last long.
Making tables and benches was a slow process, and even after working all morning, they had only completed around ten sets.
To thank Steven, Angie prepared a lavish dinner that evening as a token of gratitude, resulting in another enjoyable feast for everyone.
The next morning, Angie woke up to find Steven already awake.
"Mr. Steven, why are you up so early today?"
Steven replied, "I plan to leave the Nebel Plateau today, so I wanted to get up early to bid you farewell."
"Oh, I see!" Angie nodded in understanding. He didn't try to persuade Steven to stay but said, "Then I wish you a safe journey. I need to head to the Azoth Kingdom, so I won't be able to see you off."
Steven smiled. "Your Highness, I'm already incredibly grateful that you let me stay for two days. There's no need for a send-off."
Then, as if remembering something, he reached into his bag and pulled out an object to hand to Angie.
"This is my token of appreciation for your hospitality."
Angie looked closely—it was a green stone with vein-like patterns resembling leaves. It was unmistakably a Leaf Stone.
Leaf Stones were evolutionary items for Pokémon. Gloom evolved into Vileplume, Weepinbell into Victreebel, Eevee into Leafeon, Exeggcute into Exeggutor, Nuzleaf into Shiftry, and Pansage into Simisage using it.
The Leaf Stone Weepinbell's father had used to evolve was one it had found in the woods long ago by sheer luck.
Taking the Leaf Stone, Angie said, "Then I'll gladly accept it. You're always welcome to visit the Nebel Plateau again—or the Azoth Kingdom!"
Steven laughed. "I definitely will if I get the chance!"
Suddenly, an idea struck Steven. "By the way, let's exchange contact information!"
"Great idea!" Angie agreed enthusiastically.
The two of them pulled out their phones and exchanged numbers.
After Angie headed to the Azoth Kingdom, Steven stayed for breakfast before departing. The thought of not being able to enjoy Angie's cooking anymore filled him with regret.
The same went for Lairon.
Angie's sand baths were just too good!
As promised, Diancie gave Steven a batch of sand baths prepared in advance as a parting gift.
However, something unexpected happened during breakfast. While eating, a Zigzagoon suddenly evolved into a Linoone right before Steven's eyes.
The food at Diancie's Grand Dining Hall seemed to enhance Pokémon growth. With so many Pokémon eating there daily, their gradual leveling up accumulated over time, and lately, Pokémon evolutions had become increasingly common.
For the other Pokémon, this was nothing out of the ordinary.
But for Steven, witnessing a Pokémon evolve before his eyes was a rare and fascinating event.
To celebrate Zigzagoon's evolution into Linoone, Steven gifted it a Silk Scarf.
He tied the Silk Scarf around Linoone's neck—a held item that could enhance the power of Normal-type moves.