The voice was gentle and soothing.
It carried a calm confidence that immediately put people at ease.
The speaker looked to be around twenty years old. His silver hair was rare in Kanto—he was clearly a Trainer from another region.
Staring at the familiar silhouette, Sam frowned slightly.
That back…
It felt strangely recognizable.
When the man finished speaking and turned around, Sam finally saw his face clearly—
And nearly shouted out loud.
Steven?!
Standing before him was none other than Steven Stone, the Champion of Hoenn.
The young heir to Devon Corporation.
The youngest Champion in Hoenn's history.
Sam hadn't expected to encounter Steven here of all places.
It seemed the rumors were true.
The new Hoenn Champion had a peculiar hobby. Compared to his Champion duties, he preferred traveling the world collecting rare stones.
If Sam had guessed correctly, Steven must have rushed to Kanto the moment he heard about a mysterious stone appearing here.
"Hello," Steven said with a faint smile. "Do you know me?"
From the shock on Sam's face, Steven had already guessed the answer.
Sam quickly composed himself and replied with a polite smile.
"The Hoenn Champion is quite famous. It would be strange if I didn't recognize you."
Steven scratched his head sheepishly.
"Just call me Steven."
He walked over, found a seat beside Sam, and sat down.
"Why would a Trainer like you participate in this kind of competition?" Steven asked curiously.
He had watched Sam's first-round match.
At a glance, he could tell Sam was not a rookie. His composure and tactical precision were far beyond beginner level.
"I'm training my Dratini," Sam replied calmly. "You probably noticed its battle experience is lacking."
He paused, then smiled slightly.
"What about you? Are you here for the mysterious stone?"
Steven rubbed the back of his head, looking mildly embarrassed.
He hadn't expected his love of collecting stones to be so widely known—even a Trainer in Kanto was aware of it.
Still, he nodded openly.
"Yes. I came specifically for that stone."
"Do you know what kind of stone it is?" Sam asked.
For someone like Steven to travel all the way from Hoenn, it definitely wasn't ordinary.
Steven didn't hide anything.
"If I'm not mistaken," he said calmly, "it should be a Mega Stone."
So it really was a Mega Stone.
Even if Steven loved stones, he wouldn't go to such lengths for something ordinary.
From Steven's straightforward answer, Sam also realized something important—
Mega Stones were not a closely guarded secret within the higher ranks of the League. Otherwise, Steven wouldn't casually discuss it with someone he had just met.
"You know about Mega Stones too?" Steven asked, slightly surprised.
Although the League hadn't publicly announced Mega Evolution, it wasn't completely unknown either.
"I've heard of them," Sam replied honestly. "I obtained one during a competition before."
"I see…"
Steven's eyes lit up slightly.
"In that case," Sam said with a smile, "we're rivals in this competition. I'm very interested in that Mega Stone as well."
Under normal circumstances, Sam wouldn't be confident in defeating Steven.
Even though his Tyranitar had stepped into the Champion realm, facing a true regional Champion would still be extremely difficult.
But this competition was different.
The rules limited Pokémon strength to Elite level.
That restriction leveled the playing field.
Steven studied Sam more carefully now.
Knowing his identity and still challenging him without hesitation—
That kind of confidence was rare.
He smiled brightly.
"Then let's meet in the finals."
---
After chatting briefly, the two parted ways to continue their respective matches.
Watching several of Steven's battles, Sam quickly identified his main Pokémon for this tournament.
It was an Aron.
Judging by its size, it couldn't have been more than two or three months old.
Yet its strength was astonishing.
Pokémon: Aron
Type: Steel/Rock
Strength: High Elite
Potential: Champion
Steven clearly intended to win.
Aron possessed Champion-level potential, and its current strength perfectly matched the tournament's maximum limit.
Combined with Steven's flawless command ability, almost no opponent posed a serious threat.
He advanced steadily—
And secured his spot in the finals.
---
Sam's path was far less smooth.
Because he insisted on using the tournament to train Dratini, he ran into multiple close calls.
If not for his tactical control and Dratini's impressive combat potential under pressure, he might have been eliminated.
Still—
After several hard-fought matches—
He made it to the finals.
---
Before the final battle even began, the audience was already buzzing.
"Steven will definitely win! His Aron is too strong!"
"I support Steven too. Sam is good, but Dratini's strength is still a bit behind Aron's."
"Dratini and Aron in the same match? That's incredible!"
"Go, Steven! Win it!"
Aside from a small minority, most spectators believed Steven would claim the championship.
His dominance throughout the tournament had been overwhelming.
Sam, by contrast, had struggled visibly.
Finally, the announcer's voice rang out.
"Alright, that's enough discussion. The final match is about to begin."
"We'll soon find out who the true champion is."
The atmosphere tightened.
The finals—
Were about to start.
---------------Author---------------
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