Hearing Cain say all of that, Steven did not know how to refute him.
If it truly had been because he had given Cain a Key Stone, allowing him to unravel the secret of Mega Evolution, then it was actually something he could accept.
However, what Mega Evolution represented was far too important. Compared to that discovery, a Key Stone and a Mega Stone did not seem all that significant; what was truly crucial was the very fact that Mega Evolution itself had been discovered.
Compared with the impact that, more than a year ago, the discovery of the Fairy type had caused—completely shaking the Pokémon world—the revelation of Mega Evolution would undoubtedly provoke an even greater upheaval.
Steven could perfectly imagine what kind of impact Mega Evolution would have once it was made public throughout the entire Pokémon world.
"If you put it that way... then I... I'll accept it. I won't stand on ceremony; I don't want to seem distant," Steven said after hesitating for a moment, nodding as he put away Mawile's Mega Stone and Key Stone, and returned Aggron's to Cain.
From the very beginning, Cain had already planned to give Steven Mawile's Mega Stone.
These Mega Stones and Key Stones only had an exorbitant value at the moment when they first appeared. Once time passed, the market stabilized, and more stones were discovered, their price would no longer be so exaggerated.
But that initial period was precisely the most critical one.
From Jacob, Cain had obtained Leafeon, Meganium, and a massive amount of resources that had been accumulated over twenty-five years.
Unlike Brad, Jacob had remained there in an organized and disciplined manner, so he had his own storage space. Inside it, Cain found quite a few valuable items.
Perhaps now, when everything was added together, those resources were not worth as much as a well-matched pair of a Mega Stone and a Key Stone, but after giving the League and the major forces some time to adapt, the value of this haul would be far greater... and by a huge margin.
Of course, even if the value of Mega Stones and Key Stones dropped, they would never be cheap. Their function was there, and they were scarce resources, which made it inevitable that they would not be objects within reach of ordinary people. In many cases, someone without sufficient strength who obtained one of these items could end up attracting deadly misfortune.
Cain and Steven looked at each other and, without realizing it, fell into silence.
Cain was thinking about how to explain the matter of Mega Evolution to Steven, while Steven was reflecting on how to phrase his questions without making things awkward.
In the end, it was Steven who spoke first. "This Mega Evolution..."
"Ahem... I actually discovered Mega Evolution quite a long time ago, but I never said anything. I wanted to, but I couldn't find the right moment. You can imagine the impact that announcing something like this would have on the entire Pokémon world," Cain explained.
Steven nodded with a serious expression. He perfectly understood Cain's way of thinking, and that was why it felt a bit awkward for him to ask.
Of course, there was also a bit of selfishness involved. Even if Steven had been the first to discover Mega Evolution, he would undoubtedly have acted out of personal interest, mobilizing all the power of the Stone family to monopolize Mega Stones and Key Stones before their true value was discovered, in order to gain the greatest possible advantage before the official announcement.
"So... do this Mega Stone and Key Stone count as a bribe to keep me quiet?" Steven asked with a smile.
Cain laughed as well.
"Hahaha... consider it that way if you like. In any case, right now we can't leave this place. By the time we do, Mega Evolution will probably already be public, so if you want to mobilize the Stone family, you'd better hurry."
After the announcement of Mega Evolution, all families, forces, and even the League would immediately rush to search for Mega Stones. The Stone family moving a bit faster thanks to Steven would not change the overall situation too much.
"How did your first Mega Evolution feel?" Cain asked.
Hearing that, Steven's face filled with resignation.
"Pain... a lot of pain. Even though you warned me, it was truly unbearable, especially when two Pokémon mega evolved at the same time."
The more bitter and resigned Steven's expression became, the better Cain felt inside.
It had been a long time since he had seen Steven show that kind of expression, and that day he was seeing it with particular frequency. Once Steven became a bit stronger, he would become Hoenn's Steel-type Champion: an exceptional man who combined elegance and charisma.
After experiencing the power boost granted by Mega Evolution, Steven was also deeply fascinated by that strength. It was the kind of power capable of turning a desperate situation around.
"By the way, why can the people of the Sacred Church also use Mega Evolution?" Steven asked.
Irene's identity as a member of the Sacred Church had already been confirmed, and the fact that she could induce a kind of pseudo–Mega Evolution in her Pokémon had caused an enormous initial shock to Steven.
"I'll explain it to you on the way. It's already been confirmed that not only are there people here who entered along with us, but also people the Sacred Church left behind years ago. It's possible that the opponent I faced wasn't the strongest among them. So we need to hurry and find Phoebe and Wallace, and if possible, recruit more trustworthy people to form a team and resist the Sacred Church," Cain said.
After saying that, Cain prepared to mount Salamence and head toward the meeting point they had agreed upon in the desert; if they didn't find anyone there, they would immediately go to the next location.
Steven nodded, completely in agreement.
However, just as they were about to leave, a silhouette cut across the sky and appeared in their field of vision.
Steven's face instantly tensed, adopting a combat stance.
Cain raised his hand to calm him.
"Don't get nervous. It's an old friend. I didn't expect to meet him here."
The figure slowly descended in front of them, exuding an imposing presence. The Pokémon carrying him was unmistakable: Dragonite.
The newcomer was none other than Lance, the Dragon-type Elite Four of Kanto.
(End of chapter)