"In recognition of Edward Stone's contribution in providing intelligence that led to the destruction of one of Team Magma's bases, the capture of three high-ranking executives, and the thwarting of Team Magma's evil plans, the Pokémon League hereby awards him a one-time Pokémon selection opportunity and a Gold Medal of Merit."
Staring at his older brother in front of him, Edward was momentarily dazed.
What the heck?
What did they mean by a "Pokémon selection opportunity"? And a medal?
Steven looked at his little brother, amusement in his eyes, and patted Edward's shoulder.
The question of how to reward Edward had truly stumped the Hoenn League Chairwoman. After all, Edward was a member of the prestigious Stone family—offering money as a reward was out of the question. The heir to the Devon Corporation lacking money? That would be a global joke.
So, deciding what to give as a reward had become a massive headache.
Most material things, Edward could easily purchase himself. Rewarding him with equipment or items didn't make sense either, since he lacked for nothing. The Hoenn League Chairwoman had racked her brain over this.
"This Pokémon selection opportunity allows you to choose one Pokémon from the League's cultivated pool and take it home as your own. Not a bad deal, huh?" Steven said with a light chuckle. This reward wasn't half bad.
The Pokémon nurtured by the official Pokémon League were all elite among their species. Some were even pseudo-legendary-tier Pokémon. There were also options from the Dragon-type family.
Dragon-type Pokémon were rare to begin with, and those cultivated by the League were top-tier individuals within their kind. If lucky, one might even encounter the offspring of a apex Pokémon. Most importantly, it was all perfectly legal and properly registered.
Q leapt onto Edward's head, its tiny eyes fixating on Steven, visibly excited.
Its little tail swayed eagerly. After spending so much time with Edward—who wasn't exactly the battling type—Q had barely gotten any opportunities to engage in fights. In its eyes, Steven was one of the few people it could have a proper spar with just for fun.
"So, what's the deal with the Gold Medal of Merit?" Edward asked. He wasn't too invested in the reward. His affinity for Ghost-types made him particularly suited to raising them, making the process easier and more efficient. For now, he had no plans to raise other types of Pokémon.
He already had Q and Fortune. As for which Ghost-type to choose next, Edward hadn't decided yet.
"The Gold Medal of Merit doesn't really do anything special," Steven said casually. "It just grants you some perks—like priority access to the League's premium medical services, discounts on tickets and public events, that sort of thing."
It was mostly a symbol of honor.
Edward nodded. So, this was the reward. The Pokémon selection was likely the most valuable part. The gold medal was more like a token of appreciation. Still, that was fair enough. The League didn't have much else to offer someone like him anyway.
"Hey, little brother," Steven said suddenly, "why did you decide to send someone to investigate Mt. Chimney in the first place?"
He wasn't questioning his brother's motives—he was just curious.
Steven knew his younger brother reasonably well. To him, Edward was the quintessential homebody—someone who didn't like going out, was laid-back to the point of being lazy, and rarely get worked up about anything. A proper easygoing slacker.
"I encountered the apex Volcarona over near Mt. Chimney once," Edward explained. "From it, I learned there were signs of human activity in that area."
He wasn't lying. The Volcarona had indeed given him some information.
Though, to be fair, it hadn't said the culprits were from Team Magma—only that there were strange people moving about.
Steven nodded. The apex Volcarona, huh? He was familiar with that one. It was a well-known apex Pokémon near Mt. Chimney. Volcarona was already powerful on its own, and its Fire/Bug typing made its offense and resistances well-rounded. That particular apex was even stronger—but fortunately, had a mild temperament.
That did explain why his brother had someone investigate the area.
"I've also sent another detective to look into Team Aqua," Edward said, giving Steven a heads-up in advance.
Team Aqua's base, if his hunch was right, should be somewhere near Slateport City. If they found it, great. If not, it didn't matter. After all, with Team Magma now crippled, Team Aqua would likely go into hiding for a while.
"Team Aqua?" Steven blinked in surprise. "Why are you investigating them now?"
Thankfully, Edward had a well-prepared answer.
Zinnia.
The woman who had ties to both Team Magma and Team Aqua and held a personal grudge against the Stone family. Given that, Edward's decision to investigate both organizations made perfect sense.
Sure enough, once Steven heard that name, he didn't press further.
"By the way, brother—what exactly is inside Mt. Chimney? I've heard rumors..." Edward asked excitedly, rubbing his hands together. After all, we were talking about Groudon.
"The legends are true. But beyond that, I can't say anything. Just keep it to yourself," Steven replied flatly, shooting a sidelong glance at Edward.
Edward nodded. So, the League had really found Groudon sleeping inside the base. Awakening Groudon would require the power of the orb—without it, Groudon wouldn't stir.
Still, it was a little disappointing not to have seen Groudon with his own eyes.
After all, we're talking about a legendary Pokémon.
And speaking of legendary Pokémon, Edward's thoughts wandered to the strange stone sitting in his room.
That mysterious rock had appeared out of nowhere. Edward had it examined but nothing unusual was detected. It seemed like a normal stone. The fact that it glowed was likely due to its mineral composition—and thankfully, it was deemed harmless.
So, Edward simply kept it in his room. He still didn't know what it was for, but there was no harm in keeping it.
"Do you have any particular Pokémon you want?" Steven asked suddenly.
While their father could technically "purchase" Pokémon, that kind of practice fell into a legal gray area. Back when they acquired Q, their father had gone to great lengths to obtain one through proper channels—completely aboveboard.
Now that the League was formally offering a reward, Edward could ask for anything he wanted, fully and legally.
"I noticed you seem to like Ghost-types. How about a Dreepy?" Steven said, glancing at Edward's Pokémon.
A Ghost/Steel-type Doublade, and a Ghost/Fairy-type Mimikyu—all of them Ghost-types.
"Dreepy, huh..." Edward rubbed his chin.
That species started out very weak but became incredibly strong after evolving—your typical Dragon-type growth curve.
Most Dragon-types started off frail and unimpressive, only to shine in their final evolution stage.
Late bloomers, through and through.
(End of Chapter)