"Zinnia's been released?" Edward asked curiously as he peeled off his spacesuit, turning his head toward his brother. Steven nodded, his expression calm and unbothered.
Although Steven knew Zinnia quite well, and despite the fact that she would never forgive their family, he wasn't particularly worried about her causing trouble. Their father's security was top-notch — his personal secretary, Kennedy, was a powerful Trainer, and the old man himself was hardly weak either.
Trying to harm their father was no different from courting death.
As for Steven, there was even less reason for concern. His title alone — Champion of the Hoenn League — was enough to make most people hesitate before even thinking of crossing him. Even if the leaders of Team Magma or Team Aqua wanted to ambush him, they wouldn't stand a chance. For that reason, Steven never worried about his own safety.
The only person who gave him headaches was his younger brother, Edward — the one who couldn't be left alone without causing trouble.
Although Edward had extraordinary talent in directing films, Steven always thought his battling ability was still somewhat lacking. But now things were different — Edward possessed Groudon, and even had some kind of connection with Rayquaza. At this point, there were probably only a handful of people in the world who could truly threaten him.
"That's fine, anyway. Her crimes weren't that serious to begin with, so it's not like she'd be imprisoned for long." Edward didn't take the matter to heart.
Zinnia, huh? When he first met her, he had been quite surprised, but after learning about her background — and the grudge she held against their father — he stopped caring much.
In his eyes, she was just a small-time figure.
Sure, Zinnia was a capable Trainer, perhaps around the level of a Ever Grande Conference champion, but even reaching the Elite Four tier would already be impressive for her. Once released, she wouldn't pose any real threat to their family.
"I thought you'd at least ask a few more questions. After all, back when she was at our place, you were the one who interacted with her the most." Steven chuckled as he took Edward's spacesuit and handed it to the nearby researchers.
Those researchers had been itching for a chance to study the environment of outer space, and now that opportunity had finally come. Although Edward's suit didn't have any special monitoring or collection devices, analyzing the residue on it might still yield some data.
They had been eyeing the suit for a while, and Edward didn't mind. To him, it was just a piece of equipment with a simple purpose — nothing sentimental about it.
"What's there to ask? She doesn't intend to forgive Dad. I tried talking to her, but she wouldn't budge. So, there's nothing more to say." Edward stretched lazily, his face showing some fatigue.
It wasn't that he was weak, but channeling power to let Rayquaza Mega Evolve had taken a massive toll on his stamina. Even someone like him could barely handle it.
"Where's Rayquaza?" Steven glanced around curiously. He'd been wanting to see what the legendary Pokémon looked like after Mega Evolution. But when Edward had landed, Rayquaza had only slowed down long enough to drop him off before immediately taking off again, clearly not intending to meet anyone.
"It left, of course. But it did leave me a piece of meteorite." Edward patted the meteorite beside him. The space rock that had fallen from the sky was still with him, though after its trip through the atmosphere, part of it had been burned away. What remained now looked more like a large green gemstone.
The sight made Edward's expression turn a bit strange. Now, he had both the Red Orb and this green "meteorite orb." If he managed to get his hands on a blue one too…
Wouldn't that mean he could summon Shenron at this rate?
Still, Edward wasn't planning to test that theory anytime soon. Having Groudon alone was already enough to draw the League's attention. If he somehow also ended up with Rayquaza and Kyogre, then there would be no saving him.
An innocent man gets into trouble for the treasure he holds. That old saying came to mind. Edward's family background was already extraordinary — if he gathered too many legendary Pokémon, the League would inevitably grow wary.
Even if Edward could guarantee that he had no ambition to act against the League, how others perceived him mattered more than his own intentions.
Edward had no intention of testing how magnanimous the Pokémon League could be.
"Well… it's for the best that Rayquaza didn't stay with you," Steven finally said. His tone was thoughtful. He understood the situation perfectly. If Rayquaza had stayed, even the League would've been uneasy.
But before Edward could reply, he was summoned to the Mossdeep Space Center — where he found the League Chairman waiting for him, along with Jenny Isolde, who was calmly sipping tea at the side.
When Edward entered, Jenny even smiled and greeted him warmly.
"Edward, thank you for your great service to Hoenn. In recognition of your bravery, I hereby award you the League's Medal of Valor!" The Chairman spoke solemnly.
Edward froze. The Medal of Valor?
He'd heard of it before — it was one of those honors that most Trainers could only ever see hanging on a wall, not around their own necks. To think he'd actually receive it this time!
He hadn't even gotten it after the Sinnoh incident — but that made sense. Back then, it had been a battle between Dialga and Palkia that only affected a small town. This time, he'd faced a crisis that endangered the entire Hoenn region.
So yes, the Medal of Valor was well-deserved.
Edward was genuinely delighted. The Medal of Valor was rare — not as glamorous as the Champion title, perhaps, but one of the League's highest internal honors. With it, most of his future requests would be approved instantly.
For him, the biggest perk would be in film production — movies that would normally fail to pass censorship could now sail through with ease. His films would even get better profit shares in League-owned theaters.
There were other privileges too, but Edward didn't care much about those.
"Thank you, truly. I only did what anyone would do." Edward's tone carried real emotion. The League's highest honor — that meant a lot to him.
Steven just sighed, shaking his head helplessly. His foolish little brother — what was there to be thankful for? The League should be the one thanking him. And knowing the League, there were probably ulterior motives behind the medal.
Steven's gaze fell on Jenny Isolde. The head of the Hoenn Jenny family was no simple woman. Clearly, the League was still wary of Edward's growing power and wanted to keep him close.
Awarding him the Medal of Valor not only acknowledged his merits, but also elevated his status — keeping him content and cooperative with the League, rather than allowing him to drift toward independence.
If Edward ever decided to turn against them, that would be a nightmare.
Seeing how happy Edward was, the Chairman smiled warmly, offered a few words of praise, and then left. Before she departed, Jenny Isolde even asked Edward for an autograph — her child was a huge fan of his horror films and admired him greatly.
When the event was finally over and the two brothers returned to their villa in Mossdeep City, Steven crossed his arms and eyed him.
"You look pretty happy," he said dryly.
"What, you want me to sulk so the League can stay on edge?" Edward replied calmly, tucking the medal away. He was happy, yes, but not naive — he could clearly see the League's intentions.
It helped that he was famous under the name Stone. That fame gave him protection.
If he were just some ordinary person, the League might have pressured him to marry into an influential family or undergo endless scrutiny. For all their image of integrity, the League was a massive political machine — and power never came without calculation.
Steven chuckled. "Heh. Guess you're not as dumb as you look after all."
Edward smirked and toyed with the medal in his hands. His thoughts drifted to Rayquaza, then to Groudon.
He glanced at his belt — Groudon's Poké Ball sat there, completely still. Edward stroked his chin. Groudon hadn't stirred in quite some time, not even when Rayquaza had appeared. Still, that obedience was a blessing — it saved him a lot of trouble.
If Rayquaza had stayed too, things would've gotten way more complicated.
Just as Edward was about to show off his new Medal of Valor to his brother, Steven's phone rang. He answered, listened for a few seconds, and his expression immediately turned grim — darker by the moment.
Edward frowned. What now?
Wasn't the meteor crisis already over?
He didn't interrupt, waiting patiently for Steven to finish the call.
When Steven finally hung up, his face was stormy, as though someone had just shattered one of his prized stones.
"What's wrong, bro?" Edward asked.
"…Team Aqua," Steven said heavily. "They ambushed Mt. Pyre and stole the Blue Orb."
Edward froze. His jaw dropped.
"Are the people in the League idiots? How could they let that get stolen?!"
He truly couldn't understand. After the incident with the Red Orb, the League should've been more vigilant than ever. Even though they hadn't relocated the Blue Orb, Mt. Pyre was heavily guarded — with Wallace himself occasionally stationed there. And still, Team Aqua managed to snatch it?
Steven sighed. "It's because Maxie and Team Magma teamed up with them. Plus, the League's defenses were spread thin from the meteor crisis… so…"
Edward blinked. "Wait — they worked together?"
That shocked him. Team Magma and Team Aqua had always been mortal enemies, their ideologies polar opposites. They spent more time sabotaging each other than fighting the League. Yet now, somehow, they'd joined forces?
Unbelievable.
"So, you're heading out to deal with it?" Edward asked. Steven nodded but hesitated.
The League had specifically instructed him to first escort Edward home. After all, Edward still carried the Red Orb — and concealing that fact completely was impossible. If word got out, he could easily become the next target.
Edward didn't object. The League clearly didn't want him involved — and he understood why. Having already dealt with Groudon and Rayquaza, the last thing anyone wanted was for him to get entangled with Kyogre as well.
The odds were low, sure — but still better to be cautious.
So, under Steven's escort, Edward returned home. But upon arrival, he immediately noticed a new layer of security around the property.
"Did Dad upgrade the defenses or something?" he asked, puzzled.
"These are League agents," Steven explained. "They believe you might be the next target."
Edward didn't complain. The League offering to guard him meant less work and expense on his part — a win-win situation.
"Well, bro, you be careful too," he said seriously.
He didn't think anyone could actually hurt Steven — but if those maniacs managed to awaken Kyogre…
That would be a whole different disaster altogether.
(End of Chapter)