"I've been to Johto before, but this is my first time seeing a Murkrow up close. After all, according to rumors, Murkrow is a Pokémon shrouded in ill omen," Steven said with casual familiarity after their brief exchange.
Sieg glanced at Murkrow resting in his arms, his eyes filled with warmth as he spoke softly, "Murkrow is a trusted partner, a family member I can entrust my life to in times of danger."
"I see. Then Murkrow must be very fortunate to have such a responsible trainer," Steven replied with a faint smile.
As the young heir of the Stone family, Steven's eye for detail was sharp. He could immediately see that Sieg's Murkrow had been raised with great care.
Its black feathers gleamed with luster, the witch-hat-like plume atop its head was neatly arranged with elegance, and both its beak and talons were noticeably larger than those of an ordinary Murkrow.
"Of course, it was a lot of work," Sieg said, lowering his voice to not wake Murkrow.
Steven seemed to notice as well, and his own voice gradually softened.
The next morning.
Sieg stepped out of his tent and glanced at the neighboring one. At its entrance, Alfonse was still sitting cross-legged on Bastiodon's back.
"No way... did that old man really sit out all night in the cold like that?" Sieg thought to himself in surprise.
After all, he had already seen Alfonss in the exact same position the night before, guarding the tent despite Steven's repeated invitations for him to come inside.
But the he refused every time, insisting that there was a big difference between master and servant.
Just as Sieg was about to greet him, Steven emerged from his tent, still drowsy, rubbing his eyes.
"Sieg, you're up! How are your injuries?" he asked with genuine concern.
Sieg replied, "Much better. Even my Pokémon have fully recovered. Steven, thank you for the healing medicine."
Steven scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, it was because of us that you were hurt in the first place. Of course I should take responsibility for you and your Pokémon."
The two sat together and shared breakfast together.
Meanwhile, Alfonse remained seated on Bastiodon like a statue, eyes closed, unmoving.
"By the way, Steven, you're the young master of the Stone family. Why are you here in the desert, putting yourself at risk?" Sieg asked cautiously.
After all, a desert was hardly the kind of place one expected to find precious minerals.
Steven dabbed his lips elegantly with a napkin, eating his bread with small bites before answering, "I came here to capture my first Pokémon. Unfortunately, I haven't found one in this desert that suits me."
His tone carried regret. After exploring most of the desert already, his hopes of encountering a fated partner had all but faded.
Sieg listened quietly, only speaking occasionally, while Steven spoke more freely, already treating Sieg as a friend.
Then, Steven released his Pokémon.
A Skarmory, a Lairon, and a rare, gleaming shiny Beldum!
Even though Sieg already knew that Steven's trump card was a shiny Metagross, seeing one with his own eyes still filled him with awe.
Pseudo-legendaries were already rare enough, but a shiny pseudo-legendary?
"Steven, if I remember correctly, doesn't your father, President Stone have a shiny Metagross as well?" Sieg asked carefully.
The old man opened his eyes sharply at this, his gaze narrowing with suspicion.
But Steven showed no hint of wariness, either truly trusting Sieg or simply not caring. He smiled faintly and said, "Yes, that's right. You're asking about shinies, aren't you? It's no secret. Many of the great families in the League already know that our Stone family possesses a unique method to help Pokémon undergo a special kind of shiny transformation."
Even though Sieg had seen many rare sights inside the Petalburg Gym's hatchery, he couldn't help but marvel at this revelation.
A shiny pseudo-legendary!
Steven reached out and stroked Beldum's iron body, as though caressing a priceless treasure.
And indeed, calling Beldum a treasure wasn't wrong.
After all, it was a pseudo-legendary.
The title "pseudo-legendary" was one given by trainers to a special class of Pokémon, their stats rivaling that of legendaries.
They were always a two stage evolution with their final evolution having a base stat total of 600. In every region, there were always at maximum two evolution lines, that fit this description.
In Hoenn, there were two: Salamence and the evolutionary line of Beldum, culminating in Metagross.
Steven then pulled out a special fist-sized mineral. Sieg, though knowledgeable, couldn't identify the type of ore at all.
"It must be a unique Stone family mineral," he thought silently.
He refrained from asking further, having already noticed the Alfonse's faint disapproval.
But Steven enthusiastically explained regardless, saying this particular stone enhanced Beldum's hardness and weight.
To ordinary people, it might sound strange for a Pokémon to eat rocks instead of Pokéblocks, but for most Steel, Rock, and Ground types, minerals were an essential source of sustenance.
Take Tyranitar for example, Johto's pseudo-legendary. It was said that to evolve from Pupitar into its final form, it needed to devour an entire mountain.
Of course, this didn't mean they couldn't eat Pokéblocks. Rather, minerals provided more trace minerals, than Pokéblocks could ever provide.
Beldum in particular was notorious for consuming vast quantities of ore. From birth all the way to becoming Metagross, minerals were their staple food.
Not only did certain ores provide energy, but consuming them over time could even bring unique effects.
Still, Steven raised his Beldum with both Pokéblocks and ores, blending the two for balance.
After finishing breakfast, Sieg requested to take his leave. Though he wanted to deepen his bond with Steven, pushing too hard would make his intentions obvious.
Especially with the sharp-eyed Alfonse nearby, who could surely see through his thoughts.
So Sieg acted with openness instead, as though they were simply friends.
After all, they had already exchanged contact information. He could find opportunities later to strengthen their connection. For now, gaining the goodwill of Hoenn's future Champion was more than enough.
Before parting, Sieg expressed his wish to purchase a high-quality Dusk Stone from Steven, offering to pay extra. Though it was only a verbal promise, without any written agreement, Steven didn't hesitate.
"Don't worry, Sieg. Stones are my specialty. Leave this to me!" Steven declared, patting his chest confidently.
His guilt over Sieg's earlier injury made him all the more determined.
And so, with this unexpected encounter, Sieg had successfully forged a connection with Steven, the future Champion.
"To trade a single injury for the friendship of Hoenn's Champion... not a bad bargain at all," Sieg thought.
As he touched the wound on his chest, already beginning to heal, he couldn't help but marvel again. "As expected of the great families, their healing medicines are extraordinary."