At the entrance of Lota Street.
"Take care on the road."
Ilene carefully adjusted Lucas's flowing white robe, her delicate hands lingering as if reluctant to let go. She raised her head slightly, her beautiful eyes shimmering with moisture, gazing tenderly at the young man standing before her. Her voice was soft, almost fragile, carrying both worry and affection.
Time had slipped by in the blink of an eye. Two whole days had passed already. Just yesterday, members of the Blackthorn clan had personally arrived in Rota, and together with her family they had formally discussed the engagement date.
But Lucas could not possibly remain here for long. The moment of parting had inevitably come.
Though her heart was heavy with reluctance, Ilene understood clearly—her man was not someone who could be confined to ordinary life. He belonged to a far wider world, a stage far grander than the streets of Lota.
"Don't worry," Lucas said gently, drawing her lightly into his arms. "You will soon be heading to the Whirl Islands yourself, won't you? Once I've finished what I must deal with here…"
He leaned close, his warm breath brushing against her ear as he spoke with a faint, reassuring smile.
"…I will also make my way to the Whirl Islands."
The Whirl Islands Cup was about to begin. As a guest specially invited by Sea Priestess Maya, Ilene too would be traveling there.
But the Whirl Islands Cup was, in truth, only a mid-tier competition. It was expected that countless Water-type specialists would gather and compete fiercely.
For Lucas, however, such a tournament held little attraction. He had no Water-type Pokémon of his own, and he had little interest in a battle that was almost entirely skewed toward one type. Because of that, he felt no urgency at all.
After bidding farewell to Ilene, Lucas and his two companions set off toward Saffron.
By this point, the Indigo League had already issued a wanted order for Karen, especially in the aftermath of the Celadon City incident, which had been considered extremely severe.
But curiously, no wanted order for Lucas himself had yet been made public. Perhaps the League feared the negative blowback that would come from revealing that a Legendary Trainer was aligned with an "evil organization." Or perhaps, more likely, they simply hesitated out of fear of Lucas's overwhelming power.
Either way, the League had yet to officially declare him a criminal.
Lucas himself, however, cared little for such things. A wanted order meant nothing to him. With the help of disguise master Green, who could alter his appearance at will, Lucas was able to pass freely through every major city as if nothing at all were amiss.
Saffron, the largest metropolis in the entire Kanto region, also served as a hub connecting to every other region by air. After arriving there, Lucas and his companions immediately booked a flight bound for Hoenn.
By afternoon that very same day, their aircraft descended, landing in the city of Rustboro.
"Rustboro City… I heard this is where the Devon Corporation has its headquarters," Lucas remarked.
The three walked along the bustling streets of Rustboro, searching for a place to have their evening meal. Night was already approaching, and they decided to rest here for the night before moving on.
Green blinked her eyes in curiosity, looking around at the cityscape so different from Kanto. Her gaze finally settled on the tallest building in sight—the headquarters of the legendary Devon Corporation.
"Mm, Devon's rise is often spoken of as something of a legend in itself," Lucas nodded, offering rare words of praise for the company's president.
Indeed, just over a decade ago, Devon had been little more than a small mining and steel refining company. But now, it had grown to the point of rivaling the mighty Silph Co., standing as one of the most powerful conglomerates in the world.
Its business extended widely into areas that directly supported Pokémon trainers, especially in producing battle-related equipment and trainer tools. Beyond that, Devon was famous for developing new types of Poké Balls, and even pioneering fossil revival research projects.
Of course, when speaking of Devon, one could not fail to mention the son of the current president—
Steven Stone!
Yes, the heir to Devon was none other than Steven himself.
While Silph Co. was vast in scale, it had never been particularly known for producing strong trainers. Devon, however, was different.
After all, who in the Pokémon world had not heard the name of the celebrated Champion of Hoenn—Steven Stone?
Well, to be precise… the former Champion of Hoenn.
Devon's rise was remarkable, but Steven's personal journey was no less legendary. Born the son of a top-tier tycoon, everyone expected him to inherit the vast empire his father had built. Instead, he rejected the conventional path, becoming one of the most powerful trainers on earth.
And then… he did something even more astonishing.
Because of his passion for rare stones and minerals, Steven willingly stepped down, passing the Champion's mantle to his closest friend, Wallace. He cast aside the title of Champion and even the future role of Devon's heir, choosing instead to roam the world, digging for stones like a common prospector.
In short—Steven was one of a kind!
In terms of social status, and in terms of trainer ability, he had stood at the very peak. And yet he turned his back on it all, choosing instead to live as… a "miner."
"I've even heard rumors," Green said with a playful blink, "that Mr. Steven has angered his father so badly with his obsession for stones that the Devon President has ended up hospitalized more than once!"
It was not hard to believe. The president of Devon was already quite advanced in age. Naturally, he hoped to pass his life's work to his son. But Steven showed no interest in business, devoting himself to training instead.
That, at least, would have been acceptable—after all, Steven had the talent for it, and had indeed risen to the highest rank in Hoenn. The old man had been proud of him then.
But to give up the Champion's throne, refuse even to come home, and spend his days digging in caves? That was enough to drive any father mad.
Although the president of Devon shared his son's love of rare stones, he could not condone Steven ignoring all responsibility for the family empire, chasing rocks across the globe.
"Everyone has their own dream," Lucas shrugged lightly. "And Steven is still young. Such things are not always easy to explain."
After all, eccentric Champions were hardly unusual. Lance was practically obsessed to the point of sickness, Wallace lived for art, Alder was notoriously unserious, Diantha of Kalos still clung to her acting career…
Really, aside from Cynthia and Leon, most Champions were peculiar in one way or another.
"You've put it perfectly, my friend."
A calm, youthful male voice sounded behind them.
Lucas turned, the corners of his lips curving into a knowing smile.
There he stood—dressed in a fitted black suit, his handsome features framed by a head of silver-blue hair. His aura was refined, noble, and unmistakably out of the ordinary.
Steven Stone.
"The Champion Steven!"
Marnie and Green both froze in surprise. His appearance was instantly recognizable—after all, photos of the former Hoenn Champion were freely available online.
"No, no," Steven said with a gentle smile, raising a hand as if to wave away the title. "I am no longer Champion."
He had passed the role to Wallace the year before. At present, he was but a wealthy young heir, or so he liked to joke.
"You three don't seem like locals," Steven observed kindly after a glance at Marnie and Green. At last, his warm eyes settled on Lucas. "I would guess you are not from Rustboro?"
Though born to privilege, Steven's character was uncommonly kind and approachable. He was the very image of a gentlemanly trainer—earnest, compassionate, and utterly devoid of arrogance.
Yes, people teased him for his eccentric love of stones, but as a person, Steven possessed immense charm. For the safety of others and the peace of his homeland, he had never hesitated to put himself in danger. His strength, too, was formidable—ranked among the strongest of Champions, only a step away from being considered a "top-tier Champion."
Certainly, he was far stronger than his close friend Wallace.
"That's right," Lucas replied with an easy smile. "We've come from Kanto, just traveling for leisure. To think we would run into Mr. Stone here—it is truly an honor."
"There's no need to be so polite," Steven said, shaking his head helplessly. "I am but an ordinary man now."
"Is Mr. Stone returning home to see his father?" Green asked curiously.
"Ah—yes. It has been quite some time since I last returned. If I delayed any longer, my father might truly be furious."
Steven gave a slightly awkward smile. The truth was, his obsession with rare stones had carried him across the world, far from home. His father's constant pleas for him to return and inherit the company had long gone ignored.
"And… perhaps I should not say this aloud," Steven added with a sigh, "but this time my father has even arranged for me to meet a potential fiancée. I am still young, and yet…"
He trailed off, clearly exasperated.
It seemed that not only was the Devon president determined to drag his son home, he was also determined to settle his marriage by pairing him with some heiress of another conglomerate.
"Pfft—"
Green burst into laughter at the sight of Steven's helpless expression.
Even Marnie found herself blinking in astonishment. It was hard to reconcile this image of the dignified, well-mannered Champion with the young man being forced into blind dates by his overbearing father.
"My apologies," Steven quickly said, realizing he had perhaps spoken too freely. "I should not burden you with such personal matters. We have only just met."
"There's no need to be so formal, Mr. Stone," Lucas replied with an amiable smile. "If you have some free time, would you perhaps join us for a meal?"
"I would truly like to," Steven admitted, "but I fear it is impossible tonight. I must first return home to report to my father. If I miss even dinner at home, he might well kill me."
"Then you'd best not keep him waiting," Lucas said with a chuckle, not pressing the matter further.
After exchanging a few more polite words, and swapping contact information, Steven turned toward the Devon headquarters, his tall figure quickly vanishing into the evening streets.
"Mr. Stone really is just as kind and approachable as the rumors say," Marnie murmured, tilting her head as she watched him go. Though their conversation had not been long, the warmth in his character was unmistakable.
"Too approachable, if you ask me," Green muttered, pursing her lips. "We're complete strangers, yet he was that friendly right from the start. Don't you think that's a little odd?"
Marnie blinked in surprise, glancing at her companion.
"He must have recognized me," Lucas said at last, the faintest of smiles tugging at his lips. He, too, found it strange otherwise.
Yes—Steven likely knew exactly who he was, and that was the true reason he had approached them so directly.
And how had Steven learned? Well…
Lucas was not surprised. Within the Pokémon League, information about him was surely no longer any secret.
(End of Chapter)