Steven's eyes instantly lit up, and his tone was filled with astonishment as he exclaimed, "Whoa, Beldum has already evolved into Metang? Your training speed is way too fast. That is simply unbelievable."
Steven had not even fully processed the shock of Beldum's evolution when suddenly a small white head squeezed into the screen.
It was none other than the curious Larvesta that had come over to take a look.
The little fellow seemed to be seeing a phone for the first time. Confused, it gently bumped the screen with its head, as if trying to figure out why there was a person inside it.
"Th… this is a… Larvesta??"
Steven's eyes widened instantly, and the expression on his face froze in place. His voice was full of disbelief.
This was the first time Theo had ever seen Steven lose his composure like this.
"That's right. It is the same species as one of the two mysterious Pokémon that appeared during the eruption of Mt. Chimney fifteen years ago, the one mentioned on the Pokémon forums."
Theo spoke calmly, though a small trace of pride could not help but surface in his heart.
Larvesta still did not seem to understand what a phone actually was. It continued rubbing its head against the screen while making faint humming sounds.
Theo was almost squeezed out of the frame by it, so he gently pushed the little creature aside.
Only then did Steven slowly recover from his shock. He took a deep breath and looked at Theo with complicated eyes. There was curiosity in his gaze, along with clear suspicion.
"I remember this Larvesta. Because it is a Fire type, Mr. Moore, has never given up searching Mt. Chimney all these years."
"He believed that if there was one, there had to be a second one. Mt. Chimney should still have traces of this Pokémon somewhere."
"For so many years there has never been any good news from him. Yet you climb the volcano once, and somehow Larvesta is attracted to you and you even manage to capture it."
Steven paused briefly before continuing.
"Do you have some kind of special ability?"
"Something like the Viridian Power from the Kanto region, the kind that naturally attracts Pokémon?"
Theo held the Larvesta that had come over to act spoiled and said seriously, "I do not know either. Maybe it is because my charm is too great and Larvesta just really likes me."
Larvesta clearly understood Theo's words. It raised its head and stared at him with its round eyes wide open. Those blue eyes seemed to contain some complicated meaning that was impossible to describe, and its expression looked extremely amusing.
Steven could not help but laugh at the interaction between the human and the bug. He stopped asking further questions and simply waved his hand.
"Wait a moment."
Immediately afterward the image on the screen shifted slightly, and another person joined the video call.
It was the chairman of the Devon Corporation, Joseph Stone.
The chairman looked at the Larvesta on the screen, and a trace of amazement flashed through his eyes. His steady voice came through the phone.
"This really is an extraordinary discovery."
"This Larvesta was just captured by you, so having you send it over immediately would not be very appropriate."
"Here is what we will do. Theo, can you stay in Lavaridge Town for a few more days and properly enjoy the local hot springs? If there is anything you like, feel free to buy it. The company will reimburse you."
"I will immediately arrange for Skarmory to carry some researchers from the company there as quickly as possible. They can first record some basic data about this Pokémon. Please wait for them for a short while."
Chairman Joseph paused briefly before continuing.
"If I remember correctly, it should be a Fire and Bug type Pokémon, right?"
"I will have the company prepare a specially modified Nest Ball suitable for its living environment and send it to you later."
"Once it becomes more familiar with you, when it is convenient, you can send it back to us. We will then conduct a detailed examination."
"No problem, Chairman."
Theo nodded in agreement.
"After I arrive at Fallarbor Town and participate in the Contest there, I will cross Meteor Falls and return to Rustboro City."
"At that time I can bring it back directly with me so you can conduct more detailed research."
"Good, good."
Chairman Joseph nodded with satisfaction.
"Then you two continue chatting. I will go arrange the personnel now so they can head over as quickly as possible."
After saying that, he exited the call.
Only Steven and Theo remained to continue chatting.
"By the way, Mr. Steven, there is something I would like to ask for your help with."
Theo suddenly remembered something and spoke up.
"Go ahead."
"After the company's people arrive, I plan to challenge the Lavaridge Gym using Larvesta."
"Could you help me promote Larvesta beforehand?"
"I want more people to watch its debut battle when the time comes."
Hearing this, Steven could not help laughing.
"You really have the same personality as Wallace. Both of you enjoy showing off in front of others."
"No problem. Later you can take more videos of Larvesta and send them to me. I will help you repost them, and I will also ask Wallace to repost them as well. That should be enough, right?"
"I will also help support you a little so everyone knows you are one of the outstanding trainers from Devon Corporation."
"That is more than enough. Thank you so much!"
Theo thanked him repeatedly with a smile.
It was not that he was deliberately being thick skinned. The truth was that he had already captured four Pokémon. Larvesta in particular was the type that matured later.
Its evolution required a considerable number of advanced energy orbs. Because of this urgent need, Theo came up with this method to rapidly increase his popularity again.
The researchers from Devon Corporation would probably need two or three days to prepare their equipment before arriving. During these days Theo could properly rest in Lavaridge Town and allow his Pokémon to relax as well.
Steven and Wallace were extremely efficient. That very evening they each released videos related to Larvesta.
In the video, the little Larvesta was full of energy in the quiet open space behind the hotel.
Its five antennae burned with bright red flames, giving it a proud and unruly appearance. When it used the move Flame Wheel, the powerful and domineering posture it displayed immediately caused a sensation online as soon as the video was posted. The number of comments and reposts skyrocketed instantly.
However, the mysterious Ω symbol on Larvesta's forehead never appeared again.
Theo specifically asked Larvesta about it. Metang used its psychic ability to relay Larvesta's answer. It said that the previous use had consumed too much energy, so it could not use it for the time being.
But when Theo watched Larvesta give that answer, its blue eyes were rolling around restlessly while it quietly shuffled a little to the side. He simply could not bring himself to believe the explanation.
For now Theo chose not to question it further. After spending more time together in the future, he would slowly learn more about it.
After Steven and Wallace posted their videos, Theo also edited his own exploration of Mt. Chimney into a short video clip.
The video began shortly after he started climbing Mt. Chimney and first encountered Slugma. Then it showed the silhouettes of Torkoal inside the lava cave, followed by the breathtaking scene of the constantly churning lava lake at the summit. The entire sequence was paired with an intense and fiery soundtrack that made viewers feel their blood boil with excitement.
Finally, the video froze on a close up of Larvesta, and a line of text appeared at the bottom of the screen.
"Seven days later. Larvesta's debut battle at the Lavaridge Gym. Stay tuned!"
As soon as the video was released, the comment section of the account exploded instantly. Messages poured in like a tidal wave.
"Holy crap, streamer, your luck is absolutely insane. So many people have explored Mt. Chimney and never encountered that mysterious Pokémon, yet you ran into it the moment you climbed the mountain? That luck is ridiculous."
"Anyone want to form a team to explore Mt. Chimney? We have to make a trip there. Maybe we can borrow some of the streamer's luck and capture one ourselves."
(End of Chapter)