Who was Steven?
Not only was he the Champion of the Hoenn region, but he was also the heir to the Devon Corporation.
Devon Corporation, headquartered in Rustboro City, had been a small company ten years ago. However, with strong support from the Hoenn League, it had grown into a powerhouse rivaling Silph Co. The current president was Steven's father, Mr. Stone.
Devon primarily produced trainer-oriented items, developed new types of Poké Balls, and conducted research on fossil restoration. Many of the fossil revival projects on Cinnabar Island had been made possible thanks to Devon's sponsorship.
Despite being a competitor to Silph Co., Devon's relationship with them was complex. In some areas, they were rivals; in others, they collaborated—even acting as suppliers to one another.
Four years ago, after the Dark Intent Incident, Steven had returned to Hoenn, where he encountered a lost and uncertain Klein.
To help Klein move forward, Steven took him to Kalos for intensive training. Many of the Pokémon Klein now owned had been caught during their time in Kalos.
Klein had Steven's unwavering mentorship to thank for overcoming his personal struggles. In turn, to support Klein's dream of becoming a top-tier trainer, Steven provided significant resources and assistance.
Of course, Klein had also repaid Devon Corporation. The Move Learning Simulator was a massive commercial success, proving that Devon hadn't invested in him without return—they had gained substantial profits.
In fact, because of Klein's role as a Kanto Elite Four member, Devon had become a supplier for the new Pokémon Centers, providing some of the Poké Balls sold there.
—
After the meeting ended and the others had left, Steven and Klein sat across from each other. Seeing his mentor in front of him, Klein asked with concern, "Steven, are you here because of the mineral deposits on Cinnabar Island?"
Klein had previously documented and reported findings on Cinnabar Island's minerals and the freeform Mega Evolution of Swalot, sending the data to Steven. He hadn't expected his mentor to arrive so quickly—within just a few days.
"The probability of extraterrestrial meteorites is very high."
Cinnabar Island was originally formed by a meteorite impact. Klein's Swalot was one of the greatest beneficiaries of the island's unique properties. However, the energy it had absorbed was merely a fraction of what lay deep beneath the island.
At the island's core, the most concentrated remnants of the meteorite still existed. Investigating this was Steven's primary objective.
"Cinnabar Island has already attracted the attention of a mysterious force. You need to be extremely cautious."
Whoever had managed to keep Lance occupied on Cinnabar Island, preventing him from assisting Klein at Seafoam Islands, was still a complete enigma. For now, Klein, Agatha, and Blaine were stationed on Cinnabar Island—not just for security but also to uncover the secrets buried deep within.
"I won't allow another tragedy to happen here."
Seeing Klein's determined expression, Steven nodded before shifting his gaze to a poster of the upcoming battle: Klein vs. Cynthia.
"More importantly, Cynthia isn't going to be an easy opponent. Are you ready for this?"
"Not easy" was an understatement. Even Steven himself had little confidence in defeating her. Perhaps their mutual friend, Wallace, after years of training, could now put up a real fight against Cynthia.
But both Steven and Wallace had remained at the four-core level for years. Against a prodigy like Cynthia, who was pushing towards a five-core strategy, they couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration.
In a way, both Cynthia and Klein were purist trainers, unburdened by unnecessary constraints.
"I understand. I'll give this battle my all."
Seeing Klein's unwavering determination, Steven smiled. "Looks like I was worried for nothing."
—
Meanwhile, at the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy was managing the system database.
"Joy, here's the latest registry of trainers who have checked into Cinnabar Island's Pokémon Center."
Still focused on her data entry, Joy responded without looking up, "Add Elite Klein's email and send it to him directly."
"I wonder what that guy is up to, suddenly asking for all the registered trainer data."
Joy chuckled, arranging some medical supplies neatly. "It's for the safety of Cinnabar Island. The last incident at the research lab was pretty alarming."
"Yeah, I get it."
On the special operations network, Rosa used Joy's account to send the compiled trainer data. Just then, the entrance to the Pokémon Center slowly opened.
Steven, in a hurry, stepped inside to register himself. But when he saw the nurse standing before him—Rosa—he froze.
The two of them stood in awkward silence for several seconds.
"…Rosa?"
"Excuse me, sir, do I know you?"
Steven had seen Rosa's picture in the reports before, so he recognized her immediately. But the two of them had never actually met in person.
"I heard about you from Klein…"
At the mention of Klein, Rosa's mood soured instantly, her expression darkening. Seeing this reaction, Steven was momentarily confused.
Did they… have a fight?
Wait a second—wasn't Klein the one desperately trying to find her? Why hadn't he even mentioned it to me?
Feeling a little annoyed, Steven cleared his throat. "Are you working here as a nurse now?"
"Yes, thanks to Elite Klein," Rosa said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "I'm currently an intern at this Pokémon Center."
Steven could hear the dissatisfaction in her voice. Before he could respond, Nurse Joy walked out, holding a stack of medical files. "Oh, Mr. Steven! I didn't expect to see you on Cinnabar Island."
Looking at Rosa and Joy standing together, Steven suddenly felt a pang of envy toward Klein.
Wow. He actually got his girlfriend transferred to be near him?
"Ah, I see… I see… Hahaha."
—
That night, Klein opened his email and meticulously reviewed every trainer registration on Cinnabar Island. But after checking each one, he realized—Rosa's name and photo weren't there.
Was he just imagining things earlier?
Klein shook his head. Was he so exhausted from preparing for his battle with Cynthia that he was starting to hallucinate?
Grabbing his Poké Balls, he decided to head to the Pokémon Center for one last round of adjustments.
As he walked down the street, he suddenly received a message from Steven.
"You're something else. Using your status to have your girlfriend transferred to be near you? I'm reporting you for abuse of power!"
Staring at the ridiculous message, Klein replied with three question marks.
Steven sent back a smug emoji. "Rosa is working as a nurse in the Pokémon Center you set up. Don't even try playing dumb!"
—
Back at the Pokémon Center, Rosa and Joy had just finished their work when the front doors opened again.
Klein, staring at Steven's last message, stepped up to the counter, placing his Poké Balls on the desk. "I'd like a healing service, please."
At the same time, he hesitated, wondering—Was that really Rosa earlier? Or just Mew messing with me?
He had been tricked before in Silvertown when Mew transformed into Rosa.
Steven: "Oh, please. Do you think I can't tell the difference between a person and Mew?"
"Alright, please wait a moment."
A warm, familiar voice rang out.
Klein, still distracted by the text conversation, suddenly froze.
Looking up, his gaze met Rosa's.
The moment their eyes locked, time seemed to stand still.
(End of Chapter)