Chapter 32: The Meeting of Champions (Please continue reading, qaq)

A tall man with short blue hair and a suit was scanning the cave walls, looking left and right as if searching for something with great focus and care.

Cynthia was uncertain at first, but when she saw him joyfully pluck a round, black stone from the wall, his identity became immediately clear.

This was none other than Steven Stone—the son of the president of the renowned Devon Corporation and the Champion of the Hoenn region!

As a fellow Champion, she had crossed paths with him many times and knew exactly what his greatest passion was.

It was minerals.

He often wandered into strange, out-of-the-way places just to collect stones. In fact, he was so obsessed that his title as Champion felt like little more than a formality. Unless a task truly required the intervention of a top-tier trainer, he rarely made an appearance. Most of the time, he was impossible to find within the League. He might be thousands of kilometers away, deep in some hidden underground cavern, peering at the walls—just like he was now.

As Steven drew closer, many in the stream’s chat began to recognize him.

[Holy crap, is that blue-haired guy Steven??]
[It really is him!! Has this game actually included Champions like him??]
[That makes sense, right? If they’re bold enough to include Team Rocket, why not a Champion?]
[Does this mean Cynthia might have a chance to meet herself?]
[Hard to say, we are in the Hoenn region, after all...]

While the chat was buzzing with surprise, Steven reached Cynthia, and an exclamation mark appeared over his head.

"Oh? I didn't expect to find anyone here..."
"Hello there, young lady. Are you here looking for minerals too?"

The familiar tone and voice resonated in Cynthia's ears, and she couldn't help but feel a bit startled. Whether it was Professor Birch, Gym Leader Roxanne, or the protagonist's father, Norman—all the characters she had encountered so far were people she knew of in reality but had never actually met. She had no idea how they would behave in the real world.

But Steven was completely different.

As fellow Champions, their connection was quite close. Furthermore, their interests were somewhat similar. Both enjoyed exploring ancient ruins, though Cynthia did so to uncover information about ancient myths, while Steven sought out rare, ancient minerals.

Because of their frequent interactions, Cynthia was quite well-acquainted with Steven's personality.

As Cynthia stood there in surprise, Steven spoke again.

"By the way... I thought I heard a loud noise coming from the cave below. Do you happen to know what happened?"

Cynthia thought for a moment, pressed the interaction button, and gave Steven a rough account of what had occurred below. Upon hearing her story, he looked genuinely taken aback.

"Really?! You encountered a Legendary Pokémon?"
"This is a serious matter. I must report this to the League immediately."

He turned his gaze toward Cynthia.

"Of course... rest assured, since you were the one who discovered it, you are entitled to be involved in what happens next—provided you become stronger."
"You know how it is. Legendary Pokémon... they are powerful and dangerous, aren't they?"

Listening to his words, Cynthia felt a complex mix of emotions. The person before her was identical to the real Steven: polite, confident, and possessing a fanatical love for minerals. Even his voice, his speech patterns, and the way his pixelated character brushed his hair were exactly like the real man.

As Cynthia pondered this, Steven spoke once more.

"So, could you describe that Legendary Pokémon to me in detail?"

Cynthia paused. "Well... it was probably several dozen meters tall, and its entire body seemed to be made of stone..."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Steven Stone froze, his eyes suddenly erupting with an intense, brilliant light.

"That's it! Young lady, I have to go see what's happening down there right now! Take this, I hope it helps you get stronger! We'll talk again if we have the chance, I’m off!!!"

He tossed an item to Cynthia, turned on his heel, and vanished in an instant! The speed at which he sprinted was faster than a train. He was clearly in quite a rush.

Cynthia understood his excitement perfectly. He had spoken so fast he’d practically swallowed his own punctuation. Very few people knew that while rare minerals were his hobby, they were only his second favorite thing. His true number one passion was Pokémon whose bodies were made of stone!

A Legendary Pokémon like Regirock, made entirely of rock and standing dozens of meters tall, was to Steven what flower nectar was to a Heracross—a fatal temptation.

Thinking back on the level of detail regarding Steven, the game's developer must have a profound understanding of him. Could there be a connection between this developer and the real Steven Stone?

As she mused, a notification suddenly popped up in front of her.

[Item: "Water Stone" has been added to your bag.]

Cynthia was stunned. A Water Stone? Wasn't that the exact item needed for her Lombre to evolve into Ludicolo?

The viewers in the stream were also shocked.

[Holy cow, he gives you exactly what you need? Steven is such a good guy!!]
[He just hands out an evolution stone upon meeting? Man, poverty really limits my imagination...]
[Well, he is on the list of the wealthiest people. Did you think the title "Young Master of Devon" was just for show?]
[I'm dying, he ran faster than a ghost the moment he heard about the Rock-type Legendary. He really does love stones...]
[Evolve it! Evolve it! I can't wait to see the pineapple-Ludicolo!]

Cynthia decided to leave the cave before evolving Lombre; it wasn't exactly the most suitable place for an evolution. She retrieved an "Escape Rope" from her bag and used it.

A moment later, after a dizzying sensation, Cynthia reappeared at the entrance of the Rock Tunnel. She released Lombre from its Poké Ball, took out the Water Stone, and smiled gently.

"Are you ready, Lombre? It's time to evolve."
"Lombre!"

Lombre jumped up, eager and ready, and reached out toward the Water Stone. The next moment, a brilliant light of evolution erupted across the clearing.