"Ha ha ha!" Steven smiled and laughed as the 3 of them walked along the path that would lead to Saffron City.

The trio had been traveling along this stretch of road and they were in the 3rd week of traveling together. Steven had been helping with training Cynthia and Jasmines pokemon up to a level where all of their pokemon would be at a level that they could train together properly. Bagon and Gible were basically already best friends, though Steven was surprised that Cynthia's Gible wasn't affected by Queen's royal pressure. Steven assumed that the Gible was a royal as well. It made the most sense as even in his own world Cynthia and her Garchomp were way stronger than the norm and were actually one of the few main series game characters worthy of the title "challenging and difficult opponent".

Steven had been greatly enjoying the human companionship on this trek and it brought a breath of fresh air for him as he and the girls got closer and formed stronger bonds. Though Steven had noticed that Cynthia seemed to be extremely shy compared to her official counterpart. He had noticed that she would often turn away when they were talking about something like she was embarrassed or something. Steven thought it was just one of her little quirks.

Cynthia said,"Oh come on! How was I supposed to know that the damn Victreebel would immediately try to eat me?!"

Jasmine piped up and innocently said,"Well, considering that you were slathered in Combee honey, I think anyone would want a taste ha ha!"

Steven burst out laughing, and added on,"I second that motion ha ha!"

Cynthia's face turned a shade redder and she let out a huff, responding to their jeers,"Well, I will have you know that after I got out I had my fathers Pupitar beat it up! How could it just eat me like that with no retaliation?! Huh?!"

Steven whistled and said,"Damn, a Pupitar huh? Did he ever get the Tyranitar?"

Jasmine interjected and said,"OH YES!! Maxie is so cute! He's so big and scary looking but he's a total sweetheart that doesn't even really like battles!"

Cynthia said,"Haaa… Yes, unfortunately my fathers pokemon was extremely anxious when it came to battles and preferred to not battle. My father had to take the long and hard route and do manual training.."

Steven grimaced and replied,"Oof, that's rough. I respect your father for taking his pokemons desires into the equation and realizing that he couldn't train his pokemon like a normal trainer. However I also know that simply training to evolution without actual battle is extremely tedious and time consuming, especially when it comes to pseudo-legendaries like Tyranitar."

Jasmine cocked her head and said,"Oh a new word? What does pseudo-legendary mean Mr.God?"

Steven pinched the bridge of his nose and replied,"Huu.. Jasmine, for the last time, please stop calling me Mr.God. My name is Steven, you know this. Secondly, Pseudo-Legendaries is a term my godbrother uses when referring to certain pokemon who are much stronger than normal pokemon but not as strong as the legendary birds, dogs, etc."

Jasmine had an AH! moment and she said,"That makes perfect sense! Your godbrother is really knowledgeable!"

Steven shrugged and said,"He is one of the smartest people and leads a high-profile and cutting edge pokemon company, he kind of has to be." Steven cringed deep inside his soul as he praised his "godbrother", which was actually just him.

Jasmine blurted out,"Mr.God, I have a question!"

Cynthia was trying to hold back her laughter as Jasmine kept calling him 'Mr.God', much to Stevens' annoyance. Cynthia could clearly tell that Steven treated her as an annoying little sister through and through and their 'sibling' dynamic was something that made the long treks through the route more bearable and fun.

Steven sighed and asked,"What is it?"

Jasmine then hesitated for a moment and then asked,"If- If I wanted to get a new pokemon to fill out a bit more team-wise, what pokemon would you suggest?"

Both Steven and Cynthia raised an eyebrow and Cynthia said first,"Don't you only trust your mom to pick your pokemon and give you suggestions on what to choose?"

Jasmine's smile dropped a little bit and she softly said,"I just… I want to get stronger, and Mr. G-, I mean Steven seems to know alot about compatibility and training.." Jasmine almost said his name wrong again, it was one thing to do that simply to mess with him, but if she was asking a favor, she needed to act respectfully.

Steven pondered for a moment and tried to think about what team would be a good fit for Jasmine. Steven knew that Steelix was her ace in the main series games as well as most if not all of her appearances had Steelix as her partner. Ampharos was a close second besides Magneton and Magnemite. Steven believed that there were at least 2 more pokemon that would make an excellent team core for her, which was Klink and Bronzong. These were some pretty impressive Steel-Type pokemon that Jasmine could absolutely incorporate into her team and nothing seem amiss.

After thinking for about 20 seconds, much to the anxiousness of Jasmine, Steven replied,"Personally, I believe you have a natural affinity with Steel type pokemon. If my theory on what you would be most compatible with is true, I have 4 suggestions for you, and 1 of them may seem odd, but it is this pokemon that I believe you will mesh with the absolute best, do you still wish to know?"

Cynthia scoffed and said,"Jasmine's father is an Elite Electric pokemon trainer, she's known that type all her life, what makes you think she would suddenly turn to Steel types?"

Steven shrugged and said,"Just a personal belief after all the interactions we've had during training and teaching. So? Jasmine, do you want to know the pokemon I think would go well for you?"

Jasmine had a fresh look on her face and she looked relieved that Steven had not stereotyped her into Electric types simply because of Magnemite, though she was also surprised by Steven saying she would fit well with Steel types. Jasmine hurriedly said,"Yes! Please tell me!"

Steven shot a smug grin at Cynthia, who reciprocated a sneer back at him. Steven then said,"Ok, so the 4 pokemon are Bronzor, Mareep, Klink, and Onix."

Jasmine looked at him in surprise and said,"Onix is the pokemon I would mesh the best with?!"

Steven gave her a mysterious smile and said,"Yes and no."

Jasmine, a little frustrated, said,"What?! How does that make any sense?! Explain! Please!"

Steven smiled and said,"You will have to wait till my godbrother cracks the tech for the trading machine with his researcher Bill. When that tech is introduced, all you have to do is initiate a trade with your Onix holding a 'Metal Coat' item and you should see something that will take your breath away."

Jasmine was confused now as she got lost in her thoughts about the future she would build. "If I am being honest, I think I might like this team line-up?? Huh??" she thought to herself.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Steven then saw on the horizon some of the tall buildings that made the Saffron Cities skyline. He called out to them,"We're almost to Saffron!"

Jasmine didn't respond as she was lost in her thoughts. Cynthia also didn't respond as she had a thoughtful face, as if she was pondering an important decision. Finally after walking for about another minute in silence, Cynthia finally spoke.

Cynthia asked,"Say, Steven, if you were to recommend some pokemon for me, what would you choose?"

Steven flinched slightly and then seriously said,"You are not a newbie trainer, I don't want to affect your catching journey with my suggestions.."

Cynthia was touched but resolutely said,"Please. I would like to know your thoughts on the matter."

Steven sighed and started a small speech as he said,"Ok. You are complicated and more complex of a trainer than Jasmine. From my personal view you don't seem to have any specific preference for typing, simply only having a favorite individual pokemon, which is the Garchomp your Gible will evolve into someday." Cynthia nodded her head as this was all exactly correct. "So, for you, I kind of already thought of a "Theoretically Perfect Cynthia Team"."

Cynthia blushed slightly as she thought to herself,"Damn, why is he so stupidly smooth?! He just admitted that he has been paying much more attention to me than Jasmine! Agh!!"

Steven, unaware of her thoughts, continued,"For your team line-up, I have your final team of Garchomp, Lucario, Spiritomb, Togekiss, Milotic, and Roserade."

Cynthia looked at him surprised and said,"Oh? I was already thinking about catching Riolu and Budew, how did you know I was interested in these pokemon?"

Steven shook his head and said,"I didn't, I just took your personality as I have observed it over the past few weeks and made deductions based on that. I did the same thing with Jasmine just now, though hers was more on the spot advice rather than well thought out like I did with yours."

Cynthia blushed and turned her head away from him as she said,"W-Well" she clears her throat dryly,"I very much appreciate the advice, and it honestly doesn't stray too far from what I was already thinking. Though I have never heard of "Togekiss" or "Spiritomb" so I will have to dig up some information on those pokemon."

Steven chuckled and replied,"I can't say much about Togekiss for now, but I believe I heard Spiritomb is from the Sinnoh Region with limited sightings in the Unova Region as well."

Cynthia's smile lit up as she replied,"That's great! I live in Sinnoh! I'll definitely be able to figure out a good way to catch this pokemon!" Then Cynthia frowned and asked,"Wait, you recommend a pokemon called 'Togekiss" to me but you barely know anything about it? That's.."

Steven instantly realized his mistake and hurriedly thought back to her,"Ah! Apologies, my godbrother was talking to me about this pokemon and some of its theoretical abilities and was trying to get an assessment or something like that. I just deduced it's value as a trainer for him and I accidentally applied that pokemon to you, my bad."

Cynthia's eyes narrowed as she thought about this explanation. It made logical sense to her, but she had been traveling with Steven for 3 weeks at this point and was able to pick on the fact that he wasn't being 100% truthful. "What could you be hiding? Why would you lie about something this insignif-" Suddenly Cytnhia had a thought,"Wait, what if his godbrother told him something confidential and he only accidentally told me?"

Cynthia's heart warmed a little with compassion when she thought about this, as it meant that Steven had used classified knowledge simply to give her a more perfect team. This was a huge deal to her as the daughter of a businessman and a politician, and Steven accidentally revealing one of his secrets for her future team meant that he obviously was looking out for her best interest, similar to a boyfriend..

Cynthia's cheeks flushed red at that thought and she quickly changed the subject, yelling out."Look! The Saffron City entrance checkpoint!"

Saved by the bell it seemed as the trio quickly walked up to the guard station that separated the city from the wilderness. The guard quickly stopped them and said,"I'm sorry kids, but this route entrance is closed for the time being!"

Cynthia frowned as there was no information about this anywhere on the way here. Steven's eyes however, lit up and he quickly thought to Cynthia,"Ask him why."

Cynthia spoke out loud,"Why is this route entrance blocked?"

The guard looked annoyed and said,"There is construction work going on for the addition of newer power lines for the city as well as internet lines, now please leave."

Cynthia cocked her head to the side and asked,"uhh… Ok, ok, got it. Sir guard, on whose authority do you block the entrance to the city?"

The guard made an audible clicking noise with his teeth, obviously annoyed, and responded,"I am here under orders from Bruno of the Elite Four to maintain this area and keep citizens and trainers out of the construction zone! The construction will finish in this area in around 3 months and then we will continue to the next area, NOW LEAVE!"

Cynthia, Steven and Jasmine all had angry glares in their eyes as the guard obviously didn't want a civil and decent conversation. Cynthia and Jasmine started to turn around and head back to Cerulean, but Steven grabbed Cynthia's arm gently and when she looked at him for an answer as to why, he looked her in the eyes and then shook his head.

Both the girls and the guard were a little confused at his actions. Steven didn't respond and simply pulled out his phone as he sent a quick text to somebody.

Cynthia then heard someone say something and she suddenly gasped."HMM?! REALLY!!"

Steven nodded his head, and now the guard was more curious about what exactly was happening more than anything.

Cynthia then took a deep breath and said,"Soldier, you have exactly 2 minutes to move and let us through or you will regret stopping us here today. Your supervi-"

The guard quickly pulled out his gun which was holstered and aimed it at her head. He spoke calmly and loudly,"I don't know who you are, but threatening an officer, regardless of rank or position, is a federal crime. Put your hands behind your back or I will shoot!"

What happened next surprised everyone there. In under 3 seconds, Steven unclipped his survival machete for thick forest and Jungle exploration and swung upwards in one clean motion, severing the man's wrist from his arm in an instant!

Both Cynthia and Jasmine screamed in horror at the sight and the guard screamed out in pain! He yelled out into his microphone,"Officer down! Code 1755! I repeat Officer down!"

Within 10 seconds of that announcement into the mic, 10 other male guards and 5 Officer Jennies came bolting through the door, along with 3 paramedics that had been in charge of the "construction".

They all saw the carnage that had happened and within an instant everyone on both sides had their pokemon out! The officers and guards all drew their pistols and service weapons, pointing them at the trio.

Steven quickly sent another text and then refocused on the situation at hand. Steven then had Cynthia say,"Wait! We are not your enemy! That guard attempted to arrest us and shoot us simply because we wanted to pass through! You cannot block a legal way of passage through according to law 442-4 addendum 8! My ally cannot and will not comply with threats! Lower your weapons if-" Cynthia stopped talking for a second as she processed what Steven was telling her. She continued,"If.. If you fire your weapons or have your pokemon attack us, everyone here will die…"

Everyone beside Steven gulped in nervousness. One of the Jenny's walked up and said,"I am a lead coordinator for this upgrade project. You have committed an offense that is worthy of 10 years in a federal prison, you will go to jail today, and you WILL take accountability for your actions against us today.

Cynthia's eyes widened and she looked at Steven in surprise and anxiousness. She took a deep breath of air and then said,"If you attempt to even touch me or my allies, Lance of the Elite Four will personally come and throw you into jail himself.."

Apparently the Jenny's had enough of this standoff and after the paramedics carted off the injured guard, all of the other Officers raised their service pistols. Stevens' face got visibly angry and then he broke his own golden rule. Steven forcefully connected the thought connection to them.

Steven thought to them,"If you stop us, you will either end up dead or -"

That was enough for one of the guards, who was aiming at Cynthia at the moment. Steven who was standing protectively next to Cynthia felt his senses screaming at him to move. Then, the guard shot the gun.

Time slowed down as the bullet slowed down in Stevens vision, slowly heading towards Cynthia's chest, directly for her heart if Stevens quick trajectory calculation were correct. Stevens' mind was working on a solution in real time as even though everything else was moving at a snail's pace, only his mind was also moving this fast.

Steven hardened his heart and made a decision. He would not watch his friends die in front of him. Steven and Cynthia had been teammates and partners for a long time, and he would watch her leave him because of his own arrogance. Steven knew this was his fault, he should've just waited and not antagonized the guard, then maybe they wouldn't be in this position!

However, now was not the time to look at the past and feel regretful, now was the time to act. In this moment, forsaking everything that was told to him, Steven created a new special technique to help him out of the situation. For the first time in any reality, real or otherwise, Steven combined his aura and his psychic power and then before he could even confirm the technique was working properly, Steven reached out with his psychic aura and grabbed the bullet!

Time seemed to slowly resume back to normal pace as the bullets velocity increased and its speed and acceleration were still fresh like the smoking gun it came out of!

Steven had caught the bullet!