Steven Stone was many things. The heir of the prestigious Devon Corporation, a highly-renown expert of geology, evolutionary stones and even Mega Stones, and the well-liked and respected Champion of the Hoenn region. Too bad 'patient' wasn't one of them.

Dealing with the executive side of the Devon Corporation was among the most boring jobs possible for him. Just that day, he had to take part in three business meetings for the next model of PokéNav Plus, some surveys for new potential deals and markets to expand on, and sign a lot of paperwork.

Steven sighed and slouched over his father's desk, keeping up just the bare minimum of a dignified pose in case anyone barged into the room. He wished he could've said no and went to explore the depths of Mt. Chimney like he planned, but with his father busy setting up the Stone Foundation, there weren't many other people he could task with taking the reins of the company until he returned.

Steven shook his head and straightened himself and his clothes. It was no use being annoyed at it: if he had to keep working, then he might as well try to enjoy it.

His eyes fell back on the papers on his desk, several authorizations for some upcoming projects, that needed to be signed in more than one place. And stamped, too. Upon realizing that, his willpower melted away as he slouched back on his workplace.

Thankfully for him, right then there were two knocks on the door, and Steven sprung to attention. "Come in."

The door opened, and his father's secretary entered the room, shifting between a clipboard and Steven. "Mister Stone, the classroom of the Rustboro Trainer School is here. They are waiting for you."

Steven nodded, raising from his chair and adjusting his suit. It was a small favor his old friend Roxanne had asked him: she needed an affordable and close place for a school trip, and he was happy to schedule one at the headquarters of the Devon Corporation. He couldn't deny to be curious to see if there were any interesting kids among the next generation of trainers, as well. Plus, it was one way of staying away from further paperwork.

"Alright then. Do you mind keeping track of the paperwork in my absence? It shouldn't take long." Steven nudged at the pile of documents stashed on the desk, dread running down his spine.

The secretary nodded. "Of course, sir."

"Thank you." Steven smiled and walked out of the room and down a flight of stairs, ready to meet with Roxanne's current pupils.

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Hoenn's sun shone as bright as usual outside the main building of the Devon Corporation. A few steps from the entrance and inside the inner courtyard, about fifty schoolchildren were barely being reined in by their poor professors, including a few well-known faces from his time as a student and trainer.

Steven strode outside in a practiced and dignified fashion, as befitting of his role and position. He gave a glance to the class accompanied by a brief wave, stopped right in front of them, and cleared his throat before he pulled off his best smile. All the kids sprung back to attention, eyes glued on his figure.

"Welcome to the Devon Corporation. I'm Steven Stone, son of the CEO Joseph Stone and the current Champion of the Hoenn League, and it will be a pleasure for me to show you our latest developments in terms of technology for human and Pokémon use."

Introductions over, Steven turned around and led them inside the finely decorated corridors of the company's headquarters. Behind him, he could hear the children whispering to each other, mostly about how awesome it was to meet the Champion and to be right next to him, and possibly ask an autograph, and even a few outliers that were wondering how loaded his family was.

Steven couldn't help but chuckle at their childish enthusiasm, and after a short while they finally reached their destination: a room on the first floor of the building, with several computers, papers, and men in white labcoats talking to each other more or less loudly while sharing machines and other weird contraptions. Steven stopped right in the middle of it and faced the students once again.

"This is our Science Room, where our scientists debate our latest projects, compare notes, and generally work in tandem for the betterment of our products. I'd like to be more in-depth about what's being produced here right now, but we have to keep our projects away from prying eyes." He smiled, clasping his hands together as he gestured to the staff. "That said, I instructed our kind scientists here to give you an overview on our latest released projects, what led us to start working on it, and the many ways the Devon Corporation guarantees the quality of its products, alongside their applications."

The scientists stepped forward, wearing smiles matching his own. However, as the presentation continued, Steven couldn't ignore all the annoyed looks and yawns from selected members of the crowd.

Steven sighed and stepped ahead. "And after the theoretic part is over, I will make sure to show you the effectiveness of our products in a friendly battle between me and your principal."

Unsurprisingly that was enough to bring everyone back to attention and make everyone whisper to each other once again as they all seemed far more enthusiastic to approach the scientists and study the provided sample devices. Steven sighed again, but seeing several students genuinely interested to know more was enough to bring his smile back as he leaned over the wall.

"You really know how to get kids interested."

Steven turned to the side, seeing a familiar formally dressed girl smiling his way. Roxanne, principal and teacher of the Rustboro Trainer School and one of his oldest and dearest friends.

He closed his eyes and chuckled. "Let's be honest, they are all more excited to meet the Hoenn Champion than to see a glorified commercial for Devon products."

"Right." Roxanne laughed briefly as well. She swiftly turned serious however, glancing over to the students. "Still, thank you for allowing this to happen. The other teachers were all in agreement that with our ex-student turning into a runaway, it was better to not move too far from Rustboro for our school trip."

Steven looked over his friend, turning serious. It was impossible not to know who she referred to, with how often search parties were formed to look for him.

"Wally, was it?" Folding his arms, Steven contemplated the floor. "I hope he won't put himself in danger now."

Roxanne sighed, rubbing her arm. "I hope so too. Kids can be extremely reckless."

"How can I not know? We've been kids ourselves, after all." Spying the students himself, Steven smiled. "I envy you. I wouldn't be able to take care of all these kids at once, personally."

"I just do what we must. It's the duty of the old guard to prepare the next generation as well as possible."

"It's weird to think of ourselves as the 'old guard' now."

"Yeah, it feels like yesterday that I destroyed your Beldum during our first trainer battle." Roxanne chuckled and stared him down smugly.

Steven replied with a just as smug smirk. "I gave you payback for that in my last Gym battle here in Rustboro. And don't forget who's the Champion here."

"Right, right." Roxanne barely suppressed a giggle before she returned serious, eyes back on her students. "Still, time passes, and things change. And we must ensure the change is for the better."

Steven nodded in response. "Well said."

At that moment, however, something caught Steven's attention: a bit distant from the rest of the student body, someone had just snuck into a nearby corridor. He frowned briefly as he realized where that led.

"Looks like someone got curious here." Steven stood again and adjusted his suit before giving Roxanne a glance. "I'll be back in a bit, alright?"

Roxanne nodded, and Steven walked away towards the nearby hall.

A few corridors and turns later, Steven found himself right behind the curious kid. A short, green-haired boy searching everywhere while jotting down information on a small notebook. He seemed quite enraptured by the paintings and statues lining up the place, to the point he didn't even notice Steven yet. Such genuine curiosity brought a smile on the Champion's face, but he quickly turned serious as he realized where they were.

He gently tapped the boy's shoulder and cleared his throat. "I think someone has walked too far here."

The boy snapped to attention and turned around, stepping back with eyes wide and face pale. He quickly gulped and adjusted his pose, then made an apologetic bow.

"S-sorry, mister Champion sir! I didn't mean to go somewhere I shouldn't, I was just curious about what was here, and it's my first time here in the Devon headquarters, and-"

Steven gave him a lighthearted laugh before raising his arms. The kid stopped stammering and shut up, fidgeting in place and almost sweating.

"Hey, hey, slow down. You wouldn't be the first person to sneak around here." Steven gazed at the corridor with nostalgia. "As a kid, me and my Beldum constantly tried to get into the reserved areas to see what my father was up to."

The boy tilted his head, blinking. "R-really?"

"Yeah, and I did much worse, too." He chuckled again, and was glad to see the boy much less tense than before. Steven kneeled at his height. "What's your name?"

"S-Sawyer." The boy blushed and looked the other way.

"Nice to meet you, Sawyer. I'm sure your curiosity will be a great asset once you start your trainer journey." Steven placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's better if we go back with the rest of the class, however. There are top secret projects from here on out, and the place is heavily guarded and restricted. Only people like me and my father are granted access and passwords."

"Huh, really?" Sawyer blinked and looked back to the other end of the corridor. "Because I just saw someone leave from there."

Steven froze, flinching for just a second before he regained his calm. He frowned and looked further ahead, confused. "What...?"

Without further words, Steven rushed down the corridor, with Sawyer following in tow. It didn't take long for them to find a security door cracked open and a couple of guards unconscious on the ground, with every security camera fried. The Champion paled as he approached the safe, finding it open without any sign of break in.

"Impossible." Steven squinted, observing the slightly charred touchpad at the door's side. "The only people that know the code are me and my father, how did they open this?"

Sawyer looked at the touchpad himself, rubbing his chin as he compared with his notebook. "These are Magnemite's magnet burn marks. Whoever it was must've brute forced codes using one."

Steven tried not to grumble. He had told his father several times that they needed a better security system, but that was not the time to think about that.

He walked inside, finding a lot of scattered documents and several prototypes and replicas carelessly thrown around, and immediately searched for anything missing. All the while, Sawyer remained in wait outside of the vault and tried to remain calm.

While a lot had been moved out of the way or broken, nothing in particular seemed to have been stolen. Steven was about to feel slightly relieved until he noticed an empty box on the side, with several documents stashed inside. He recognized it, and frowned as he grabbed the box.

"Not good, the Flower is missing."

"The Flower?"

"Something very dangerous." Steven put the box aside and steeled his gaze as he folded his arms.

The Champion stood there and thought, eyes closed. If the event had happened a few minutes ago, they could probably still find the culprit, but with no pictures or anything it would've been like searching for a needle in a haystack. If only someone had seen him-

Steven blinked, then turned back to Sawyer and stared at him.

"Tell me, did you see the thief in the face? Can you recognize him?"

Sawyer didn't reply immediately, but after digesting the question he gave a firm nod. "I think I can."

"Good then. Come with me!"

The Champion didn't waste time as he ran out of the room, with Sawyer following close behind. They didn't have any second to waste.

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Nothing seemed to be amiss around the entrance of the Devon Corporation's headquarters: a lot of people, mostly salarymen or scientists employed by the company, continued to move in and out of the building at a measured pace, all completely absorbed in their tasks and without even sparing a glance to their coworkers unless it was absolutely needed. The Devon Corporation was a perfectly oiled machine and everyone knew their importance in the hierarchy, and they all knew more work was the key to better rewards.

Unfortunately, such diligence also meant that almost no one seemed to have noticed the man wearing a trenchcoat and conspicuously looking left and right, which was getting at most a few confused glances before the workers returned to their current projects. And thus, the man could continue on to the entrance unperturbed. As he finally arrived just a few steps from the door, he even allowed himself to grin before pacing quicker towards the exit.

"Stop right there."

Hearing that stern voice, the man paled and grinded to a halt, and instantly perked his head up. From the second floor, a shiny Metagross floated down, with a sharp-dressed man with silver hair and a youth dressed in green above it.

He quickly turned back to the entrance and rushed towards it, only to slam over the still-closed automatic doors. He fell on his back and stared at the door in confusion, only to notice the faint psychic outline surrounding it. The man clenched his fists and bared his teeth as he turned towards Steven and Sawyer, now hopping off of Metagross.

"It's him, right?" Steven nudged at Sawyer while Metagross continued to keep its stare aimed at the man, and a Psychic towards the door.

Sawyer squinted his eyes, and then nodded. "Yes, I recognize him."

"Good."

Steven pocketed his hands as he calmly approached the attempted runaway. His body was completely enveloped in a trenchcoat that would've been too warm even for Sinnoh, and he could spot the handle of the Flower just barely popping out of the disguise.

Steven's glare turned stern as he observed the man. "This doesn't have to end badly. If you give back what you stole now, you can probably end up with a few weeks of prison time at worst, maybe less. There's no reason to waste your life over a petty theft."

The man glared back at him with just as much intensity, and then he gave the Devon heir a bitter grin. "Tsk, easy for you to say. Who would dare to defy the Champion of the Hoenn region, after all?"

Silence fell as Steven waited. The man's grin morphed into an angry grimace, while his stare pierced through the Champion.

"You disgust me. You could change the region for the better, but all you and your cronies do is uphold the status quo." He placed a hand over his chest, glancing at the hidden Flower. "This device could've revolutionized the way we live our lives, you should know that."

"The price far exceeded the advantages." Steven steeled his gaze and matched the man's stare. These words felt familiar, but he couldn't lose his focus.

He gave a few more moments for the man to decide what to do, but no replies came. Steven sighed, and Metagross readied a Meteor Mash. "I guess this will end badly, then."

"Not at all." The man folded his arms as he grinned wider than ever. "Team Zenith is ready to change the world now."

Hearing that name, Steven flinched and widened his eyes. He quickly shook his head and focused back on the man, face tensed into a frown.

"Team Zenith?" He asked, clenching his fists.

The man didn't reply; instead, he let a Poké Ball slip from his sleeve. "Golbat, Haze!"

As soon as the Pokémon materialized, black mist covered the whole entrance. Sawyer and Steven covered their mouths and eyes as they started to cough, and even Metagross was surprised enough to drop the Psychic for just a second.

That proved more than enough time for the man and the Golbat to turn around and rush out of the open door, while Steven could barely make out their outlines through the fog. He steeled his gaze as the fog slowly dissipated out of the building.

He hadn't heard the name of Team Zenith in years, but whatever they had in mind couldn't be good. He had to stop them, and now.

"Steven, what's going on? What's all this smoke for?"

Even without seeing her, Roxanne's voice was unmistakable. He spared her a glance through the fog before hopping back on Metagross, silently thankful for its Clear Body ability.

"Sorry, I need to leave. Make sure nothing happens here!" Steven patted his starter's leg and looked straight ahead. "Metagross, let's go!"

Without even waiting for Roxanne's reply, Metagross hovered out of the Devon headquarters and straight towards Rustboro's streets. Only when he felt a weight hapzardly trying to stay balanced behind him did Steven realize he wasn't alone.

He turned around and found Sawyer rubbing his neck with a sheepish grin. The man gave him a resigned sigh, and then a stern look.

"Hop off, it's going to be dangerous."

Sawyer didn't yield, and instead gulped and smiled at the Hoenn Champion. "If it's dangerous, then I want to help. Two pairs of eyes are better than one, right?"

Steven studied the boy wordless, and even then Sawyer remained as calm as he could. With little time to choose and feeling the boy's determination, Steven sighed and gave him a resigned smile.

"Tell me if you see him," he said as he searched around.

Sawyer beamed and nodded vigorously. "Alright!"

The two scoured through Rustboro's busy streets from above, even if their search was impeded by the morning rush and general crowd gathering. In spite of their difficulties they continued, moving further past Rustboro's streets and towards Route 115 above the city, a hair breadth from the mountain range known as Meteor Falls.

And yet, throughout their search, they found nothing leading to their thief. Between getting lost in the crowd and possibly shedding his trenchcoat, the chances of finding him only grew slimmer the more time passed.

Steven rubbed his forehead and exhaled, before he tried looking around once more through the green field and brown hills. "This is bad."

The silent search would've continued unperturbed, had Sawyer not frowned and looked back towards Steven.

"That man said to be part of 'Team Zenith', right?" The boy tilted his head. "What's that?"

"Trouble, that's what it is." Steven continued to search, his gaze turning colder as he reminisced. "It was a rather well-known terrorist organization about a decade ago, responsible for many heists and attacks in Hoenn's major cities in an effort to find a way to control the legendary of the sky, Rayquaza, to bring forth a utopia for humans and Pokémon alike. I've faced its members myself during my Gym challenge, and risked my life more than once to stop their plans."

Sawyer blinked. "They were that dangerous?"

"Very much so." Steven shook his head as he contemplated the ground underneath. "And then one day they just disappeared. No one knows why, but they just stopped making themselves known. Many were worried that they planned something big, something that would truly change Hoenn forever, but it never happened. Given Team Magma and Team Aqua became active around that time, some people think Team Zenith's members split between them."

"If they haven't done anything in so long, why would they reappear now?"

"I don't know, but the way they stole the Flower was almost flawless." Steven squinted on any patch of grass he could find. "They clearly planned this for a long time."

Silence fell between the two again. Sawyer then gulped and shook his head. "I don't understand why someone would try to force the world to change."

"Many people have a certain vision of how the future has to be, and strive to make it a reality. It's just human nature." Steven's gaze turned even colder. "But no matter how noble your intentions are, it means nothing if other people have to suffer to make them real."

As more information and musings sunk in, Sawyer turned his head down. "This isn't looking good."

"It's not." Steven sighed. Then, however, he allowed himself to smile. "Though, looking back to it, Team Zenith was almost silly back then. Their grunts wore an all green attire styled like a dragon head with horns and fangs and a winged Z for a symbol, and kept screaming about how their utopia would become a reality. I appreciate some commitment to your gimmick, but they really pushed it at times."

As he heard Sawyer chuckle, Steven felt a tinge of relief. And then, he noticed Sawyer looking down wide-eyed.

"Wait, did they look like that?" The boy pointed down.

Steven observed there, and his expression matched Sawyer's. A guy dressed in a silly dragon coat get-up, holding something in his hands and running for his life.

"That's one of them!" The Champion said, frowning.

Sawyer scratched his head as he studied the man. "He doesn't seem to be the one we were following."

"But he could lead us to our mystery thief." Steven continued to stare at the Team Zenith grunt. "Let's follow him."

And thus, Metagross hummed quietly as it tailed after the grunt, trying their best to not be seen or heard. The grunt speed up his pace and never stopped, even as he seemed to become increasingly tired. Steven wondered why and then a sharp cry rose from the nearby mountains. Metagross and the grunt stopped at once, and then the man sprinted away as fast as he could. Steven tried to get back on the chase as he looked after the man, and then he heard another cry.

"Draco Meteor!"

Steven froze as he and Sawyer faced the incoming blast at their side. Metagross tilted that way as the hit came, and the world spun around Steven and Sawyer as Metagross fell toward the ground.

Steven and Sawyer clutched themselves at Metagross' sides, trying to make sense of the blur around them as a smell of smoke and brimstone filled their nostrils. Their view became greener the faster they got, and Steven clenched his fists.

Without fear, he grabbed Sawyer and jumped off Metagross, rolling over a grassy hill. He held the boy tight around himself until they finally slowed down, while he heard Metagross crashing and slamming on the ground. Steven felt dread running down his spine, but didn't let go of the boy until the momentum was gone.

Now still, Steven shook his head and looked over Sawyer while getting back up. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah." Sawyer gave a timid nod as he returned on his feet, shaken but not injured.

Now sure that the boy was fine, Steven quickly turned around and faced his Metagross, semi-buried at the end of a trail of upset grass and with more than a few bumps on its steely skin.

Steven rushed towards his partner, analyzing the injuries with only mild worry. "Metagross, are you alright?"

Metagross readjusted itself and hummed in affirmative, hovering over the ground. Steven sighed in relief, then applied some Full Restore for good measure while spying his surroundings.

"What was that?" Sawyer asked, gulping and gazing at the mountains while he dusted himself off.

"Draco Meteor, the ultimate Dragon-type move." Placing the used Full Restore aside, Steven stroked his chin. "Did they spot us? It's possible, but we would've probably noticed other Team Zenith grunts-"

"Sootopolitans!"

Steven and Sawyer froze as they turned back, finding several men and women dressed in traditional garb and staring straight at them. Ahead of the group was a woman with black hair and wearing a tattered brown coat, whose scarlet eyes pierced through them. At her side flew a Salamence, which didn't appear to have peaceful intentions.

"We finally found you!" The woman jabbed at them, glaring daggers and baring her teeth. "You infiltrated the Draconids' territory and stole our sacred lore! Give it back, or perish on the spot!"

As he observed the many people gathered ahead of him and Sawyer, Steven frowned. The situation had just gone from bad to worse.

He studied the men and women ahead, reminiscing of what he knew. Draconids, one of the most ancient tribes to have ever lived on Hoenn, and one with whom the mainland population of Hoenn, or 'Sootopolitans' as they referred to them as, had fought several territorial disputes and wars throughout the decades. One of the perks of being Wallace's best friend was to have a somewhat in-depth knowledge of the Sootopolitan and Draconids conflict from the ancient times to the present days, and as such, Steven was aware of just how complicated the issues were, and how both Sootopiltans and Draconids were at fault for the current tensions.

Of course, though, that wasn't the time for a history lesson, especially as the black-haired woman continued to stare through them.

"What, you aren't even saying anything?" She steeled her gaze as Salamence aimed. "Too scared to admit what you did?"

Steven shook his head and took a deep breath; prolonging the stalemate would've led nowhere. Anyone else would've probably attempted to fight back, starting a brawl and wasting valuable time on a misunderstanding, and that was exactly what they didn't need with Team Zenith on the loose.

Thus, Steven gestured to Sawyer to stay put, and then stepped closer while raising both arms, hoping for the best.

"We haven't stolen anything from-"

"Liar!" The woman shouted, jabbing at him again. "We will force the truth out of you! Salamence, Draco Meteor!"

Steven and Sawyer flinched at once as the meteor shards were hurled straight towards them, only to crash on a blue barrier before they could hit. His heart racing, Steven gave a glance to his Metagross and received a wink in response, as his partner kept the Protect up as a precaution.

He then looked back at the gathered Draconids and sighed. Apparently, he was being too much of an optimist.

The woman observed the energy shield, and sneered. "I see you are as much of a coward as the rest of your kin."

"Sorry, but I happen to like my face." Steven frowned and folded his arms, staring back at her. "Also, neither I nor this child have come close to your territory today. I assume the actual thief was someone dressed in a green coat?"

"Correct." The Draconid bared her teeth. "And how would you know it?"

"Because they stole something incredibly valuable and dangerous from us too." He eyed the path through which the grunt had left. "And I have a hunch that your lore could also be dangerous if it fell in the wrong hands. These events might be connected."

The Draconids didn't respond immediately as Steven looked back at them. The Hoenn Champion could spot an ecletic range of emotion from the bunch ahead, from curiosity to confusion to fear, to utter rage and distrust from their apparent leader. For his part, Steven tried to remain still and strong, especially as Sawyer cowered behind him, even as he saw the Protect slowly fading around them.

After what felt like forever, the woman scoffed and continued to glare at them. "This sounds extremely convenient. Do you really expect us to buy it?"

"If we truly were the thieves, we wouldn't stick around like this, don't you think?" Steven asked back.

The woman seemed to ponder Steven's words as they continued to trade glances. As the Champion waited, he grabbed Sawyer's hand and gave him a smile, and was pleased to see Sawyer trembling much less.

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Just then, the stalemate was broken as another Draconid rushed in between them, taking heavy breaths before facing the woman.

"Zinnia, we rounded up all the invaders! They are tied up in Meteor Village now!" The man said, rubbing off the sweat.

The now named Zinnia didn't reply as she went back to glare at Steven. Then, after studying him in silence, she scoffed.

"If you really aren't affiliated with these thieves, then you might be useful." She placed her arms on her hips. "You have no objections coming with us, I hope."

Steven shook his head. "Absolutely none. If you promise to not to fire another Draco Meteor at us, I will also ask my Metagross to lower the Protect."

"Good then." Zinnia turned around and walked back towards Meteor Falls. "Follow us."

The rest of the Draconids followed suit, and Steven's Metagross lowered the Protect as agreed while his trainer and Sawyer followed them. As the situation felt much less tense, Sawyer sighed in relief.

"Whew, that was close." He smiled as he glanced at the group leading the way. "Thank goodness they understood."

Said relief was short-lived as Steven continued to remain tense and on guard, and Sawyer looked at the Champion with a quizzical glance.

"We aren't out of trouble yet." Steven squinted his eyes towards Zinnia. "They're just moving the discussion somewhere where they'd have the advantage."

Sawyer paled, but Steven chuckled instead as he continued to follow the Draconds.

"Don't worry, I trust to be able to talk things over." Steven looked ahead with confidence. "The Draconids don't have the best reputation, but at least one of them is bound to understand us."

Sawyer blinked, then tilted his head. "How can you be so sure they will?"

"I travelled far and met enough people. You'd be impressed with how many things can be solved just by talking things over."

Sawyer didn't know what to say, and silence fell between the two as they made a beeline behind the Draconids. All the while, Steven hoped to not be trying his luck again.

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The trek through the mountain would've normally been harsh, but the Draconids clearly knew their way around Meteor Falls as they guided Steven and Sawyer deeper inside the caverns through a series of tunnels semi-hidden between rocks and waterfalls.

After a short while, the tunnels grew progressively more open, until they reached a large cave with several traditional-looking houses lined up in a neat row. At the center stood a giant, gaping abyss the size of three Wailord, and all around several Draconids of all ages were going about their daily routines, with all of them aiming confused, terrified or angry stare at the two Sootopolitans.

Steven remained silent as he observed the Meteor Village's inhabitants and structures. At the same time, his younger companion had a much less restrained reaction to them.

"I heard about the Draconid people, but I didn't know they had an entire village here!" Sawyer said, jotting down notes like there was no tomorrow.

Steven sighed, then patted the youth's shoulder. "I'd not write anything if I were you. We're already walking on thin ice as it is."

Sawyer flinched, then pocketed his notebook and looked away, swallowing. "Sorry."

"No worries." Steven flashed him a smile, then spied the woman ahead of them. "So, Zinnia, right? Where are we going exactly?"

"You'll see soon," she said without even turning.

Steven steeled his gaze and exchanged another glance to Metagross, to which his partner replied with a nod. Steven was an optimist, but also a realist: even if he hoped to negotiate peacefully with the Draconids, that didn't mean he'd not be ready for a fight.

Fortunately, nothing worse than an odd look by some Draconids happened during the trek, and shortly after the group stopped in front of a fancier house than every other. Unprompted, all the Draconids kneeled and turned their heads down; Steven figured he should've followed, and so did Sawyer. Shortly after the doors opened, and a figure stepped out of the building.

Steven chanced a look, and found an woman looking very much like an older Zinnia walking with a cane, with grey hair in a similar hairstyle and a stern look on her face. The woman went through every Draconid before finally settling on Zinnia.

She pressed her cane down, and inched closer. "Did you manage to catch the thief?"

Zinnia rose and shook her head, not even daring to look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Elder, we didn't." She shifted towards Steven and Sawyer, and her frown intensified. "However, we found some Sootopolitans who claim to have also got something stolen by the same people. They want to help us."

Steven couldn't help but notice how disgusted Zinnia sounded, but let it slide as he found the Elder staring at him. He waited as she studied him, sweat pouring down his face.

And then, she chuckled.

"My my, isn't he a silver-haired dreamboat." She continued to giggle as she turned back to Zinnia. "You're really spoiling me, you know!"

Zinnia turned five shades of red. "Grannie!"

The Elder laughed it off further, as Zinnia desperately tried to keep the mystique up. It didn't work as well as she hoped, while Steven just blinked in confusion.

"Come on, you should loosen up on your job." The Elder turned back to the building. "Aster's also waiting for you inside."

Zinnia recomposed herself and sighed. "Thank you."

The girl walked inside, and the Elder faced Steven again, her gaze stern once more.

"So, Sootopolitan." She squinted her eyes. "Was what my granddaughter said true?"

"It is." Steven nodded, holding the Elder's gaze. "At the cost of sounding rude, however, I think we should discuss these matters quickly. Our enemies might be preparing their plan as we speak."

"Nothing good comes for those who rush into things." The Elder gave Steven her back as she stepped towards her house. "Please, come inside. The best way to discuss this is in front of a good cup of tea."

And thus the old Draconid left, leaving only Steven and Sawyer outside. The Champion contemplated the building for a while before he recalled Metagross and went back to Sawyer.

"Wait for me here and don't do anything that might earn you Draconid ire, alright?" He grabbed a Cherish Ball from his pocket, and placed it in Sawyer's hands. "In case anything happens, use this."

"Alright." Sawyer nodded, clutching the Poké Ball tight as he studied it.

Steven smiled and turned back to the Elder's house, taking a deep breath. He then entered it slowly, still hoping for the best.

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The interior of the house wasn't anything special: it was a simple house with a small kitchen sink and a door leading to what Steven assumed was the bedroom, and outside of a few statues in the image of Rayquaza or a Delta symbol, there was nothing that could've explicitly pegged it as a Draconid home.

Steven and the Elder were sitting across each other on the central table, and the Hoenn Champion was staring intently at the tea cup the Elder had just served him.

"It's not poisoned, if that's what you are worried about." The Elder folded her arms while she stared at Steven. "Unlike certain people, we Draconids don't like subterfuges."

Steven refused to take the bait and sipped the tea. He replied to the Elder with a stare of his own.

"I'm not here to debate the tensions between my people and yours." Steven furrowed his brow. "I just know that we can't let Team Zenith do as they please."

"So, it was Team Zenith." The Elder drank some tea herself. "Is Zevie still their leader?"

Steven bore his stare into the Elder. "He might be. How do you know him?"

"I've been around for a long time. I was there when the city known as Mauville fell, and I was there for all the atrocities that followed." Her eyes were briefly clouded before she shook her head. "And years ago, we considered allying with Team Zenith to put an end to you Sootopolitans."

"Lovely." Steven tried to hide his grimace. "And did you go through with it?"

"No, because Zevie proved to be as treacherous as the rest of your kind. He was only interested in obtaining our Draconid lore, just like everyone else."

"One of their goals was to take control of Rayquaza, so it's no surprise." Steven folded his arms as he placed the tea down. "This lore keeps being brought up, though. What is it?"

The Elder steeled her gaze. "It's a secret passed on from Lorekeeper to Lorekeeper, and something no outsider should know. Especially not a Sootopolitan."

"That's not helpful, you know."

"Our previous Lorekeeper died to keep Sootopolitans from stealing it." The Elder stared through Steven with unmatched intensity. "For all we know, this is just a clever plan to get us to speak about it and then eliminate us. I've seen the lenghts you've gone to get rid of Draconids."

Steven didn't reply. He could've said that he meant no harm to them, sure, but history really wasn't on his side. The Draconids had a lot of reasons to distrust him.

Even with that admission, however, the Elder's behavior was quickly becoming grating. He needed to find a way to get them on their side, at least until Team Zenith was dealt with, but the 'how' kept eluding him.

Right then, the doors of the house were slammed open, and Steven and the Elder both turned around. At the door stood a young child, three years of age at most, with black hair and a big grin plastered on her face as she ran towards the Elder.

"Granny, play! Play!" She hugged the old lady's leg and stared at her with bright eyes.

The Elder sighed and grabbed the little girl, placing her away. "Now now, Aster, what have we said about barging in while I'm speaking with others?"

"Mommy boring! Want granny!" Aster pouted, with the most adorable glare.

Right then, Zinnia barged in herself and grabbed Aster, letting out a frustrated sigh as she eyed her grandmother. "Sorry, she's starting to get very energetic."

"That's not a problem, you gotta enjoy those years while they last." The Elder smiled at Zinnia, then patted Aster's head. "We'll all play together once this business is over, alright?"

"Yay!" Aster beamed, arms up in the air.

And with that, Zinnia and Aster left as soon as they came. Steven looked after them with a smile as Aster kept trying to escape her mother's clutches.

"She's a beautiful child." He turned back to the Elder. The woman didn't appear particularly happy, but still smiled back.

"Yeah, she is. Almost makes me forget of that guy from Rustboro." The Elder's hands clenched tightly around her cane. "Unfortunately, we didn't manage to find and kill him for what he did to Zinnia."

She didn't specify why, but as Steven noticed Zinnia sending him another glare, he understood.

He perked his head down and shook his head. "I'm sorry to hear this."

"You should be." The Elder's stare only grew colder. "You definitely know the history between Draconids and Sootopolitans, I can sense that. Why do you think we should trust you, then?"

Steven thought things over, eyes locked onto the Elder's. He needed a quick way out of these tensions, and with history not on his side, he didn't have much he could do.

He sighed, and then gave her a solemn smile. The only option left was the easiest and hardest at once to take.

"I don't want to force you to trust me. I understand that you have your reasons, recent and ancient, to not see Sootopolitans in a good light." Steven frowned. "However, it's the only way we have to save the world from Team Zenith. They are planning something right now, and we will all lose if their plans reach completation."

He grabbed some pictures on his pocket, and then placed them on the table: they all showed a small, crystal-like device the size of a Nanab Berry from several angles, siphoning some kind of energy in a few of the images.

"This is called the 'Flower'. It's a small prototype of a portable device based on some ancient scripts of the Kalosian King AZ, which outlined the blueprints of his so-called 'Ultimate Weapon', an alchemical cannon powered by Infinity Energy, the inner force of the Pokémon." Steven folded his arms, pointing to each picture in succession. "The Devon Corporation's aim was to use it as a self-sustaining battery, capable of absorbing Infinity Energy in small quantities from Pokémon to power other devices. If it had worked, we would've obtained a clean, easily renewable energy source that would've solved many crisis our world is victim of.

"But the tests didn't go well. The Flower was too powerful, and the Infinity Energy absorbed often left the Pokémon on the verge of death. We tried to fine-tune it, but it never reached acceptable levels." Steven clnched his fists, and his stare grew colder. "We couldn't allow our progress to be built on the blood of innocent Pokémon, and thus the project was shelved. That's the kind of item Team Zenith stole from the Devon Corporation, and one they can now use with impunity."

The Elder observed the pictures with interest, then looked back at Steven sternly. "This sounds like confidential information. We might make use of it once this is all over, you know."

"Consider this a show of trust." Steven smirked. "I trust you won't pull any moves towards this item, and I want to hope you'd trust me enough to discuss of your lore now. I swear on the good name of the Stone family that I will make no attempt to claim it as my own."

The Elder paused, shifting between the pictures and Steven. The Champion waited with unease, even as he continued to smirk.

And then, the Elder laughed, and Steven tilted his head. The old lady recomposed herself quickly, and smiled.

"Your naivety is almost endearing, but I have to commend you for your honesty." She faced the door and nodded to herself. "I think you earned the right to learn of our lore, from our very own Lorekeeper."

As if on cue, Zinnia came back inside. After handling Aster to her grandmother, she turned back to Steven with reluctance. Steven couldn't help but feel a tinge of relief even with that, however, as Zinnia closed her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Very well, Sootopolitan. Listen carefully, because I won't repeat it twice." She stared at Steven, held a finger up, and finally narrated.

"Our people owe their life to the Dragon Lord, the one you call Rayquaza. When the super-ancient Pokémon Kyogre and Groudon rampaged through Hoenn millennia ago, it was the Lord that saved us all by quelling their anger. It is said that the first Lorekeeper aided It in battle, wielding a rainbow stone to unleash a power unlike any other."

Steven crooked an eyebrow. "Rayquaza was the first Pokémon to Mega Evolve?"

"Such is the history we were passed on." Zinnia steeled her gaze. "That is not the only history or prophecy contained in our lore, however. We have records of alternate worlds, disasters for our region yet to come, and the many times the Dragon Lord saved us in the hour of need. Among them, the stolen paper detailed a very specific incident. One connected to the very meteors these mountains took their names from."

"That's not really surprising. Hoenn has always been a target for space debris."

"No 'space debris' has ever been like this." Zinnia took a scrool out of her cape, and spreaded it over the table. "This is an ancient depiction of the item, from a different part of our lore."

Steven studied the scroll, portraying a large rock with a crystal-like composition. The way it was drawn made it seem shining, with several tentacle-like appendages protruding from its shape.

"A giant rock?" Steven stroked his chin, intrigued.

"Many Sootopolitans refer to it as such. We prefer the term 'Megalith'." Zinnia sneered, then turned to the side. "It was an object of unfathomable power, capable of attracting the Pokémon of legends and somehow in search to similar energy sources. It had a will of its own, and almost brought Hoenn to the brink of destruction as Groudon and Kyogre warred to claim its power."

"But then Rayquaza arrived, correct?"

"Indeed. The Dragon Lord used the power of the Dragon Ascent to shatter the Megalith in several pieces, ensuring that it could never become whole again. Peace for the Hoenn region returned, and it appeared to be the end." Zinnia shook her head, arms folded. "However, the Megalith would always mantain its will. Each fragment would try to find their way towards the others, trying to return whole and gather energy again. And if it ever regained its full power, it would most certainly spell the end for the Hoenn region and the world at large."

Zinnia interrupted the narration with an air of finality. Silence fell in the room as Steven absorbed all the information.

"Hmm." Steven squinted his eyes. "The Flower and lore on the Megalith. A device and an artifact capable of storing and unleashing incredible amount of energy."

"These freaks are planning to make Hoenn explode or something?" Zinnia asked, scoffing.

"It'd make no sense. They wanted to improve the world, not destroy it."

Zinnia shrugged. "When something doesn't work your way, just destroy it and pretend it never existed. Typical Sootopolitan reasoning."

Steven suppressed a reply as he frowned towards the Elder again.

"You caught some Team Zenith members, right? I'd like to talk with them."

Right then, Zinnia stepped in and glared furiously at the Hoenn Champion. "They invaded Draconid territory, they will be judged under our own rules and-"

"Yes, you can talk with them." The Elder stepped in, giving Zinnia a stern look. "There will be no harm done in questioning them before the execution."

Zinnia paused, looking at her grandmother in shock. She glared back at Steven and then let out a heavy sigh.

"Well then." Zinnia turned around, one arm raised. "Follow us, Sootopolitan."

The Lorekeeper, the Elder and Aster walked out of the house. Steven allowed himself to sigh in relief: there had been a few close calls, but things were looking up for now. Sure, that talk of 'execution' wasn't particularly encouraging, but if he was able to earn the Elder's trust, maybe he'd be able to convince her to spare the grunts as well. He hoped to, at least.

He quickly focused again on the main task however as he rose and followed the Draconids, preparing himself to meet the grunts.

----------------------------------------

As he sat under the front porch of the Elder's house and waited for Steven's return, Sawyer lost himself in his thoughts and observed each Draconid house around him.

The fact that he couldn't write down anything he saw was quite sad, even if he understood why. His eyes went back to the Cherish Ball in his hands, studying its red coloration before he smiled.

That morning, he thought he would've simply enjoyed a look into the inner workings of the Devon Corporation. Something interesting, sure, but ultimately run-of-the-mill school stuff. Not even a few hours later, he was now in the middle of a secret village in Meteor Falls, possibly involved in an adventure to save the world. It was dangerous and risky, but living an adventure like that was an once-in-a-lifetime experience he was glad to be part of: every kid dreamed to become a trainer or a hero at some point, and Sawyer was no exception.

It was then that a familiar green-haired kid came back to Sawyer's mind, one he hadn't seen in a while since he lent him his first notebook. Sawyer looked back to the ground, and sighed.

Between them Wally had always been the most forward and proactive, no matter what his asthma prevented him to do. He really hoped he and Ralts were doing well wherever they went, and that they could meet again eventually.

Sawyer closed his eyes, and his smile widened. If he concentrated, he could almost hear Wally leading Ralts to battle, both pumped and ready to battle. On the other end of the battlefield he stood, with a Treecko just as ready to fight for him.

Sawyer and Wally locked gazes, grinned and pointed at each other. Their Pokémon rushed against each other, and the fight began in earnest.

Both Pokèmon did their best, dodging and hitting at a quick pace, sizing up the other and-

"You call that an attack? I didn't even feel it!"

Well, that didn't sound like Wally, or even Ralts.

Sawyer snapped out of his daydream, glancing around with a quizzical look, only to find nothing. He was ready to dismiss it when he heard other grunts and yells not too far from the Elder's house.

Turning that way, Sawyer gulped. Steven had told him to wait, sure, but something weird was going on, and his curiosity was piqued. And thus, Sawyer walked around the building, and shortly afterwards found himself staring at an ongoing battle.

On one side stood a brown-haired Draconid boy just a few years younger than him, wearing a sleeveless white shirt and several layers of rugs underneath. At his side stood a Swablu, and it and the boy were grinning at once as they stared at their opponent, an angry-looking Bagon ready to charge at them.

Sawyer froze and hid behind a nearby rock. The boy, however, showed no such fear.

Instead he pointed ahead, and his grin widened. "Now, use Gust!"

Swablu flapped its wings in unison, blowing the wind towards Bagon; the Dragon-type rolled to the side, lowered its head, and sprung forward for a Headbutt.

The Swablu circled around the Bagon, and the diminutive dragon crashed right into a rock. It let out a shrill cry and rubbed its armored head, and Swablu seized the moment.

Another gust took Bagon by surprise and sent it sprawling on the ground. The Pokémon glowered and tried to stand up, only for the boy to tackle him back down and holding him there. The Bagon struggled to break free, but the Draconid's hold remained firm.

He laughed alongside his Swablu as he patted Bagon's head. "Give up, Bagon! You're mine now!"

Sawyer blinked in confusion, as Bagon shrieked and Swablu's trainer kept him on the ground. The whole way that Bagon was acting was weird, but that boy's behavior certainly topped it. He wasn't sure if to call him admirable or foolish for getting that close to dangerous Pokémon, but he couldn't deny that kid had guts. He inched a bit closer, trying to hold back the need to ask him questions, and-

The boy looked over at him, and Sawyer froze. He had exposed himself.

The Draconid tilted his head, confusion replaced by irritation as he scowled. "Who the heck are you?"

Dread crawled down Sawyer's back. "Oh, uhm, I'm-" Sawyer gulped and shut up, sweat pouring down his face. He was no liar, and that was the worst possible moment to tell him the truth.

In fact, the boy realized it anyway as he saw Sawyer's clothes, and irritation made way to anger.

"I get it! You're a Sootopolitan!" The boy bared his teeth and pointed to Sawyer. "Swablu, Gust!"

Sawyer fell ahead, and the gust flew right above him. Sawyer raised his hands, skin pale and eyes wide, and then rose back up.

"I mean no harm! Really!" He shouted with a grimace.

The boy glowered at the Sootopolitan. "Like I'd believe you! Get out, I'm busy here-"

And right then, Bagon burst back on its feet and screamed for its freedom. The boy fell and tumbled over the floor, and Sawyer rushed at his side in worry.

"Are you okay?" He offered a hand, and the boy slapped it away with a town.

"Don't touch me!" The boy's stare pierced through Sawyer. "You Sootopolitans want us all dead!"

"I don't-"

Bagon let out a war cry, and the two kids turned to see Bagon about to charge again.

The Draconid frowned and clenched his jaw. "Go for Peck, Swablu!"

Swablu flew ahead and aimed its beak, but Bagon sprung faster and headbutted it out of the way. The Flying-type crashed on the ground, and fell unconscious.

The boy stared on with a gaping mouth. "No! Swablu!"

Bagon sent a look to his defeated opponent, then moved back to the boys. The Draconid shuddered and stepped back, but Sawyer held firm, frozen as the Bagon sized them up.

Sawyer clipped off Steven's Cherish Ball and clenched it, then frowned ahead. Inexperience or not, he had to do something now.

He aimed, gulped, and then tossed the Poké Ball. "I choose you!"

The crimson ball popped open, and a Beldum materialized. A silver-colored Beldum.

Sawyer widened his eyes and then shook his head. That wasn't the moment to be excited at a shiny Pokémon.

He observed the loaned Steel-type, and then again Bagon. He had a good enough idea of what Bagon could do, and indeed, he charged again for an headbutt- and passed Beldum as he sprinted towards him.

Sawyer flinched as Bagon ran closer, then eyed at Beldum, going over what he knew it. "Uhm, use-"

Too late. Bagon was about to strike, and Sawyer held his arms up.

The impact never came. Instead, Beldum shimmered a metallic hue and slammed into Bagon's chest. The ground cracked as Bagon meteored down, whimpering weakly as he got back up.

Sawyer held a hand over his racing heart, then saw Beldum giving him a nod. Sawyer understood and nodded back, then focused again on Bagon. The Pokémon seemed fatigued and quite more angry than before, and yet seemed ready for another go. Beldum circled around the Bagon and hummed quietly in wait.

And thus, Sawyer studied Bagon. He had no idea of Beldum's capabilities beyond Iron Head, nor of Bagon's beyond Headbutt. However, Bagon seemed obsessed with repeating the pattern over and over.

True to that, Bagon lowered his head and aimed again. Sawyer almost jumped on his feet, only to take a deep breath.

"Iron Head, on the ground!"

Beldum cratered down instantly, cracking the ground; the small shockwave was enough to make it wobble, and Bagon swiftly lost its footing and crashed on the dirt.

Sawyer smiled, and took his chance. "Now, Iron Head again! But not too strong!"

Beldum bulleted towards Bagon again, and the Dragon-type slammed over a wall. It whimpered again and held its head, and this time he didn't try to raise again.

Sawyer beamed and pumped his fists. "Yes! Thanks a lot, Beldum!"

Beldum floated around Sawyer and chirped happily around the boy. At the same time, the Draconid gave Sawyer a quizzical look as he grabbed back his Swablu, shifting between him and the downed Bagon.

"You... defeated it." He continued to observe Bagon, wordless.

"Not quite, I asked Beldum to hold back." Sawyer strode closer to the defeated Pokémon. "This Bagon is acting weird."

Once again, the boy's confusion turned to anger as he scowled towards Sawyer.

"This is the angriest Bagon of Meteor Falls. Every Draconid has tried to capture it at least once, and no one managed to." Hands on his hips, he gave a cocky grin. "No way a Sootopolitan can tame it!"

Sawyer was too focused in getting closer and studying the Bagon's body to care. He was grateful that Dragon-type biology was one of their latest subjects at school, especially as he scanned the blue scales under Bagon's tired but nasty glare.

There were several bruises of quite different origins, from scratches to bites, alongside several small and rugged scars along the helmeted head's surface. He contemplated them briefly, and then he saw it: a nasty, still red gash, right between the armored part of the head and the scales beneath.

"So that's why." Sawyer rubbed his chin. "He was trying to stop the pain, and that's why he continued to go for the Headbutt."

The boy behind him quirked an eyebrow, while Sawyer grabbed his backpack and took a Potion out of it. He then smiled, even as the Bagon showed his feet.

"Here, let me help you," he said as he sprayed it over the wound. Bagon flinched and then stilled, blinking in confusion. Sawyer took his chance and continued to apply the medication. Bagon resisted increasingly less as Sawyer progressed, until the spray can was completely empty. Sawyer smiled as he saw the gash much less red than before, and the Bagon's rage seemingly quelled.

"Here, better than new!" Sawyer said, placing the Potion aside. "How do you feel now?"

Bagon blinked and rubbed his helmeted head again, then beamed back at Sawyer with the happiest grin ever. Sawyer grinned wide, and rubbed Bagon's forehead with delight.

On the side, the Draconid boy could only stare. Then, he shook his head and pouted to the side. "I can't believe it."

After spraying some more Potions to make sure Bagon was well, Sawyer turned back to the Draconid with a sheepish grin and rubbing his neck.

"I'm sorry for earlier, I hope you are alright," he said, head held down.

The Draconid had no words again, squeezing his Swablu and rubbing a few bruises he got. Before he could give any reply, however, other voices reached the kids.

"Look! It's the Sootopolitan!"

"Why is Ryuga like that?"

"It must be his fault!"

Sawyer snapped back to attention, and then saw many other Draconids observing him and Ryuga. The boy didn't know what to say as the people ahead stared at him in horror and anger. He wanted to speak and explain, but no words came out as he tried. And for the Draconids ahead, that was enough.

"I knew it! You can't trust Sootopolitans!"

"Yeah! I bet he wanted to steal that Bagon, too!"

All the men and women closed in around Sawyer, and the boy gulped and stood still. Beldum hovered and glowered at them, while even Bagon took his battle stance once more. Sawyer didn't know what to think as every stare became progressively more vicious, more angry, more hateful towards him. It was enough to make him step back instead of defending himself, and that made him no favors as the Draconids' stare pierced through him.

Ryuga barged in, arms raised. "Wait, guys, he-"

"Let's teach him!"

Several Pokémon appeared, from Trapinch to Swablu to Bagon, and all stared at Sawyer with the same gaze. And then, Sawyer knew no words would've saved him.

He stood there, with Bagon and Beldum as his only defenses, and-

"Stop there, you dimwits!"

The older Draconid halted instantly, then sent a confused look at their side. The Draconid Elder walked closer to them, accompanied by Zinnia, Aster and Steven, all staring at the scene puzzled.

None of the gathered Draconids seemed to know what to say, until a burly man among them stepped up with a potent glare.

"Elder!" He pointed at Sawyer and glowered his way. "This Sootopolitan attacked Ryuga! He's dangerous!"

Sawyer couldn't help but flinch and sweat at the accusation, with Ryuga just as concerned. The Elder remained calm however, and she slowly considered the young Draconid's body before shaking her head and matching the man's stare.

"Ryuga looks fine to me." Her gaze turned colder. "Are you seriously attacking a child out of assumptions?"

It was the man's turn to flinch, raising his hands. "N-no, we-"

"You were. And that makes you no better than Sootopolitans." The Elder pressed her cane on the ground, then she glanced at Sawyer. "He and the dreamboat here are our guests for the time being. Show respect, unless they clearly act against us."

The other Draconids remained silent. And then, the man held his head down and nodded alongside the rest. "As you wish, Elder."

The Elder didn't need to repeat herself, then moved alongside her granddaughter and great granddaughter. Sawyer let out a relieved sigh, then found Steven approaching him.

"We're going to meet the grunts, Sawyer." Steven tilted his head to the Draconids ever-so-slightly as he continued to look at him. "I think it's better if you stick with us."

Sawyer gave another glance at the Draconids. The stares didn't waver, and the boy shuddered. He gave Steven a quick nod before he grabbed Bagon.

"Alright." He then faced Ryuga, smiling as he passed Bagon to him. "I'm sure you will take good care of him."

Neither Ryuga nor Bagon said anything as Sawyer turned around and joined Steven and the Draconid women, leaving everyone else behind as Beldum floated along.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you alone," Steven said.

"It's fine, nothing bad happened." Sawyer forced a smile, only for it to fade quickly as he turned to the ground. "It was scary, though."

Steven didn't immediately reply, but Sawyer could see the Champion shake his fists. He then shook his head, and inched closer to the boy.

"Sadly, prejudice can make people act without thinking," Steven whispered as he looked back over to the Draconids. "They would only expect the worst out of others."

Sawyer spied the Draconids one last time, and Ryuga and Bagon in particular. "I understand."

The boy almost felt like Ryuga and Bagon were staring back at him as he faced the road ahead, but that wasn't possible. If those stares of earlier and Ryuga's reaction meant anything, was that he and other 'Sootopolitans' would've never been welcome there.

And thus, Sawyer sighed as he walked away.

----------------------------------------

It didn't take long for the group to reach a small corridor leading further inside the caverns, the entrance sealed by alternating wood planks and warded off by two Draconids and their Shelgon. The Dragon-types stepped on and glared towards the Sootopolitans, only stopping when Zinnia strode onward and met the guards' gaze.

"Did they reveal anything yet?" Zinnia frowned, eyeing the short path ahead. Several moans and whispers could be heard from the other side.

One of the guards shook his head. "Nothing. We've told them repeatedly that they will perish if they don't tell us where the thief went, but they refuse to answer and claim Team Zenith's glory will be achieved, and other such nonsense."

Zinnia let out a pre-planned sigh and rubbed her forehead.

"Great, the raving lunatics was exactly what we needed." She turned back to the Elder and Steven. "Looks like we're wasting time here."

Steven simply adjusted his jacket and stared at the darkness ahead, trying to make up any shape on the other end of the passage. Then, he faced Zinnia. "Can I have a few minutes with them?"

"What are you planning, Sootopolitan?" Zinnia furrowed her brow further.

Steven stared back at her, and then smirked. "Let's just say I'm good at negotiations."

Zinnia blinked a couple of times at the Champion before diverting her gaze back to the Elder. She gave a nod, and Zinnia exhaled.

"Fine then. Have it your way." She tilted her head to the guards, and they swiftly parted while lifting the planks.

Steven acknowledged that with a nod, then gave the Elder and Sawyer a brief smile before entering the prison.

The Devon Corporation's heir walked through the corridor with nonchalance, a few scattered torches lighting the way just enough to not require a flashlight. He idly considered the walls, as yellow as every other surface in Meteor Falls. If there weren't more pressing matters at hand, he would've loved to take a sample and analyze it.

He shook his head and focused on. That was a very serious moment, and it wasn't the time to get distracted.

It only took a few more steps before Steven reached the cell proper, no more than a small circular recess barely big enough to serve that purpose. And right in the middle of it stood at least fifteen people dressed in silly dragon costumes, trying to break free and talking to each other, too busy to realize he had come. Steven steeled and contemplated them. Team Zenith grunts, looking exactly as he remembered them. Which meant they would probably be very stupid, very disorganized and very, very dangerous.

A frown flickered over his face. He couldn't afford to waste time now. And thus, he cleared his throat, and everyone's attention turned back to him. All the grunts went pale at once.

And then, one of them spoke. "Steven Stone?"

"In the flesh." Hands in his pockets, Steven paced closer, studying the rope. "You seem to be in quite a peculiar predicament, here."

The same grunt looked him over with pleading eyes. "You have to save us from these savages! You aren't going to keep us prisoners here, right?"

"Yeah! We Hoenn citizens must stick together!"

"We'll turn a new leaf, we promise!"

The voices and begging started to pile up, but Steven didn't reply. He took in any incoherent, empty promise, several racist slurs, and more than a few hypocritical statements. Team Zenith had tried to remake Hoenn and the world to their own image, they knew that he would've opposed them at all costs, and they still expected his help even as they planned something dangerous once again. Steven Stone was many things, too bad 'patient' wasn't one of them.

Outwardly, he only closed his eyes and sighed, then gave the grunts a reassuring smirk.

"I can probably see that our friends release you post-haste." His glare turned sharply colder. "If you'd care for telling us what Team Zenith is planning."

The grunts all shut up at once. They paled even more, and no one dared to say anything in response. Steven glared on.

The supposed leader of the grunts sighed and broke the silence. "You know already of the Flower."

"I've also fought against you more times than I can remember." Steven folded his arms. "You're fairly easy to see through."

The recess turned silent once more. And then, the grunts laughed and attempted to put a brave face.

"We'll never tell you anything, 'Champion'." The leader grinned. "There's no way you can make us talk!"

Of course, expecting them to cooperate was a pipe dream, after all. Steven exhaled; maybe it was time to play his old card again.

Steven swiftly produced a Poké Ball, and Metagross materialized at his side. He could see the grunts tense up, and the Champion stared on coldy.

"This is the Beldum that destroyed a good number of your companions in Petalburg Woods, and the Metang that single-handedly ruined your Mt. Pyre heist." He sharpened his gaze further. "It's also the Metagross that proved victorious in the Ever Grande Conference, conquered the Elite Four, and then defeated the previous Hoenn Champion. It never fainted once since then, and I heard it has a rather mean Meteor Mash."

The feigned determination faltered, especially as Metagross clanked its frontal legs together and joined his trainer in staring at the grunts.

And yet, even as he sweated, the head grunt matched Steven's stare. "So? Where are you going with this?"

"I offered you an olive branch and you refused it." Steven stood still as Metagross' front legs charged into a Meteor Mash. "I'm allowing you to reconsider."

And thus, panic settled in. Everyone looked in horror as Metagross prepared his attack, and the grunts tried to break free of their bonds again. Even the head grunt appeared much less confident, his face dozens of shades paler.

He clenched his jaw, and glared back. "You wouldn't dare! You're a goody two-shoes!"

"A goody two-shoes that has ran out of patience." Steven's tone was like steel, firm and sharp.

He contemplated the ensuing scenario with more than cursory interest: Metagross held the Meteor Mash high now, and the grunts continued to thrash, bite the rope, and many other attempts to break free. Some of them even pleaded at him, but they all fell on deaf ears.

Steven simply waited, spying Metagross' crackling fist as he strode closer to the grunts. The fear grew, and grew, and then-

"Alright! Alright! Zevie's on Mt. Chimney! He's gonna use that stuff there! Don't kill us!"

All the other grunts froze, then stared at the sweating, pale, and very much ashamed grunt that just blurted out the truth. Steven, by contrast, simply turned alongside Metagross and faced the way back.

He raised an arm in salute. "Very well, then. Thank you for your information."

"Y-you aren't gonna leave us there! Come on, don't joke around!"

Steven paused, observing the grunts once again. He saw fear, anger, shame, and just a bit of hope over their gazes. The Champion closed his eyes. "I'm a man of my word, and I'll ensure you're released. But only after Zevie is dealt with."

Before the grunts could cause another commotion, Steven sent them one last, cold stare. "Make sure not to enrage the 'savages', alright?"

The grunts thrashed, yelled and cried again, but Steven held no interest in that. And thus, he left the recess alongside Steven, the complaints of the Zenith grunts growing progressively less audible until he finally reached the group again. They all gave him quizzical glances, clearly having heard their discussion.

He smiled softly. "We've got a lead now."

Zinnia continued to contemplate Steven before he let out an amused chuckle. "I'm impressed. I thought you were just a spineless wimp, and then you go and threaten to make people into jam."

Steven sent the Lorekeeper a stern look, then pocketed his hands.

"Never had that intention." He managed a quick smirk. "It's an old trick of a friend of mine. If you look serious enough and can harm someone, everyone will expect violence to ensue."

Granted, Sidney probably would've skipped straight to beating people up without issues, but that was probably not something to specify.

Zinnia looked over the Hoenn Champion, as if registering what he said. And then, she smirked and laughed it off. Steven crooked an eyebrow as the irritating giggles continued.

"You Sootopolitans truly are all the same. In the end, you can't help but threaten your way through the world." The woman's laughter slowly subsided, but her grin never faltered.

Steven clenched his fists and glared daggers at the woman. "You aren't the one who got results done here."

Zinnia, for once, didn't sneer or jab at him, and instead looked at him in confusion. She didn't seem intimidated nor anything of the sort, but Steven wasn't interested.

Steven didn't linger on her as he turned to the Elder. "We need to go to Mt. Chimney, and fast. Whatever Team Zenith's planning will take place there."

The Elder pondered it over, and then smiled to the Champion.

"There's a tunnel that leads straight to Mt. Chimney. One of the few that Sootopolitans didn't make unusable." She pressed the cane on the floor. "Zinnia, gather the strongest of our ranks, pronto."

Zinnia nodded, and swiftly walked towards Meteor Village's clearing with Aster in tow. As her granddaughter left, the Elder turned to Steven again, frowning towards the Sootopolitans. "Of course, you and your friend won't tell anyone of this tunnel, right?"

Steven crossed his arms. "You have my word on that."

"Excellent, then." The Elder smiled once more and pointed ahead. "Follow me."

As they walked along, Steven didn't notice the concerned glance Sawyer was giving him. The Elder led the way, and Steven and Sawyer walked away from Meteor Village.