"That’s easy; minerals are never scarce in my family," Steven replied with a nonchalant gesture.
Having your own mine was definitely an advantage.
"How great it would be to find my own mine!" Cain thought to himself. He didn’t need to keep everything—half would be more than enough.
"How has Aron been lately?" Steven asked, showing concern for the Pokémon that had co from his family.
"He’s been fine. I haven’t trained him much yet since he endured a lot of pressure before—sothing unusual for a Pokémon his age."
"After spending ti playing with other Pokémon of similar levels, his mood has improved significantly, though his combative nature hasn’t changed," Cain replied with a smile, recalling Aron.
"Being able to follow an excellent trainer and breeder like you is a great stroke of luck for him. Maybe one day he’ll surpass his grandfather... no, actually, I’m sure he will," Steven said admiringly.
Steven had co to respect Cain for his dedication and responsibility toward his Pokémon.
"I’d like to visit Leafy Town with you soday," Steven said suddenly, completely unrelated to their prior conversation.
Cain looked at him in surprise, his eyes clearly saying, "Do you really have ti for that?" Steven had just returned, and now he wanted to leave again.
Steven understood Cain’s look and smiled, saying, "It’s not that I want to go out for fun, but to inspect the Leafy Town area. Plus, we could take a little detour to visit Mt. Chimney."
"It’s said there are so very valuable volcanic stones there, and last ti, I didn’t get the chance to explore it properly. There are also so pretty powerful wild Pokémon on the mountain, and having a companion would make everything much easier."
"Your real goal is Mt. Chimney, and Leafy Town is just an excuse!" Cain thought incredulously.
However, the idea was also tempting to him. Mt. Chimney was the largest active volcano in the Hoenn region, attracting nurous visitors each year.
Most people couldn’t go beyond the midsection of the mountain. Climbing higher was dangerous, and only the strongest trainers dared to venture further.
The higher areas housed powerful wild Pokémon that remained unexplored. Additionally, an active volcano like that surely contained valuable minerals. If he was lucky, he might even find a Fire Stone, which he could sell for so good money.
Since Aron and Larvitar needed to consu large quantities of minerals to grow, obtaining a good amount of high-quality minerals would be beneficial.
"Don’t you need to inform your family?" Cain asked.
Steven’s smile widened at the question. He knew Cain had agreed.
As long as Cain agreed, everything would be much simpler.
The truth was that, although the two knew each other well, neither had complete certainty about the other’s true strength.
Cain was sure Steven was hiding his true power, and likewise, Steven suspected Cain was also concealing part of his abilities.
"For now, I still have the freedom to manage my ti. In a few years, who knows?" Steven replied with an expression Cain couldn’t decipher.
Such was the life of heirs to powerful families—what they gained always ca with sacrifices. This reflection led Cain to think of Jas, another mber of a great clan, who had chosen to join Team Rocket.
Unlike Steven, Jas had fled his family to do what he truly wanted, even if it ant enduring hunger and facing all sorts of hardships. But that was the life he had chosen and loved.
Steven, on the other hand, had accepted the responsibilities of his family, but only after doing everything he wanted.
That was why neither the Stone family nor Devon Corporation had ever limited his decisions. He had fulfilled his desires before taking on his role.
Jas and Steven were completely different people. Though they shared a similar background, their decisions had led them down distinct paths.
Cain nodded, understanding that Steven had his choices, just as he had his own. In his case, he was caught between the Pokémon League and Team Rocket. If he wanted to benefit from both sides, he’d also have to be prepared to be exposed at any mont.
If that happened, he would have to choose between fully allying with one side or becoming strong enough not to depend on either.
Though Cain knew that if forced to choose, he would likely end up siding with Team Rocket, it didn’t stop him from admiring Steven.
Steven was soone with great charisma as well.
The two left the Devon Corporation building, and although Steven’s secretary tried to stop him, Steven decided to leave with Cain.
"I’m going ho first to get ready and bring the minerals you asked for. You can use the ti to prepare, and we’ll et in Verdanturf Town tomorrow at noon, in front of the Pokémon Center," Steven said.
"Alright, here’s the money for the minerals," Cain said, handing him an unmarked card with one million Pokédollars. "Buy whatever you think is appropriate. The better the quality of the minerals, the better."
Steven accepted the card without hesitation. In the past, when Cain didn’t have much, Steven had helped him. But now that Cain had proven himself, Steven had no problem accepting his money.
The two parted ways in front of the Devon Corporation building. Steven got into his car and headed ho, while Cain flew to Leafy Town on the back of his Tropius.
He had to make so preparations for the expedition.
Primarily, he needed to organize training for his Pokémon, especially Aron, Mudkip, Poliwag, and Torchic, who would benefit from the practice.
He also had to start planning training for Larvitar, which was progressing quickly and would likely be ready soon.
Upon arriving in Leafy Town, Cain went to his backyard. So of his Pokémon would stay there to train while he took the younger ones on the expedition.
Torchic had finally stabilized its potential and now had a considerable level, with exceptional talent and speed, making it a future key mber of Cain’s team.
(End of Chapter)
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