Chapter 20

Atsumu grasped Steven's stretched-out hand in a firm handshake before letting go saying," Nice to meet you too. My name's Atsumu Miya. "

" Alain. " Alain said while shaking Steven's hand. 

" Forgive me for what happens next as it's not how usually behave but I'm far too curious to hold back. How did you become Lysandre's partner in such a short amount of time? " Steven asked.

" Found a good book and bonded over it with Lysandre. " Atsumu summarized. 

" Is that so? " Steven mused. ' A book started all of this? Lysandre did mention to Dad that his inspiration and knowledge about his latest project was from a book. But what was in that book? And there was a copy that Atsumu managed to find? How peculiar. '

" Well, my question has been answered. So I think we can move on. " Steven said, looking at his father's secretary.

" I've already informed Mr. Stone about your arrival. Please follow me to the meeting room. " The secretary said. Atsumu and Alain nodded their heads, following behind the secretary while their bags were taken by the limo to their booked hotel rooms. 

" So... Atsumu, how would you rate yourself in Pokemon battling? " Steven asked, walking beside them.

" I'm quite good. " Atsumu said. 

" Bullshit! " Alain snapped. " You're a monster. " 

Atsumu sighed, showing a "really" face to Alain while Steven's eyes widened at the information.

" What? It's the truth. " Alain replied. 

" ...Like I said, I'm quite good. " Atsumu said, " For comparison... " shifting his arms to show Alain, " He's mediocre. " 

" He's... a mediocre battler in your eyes... " Steven mused. " But hasn't Alain bested 10 mega evolutions back to back? "

" But then he lost to a non-mega-evolved Pokemon. " Atsumu reveals. 

" That... non-mega-evolved Pokemon... was your Chandelure! " Alain said. 

" ... Yeah, I know. We can have a battle after the meeting. " Atsumu sighed after seeing Steven's expectant face, answering him before Steven could even speak.

" Excellent. " Steven said. "You're quite the hype man. " 

" ... Thank you? " Alain replied. 

" Yeah, he is. But don't do it next time. " Atsumu sighed as they walked into the meeting room and took their seats. 

" Wait, if you don't like people knowing about your strength, then why did you fight that Darkrai? " Alain asked. 

" ...You've fought a Darkrai before?! " Steven exclaimed as Atsumu sighed heavily. 

" Alain, not everyone would know about that and also, I'm trying to keep low-key about the entire thing! So... stop mentioning them! " Atsumu gently stressed out. 

" Oh... okay, sorry about that. " Alain said. 

" So... can I record the battle and post it? " Steven asked. 

" No. " Atsumu replied. 

" I'm going to do it. " Steven said. 

" No. " Atsumu said. 

" Yes. " Steven said. 

" No. "

" Yes. " 

" No. "

" Yes. "

" No. "

" Yes. " 

" No. "

" Yes... "

" What are they doing? " Alain asked the secretary. 

" They are currently in a battle to get the other to agree with their whims by making the other Yes and No respectively. The moment the other says it, it's over! " The secretary commentated. 

" Oh... " Alain replied. 

" No. "

" Yes. "

" No. "

" Yes. "

" No. "

" Yes. "

" What are you two talking about? " Joseph Stone asked. 

" Oh, Mr.Stone sir... When did you come in? " The Secretary asked. 

" While you were watching this little... match? " Joseph said. " Well either way, what were you arguing about? "

" Trying to decide if we should record our battle and then post it. " Steven said. 

" I'm trying to avoid more publicity. " Atsumu said. 

" I see... Well, you can decide this after our meeting. " Joseph said, taking his seat. " But I haven't introduced myself. My name is Joseph Stone and I will be in charge of the operation taking place in Hoenn in the collaboration between Stone Corporation and Lysandre Labs. It's a pleasure to meet you Atsumu, Alain. "

" Likewise. " Atsumu said. 

" It's nice to meet you, Mr.Stone. " Alain greeted. 

" Now, on to the matter at hand... " Joseph said. 

The lights were switched off and a holographic map of Hoenn appeared on the table. 

" The operation we'll be conducting was after the Space Station revealed that were picking up extreme energy signatures somewhere in Hoenn. In the first instance of this energy making an appearance, they calculated the potency of the energy that would be able to power the entirety of Hoenn for the next 25 years! " Joseph revealed. 

" The second... " Atsumu inquired. 

" 100. " Steven revealed. 

" There's... Something like that exits?! " Alain said astonished. 

" It's a shock for us as well, considering that the object causing this... has been on Hoenn for over a millennia. " Joseph said. " It's been detected to be 1000 Kilometers south-west of Sootopolis City. "

" So, it's buried under the earth. " Atsumu said, looking at the changeable map. 

" Yes. " Steven said. "The problem with this excavation is that the island is the home of the Sky Pillar, an ancient tower built long ago by a tribe known as the Draconids. "

" The challenge is preserving the Sky Pillar while simultaneously retrieving the object. " Atsumu said. 

" Exactly. However, there isn't anyone in Hoenn that has the capabilities to do so. We've tried asking other regions for help, but none could meet our requirements. " Joseph states. " Until we received a call from Lysandre yesterday and said he has someone for the job, his partner. " 

" Atsumu... didn't we leave for Hoenn 2 days ago? " Alain asked. 

" Yep. " Atsumu confirmed. 

" ... Wow. " Steven said while Joseph sighed heavily. 

" Has Lysandre lost his mind? " Joseph muttered. 

" Oh yeah, he has definitely lost his mind... " Atsumu said. " Anyway, you just want the object while avoiding damage to the surroundings as a whole right? "

" Pretty much. " Steven replied. 

" Enough Steven, I'll call this off. " Joseph said, a lace anger in his tone. 

" Why? " Atsumu asked, leaning back in his chair. " It's not like I can't do anything to help you. " 

" Can you though? What is it you have that others don't? " Joseph questioned. 

" The time to come here, the skill required to make it happen, and the interest to do so. " Atsumu answered, in a deadpan tone.

" He is right about the time... " Steven said, " And the interest is there... hidden behind that tired expression, but in terms of skill... well the only way to know for sure is to have a battle. " 

" You got a battlefield? " Atsumu asked. 

" Yes, I do. Let's go have our battle, shall we? " Steven asked. 

" Sure. " Atsumu said. 

" ...Steven! " Joseph called out. " Make the call. " 

" Leave it to me. " Steven replied.

...

" That's quite the intense look you have there, Mr.Alain. " Joseph comments, " Why so serious? "

" I'm curious. " Alain responded. 

" Curious? Do you mean whether or not your colleague will meet the standards? " Joseph asked. 

" No. " Alain responded. 

" No? " Joseph questioned, sighing. " I know some things are impressive, but I have very little experience in Pokemon Battlers, yet my son is the champion. " 

" I'm aware, however, that's not what he'll be searching for. This excavation requires Pokemon with certain... capabilities to get the best results. " Alain said. " Whether he's on Steven's level is irrelevant... "

" Oh... " Joseph uttered, " Then why are you so focused? "

" Because I'm curious about how he'll beat Steven. " Alain states, much to Joseph's shock. " Perhaps I'm overestimating him, or I'm underestimating Steven, but we'll see when they start. "

" Metagross. " Steven called out. 

" Jellicent. " Atsumu called out. 

The Metagross on Steven's side had a different color scheme than a regular Metagross. It's usually crystal blue body swapped for silver and its large X dropped the grey to add in gold, above all else, it was also powerful. 

" A shiny Metagross... " Atsumu commented. " Awesome! " 

" Thank you for the compliment. " Steven replied. " Your Jellicent is magnificent, I've never seen one as large as yours. " 

" How are we doing this? " Atsumu asked. 

" We'll simply battle for 5 minutes. " Steven said. " That alright? "

" Yeah, that's enough time. " Atsumu replied. 

A hologram appeared on the side, showing Atsumu and Steven with their b=Pokemon of choice. The timer was set to 5 minutes and count down was initiated starting from 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.

" Magnet Rise, Thunder Punch. " Steven called out the moment the timer began. 

" Will-o-Wisp. " Atsumu called out. 

Metagross shot forward like a railgun, its front right arm coated in electricity, swung straight towards Jellicent's face. But Metagross appeared right behind Jellicent while phantom purple flames attached themselves to Metagross. 

When Metagross came to a halt, it became covered in fire, grunting in pain while Steven stood on his side in awe, a smile forming on his face. As the fire died out, Metagross glanced at Jellicent who simply stared back with a dead, calm look in her eyes which made Metagross close its eyes and relax its body. 

" I give up! " Steven announced. 

" Huh? " Joseph blinked his eyes, " Son, what you say? "

" You heard me father, I'm giving up. " Steven replied as he gave Metagross a burn heal. 

" Yes... but why? The battle has only just begun... " Joseph said.

" And it ended just as fast. " Steven responded. " You're incredible, not even Pheobe managed to learn how Agatha taught her ghost types to avoid Pokemon attacks. "

" Who the hell are you? " Alain asked, walking up to Atsumu. " Jellicent dodged Metagross but it didn't move faster. Metagross just went... straight through Jellicent! Doesn't that only work with normal and fighting-type moves?! "

" Yep. " Atsumu answered. " But why is that? " 

" Huh? " Alain uttered. 

" What do... mean? Isn't that just common sense? " Alain asked. 

" And yet, if I throw water, rocks, or even fire a bullet, point blank... would that hurt any ghost-type Pokemon? " Atsumu asked. 

" What? What are you talking about?! " Alain yelled. 

" How long has it been since you've become a Pokemon trainer? " Steven asked. 

" About... 2 years now. " Alain replied. 

" I see... you're still new to Pokemon. " Steven said. 

" I...what... " Alain repeated before asking, " How am I new to Pokemon?! "

" You couldn't answer Atsumu's question. " Steven replied. " You said that it's common sense because that's what they tell you in school... but if that question was asked by any other trainer high-level trainer, they would answer that question in a heartbeat. " 

" And you know the answer? " Alain challenged. 

" Yes. " Steven replied coldly. " I do. " 

" ... " Alain flinched. 

"I don't feel like having that entire conversation anymore. Father, Atsumu can handle it. We can go ahead with the excavation. " Steven states. 

" ... Alright son. " Joseph responded, turning around and walking back to his office to make the calls. 

" You good? " Atsumu asked. 

" Hmmm... yeah, I'm alright. Lost my cool for a second. " Steven replied before starting to walk away. " I'm going to go take some time for myself. " 

" Guess we can go check in to our hotel rooms. " Atsumu muttered, walking towards one of the employees standing by with them. 

" Can you get us a car and drop us off at our hotel? " Atsumu asked. " If Mr.Stone needs us to be here still, then is it possible for us to go explore the city? "

" I believe both can be arranged sir... please give me some time to check first. " The employee asked. 

" Take your time. " Atsumu said. " Is there a place we can sit while you go do your job? "

" Yes sir, there is. Just follow me. " The employee said. 

" Alright. Alain, let's go. " Atsumu called out. " What's your name by the way? "

" Maxwel. " The employee says while Alain walks up to them. 

" Atsumu. " Atsumu greeted, as the both of them shook hands. 

" So... you got any hobbies? " Atsumu asked. 

" A few... but my favorite is reading books. " Maxwel said. 

" Got any recommendations? Most of the books I've read were Pokemon-related studies. " Atsumu said.

" Then you should try... " 

Alain tuned out everything, his body simply following Atsumu. When Atsumu sat in the waiting room, he sat down as well. When Atsumu got into the car, he got into the car. Atsumu checked into the hotel, he checked into the hotel. 

Alain sat in his room as time ticked by, his frustration growing, hands clenched, teeth clenched. Unable to take it any longer, he ran out of his room to Atsumu's and began pounding on the door at 7:50 pm.

" Mind explaining why you're knocking on my door so hard? " Atsumu asked, once he opened the door, making Alain stop mid-swing. 

" How am I still new to Pokemon? " Alain asked. 

Atsumu sighed and opened the door for Alain completely. Alain hesitated for a moment before Atsumu gestured for him to come inside. After Alain walked inside, Atsumu closed the door. 

" Have you figured out my question? " Atsumu asked. 

" Question... that one... No, I haven't. " Alain responded, taking a seat on the bed when Atsumu gestured him to do so. 

" Why? " Atsumu asked. 

" Why? Why?! Why ask that question!? " Alain yelled. " It's common... "

" Common sense. Yeah, I heard. But why is it common sense? " Atsumu asked. " And if it is common sense, then why can ghost types be hit with other types at all? I can throw a rock, some water, and even shoot a bullet and my Pokemon would just phase through them... Yet, they can still be hit with rock-type attacks, water-type attacks, and steel-type attacks. Why? "

" You're human! A Pokemon can hurt another Pokemon using moves! " Alain said. 

" And Pokemon can use those moves, how? " Atsumu asked. 

" I...what...isn't it what they can do?! I mean, they are born with the ability, so... " Alain replied. 

" A human once used Aura Sphere before. " Atsumu said. 

" Aura Sphere?! The move every Lucario has in their arsenal... and someone used it? " Alain asked. 

" Yep. " Atsumu replied. " It's because that human had access to aura and sources say he was an Aura Guardian. His partner was a Lucario and with enough practice, he could use Aura Sphere at will. " 

" Okay... but what does that have to do with Pokemon... "

" Because Pokemon use aura. " Atsumu said. 

" ...Eh? That... That makes sense... " Alain muttered. 

" Of course it does. 18 types mean 18 different auras. Ghost types can be hit neutrally by some types because the attacks aren't natural, they are made with aura. They have a predefined set of strengths and weaknesses. " Atsumu said. " All Pokemon have access to aura. " 

" Then we have trainers who specialize in one type, who end up becoming gym leaders, elite four members, and even champions. Getting to that level takes years of experience and understanding of the type they specialized in. 

Steven wasn't the champion until he took the title from Wallace, a water-type specialist. Beating Wallace without understanding his own type of specialty is an extremely low endeavor. 

Alder from Unova became champion as a bug type specialist and bug types are thought of as the weakest type, yet Alder became champion. Do you think that would be possible without a deep understanding of the type he specialized in? 

And then we have Cynthia from Sinnoh, Leon from Galar, and Diantha from Kalos, all three of them are all-rounders, having a diverse team of Pokemon. They are extremely impressive because they were able to understand the multiple typings and become champions in their respective regions. " Atsumu explained.

" You are a good battler, Alain, you are... but you're not at the top. " Atsumu said. " Pure power with a bit of ingenuity, and conversely, pure skill with little power, won't get you to the summit. You need a balance of both. " 

" Then what about Lance? " Alain asked. 

" Lance does use pure power because he's a straightforward guy, but that doesn't mean he didn't put in the work to broaden his understanding of types. He simply used what he learned and meshed it together with his battling styling. " Atsumu said. 

" That's what they all have done, even you. " Alain says. 

" Yep. Of course, there's also a Pokemon's biology and a few other aspects you can take into account, but this is the most important thing you need to know. " Atsumu said. 

" So... what you did before... was having Jellicent phase through Metagross's electric type attack, more specifically the electric aura, when it should have landed... " Alain said. 

" That's right. " Atsumu said. 

" Did you ever meet Agatha? " Alain asked. 

" Nope. Just watched her videos, did some trial and error, and figured it out. " Atsumu said. 

' That's... amazing! ' Alain thought. 

" Atsumu... can you help me get stronger? " Alain asked. 

" You mean... train you, be your teacher? " Atsumu asked. 

" No. I need... to learn things myself. But if I ever get stuck, can I ask you for help? " Alain asked. 

" ...Sure. " Atsumu agreed. 

The buzzing of a phone caught Atsumu's attention as he walked to his phone on the nightstand. Taking a look at the caller, Atsumu answered the call. 

" Good evening Mr.Stone. " Atsumu greeted. 

" Good evening Atsumu. The excavation will proceed tomorrow, please be here at 8:30 in the morning as a helicopter will come to pick up you, Alain, and Steven. They will then drop you off with the rest of the team waiting in Sootopolis. " Joseph informed. 

" Understood Mr. Stone, we'll see you tomorrow. Have a good day. " Atsumu said. 

" Alright. Have a good day. " Joseph replied before hanging up the call. 

" We need to be at Stone Corporations by 8:30 tomorrow morning. " Atsumu said. 

" Oh... okay. I'll go freshen up before dinner. " Alain said. " I haven't changed my clothes since we got here. " 

" You were in deep thought. " Atsumu pointed out. 

" That's true. I'll see you at dinner. " Alain said, leaving the room and entering his room. 

...

" Son, I trust judgment... " Joseph began, " But, what was it that you saw that could help us with this operation? "

" Are you thinking in the direction of him having a rock or ground type to help in the excavation by removing the rumble, making holes without destabilizing the area, etc.? " Steven asked. 

" ...Yes. " Joseph responded. 

" Then don't worry, his Palossand can handle it. " Steven replied, watching Atsumu's battle against Grant on his tablet. 

" Well... that does make it better, but did you know he had Palossand when you battled him? " Joseph asked. 

" No, I didn't... " Steven replied. " And I didn't need to. Any trainer that has a Pokemon that can make Metagross admit he lost after a single exchange... "

" Can handle this job with ease? "

_____________________________________

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Have a nice day everyone.