For the rest of the day, Steven Stone dug through Meteor Falls like a man possessed.
Chen Shi, on the other hand, quickly lost interest.
He hadn't come here for the joy of digging — his real purpose was to see whether Steven Stone could unearth a Mega Stone.
Although Mega Evolution was famously tied to Kalos, in Chen Shi's previous life, countless fans believed Hoenn was the true birthplace of Mega Evolution.
Why?
He didn't know.
But he remembered an anime arc where the Hoenn trio and Team Flare clashed over a mysterious "Energy Rock," rumored to be linked to Mega Evolution's origins.
Whether that was true or not, one thing was certain:
Hoenn contained more Mega Stones than any other region.
If there was a single place with the highest chance of finding one, it was definitely Meteor Falls.
Unfortunately, after watching Steven Stone dig up a dozen flashy but useless rocks, Chen Shi's expectations dropped to zero.
So he wandered around the cavern, letting his Pokémon spar and train while Steven Stone stayed glued to the ground like a dedicated mining machine.
Every time Steven Stone found a new stone, he'd rush over to show it off proudly.
Chen Shi could only sigh internally:
"Let him tire himself out… I'll compensate him later if it comes to that."
A Night in the Cavern
That night, they rested inside a tunnel Aggron had carved out.
After feeding their Pokémon, Chen Shi casually asked:
"So, Steven Stone — what did you get today?"
Steven Stone's eyes lit up like a chandelier.
He placed seven or eight stones on the ground, practically glowing with joy.
"Meteor Falls is incredible! Normally I need half a month to collect this many stones — and we did it all in one day!"
He lifted a purple gem.
"Look at this! The texture, the brilliance — it's a divine masterpiece!"
One by one, he introduced each stone as though he were unveiling legendary artworks.
Chen Shi took a quick glance.
Pretty?
Sure.
Useful?
Absolutely not.
But then—
His gaze locked onto a silver-and-deep-orange stone at the bottom of the pile.
A familiar identification flickered through his mind:
[Aggronite — a Mega Stone compatible with Aggron.]
Chen Shi's eyes sharpened instantly.
"Steven Stone, where did you find this?"
Steven Stone blinked and followed his finger.
"Oh, that? Aggron picked it up. We have plenty of those at home. Just an extra souvenir."
Then he proudly lifted another gaudy-looking rock.
"This one, though — look! It glows green when you shine a light through it—"
Chen Shi stared at him.
This man…
He ignored the rarest stone in the pile and acted like it was scrap?
And what did he mean "we have plenty at home"?
Was the Stone family secretly bathing in Mega Stones?
Out loud, he simply said:
"I'm more interested in that silver-orange one. If you find more like it, show me first."
Steven Stone nodded immediately.
"Of course. That type isn't very pretty anyway. If you like them, I'll set them aside."
He added casually:
"If you want, come visit my house someday. I can show you our whole collection."
Chen Shi considered it, then gave a small nod.
"Maybe. For now, just help me gather more of those stones."
Steven Stone agreed without hesitation.
Deep down, he felt that his incredible luck today wasn't because Meteor Falls was rich — it was because he was digging beside Chen Shi.
Honestly?
If this kept up, he didn't even care about the Elite Exhibition match anymore.
Digging was way more thrilling.
Chen Shi chuckled.
He didn't take the Aggronite.
Steven Stone's Aggron needed it far more than he did.
And more importantly—
This confirmed his theory:
Meteor Falls definitely housed multiple Mega Stones.
They would become priceless in the future.
Some Mega Stones would be more valuable than the Pokémon themselves — like the Tyranitarite he already had.
In the future, people would gladly trade pseudo-legendary offspring just to obtain a pseudo-legendary Mega Stone.
Chen Shi wasn't just collecting stones for his own team.
He was collecting currency for future trades, negotiations, and resources.
Among his current Pokémon, the only future Mega-capable Pokémon without its stone was Metagross.
And Metagross' Mega Stone — Metagrossite — was famously rare.
He'd find it someday.
For now, he yawned and stretched.
"Alright, Steven Stone. Stop flirting with your rocks and go to sleep. We're waking up early tomorrow."
He released Swampert.
"Swampert, night watch."
Swampert saluted like a soldier.
Steven Stone reluctantly packed up his stones, still buzzing with excitement.
"Tomorrow, I'm digging even harder!"
Meanwhile… at the Chen Family Farm
A visitor suddenly arrived.
After being politely informed that Chen Shi had gone to watch an Elite Four exhibition match…
… the visitor immediately rushed off at full speed.
The Chen elders exchanged a glance — then chuckled knowingly.
They didn't need to say a word.
They already knew who had come.
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