Just as Steven's voice fell, he slowly extended his hand and lightly brushed his fingertips against the Poké Ball at his waist.
In the next instant, a brilliant burst of white light exploded from the sphere, like a miniature sun suddenly igniting within the depths of the cave. The dazzling glare made people instinctively narrow their eyes.
When the light finally subsided, a massive steel titan—far larger than any ordinary Metagross—appeared on the open ground of the cavern. It hovered steadily just a few centimeters above the earth, its entire body radiating an overwhelming, suffocating sense of pressure.
This was Steven's shiny Metagross.
Unlike the usual blue body of a normal Metagross, this one possessed a deep, radiant silver sheen. Its metallic form shimmered with an unusual luster, glowing brilliantly even in the dim and uneven cave lighting.
Its four steel legs sparkled with razor-sharp edges, its red gemstone-like eyes sweeping alertly across the surroundings. Every inch of its body exuded a powerful, mysterious aura.
Merely by standing still, this shiny Metagross emitted an indescribable kingly presence.
It was the aura forged through countless top-level battles—tempered side by side with its trainer, standing upon the peak of Hoenn itself. Even without using a single move, its existence alone was enough to silence every wild Pokémon in the vicinity. The faint insects' hums and the rustling sounds of cave-dwelling creatures, which had been barely audible moments ago, vanished without a trace.
Theo's breath caught in his throat.
"So, this is… a Champion's Pokémon?"
He murmured silently in his heart. A pressure unlike anything he'd felt before pressed heavily on his chest.
Even the Feebas inside the inflatable water tank strapped to him seemed to feel the crushing aura. Moments ago, it had still been swimming lively in circles, yet now it had curled up quietly at the bottom of the tank—its tiny body trembling slightly, its big round eyes peeking out timidly at the massive being before it.
But even so, it did not completely back down. Every now and then, it puffed up its tiny cheeks, as if mustering courage for itself.
The moment the shiny Metagross appeared, the barrage in the livestream erupted like fireworks. Dense lines of text nearly swallowed the entire screen:
"OH MY GOD! SHINY METAGROSS! Steven's shiny Metagross!!!"
"As expected of Steven's ace—this aura, I can feel the suffocation even through the screen!"
"Now I'm even more convinced the streamer's challenge is impossible… that's a shiny Metagross!"
"Forget hurting it, can Feebas even last ten seconds in front of it? I seriously doubt it."
"It's difficult, but I still want to cheer the streamer on! What if a miracle happens?"
"Miracle? Against a Champion-level Metagross, even miracles won't be enough…"
Steven glanced at Theo's slightly tense expression. His tone remained calm and even:
"Are you ready? Metagross won't attack first. It will only defend itself. You may let your Pokémon use moves freely."
This news allowed Theo to breathe slightly easier.
If the Metagross were to actively launch an attack, with Feebas's current strength, it probably wouldn't survive even a single hit.
But even then, dealing damage to a Champion-level Metagross that was only defending was still a near-impossible task.
Theo took a deep breath. He carefully placed the inflatable water tank on the ground, squatted down, and looked at the Feebas inside. In a soft voice, he said:
"Feebas, I'm counting on you. You're the best. No matter the outcome, let's show the Champion what we can do."
Feebas seemed to understand him. It gently wagged its tail, hopped out of the tank, and rubbed its little head against Theo for encouragement.
In its previously timid eyes, a small but unmistakable glimmer of determination appeared.
"Alright. Then let's begin!" Theo stood up, his gaze turning sharp.
"Feebas, use Icy Wind first!"
Feebas nodded, opened its mouth wide, and released a stream of white, chilling air toward Metagross.
Though not particularly strong, the cold gust carried enough chill that ordinary Pokémon would at least feel uncomfortable.
However—
The shiny Metagross did not move at all.
The frigid wind blew across its metallic body, forming only a thin layer of frost on the surface. But after just a second, the frost melted away under the faint heat radiating from Metagross's body—without leaving even the slightest trace.
No effect. None whatsoever.
Theo's heart sank a little, but he didn't feel discouraged.
He had expected this. Icy Wind's power was simply too weak against a Pokémon like Metagross.
"Feebas, use Water Pulse with everything you've got!"
Hearing the command, faint blue ripples began forming around Feebas's small body. The ripples grew denser and soon condensed into a water ring that shot forward toward the shiny Metagross.
Compared to Metagross's enormous frame, the Water Pulse looked pathetically small—like a child tossing a pebble at a giant.
Metagross still didn't budge.
Just as the Water Pulse was about to hit, the silver armor on Metagross's body shimmered. A faint energy ripple emerged, forming an invisible shield.
With a soft puff, the Water Pulse shattered upon impact, dispersing into countless droplets that rained harmlessly onto the ground—without even wetting Metagross's shell.
In the livestream, the barrage quickly turned bleak:
"As expected… zero effect. Icy Wind and Water Pulse are like scratching an itch."
"I told you—there's no way he can damage it."
"The streamer did his best. Feebas is trying hard. The opponent is just too strong."
"It's unfortunate, but this is the difference in strength…"
Meanwhile, Steven's gaze never left Theo and Feebas. His expression showed clear admiration.
The moment Feebas used Icy Wind, his eyes subtly brightened. When Feebas followed up immediately with Water Pulse, the satisfaction in his eyes deepened. When he looked at Theo, his gaze grew gentler with a softness that didn't match his usual cool demeanor at all.
But Theo was too absorbed in figuring out how to break the stalemate to notice any of this. He glanced at the popularity counter on his panel—thanks to Steven's appearance, his numbers had skyrocketed from just over ten thousand to twenty-two thousand.
"Should I try a advanced draw… maybe I can pull something useful?"
Just as Theo was preparing to test his luck—
Suddenly—
Steven called out, "Metagross."
Metagross instantly turned toward its trainer. The tall, imposing titan subtly shrank its posture and then abruptly acted as if it had been struck—posing weakly, like it had just been hurt by the earlier attacks.
Then, Steven turned toward Theo with a warm, cheerful smile.
"Congratulations. You've passed the assessment."
Theo froze completely.
He stared blankly, utterly confused, and quickly asked:
"Champion Steven, this assessment… were you evaluating my courage to face strong opponents? Or was there another meaning behind it?"
Steven couldn't hold back his smile. He waved his hand and replied casually:
"Oh, neither! I just wanted to set up a random assessment for fun. Mainly, I wanted to tease you a little. Watching you get nervous, flustered, and frown while thinking of solutions—it was honestly quite entertaining!"
Steven chuckled outright as he said this.
Theo went stiff.
He stood there in a daze for several whole seconds before slowly looking at Steven with an expression that screamed,
You were doing all that… just to tease me?
Feebas also copied Theo's stunned reaction. Its big, round eyes darted between Theo and Metagross. Its small head tilted slightly—
Its moves had been used ages ago, yet Metagross only now pretended to be hurt.
It had absolutely no idea how to interpret this situation.
Seeing the synchronized dumbfounded expressions of both trainer and Pokémon, Steven couldn't hold back anymore. He burst into hearty laughter—shoulders lightly trembling with each breath.
And meanwhile, the viewers in Theo's livestream had already transformed into full-fledged detectives. They instantly pieced the clues together. The barrage exploded:
"It's LOVE! LOVE I tell you!!"
"HAHAHAHAH I GET IT TOO! This damned romance!!"
"AAAAA what do you mean love?? What love?? Someone explain this!!"
"Yeah!! What do you mean?! What about love?? Did the streamer pass or not?!"
"Think, people. Think of Wallace."
"I clearly remember, Wallace has green hair and uses Water types!"
"+1! I sensed it earlier! The way Steven kept looking at the streamer was TOO suspicious!"
"Hahaha!! No wonder Steven still isn't married… everything makes sense now!"
"What does this have to do with Wallace??? What are you people even talking about?! Can someone talk NORMAL for once?!"
"Hahahaha the one above—you're still young. You'll understand when you grow up!"
"..."
(End of Chapter)
TN: Its bromance Ok. Bromance... Bro....