The moment Theo heard that Steven was willing to keep an eye out for collecting more stones of the same rare type, a wave of relief and joy washed over him.
The reason he had subtly suggested it to Steven in such a roundabout way was precisely because he wanted Steven to gather more Mega Stones.
If luck was on their side, he might even come across the Mega Stone for Metagross someday.
At that time, Mega Evolution could very well be discovered through Steven's own research—and in doing so, Theo would be repaying Steven's generosity with the fossil Pokémon in another, indirect form.
In truth, it wasn't as if Theo had never considered personally researching Mega Evolution himself.
But the moment that thought surfaced in his mind, he pushed it back down without a shred of hesitation.
First of all, he currently didn't have any Pokémon capable of Mega Evolving.
And even the conditions for using Mega Stones were unclear of whether they followed the same rules as the games in his previous life, where a Keystone was needed to initiate Mega Evolution, was completely unknown in this world.
Blind experimentation would be meaningless.
The greater danger, however, lay in the risk of information leaking.
The mere words "Mega Evolution" once exposed, would be enough to make countless forces rush toward it like sharks smelling blood.
With Theo's current strength, he simply could not withstand the prying eyes and schemes that would follow.
A single mistake could cost him not only the secret but also place him and his Pokémon in tremendous danger.
After weighing all of this, Theo decided he would rather, when the time was right, use subtle hints to remind Steven about the concept of Mega Evolution.
Steven was a former Champion of Hoenn, his personal strength was top-tier, and behind him stood the immensely powerful Devon Corporation.
Even if they truly uncovered the secrets of Mega Evolution, they had enough influence to withstand the pressure that would inevitably follow.
Most importantly, once Mega Evolution officially appeared in this world, Theo would be known as the one who first guided Steven toward collecting Mega Stones.
As the person who paved the way, he wouldn't have to bear any of the research risks. Instead, he could naturally learn the core information about Mega Evolution directly from Steven.
He might even acquire, ahead of others, the Mega Stones and corresponding items most suited for his future Pokémon.
It was far safer and far more advantageous than shouldering the risk alone.
Inside the collection room, Steven continued walking as he introduced his years' worth of mineral treasures to Theo. His tone was full of passion and love for these stones.
After the two of them turned around another corner, the scenery before them changed in an instant.
A row of custom glass display stands suddenly came into view.
Unlike the many ores displayed elsewhere, this row held six carefully arranged Pokémon fossils.
Theo swept his gaze over the fossils and instantly, every one of them captured his full attention.
Steven stood beside the display stands and patiently began introducing each fossil to Theo:
"On the far left, these two yellowish ones with shell imprints can revive into Omanyte.
The half-oval shell one corresponds to Kabuto.
Next to them are two lighter-colored fossils—the one with the tentacle imprint revives into Lileep, and the scorpion-shaped silhouette belongs to Anorith.
These four were the earliest fossil Pokémon ever discovered.
Oh, right—my collection originally included an Old Amber as well, the fossil used to revive Aerodactyl.
But last year, when I was mining in Cinnabar Volcano in Kanto, I happened to run into Lance.
He wouldn't stop pestering me about Aerodactyl. He kept nagging nonstop in my ear about how Aerodactyl would be a perfect fit for a 'Dragon-type Champion' like him.
He bothered me so much that I couldn't focus on mining at all, so I eventually gave him the Old Amber just to get him to leave me alone."
As Steven spoke about Lance, a helpless expression appeared on his face—clearly, Lance had tormented him quite thoroughly at the time.
Theo understood completely.
With a Pokémon like Aerodactyl—whose name literally had the word "dragon" in it—there was no universe in which Lance, the so-called "Dragon Master," would let it slip away.
After finishing the story about Lance, Steven shifted his attention back to the fossils. He pointed toward the two lighter-colored ones at the far end:
"This one has a small feather-shaped imprint with very clear lines.
And this one has a broad, curved shape—a huge, fierce-looking mouth.
I found both of these fossils by pure chance while excavating ruins in other regions.
They have no recorded revival cases, so there's no information on what kind of Pokémon they might become."
After explaining their origins, Steven looked at Theo with an easygoing tone:
"Will you choose one of the fossils I've introduced, whose revival results are certain? Or will you take a chance on these two mysterious fossils, whose outcomes remain unknown?"
Almost at the same moment Steven finished speaking, Theo's internal panel lit up, displaying the two fossils' information with perfect clarity:
[Feather Fossil: (Archen)]
[Jaw Fossil: (Tyrunt)]
If Old Amber had been among the options, Theo would have needed more time to think.
But with only these six fossils available, his answer was instantly determined.
There was only one choice—the Jaw Fossil, which could revive Tyrunt.
After all, Tyrunt was a Dragon-type fossil Pokémon.
More importantly, as far as Theo knew, Tyrunt was the only fossil Pokémon that possessed the Dragon/Rock dual typing.
Such a rare and unique combination, passing it up would be an unforgivable missed opportunity.
Thinking of this, Theo couldn't help wondering:
If Lance knew of Tyrunt's typing, and had to choose between Aerodactyl and Tyrunt… which one would he pick?
Setting aside those thoughts, Theo pointed directly at the Jaw Fossil and said to Steven:
"Then I'll choose this one—the one with the large mouth imprint.
Compared to picking the familiar, I'd rather experience the excitement of the unknown."
Theo's finger rested firmly on the fossil with the wide, arched imprint that resembled a fierce set of jaws. His voice held unwavering certainty.
Steven followed his gaze, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes before melting into a knowing smile.
"Oh? Choosing that one?
You're more decisive than I expected."
He paused, then added:
"Are you absolutely sure? Think it through carefully.
This fossil has no previous revival record. No one knows what its revived form will look like. It might even… fail to meet your expectations."
"I'm sure," Theo replied firmly.
His eyes were locked onto the Jaw Fossil, gleaming with anticipation.
"Besides, the unknown is where the surprises are.
I trust my intuition."
Steven laughed lightly at that, then opened the display case and handed the fossil to Theo.
"Take it. It's officially yours now.
Next, we'll head to the revival laboratory and have our research team prepare the revival work."
(End of Chapter)