Beldum had long since lost its patience. The moment Theo picked up the first piece of ore, it immediately drifted forward, aiming the small black hole beneath its eye straight at the mineral.
A faint glow rippled across the surface of the ore, and to the naked eye, it was actually being little by little "swallowed" into that black hole, transforming into countless tiny points of light that fused seamlessly into Beldum's body.
The little fellow squinted its eyes in comfort, and satisfied ding-ding sounds rang out from within its body. A soft, shimmering glow gradually spread across its silver-white form, as if energy were surging and flowing through it.
One piece, then another—Beldum absorbed the ores methodically. With each piece it swallowed, the luster on its body grew just a bit brighter.
When it came time for the iron–nickel alloy wrapped in a deep blue coating, its movements visibly sped up.
The moment it drew close, the alloy was pulled into the black hole by a powerful suction. Immediately afterward, faint crackling sounds echoed from Beldum's body, and a subtle halo of electrical and magnetic energy flickered around it.
Metal objects in the room—such as the clothes hangers and the screws in the base of the desk lamp—were stirred by this force, lifting slightly into the air before gently falling back down, as if responding to the changes taking place within it.
"It looks like these ores are having a huge effect on you," Theo said with a smile as he watched. "Take it slow, no need to rush."
Beldum seemed to understand. Its absorption speed slowed somewhat, and a focused light flickered in its red eyes as it clearly concentrated on controlling this newly awakened energy.
While Beldum was fully absorbed in taking in the ores, Theo took out his phone and opened a video he had recorded earlier.
On the screen, Beldum was lying beside a pillow, its small body wriggling back and forth.
Its red eyes blinked sleepily again and again, clearly struggling against drowsiness. In the end, it couldn't hold on any longer—its body tilted to the side, and it fell asleep just like that.
Theo added a caption:
"Tomorrow, the Mauville Gym challenge officially begins! When the time comes, it'll all depend on Beldum's performance~ See you all in the livestream!"
With the video attached, he tapped "post."
Only a few seconds passed before the comment section exploded with activity, like a stone thrown into a calm lake. Notification sounds chimed nonstop.
"Finally, a livestream! Those training videos you posted in the desert earlier had me itching for more, now we get to watch a real-time challenge!"
"Beldum is way too cute! It was so sleepy but still forcing itself to stay awake, wiggling its little body, my heart melted!"
"Can't wait for the Gym battle! Good luck, streamer! Go Beldum!"
"Streamer, you finally remembered you're a streamer! You've been posting short videos every day—your livestream channel was about to grow weeds!"
"I really miss the days when you livestreamed with Feebas all the time. Back then it was still practicing Tackle… time flies so fast."
"Life's gotten too comfortable, huh? Too lazy to stream now? doge meme"
Seeing these teasing yet expectant comments, Theo couldn't help but laugh.
In truth, he hadn't intentionally neglected his livestream. It was just that his Pokémon hadn't been strong enough before, and he didn't dare venture too deep into dangerous areas. If he streamed daily training sessions, he worried viewers might find it monotonous.
It was better to build anticipation and go live at key moments—like Gym challenges or participating in Contests. That way, everyone would look forward to it even more.
But now, things were different.
Tyrunt had evolved into Tyrantrum, with its strength skyrocketing, and Feebas was only one step away from evolution.
Once the Mauville City Contest and Gym challenge were over, combined with the popularity points from streaming, the team's overall strength would climb to a whole new level.
By then, whether it was mountain expeditions or exploring deep forests, they would have more than enough confidence to handle sudden dangers.
Theo's fingers flew across the screen as he replied seriously:
"The streamer hasn't forgotten you guys! Before, it really did feel like the timing wasn't right—after all, I couldn't just stream move training every day, right?
I was afraid you'd get bored watching."
He continued typing:
"But rest assured, once everything in Mauville City is wrapped up, I'll be livestreaming more during the journey ahead.
I'll take everyone along to see the scenery of the Hoenn Region and introduce all kinds of Pokémon we meet along the way. I definitely won't let you down!"
After a moment's thought, he added one more line:
"This Gym battle will be Beldum's first official match. The little guy has improved a ton, its strength is absolutely solid. I guarantee it'll be a feast for the eyes, so please look forward to it!"
The comment section immediately erupted again.
"Really? I'm definitely waiting! Then I'm camping here for sure! I'll set up my little stool and wait in the front row!"
"Travel livestreams?! Love it, love it! I want to see Lavaridge Town's hot springs, the volcano, the seabed, and all the different Pokémon in each city!"
"Beldum's first battle—must support!"
"Streamer, don't lie to us. If you don't go live when the time comes, we'll literally follow your travel route in real life to urge you on!"
"I'm so hyped! Start streaming early—best if you go live from the road to the Gym. I want to see Mauville City's streets!"
Theo smiled as he replied with a few "I promise I won't lie" assurances. Just as he was about to put his phone away, he noticed that Beldum had already finished absorbing all the ores.
It hovered right in front of him, its red eyes sparkling brightly, and it gently bumped its head against the back of his hand, as if saying, "I'm ready—hurry up and praise me!"
"Not bad at all," Theo said, rubbing its small head.
The little fellow squinted its eyes happily and let out cheerful ding-ding sounds.
Outside the window, the night had grown deeper, and Mauville City's neon lights cast flowing reflections across the glass.
Theo glanced at the endlessly scrolling comments on his phone, then looked at the eager Beldum beside him and Feebas swimming leisurely in its tank, his heart filled with anticipation.
Tyrunt had already completed its evolution. Now, the stage belonging to Beldum and Feebas was about to be unveiled.
Two days passed like sand slipping through one's fingers, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
When the first rays of morning light in Mauville City slipped through the gap in the hotel curtains, casting a golden strip across the floor, the long-awaited day to challenge the Mauville Gym Leader finally arrived.
Theo got up early, finished washing up, and efficiently tidied the room.
He first clipped the Nest Ball containing Tyrantrum onto his Poké Ball belt, then turned with a smile toward Beldum, which was still nibbling on bits of ore.
And finally, there was Feebas, floating calmly in midair as it manipulated moisture in the air.
The little fellow was completely absorbed, using its special phone to watch Milotic's classic performance by Wallace in a Pokémon Contest, so focused that it didn't even notice Theo approaching.
With everything prepared, Theo took a deep breath and tapped the livestream button.
Almost instantly, the viewer count began to skyrocket, and bullet comments flooded the screen like a tidal wave.
"Here it comes! Finally, this day is here!"
"Wow, the streamer really listens—started streaming the moment he stepped out. This deserves a like!"
"Front row seats! Let's see if Beldum can become famous in a single battle today!"
"Where's Tyrunt—no, Tyrantrum? Where's my big boy? Why don't I see it?"
"What's Feebas doing? I swear I just saw it watching a video!"
"I saw Milotic in that video—are you preparing for the Contest? That's way too hardcore, hahaha!"
"Look, it's a shiny Beldum! A shiny Beldum! Finally, we can see Beldum in the livestream—its silver-white color is so beautiful!"
"Streamer, get closer! I want a really good look at Beldum!"
(End of Chapter)