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Chapter 44: Steven's Gift
🕑 Added 2025-09-27 09:54:05 +0000 UTCAbsolutely loaded!
You have to understand that in the entire Pokémon world, there are fewer than fifty Pokémon that can Mega Evolve using Mega Stones.
And now, Steven had collected half of them!
Although there were some duplicate Mega Stones among them, this was still an incredibly impressive number.
Kawaki was truly shocked.
Steven, however, didn't react much. He looked at these stones he'd been collecting, then at Kawaki, and asked:
"Is this enough? Do you need anything else?"
"No, no need." Kawaki finally snapped back to reality and shook his head: "These are more than enough."
He paused, then added:
"That's just an attempt. So far, I don't even know if it'll work. I need to study these stones first."
Steven nodded: "No problem. Do whatever you need to. I'll leave these stones with you, and you can take your time experimenting."
Kawaki looked amazed: "You trust me this much? Aren't you afraid I'll take the money and run?"
They'd only met a few times!
Steven looked at him steadily and asked: "Would you?"
Kawaki: "..."
Well, he certainly wouldn't.
He pretended to recall something, then said: "Just these stones still aren't enough. I need suitable trainers and Pokémon for experiments."
As everyone knew, the conditions for achieving Mega Evolution were extremely strict.
Not only did the trainer need to wear a Key Stone and the Pokémon carry the corresponding Mega Stone, but there also needed to be a very deep bond between them. Human and Pokémon had to become one in heart and soul, reaching a level where "you are in me, and I am in you."
Kawaki currently didn't have any suitable Pokémon for Mega Evolution.
Growlithe, Bewear, Cleffa, Oddish, and Chingling wouldn't work.
Currently, the only suitable candidate was Steven.
Although Kawaki clearly knew all the conditions for achieving Mega Evolution, he needed someone to help him for the sake of maintaining his cover.
Steven thought briefly, then asked: "Would I work?"
"Beldum, Skarmory, Lairon..." Kawaki shook his head: "I'm not sure which specific Pokémon can undergo that kind of evolution, and Beldum and Lairon haven't evolved to their final stages yet."
After thinking, Kawaki said: "Continue your journey. I need to keep researching. Come back here after your Beldum and Lairon evolve into Metagross and Aggron."
Steven nodded, showing he understood.
He had spent too much time here and should indeed continue his Gym Badge journey.
Steven said goodbye to Kawaki and was about to turn and leave.
But when he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned back to ask:
"What's your phone number?"
Phone number?
Kawaki was slightly stunned, then realized what he meant and shook his head: "The Day Care hasn't had time to install a phone yet."
This world's technology tree was quite skewed. They'd developed spatial storage technology, but mobile communication development was very slow.
As far as Kawaki knew, there were currently two types of instant communication in this world.
One was the same type of video phones and landlines used in Pokémon Centers, and the other was an old-style communication device similar to Nokia phones.
Seeing Kawaki's situation, Steven understood.
He didn't say much more and simply turned to leave the Day Care.
Kawaki watched Steven go, thinking he really should install a video phone.
But before he could act on this thought, that very afternoon, Steven returned with several installation technicians carrying a video phone. Right in front of Kawaki, they installed the video phone in the Day Care's main hall.
Three question marks appeared above Kawaki's head.
"For convenient contact," Steven said concisely.
This way, he could contact Kawaki anytime while traveling.
Kawaki: "..."
Steven really was a good person!
Kawaki indeed needed this video phone currently. He didn't refuse, just wanted to pay Steven for the costs.
But Steven unhesitatingly rejected his offer.
Having no choice, Kawaki could only keep this favor in mind.
Watching Steven's departing figure, Kawaki thought to himself:
"In that case, I'll definitely make you the first person in this world to achieve Mega Evolution!"
Knowing about Mega Evolution seven or eight years early, Steven would take off completely. No one in the entire Hoenn region would be his match.
After seeing Steven off, Kawaki turned back to the Day Care and looked at the pile of Mega Stones on the table, feeling incredibly regretful.
What a shame! Not a single one of these Mega Stones was useful to him.
As for that Dragonite Mega Stone... that was even more out of reach.
As a late-blooming pseudo-legendary Pokémon, Dragonite's rarity and value were well known.
For the current Kawaki, obtaining a Dragonite would be almost harder than catching Latias and Latios.
At least he'd gotten some intelligence about Latias and Latios from Taillow, knowing they were active throughout the Hoenn region and where they might appear.
As for Dragonite intelligence, he knew absolutely nothing.
In summary, Kawaki's chances of catching Latias and Latios were at least 0.001%.
But if it were Dragonite, there probably wasn't even a 0.001% chance.
Because Dragonite didn't inhabit the Hoenn region at all.
Unless he left here and went to other regions to search for Dragonite, but that would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Go to the Dragon's Den of the Dragon Clan in Johto and steal a Dratini hatchling?
He probably couldn't even get through their front gate.
"Sigh, forget it. I'll leave it to fate!" Kawaki sighed.
*
While he said he needed to conduct research, Kawaki actually didn't need to do much.
With other issues at the Day Care temporarily resolved, Kawaki turned his attention to the most crucial problem: security.
Although the Pokémon world was like a utopia, the current time period was still early, far from reaching the level of safety when Ash started his journey.
Evil organizations hiding in the shadows were slowly building their strength, and news of Pokémon hunters stealing others' Pokémon often appeared in TV broadcasts.
If someone targeted the Pokémon raised at the Day Care, that would be trouble.
The Day Care's backyard was large. If someone snuck in quietly and used moves like Sleep Powder, they could silently kidnap several Cleffa.
To protect the Day Care, the simplest, most direct, and most effective method was to help the Day Care's Pokémon grow stronger and improve their abilities.
Oddish, Chingling, and the Cleffa weren't battle-oriented Pokémon. Even if Kawaki made them train, they might not be able to keep it up consistently.
This meant the important responsibility would fall on Growlithe and Bewear.
The day after Steven left, Kawaki turned his attention to Growlithe, who was wearing the [Exp. Share].
He began researching exactly how to maximize this item's effectiveness.
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