A fateful encounter, huh...
Hearing Steven utter this slightly flamboyant line, which felt more like something Cynthia would say rather than him, Aiden's expression instantly became complex.
He could roughly discern the underlying meaning of Steven's words.
Because as early as the second day after Aiden had traveled to this world, he had already met Steven on Pokémon TV.
On his first day as a small streamer with only a few hundred viewers, his rise to fame was largely thanks to Steven, the "top fan," leaving a long, complimentary comment under the first video of the "Azure Wings" account, which attracted his first batch of viewers.
In a sense, Steven was even the first person he met in this Pokémon world.
Though this meeting came a bit late and was somewhat abrupt, it truly was as Steven said…
It might be a fateful encounter.
"Poni?!"
For some reason, just as Aiden was about to greet Steven, Ogerpon suddenly shuddered after observing Steven and Metagross for a while and actively stepped in front of Aiden.
Although the Trainer opposite hadn't shown any hostility, Ogerpon immediately sensed his formidable combat power. The Poké Balls on him emanated the aura of strength.
Each one surpassed the fallen Orthworm beside them and even far exceeded the level of Pecharunt!
Especially the iron lump beside him; its combat power seemed terrifyingly strong!
No wonder the Trainer sent me out. If Sylveon or Lucario faced it, they probably wouldn't stand a chance.
But if it were me...
Perhaps there's a chance?
Out of defense, Ogerpon decisively tightened its grip on the Spiky Shield with one hand, blocking Aiden, while the other hand reached behind.
"Metagross?"
Facing the sudden hostility from the unfamiliar Pokémon, Metagross instinctively scratched its steel head.
It must be an instinctive behavior to protect its Trainer, right?
Just as Ogerpon was about to take out the Hearthflame Mask from behind according to Aiden's previous instructions, Aiden stopped it with a hand.
Facing Ogerpon's confused starry eyes, Aiden patted its head and smiled:
"It's okay, Ogerpon, they are friends."
Perhaps due to being alone for a hundred years in Kitakami and just recently accepting a new Trainer, whenever Ogerpon appeared, it always protected Aiden very well.
But sometimes this overprotection occurred, making Aiden both amused and helpless for a moment.
This could be considered kind of charming, right?
After calming Ogerpon's emotions, Aiden quickly stepped forward and came to Steven.
"It really is our first meeting. I didn't expect Mr. Steven, the champion of Hoenn, to appear in Paldea's mining area. Is there any special ore nearby?"
"I told you, just call me Steven."
Steven shrugged helplessly, then looked at the exhausted Orthworm behind him.
"In fact, I've been in Paldea for over a month. Originally, I wanted to enter Area Zero to search for the source of those magical ores that grant Pokémon Terastallization powers."
"But plans can't keep up with changes. Unfortunately, Area Zero is now closed, so I can only look around to see if there are any ores or fossils that Hoenn doesn't have."
"Unexpectedly, I encountered a special Pokémon here."
After Steven finished speaking, he gestured to Aiden.
"I believe Teacher Azure, as a local of Paldea, should know the principle behind the special phenomenon happening to this Pokémon, right?"
Upon hearing this, Aiden's eyebrows instantly raised.
To be honest, Steven really asked the right person...
If it were any other Elite Four member or Gym Leader of the Paldea League, or even President Geese himself, they probably couldn't explain how Orthworm's power suddenly surged in a short time.
After all, the Herba Mystica was a special material recorded only in the "Scarlet/Violet Book." Probably only that pair of doctor couples in the entire league studied these two books, indirectly influencing their next generation, Piper.
"Just talking about it might be a bit complicated; watch my operation!"
Aiden revealed a confident smile and quickly bypassed Steven and Metagross, diving into the nest behind Orthworm.
Soon, under the confused gaze of Steven and Metagross, Aiden reappeared holding a special plant and directly took out a tablecloth from his backpack.
Steven had already dealt with this Titan, saving him a lot of trouble.
Compared to battling, the most important thing this trip was to obtain the Herba Mystica that the Titan Pokémon had been hiding.
"Is this... preparing for a picnic?"
Steven scratched his head, momentarily not understanding what Aiden was doing.
What tools are needed for traveling in Paldea?
Escape rope? Camping tent? Healing medicine?
All wrong!
Only a camping set is needed!
This is the ultra-relaxed feeling unique to people from Paldea!
"Poni?"
Ogerpon also showed a confused little look.
Having returned from Kitakami, though it was responsible for growing the gym's seasonings, it obviously hadn't experienced defeating a Titan and didn't know the true function of these seasonings.
Soon, the sandwich mixed with secret salty seasoning was completed.
Before Aiden could speak, the Poké Ball in his pocket began to shake noticeably.
A flash of red light later, Miraidon, who should have been inside the custom Poké Ball, appeared first, its metallic luster-filled eyes staring intently at the sandwich in Aiden's hand.
"Wait a moment; yours won't be missing."
Aiden chuckled helplessly, first patting Miraidon's head to reassure it before handing the sandwich to Steven.
"Try it with Metagross. I'm quite confident in my sandwich-making skills."
"..."
Steven's lips started twitching uncontrollably.
Why did he always feel that Teacher Azure was much more off than he imagined?
From his tactical level and teaching quality, Steven once thought Aiden would be an older, elite Trainer focused on studying battles.
Although he seemed mischievous during live streams, it should be for entertainment effects, right?
But upon seeing him in person, Steven suddenly realized—
The Teacher Azure countless Trainers spoke of was just a peer younger than himself.
Thinking of this, Steven suddenly smiled.
This wasn't bad either. Perhaps a Teacher Azure with this personality might actually be easier to get along with.
After taking the sandwich from Aiden, Steven broke it in half and fed a portion to Metagross.
From the front view, Metagross seemed to lack a mouth, but in reality, it had a large mouth on its abdomen filled with dense steel teeth, releasing various biting moves.
"Metagross..."
After gently biting, Metagross instinctively squinted its eyes.
Though it was just an ordinary sandwich, it tasted incredibly rich. Especially a strong salty flavor that brought Metagross a wonderful sensation it had never experienced in all these years.
Even after eating the sandwich, it felt its four arms had become stronger.
Even Steven, who was used to delicacies, was instantly impressed by the sandwich with added ingredients.
"What a unique taste, and this special ingredient seems to possess extremely powerful energy. So this is the secret to Orthworm becoming stronger?"
"My apologies for the poor hospitality~"
Aiden nodded slightly, explaining with a smile as he released his other Pokémon.
"This is a special ingredient that's hard to find in Paldea. Just a little bit can stimulate a Pokémon's vitality. If adapted and a whole plant is consumed, it will temporarily become stronger like Orthworm."
"However, the effect of the Herba Mystica is still speculative. The extent of the enhancement seems to depend on the Pokémon's own strength."
"Understood."
Steven nodded, not dwelling too much on this issue.
Because it touched upon his blind spots, completely outside his interests.
Apart from Pokémon battles, the only things that could interest this Hoenn Champion were probably ores, fossils, and various extreme Steel-type Pokémon.
Seemingly understanding Steven's thoughts, Aiden soon showed a knowing expression, looking at the fallen Orthworm.
"Because it swallowed too much seasoning, causing its body to enlarge, it seems to have temporarily lost the ability to shrink, so Poké Balls don't work on it."
"However, this state won't last long. This energy will dissipate soon."
"So, if you want to catch it, you can come back here tomorrow. You might encounter it again."
Aiden gave his suggestion, but Steven quickly shook his head.
"No, perhaps this just shows that we don't have a destined connection. It's better to respect the Pokémon's own wishes."
"Rather than that, I'm more curious about another matter—"
Aiden stuffed the completed sandwich into Miraidon's mouth and simultaneously looked up at Steven, only to find him smiling at him.
For some reason, Aiden suddenly felt uneasy.
Squinty eyes generally aren't good news. This guy Steven must be thinking of something troublesome!
"Teacher Azure, although we can't enter Area Zero, I heard that before it was sealed, a very special Pokémon seemed to escape. It hasn't been discovered by the Paldea League yet?"
"If Teacher Azure is interested, would you like to team up with me and go see that legendary Pokémon, which shouldn't belong to the present but to the past? What do you think?"
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