Chapter 20: Metagross and Steven
Ryan and Lillie slept until noon before finally waking up. They went to the Pokémon Center cafeteria for a bite to eat and asked Nurse Joy about the Zubat and Golbat swarms from the night before.
"Oh, you mean those Zubat and Golbat? I know about that. They used to live in a cave in the eastern forest, but for some reason, they've all fled recently, causing panic among the townspeople," Nurse Joy said after a moment's thought.
Ryan frowned. This wasn't a good sign. These Zubat and Golbat had abandoned their home territory and were now flying around desperately searching for food. If they were allowed to run wild like this, the consequences would be disastrous. The Pokémon League would definitely send someone to deal with this situation, and they wouldn't use gentle measures.
"System Alert: Side Quest Triggered—Explore the Bat Cave. Investigate the reason why Zubat and Golbat cannot return to their cave and resolve the issue. Reward: 1,000 PokéDollars, rare items, and significant experience points."
"Wait, system, are you sure about those rewards? That seems like a lot for what appears to be a minor quest," Ryan thought, surprised by the generous compensation.
"Alert: Pokémon gratitude and successful ecosystem restoration provide substantial experience bonuses."
"Understood. I'll take it," Ryan accepted the quest. He immediately turned to Nurse Joy and asked, "Do you have a detailed map of the area? I'm planning to investigate. We can't let these Zubat and Golbat continue terrorizing the region."
"Yes, I do have one. Thank you so much for offering to help! If you can find the cause, please return immediately and let me know so I can report it to the Pokémon League," Nurse Joy said gratefully. She rummaged through her desk and found a dusty, well-worn map.
Ryan took the map and carefully brushed off the dust. He studied it briefly, then turned to Lillie. "Lillie, please wait here at the Pokémon Center. Your ankle injury isn't completely healed yet. I'll investigate and be back this afternoon."
Lillie nodded with concern. "Be careful going alone. If anything dangerous happens, don't try to be a hero—just run."
Ryan nodded and headed toward the cave with the map and his fully recovered Pokémon team.
After walking through the forest for almost an hour, Ryan finally located the cave marked on the map. He noticed that the surrounding forest was abundant with berry trees—no wonder it could support such a large colony of Zubat and Golbat. Perhaps some powerful Pokémon had invaded their territory, driving the bat Pokémon away and forcing them to seek food elsewhere.
Ryan took a deep breath and released all his Pokémon. With his team protecting him, they entered the cave together. The interior was pitch black, so Ryan lit his camping lantern while Charizard raised its tail, the flame providing additional illumination.
After exploring for quite some time, there was no sign of any Pokémon—not even a single dropping or scratch mark on the walls. Had his theory been wrong? Ryan began to doubt his reasoning.
As they ventured deeper, he faintly heard crashing sounds echoing through the cave—like something repeatedly striking the rock walls. The sounds were muffled and distant, making it difficult to determine exactly what was causing them.
However, the presence of these sounds definitely meant they were related to the Zubat situation. Ryan quickened his pace, following the noise. After navigating several winding passages, he finally saw light ahead.
Ryan hurried forward and gasped at what he discovered. Instead of the group of invading Pokémon he had imagined, there was only one person and a massive Steel-type Pokémon. Although Ryan recognized the young man immediately, he could hardly believe his eyes. "Is that Steven Stone, Hoenn's Champion?" he asked aloud.
The young man turned at the sound of his voice, and indeed, it was exactly as Ryan had suspected—Steven Stone, Champion of the Hoenn region. The Pokémon beside him was unmistakably his signature shiny Metagross.
"Who are you?" Steven asked curiously.
"I'm Ryan from Pallet Town. I'm on a journey preparing for the upcoming Indigo League Championship," Ryan explained. "I came here to investigate why the Zubat and Golbat abandoned this cave and have been attacking travelers."
"Ah, I see," Steven said with understanding. "I apologize for the trouble I've caused. I discovered this cave connects to a small rare stone deposit. The Zubat and Golbat wouldn't allow me access, so I had to battle them. I suppose I frightened them badly enough that they fled entirely. I've nearly finished collecting the specimens I need and will be leaving soon. I'll contact the League and arrange for the Zubat and Golbat to be safely guided back to their home."
Ryan's jaw dropped. "Are you telling me you single-handedly defeated that entire swarm of Zubat and Golbat?"
"Well, I only battled a few hundred directly. My Metagross intimidated the rest into fleeing. There were still quite a lot of them, so it was certainly challenging," Steven said with a modest smile, clearly not considering it a particularly impressive feat.
Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, Ryan pressed further. "With just one Metagross?"
"Of course. Metagross is my ace Pokémon," Steven replied, affectionately patting one of the shiny Metagross's metallic legs.
Ryan felt humbled. He had initially assumed that even Legendary Pokémon would avoid confronting nearly a thousand Zubat, yet here was a single Champion-level pseudo-legendary that had routed hundreds of them. Ryan realized he had been like a frog in a well, unable to comprehend the true power possessed by elite trainers, despite his growing confidence in his own abilities.
However, recognizing his limitations only strengthened Ryan's determination and hunger for greater power. Steven noticed this quality and nodded approvingly—here was a promising young trainer with real potential.
Ryan approached Steven, bowed respectfully, and said, "Mr. Steven, I humbly request that you battle me once we leave this cave. I want to witness a Champion's strength firsthand and understand what I still lack. Please!"
Steven nodded, recalled his Metagross, picked up his bag of rare stones, and replied, "Certainly. I'd be happy to provide guidance to a dedicated junior trainer."
With that, they walked out of the cave together and found a relatively spacious clearing. Steven released his Metagross again and said, "Send out all six of your Pokémon one by one. We'll have a series of one-on-one battles so I can evaluate your current strength and provide proper guidance."
"Yes, sir," Ryan said seriously. He didn't find Steven's words condescending—rather, he recognized that Steven truly possessed the strength to back up his offer. Furthermore, the fact that Steven was using his ace Pokémon showed he was genuinely committed to helping Ryan improve.
"Charizard, you're my lead Pokémon. You'll battle first," Ryan said with determination. "Give it everything you have. This is an incredible learning opportunity."
Charizard nodded, took flight, and regarded Metagross with intense focus. It could already sense its opponent's overwhelming power—strength that far exceeded its current capabilities. All it could do was see how long it could endure against such a formidable foe!
(To be continued...)
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