The damp air deep within the cave gradually grew dry as the two walked toward the exit.
A faint scent of sulfur still lingered in the air, a remnant left behind by Camerupt's lava.
The surrounding rubble and cracked rock walls silently spoke of the intensity of the battle that had just occurred.
Jiang Han and Steven walked side by side, their footsteps echoing through the empty passage.
He silently calculated the gains from this trip in his mind.
For this journey to Granite Cave, the main Pokémon used was Sneasel. After successive battles, its aura became increasingly solid, and its level successfully broke through to Level 20.
For the current Jiang Han, this was a significant improvement.
There were also the two tms promised by Team Rockets: Protect and Dark Pulse!
But all of these paled in comparison to the value of the friend beside him.
The future hoenn champion, the heir of the Stone family, Steven Stone.
This friendship's value would one day be immeasurable.
Jiang Han knew clearly in his heart that wading into these muddy waters hadn't been in vain.
"Brother Jiang Han."
Beside him, Steven suddenly nudged him gently with his elbow, a mysterious smile playing on his face.
To Steven, Jiang Han was very important to him; they shared the same hobbies and were of a similar age.
Having been well-protected by his family since childhood, he didn't have many friends; even if he did, they were only close to him for profit.
Although he wasn't old, he could see through them, so he, who lacked such connection, valued genuine feelings exceptionally.
Although they had just met, Jiang Han was one of his few friends.
Having fought Team Magma together, they could be considered to have gone through life and death together.
"Look at what this is."
As he spoke, Steven flipped his wrist, and a luxurious, pitch-black Luxury Ball with ornate patterns appeared in his palm.
With a flash of red light, a spirited Aron appeared before them.
This Aron was a circle sturdier than its usual kin, its iron armor gleaming with a healthy metallic luster. As soon as it emerged, it affectionately rubbed its small head against Steven's trouser leg.
Jiang Han's eyelid twitched slightly.
"Isn't this... the one from just now?" He was somewhat surprised. "You caught it?"
"Cough," Steven cleared his throat and puffed out his chest, acting as if it were only natural. "Personal charm, purely personal charm."
Aron seemed to like this master very much, happily circling around him.
Jiang Han said nothing, just staring at him quietly, his eyes clearly saying, 'Try making up another one.'
He understood perfectly.
The Aggron species was notoriously protective of its own, and their sense of territory was ridiculously strong.
The way that Aggron looked at the Aron earlier, it was almost certainly its own child.
Even if Steven had healed Aron and settled the dispute, how could that powerful Aggron willingly hand over its biological son to a human it had just met?
It didn't fit pokémon logic.
After being stared at by Jiang Han's all-seeing eyes for a while, Steven's puffed-up chest slowly deflated, and he scratched his head somewhat guiltily.
"Alright, Brother Jiang Han, as expected, nothing can be hidden from you."
He lowered his voice, leaned in closer, and confessed, "I promised that Aggron's clan that I would provide twenty tons of high-quality Iron Ore every month before it agreed to let me raise the child..."
Jiang Han: "..."
For a moment, he didn't even know what expression to make. In the end, he could only glance helplessly at the tycoon beside him.
Good grief, after all that, it wasn't personal charm, but a display of Banknote Ability!
He had directly shown Aggron his massive financial strength, telling it,
"If your child follows me, they won't have to worry about food or clothing, and there will be plenty of ore."
Only then did it feel safe to entrust the child to him.
Seeing Jiang Han's speechless yet slightly envious complex gaze, Steven felt a bit embarrassed instead and explained:
"Devon Corporation originally started by mining Iron Ore and smelting steel. A mere twenty tons of Iron Ore is... nothing to my family."
That nonchalant tone was as if he were saying he had a bowl of noodles for lunch.
Jiang Han's mouth twitched, and ten thousand Alpacas galloped through his heart.
Is this the world of a tycoon's son? While he worked hard to battle and level up, others just threw mines at the problem.
However, on second thought, he felt this matter wasn't that simple.
That Aggron probably never would have guessed that handing its child to Steven was the most correct decision it had ever made in its life.
Jiang Han's gaze fell upon the exceptionally talented Aron at Steven's feet.
He remembered clearly that in the future, among Steven's main team when he challenged the Champion, there was an indestructible Aggron.
Looking at this Aron's physique, which far exceeded its kin, and its spiritual aura—no doubt about it, it was that one!
Steven's "Banknote Ability" was just a stepping Stone; what truly reassured Aggron was likely his heartfelt love for Steel-type pokémon.
As well as the powerful strength represented by that Quasi-Elite Four Level Lucario, which was enough to Protect Aron's growth.
While lost in thought, the two had already reached the exit of Granite Cave.
The bright sunshine dispelled the chill inside the cave, making one's spirits lift.
Just then, a sharp sound of breaking air came from the sky.
"Screech—"
A silver-white figure dove down from high altitude, the resulting gale making people's clothes rustle loudly.
It was a Skarmory. Its steel wings shimmered with a cold luster in the sunlight, its eyes as sharp as knives. After circling once, it landed steadily on the open ground at the cave entrance.
Jiang Han's gaze narrowed. This Skarmory's aura was steady and powerful, its level at least above 30. Moreover, looking at its sleek body and the luster of its feathers, its potential was definitely not low.
"My means of transportation is here." Steven smiled and patted Skarmory's neck, and Skarmory obediently lowered its head.
He flipped himself onto Skarmory and said to Jiang Han from above:
"Brother Jiang Han, thank you for this time. I still have some matters to handle in Rustboro City, so I'll take my leave first. If you come to Rustboro City in the future, you must come find me at Devon Corporation."
"I definitely will." Jiang Han nodded.
Steven laughed heartily and ordered Skarmory, "Let's go, partner!"
Skarmory flapped its wings, kicking up a gust of wind as it soared into the sky, quickly turning into a small black dot on the horizon and disappearing.
The dust settled, leaving Jiang Han alone at the cave entrance.
Gazing in the direction Steven had left, his heart was filled with emotion.
This encounter with the future Champion had yielded far more than imagined.
He withdrew his gaze and looked down at the Poké Ball on his waist.
Steven has his broad road, and I, too, have my single-plank bridge.
He stood up, patted the dust off his clothes, and gazed at the road in the distance.
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