The Strength of a Champion

Now's our chance! Go!

Wha, ?!

Hah! An opening!

Man, the timing of that last move was perfect! That was so awesome!

Let's take a quick break and then go for another round!

Huh? Isn't that Steven? And...Wallace?

What was that all about?! What do you think a Champion like Steven is doing all the way up here?

Wait! Maybe he and Wallace are... Nah!

You're so smart! Why didn't I think of that? They must be doing some kinda super-secret training together!

Pssh! Who cares about collecting dumb rocks? They're probably doing some kinda super-secret training together!

Come on! Let's go follow 'em! If they ARE doing a secret training session, we can see if they'll let us join in, too!

Gee, it's kinda hard to see in here... Scottie, can you come and...

What do you think you're doing here, hm?

WAHHH!!

Goodness. I didn't think I was that scary.

Are you going to tell Wallace and me why you were following us?

Yeah... Guess that was pretty rude, huh? We were actually just trying to investigate...

Our secret training techniques, huh?

The secrets to our strength, huh?

It seems word of your strength has spread far and wide, Steven. Though I'd expect nothing less from the Champion of the Hoenn League.

If there is some secret to your success, I'd be keen to hear it as well.

Well, I'm not trying to hide anything in particular. If you follow me, I may be able to teach you a thing or two.

My, my, how magnanimous of you.

See, Scottie! I told you we'd get to learn from a Champion today if we followed them!

Before we get to that, I need you to understand something...

Learning from others is great, of course, but discovering things on your own is also a key part of Pokémon battling.

It looks like there are some other Trainers in the area. Why don't we try battling a few of them as we hike up the trail?

OK! Let's show these big shots what we can do, Scottie!

Wha, ?! How are those two not tired after all this hiking and battling?!

Well, just look at the gorgeous view we have up here! I can see for miles!

A beautiful hike like this certainly brings back memories of home, don't you think, Wallace?

I suppose so. I mean, Sootopolis City is...

Hey, check out this stone!

Tsk... Typical Steven. Why pay attention to your good friend Wallace when there are stones to find...

H-how... We just hiked up the same trail and fought the same battles...but they look like they just took a nice walk in the park!

What makes them so different from us? Maybe they're born with it...

Hmm... It IS kinda nice up here, but I think this is something else.

What if it has something to do with the stones?

Whoa! Yeah! You're so smart! It's gotta have something to do with the stones!

If that's the case, we should go collect some stones, too!

Nice! The stone you picked is kinda cute, huh? It's all smooth and round.

Nice! The stone you picked looks kinda tough, huh? It's all sharp and pointy.

Check out this huge monster stone I picked up!

Hmm... It's actually kinda normal looking, huh? On second thought, it's probably not very rare...

Hey, kid! Hand over that stone if y'know what's good for ya!

What?! Where the heck did you guys come from?!

We found these stones ourselves! They're ours... finders keepers!

You wanna play hardball, kid? All right. That's fine. We can do this the tough way!

Tsk... That entrance of yours was tragically cliché, gentlemen. Not to mention dull.

Whoa, hold up... Ain't you that one Gym Leader from Hoenn?

Wh-whatever... We ain't gonna let a measly Gym Leader stop us from...

I think it's time for you to leave. Don't you?

Th-th-they got the Hoenn CHAMPION, too?! Uhh... Er...

Well, what will it be, boys? If you insist on robbing my friends, you'll have to get through me first. I can take you all on at once, if you like.

Y-you sure talk a big game! Better watch out... we'll be back for you!

Whoa! That was so cool! All you had to do was look at those bullies, and they were running away like babies!

Well, now that that's out of the way... That stone that you two picked up is actually...

Hahaha! Told you we'd be back for you! And this time, we brought a few buddies along for the ride!

We've got you so outnumbered, yo! Hope you like gettin' pounded to dust!

Hm. Dust, he says... What do you think, Champion?

*sigh* The stone will have to wait. I have some ruffians to take care of first.

There are more of them than I thought. This may take a bit longer...

Wait... Did you already defeat the rest of them?!

These grunts aren't much of a challenge. Come on, Wallace. Let's take care of these last few stragglers.

Man, are you seeing what I'm seeing?! Steven and Wallace as a combo are just way too good!

He's incredible, isn't he? Even more than the rumors make him out to be.

Eeek! What in the... Grant?! What's going on? You nearly scared me half to death!

I'm sorry if I startled you... I couldn't help but be impressed.

Look at Steven... He doesn't waste a single movement with his commands, and Metagross matches him at every beat.

I feel like only a Champion could be that perfectly in sync with their Pokémon.

Oh? I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met.

Ah, my apologies. I'm Grant, the Gym Leader of Cyllage City in the Kalos region.

I was just doing some rock-climbing on the cliffs over there when I spotted you all training.

When I heard the commotion, I decided to head this way to see if anything was wrong.

I didn't expect to see such an expert display...

Well, one must come to expect this level of mastery when Steven is around.

He was particularly merciless back there, too... Perhaps it's because his opponents were trying to steal stones.

Steven can be quite sensitive when it comes to stones. Cross him, and he turns into an entirely different person!

It seems you all lucked out today! Not everyone gets the chance to witness the sheer power of Steven and his Metagross.

Speaking of which, I trust your stone came out of this fiasco safe and sound, Barry?

Snap, I almost forgot! I've got it right here. I wonder why those thugs were trying to steal it in the first place. It looks pretty ordinary to me.

Can I borrow it for a moment, Barry? I think you may be surprised...

What? Whoa! Are you serious?! Look how pretty it is!

This stone may look ordinary on the outside, but it's actually quite rare. It's called a geode. Those are crystals on the inside.

It takes years and years for the crystals to form into something beautiful like this.

They must have brought in rock and soil from other regions when they were building up these mountains.

Pasio's origins as an artificial island come with all sorts of surprises, it seems. I never thought I'd find a geode like this here.

It's really incredible, if you think about it.

Whoaaa! That's so cool! I've never even seen a stone like this before!

Well, the largest ones can fetch a good price in the shop, but I doubt those ruffians understand the true beauty and value of these stones.

I do, in fact. I have quite a variety of rare geodes in my personal collection.

Oh, no. That one is for you to keep! I actually have quite a variety of rare geodes in my personal collection.

If you're curious, you can always stop by and see the collection yourself.

Pardon me, but... Um, Steven? Would it be all right if I challenge you to a Pokémon battle?

I've been hoping for an opportunity like this since I first heard the rumors about you.

It's something I've looked forward to for a long time. What do you say?

Of course! Challenge accepted. How are you feeling, Wallace?

To be honest, a break would be nice. Barry, Scottie, this one is all yours.

All right! Let's do this!

You've actually got me curious about something, Grant.

Really? What is it?

Let's save that for after the battle, shall we?

Whew... Defeating the Champion is a wall that I am unable to surmount.

Aw, man! That was the rockiest battle I've been through in a long time!

That's my line! Your teamwork was amazing. Truly a sight to behold!

Well, I won't let you win so easily next time. I'm going to continue to reach for the top, it will be me who triumphs when we meet again.

That reminds me... You mentioned you were curious about something earlier, Steven?

Yes. I wanted to ask you about the stones you use in your hair.

You know, I've actually been curious about the very same thing! Are those stones part of your fashion, or...?

They are! I've always thought they fit well with my style. There's no special meaning behind them or anything, though.

Curious... But even if that's the case, your placement of the stones and choice of color are brilliant!

You may not put much thought into it, but you've clearly breathed life into those stones.

Oh, I agree completely! It's a wondrous hairstyle. Nothing short of beautiful!

With your fashion sense, you and your Pokémon could easily take first place in a beauty contest!

Oho! I knew it! The secret's in the stones, Scottie!

Grant was super strong, too, right? I mean, he's a Gym Leader!

I'm right, aren't I? The secret to your strength has to do with your stones, right?

I do have a thing for stones. You're right about that much. But it goes deeper than that.

I travel the world in search of interesting stones, but so much happens along the journey before I ever find a single one.

I get to encounter all sorts of people and Pokémon along the way, as well as experience the beauty of nature.

My love for stones is reflected in all of those things.

So if there really is a secret key to my strength...

I'd say it's having something I'm passionate about and appreciating all of the experiences I have as I follow my passion.

Was meeting me one of those experiences, hm?

Of course it was. Building a friendship with someone as bright and encouraging as you has been a big part of my journey.

Everyone knows that I have plenty of strength on my own in a battle.

But when I have a friend battling at my side, I can be even stronger than that.

I think we share a lot of things in common.

You're as passionate about stones as you are about Pokémon battling, and it's the same way with me and sports.

My love for sports is like a driving force that keeps me moving forward...

and the experience I gain along the way is something I can use in my battles, too.

So, essentially...the journey that comes with collecting stones and the experience gained from playing sports influence the way you two battle.

That! Yes! I finally get it! The secret to being strong is having something you love!

For me, maybe that's Pokémon! Do you think my love for Pokémon can make me a super-awesome Trainer in the future, too?!

I think so. Both of you have kept up with us fairly well as we've battled our way up this mountain.

And you were definitely on the right track in that tussle with the masked thugs earlier, as well as in our battle with Grant just now.

If Pokémon battling is already something that you love, I'm sure you're well on your way to becoming great Trainers someday.

So keep following your passions, all right?

Once you're confident in your strength, you should come challenge me in Hoenn.

After all, when it comes down to it... I'm just the strongest there is right now.