Pokémon: Above the Top-Chapter 258: Seafloor Cavern

After the battle ended, Steven -clearly in high spirits from his win- enthusiastically invited Sato and the others to visit his home.

The three, with nothing else to do, declined at first but ended up happily accepting.

In truth, very few Trainers like Sato jumped straight into the internal Young Elite Tournament hosted by the League upon arrival.

Steven's path, by comparison, was what most would call a "normal growth trajectory".

In his first year of traveling, he had entered the Hoenn League's Evergrande Conference and directly won the championship, drawing a huge wave of public attention.

He then continued to appear in various open competitions, steadily building his fame and experience, and only later started participating in internal League-exclusive matches to increase his qualifications.

As a result, Steven was wildly popular in the Hoenn Region. Without a disguise, he'd be mobbed with "fans" everywhere he went.

Sato, on the other hand, was different. He was extremely well-known within the League, but to the outside world, he was just a slightly better-looking nobody.

Just now, it had taken Steven nearly half an hour to shake off the crowd of fans begging for autographs and photos before finally leaving with them.

As the heir to the Devon Corporation, Steven naturally lacked for nothing. His residence was a standalone villa.

However, the interior style of this villa was... very unique. Every decorative item inside belonged to a single category...

Rocks.

All kinds... bizarre, oddly shaped stones, were displayed in glass cases, each with a brief description next to it.

Sato felt like he was touring a rock museum. Still, he did gain something from the experience.

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"This is Origin Ore?" Sato looked at a brown rock and couldn't help asking.

"Yeah, why? Something wrong?" Steven walked over and asked curiously.

"Origin Ore and Origin Plate... are they related?"

"You know about the Origin Plates?" Steven blinked, then continued explaining, "Actually, not really. But in essence, they're the same thing."

"What do you mean?" Sato didn't hesitate to ask more, because he'd just realized... this Origin Ore looked a lot like his Ice Blue Stone!

"Whether it's the Plates of the creation god Arceus, or these ores here, they're all crystallized Origin Energy."

"It's just that how the Origin Plates came into existence, or why they belong solely to Arceus... no one knows. As for Origin Ore, it's a physical manifestation of Origin Energy found in nature; usually appearing in areas saturated with a single elemental type. They're extremely rare!"

Steven, being a rock enthusiast, explained it all passionately.

"So what does Origin Ore do?"

"Plenty. It accelerates Pokémon growth, helps them break through limits, and even boosts their potential to some degree."

Sato's heart skipped a beat. He clearly remembered how Weavile had "inhaled" from the Ice Blue Stone during its advancement.

If he wasn't mistaken, that Ice Blue Stone must have been Ice-type Origin Ore!

"What's wrong? Shocked?" Steven waved a hand in front of Sato's eyes, teasing.

"Maybe. I mean, you've just got this rare stuff lying around like décor. Feels like such a waste," Sato replied with a squint.

"I'd love to use it... but I've never found a Rock-type Pokémon I really wanted to raise. So it's just been sitting here."

"Fair enough," Sato nodded in understanding. But he didn't share that concern... his Ice-type Origin Ore could only go to Weavile.

What really got him excited was the realization that Origin Ore could increase potential. That... was game-changing.

Just as Sato was walking past that Rock-type Origin Ore, a butler-like man quietly approached Steven and whispered something into his ear.

"We've finally found the entrance? That's great!"

Steven suddenly pumped his fist in excitement, only to remember Sato and the others were still there. But as he turned to look at them, a sudden idea crossed his mind.

"Sato, do you guys have any travel plans coming up?"

"Not for now. Why?" Sato glanced at the unexpected butler. Clearly, Steven's sudden question had something behind it.

"Then how about joining me to explore an unknown undersea cavern?"

"An unknown undersea cavern?"

"Yes. Not long ago, my father sent people to survey underwater resources and they accidentally discovered a massive hollow under the sea. The entrance was only just found today."

"And you're planning to explore it?" Sato was stunned by Steven's adventurous spirit. That was an undersea cavern... he was just going to dive in?

"Of course. A cave like this, completely untouched by the public, is bound to have its own unique terrain. And the rocks found inside could be unlike anything else!"

Steven's eyes sparkled as he spoke, his passion for rocks on full display.

"Then why bring me? I'm not interested in rocks," Sato replied bluntly, turning down the offer.

At that moment, Joseph and Mark walked over, having overheard their conversation. Joseph didn't object to Sato's refusal.

But Mark's eyes were full of anticipation, he always had at least a bit of interest in unexplored places.

Still, with a stranger present, he held his tongue... especially since Joseph was holding him back hard.

"You might not care about rocks, but you definitely care about getting stronger. Caves like these, formed by nature, are prime locations to find Origin Ore. I don't mind giving them to you," Steven said, dropping a condition Sato couldn't easily refuse.

"Why, though? Couldn't you just go alone and keep everything for yourself?"

Sato knew Steven would one day be the Hoenn Champion and did want to build some bond with him.

But they'd only met twice. They barely knew each other. Why would Steven offer anything without gain?

"Let's not beat around the bush. I'm very interested in Mega Evolution. I don't need too much from you... just the basic data you gave the Dragon Clan will do.

Oh, and if you agree, every single piece of Origin Ore found during the cave trip will be yours. If we find nothing, I'll give you this Rock-type Origin Ore as compensation."

Sato stayed quiet for a while before softly saying, "I need to talk with my teammates."

"Go ahead," Steven said with a wave before turning away to discuss something else with his butler.

"You guys want to go?" Sato asked directly once they were out of earshot.

"I'm good with anything," Joseph said casually.

"Go go go, of course we're going!" Mark chimed in, unable to hide his eagerness.