I, Gary, Want to Become a Pokemon Master

The League would take full responsibility for the incident at the Aether Marine Platform.

Gary, Zinnia, Wallace, and the others returned to Slateport City to rest before nightfall.

At the Pokémon Center, Gary handed over his defeated Pokémon to Nurse Joy for treatment.

"Gary, Wallace!"

A familiar voice called from behind as Steven Stone walked in.

Steven had originally planned to inspect the situation at Route 124, but just as he flew toward the area, he received word that the crisis had already been resolved.

He also heard that the incident at the Aether Marine Platform was connected to Rayquaza, so he immediately turned back. But before he could reach the platform, another message came in: Rayquaza had already left, and the League was in the process of handling cleanup.

Steven had been flying back and forth all day—and had accomplished nothing in the end.

"Steven, I'm injured," Wallace said dramatically upon seeing him. "I think I'll need about two months off to rest."

Gary stared, dumbfounded.

You sure weren't acting like this back on the Aether Marine Platform...

After Wallace had woken up, he asked about the platform's condition. Once he confirmed there was no longer any danger, he had planned to head to Route 124 to check on things—but now he was suddenly acting lazy and crafty.

"Oh? Where are you hurt?" Steven asked with genuine concern. He had heard that Wallace and Gary had clashed with Rayquaza, and Wallace's mention of injuries immediately set him on edge.

"It's fine, just some blast impact. I'll be good after a two-month vacation," Wallace replied casually.

Steven realized he had been tricked, but there wasn't much he could do. After all, Wallace was the Champion—and it was Steven himself who had given him the title. Wallace never even wanted the position to begin with.

"All right then. You take a break. There's nothing urgent coming up anyway," Steven said with a sigh.

Gary couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Wait... who's the real Champion here? Why does the current one need the former's permission for leave?

"Gary, Zinnia, are you two all right?" Steven asked after settling Wallace.

"I'm fine!" Zinnia waved enthusiastically. She was still bursting with excitement—she had met the Dragon God Rayquaza, completed her tribe's trial, and her Shelgon had evolved into Salamence. She couldn't be happier.

"I'm doing okay," Gary said. "But I do need a favor, Mr. Steven."

"Of course. If there's anything I can help with, just ask," Steven replied immediately.

After all, Gary had helped Hoenn so much during this crisis. If Gary had asked for a Mega Stone outright, Steven wouldn't have refused.

"It's about Zinnia. You know her identity—she's technically an unregistered citizen. Living outside is difficult for her. I hope you can help settle her official residency."

"Wait, that's what you want help with?" Wallace blurted in surprise. He had been curious what Gary would request from Steven—but this?

"Yeah, why?" Gary asked plainly. To him, this was a simple ask. In truth, Zinnia had played the key role in resolving the incident. If it weren't for her, everyone on the Aether Marine Platform would've perished when Rayquaza attacked.

"This is exactly what the Hoenn League should be doing," Steven said firmly.

"After all, the Draconid Tribe is part of Hoenn too, and it's our responsibility to manage their legal status."

He turned to Gary. "Honestly, you've done more than enough. We should be thanking you. If there's anything else you want, just name it."

"I really didn't do much," Gary said modestly. "Zinnia deserves most of the credit. But if you really want to thank me... a Mega Stone would be nice."

Wallace: (O_O)?

Wallace had thought Gary was a humble and polite kid—but maybe he misjudged him.

"That's not a problem," Steven chuckled. "But you know, my Mega Stone collection is limited. I may not have the one you need."

"Do you have one for Blastoise?" Gary asked.

Steven shook his head. "No..."

He remembered Gary asking him about Blastoise's Mega Stone once before when they'd exchanged research.

"What about Charizard?"

"Charizard can Mega Evolve?" Steven asked, surprised. His knowledge of Mega Evolution was still limited, and he wasn't entirely sure which Pokémon had access to the form.

Noticing Steven's confusion, Gary explained, "During my travels, I found a mural in some ruins. It showed a Pokémon that looked a lot like Charizard—just... not quite the same. I think it was Charizard's Mega Evolution form."

"I see..." Steven nodded, mentally noting that he should begin expanding his research into other regions.

"By the way, Mr. Steven—can you tell me which Pokémon you've collected Mega Stones for?" Gary asked curiously.

"Er... that's classified League information," Steven smiled awkwardly. "But I can help if you tell me which Pokémon you want to Mega Evolve."

"Tyranitar, Scizor, Gyarados, Gengar, Swampert," Gary replied.

Gary had quite a few Pokémon that could Mega Evolve, but he only prioritized the ones that gained significant power from it. He had briefly considered including Blaziken, but after remembering its Speed Boost Ability, he changed his mind.

He knew that with the upcoming Ability Capsule—which allowed Pokémon to gain their Hidden Ability—it would be smarter to wait on Blaziken's Mega Stone.

"I've got a Scizorite," Steven said.

"Can I have it?" Gary asked eagerly.

Steven chuckled. He had expected Gary to choose something like Tyranitar or Gyarados. After all, Mega Scizor wasn't as overwhelming as those others.

"Sure. Come with me to Rustboro City tomorrow. We'll also take care of Zinnia's registration paperwork," Steven said.

"Oh! We're going back?" Zinnia perked up. She knew that Meteor Falls wasn't far from Rustboro.

She had completed her trial now, and it was probably time to return to her tribe. But she had already exposed the tribe without permission—how was she going to explain that to her grandmother?

"Zinnia, we'll explain the Draconid Tribe's situation properly. Don't worry," Steven said reassuringly.

After all, their tribe had been exposed already. This entire incident at the Aether Marine Platform had largely been caused by Zinnia's efforts to recover the stolen Meteorite. Now that the crisis was resolved, the Meteorite issue had to be addressed as well.