"Milotic! Hydro Pump!"
A powerful jet of water struck Camerupt, knocking it out in a single hit!
The intense heat radiating from the volcano weakened Water-type moves somewhat—similar to the effects of Sunny Day.
However, Wallace possessed the strength befitting a future Hoenn Champion.
Under these conditions, defeating Maxie wasn't particularly challenging.
"Wallace, the Sootopolis Gym Leader, your reputation precedes you," Maxie said calmly after his defeat. He retrieved the meteorite from the nearby instrument and casually tossed it to Wallace.
"Consider this my loss."
"What?" Wallace caught the meteorite one-handed, puzzled by Maxie's unexpected surrender.
"What exactly are you planning?!"
Maxie clasped his hands behind his back and spoke with conviction.
"Long ago, all life in this world depended on land to survive. That's why land is so precious—it's the foundation of all life!"
"Because of this, we in Team Magma will dedicate everything to expanding the land!"
"We do this for the future prosperity of both humanity and Pokémon!"
No matter how eloquent Maxie's speech sounded, his logic remained deeply flawed.
Just as Wallace prepared to act—
Bang—
Smoke erupted from beneath Maxie's feet!
The same trick as always!
The smoke served as a signal. Black plumes began rising from various points across the mountaintop, like a coordinated retreat order.
"Milotic, use Surf!"
Wallace reacted instantly, commanding his Pokémon to sweep the area with massive waves.
But Maxie had already vanished.
Wallace's eyes narrowed as he quickly looked upward.
Maxie stood atop a Fearow, hands still clasped behind his back, meeting Wallace's gaze from above.
"Until we meet again, Sootopolis Gym Leader."
"Wallace!"
Wallace turned toward Steven, who had just arrived.
"Aren't you going to pursue him?" Steven asked, watching Maxie's retreating figure.
Wallace shook his head gently. "He admitted defeat."
"You can't trust anything that man says," Steven replied quickly.
"No, precisely because he can't be trusted, I shouldn't chase him," Wallace said seriously.
"We need to find experts immediately to assess the magma flow below."
"If this triggers a volcanic eruption, we'll need to evacuate the surrounding towns first."
Steven suddenly understood—that made perfect sense.
However, Team Magma's true objective was awakening Groudon.
Steven honestly couldn't recall the specific role the meteorite played in their plans.
After all, when he'd played through the game, he'd just mashed the A button through most dialogue.
"What about Team Aqua?" Wallace inquired.
"When Team Magma retreated, they seemed to withdraw as well," Steven explained.
Only several unconscious Team Magma grunts remained at the scene.
"Let's head back and report these Team Magma members to Officer Jenny..."
"Leave them to me," Steven said, pulling out rope.
Having encountered Pokémon Hunters frequently during his travels, Steven always kept rope handy.
Wallace smiled at this practicality.
After Steven and Wallace tied up the Team Magma grunts together, they headed to nearby Lavaridge Town and reported everything to Officer Jenny.
By the time they left the police station, night had completely fallen.
"Where are you headed next, Steven?" Wallace asked.
"I should be going to Fortree City to challenge for my sixth badge," Steven replied after brief consideration, sharing his plans with Wallace.
"I see. Good luck," Wallace paused, then smiled warmly.
"If you had a Water-type Pokémon, I could offer you some guidance."
"Though it seems you specialize in Steel-types."
Actually, you're mistaken!
"To be honest, I do have a Water-type Pokémon," Steven said, pulling out Piplup's Poké Ball.
The moment Piplup materialized, it immediately shot a small jet of water.
Splash—
The water sprayed directly into Steven's face.
Having grown accustomed to this behavior, Steven calmly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face dry.
"Pfft—" Wallace covered his mouth, barely suppressing his laughter. "This one's quite spirited."
"Ah... I suppose so," Steven replied with an awkward chuckle.
"Piplup! (｀Δ´)!"
Who's this guy supposed to be?!
"It's getting late. Why don't you stay here tonight? I can share some training methods with you," Wallace offered with a smile.
"I'd be grateful," Steven said appreciatively.
"Not at all. I should thank you for lending me Skarmory earlier," Wallace replied warmly.
Steven and Wallace entered the Pokémon Center together, each securing a room.
In larger cities, they might have chosen a battle hotel instead.
Unfortunately, Lavaridge Town didn't have one.
After sharing dinner, they visited the hot springs together.
A good way to become better acquainted.
Afterward, Wallace went to Steven's room to discuss Water-type Pokémon training techniques.
Honestly, their friendship was developing quite quickly. (Not in that way!)
"Training Water-type Pokémon works best in flowing water, where they can better sense the current," Wallace explained while Steven sat cross-legged on the bed, taking notes in his notebook.
"This enhances their understanding of water flow. Water-types perform significantly better in aquatic environments than on land."
"After all, environmental advantages let them harness the power of their surroundings."
"Water-type Pokéblocks are helpful, but you can also try having them absorb energy from Water Stones, Mystic Water, and similar items while submerged. This might yield excellent results."
"These resources shouldn't be difficult for you to obtain—being the young master of Devon Corporation and all."
Wallace smiled knowingly at this.
"Huh? I don't think I mentioned that," Steven said, scratching his head in confusion.
You've been investigating me behind my back, haven't you!
"Your information became public after your Contest performance," Wallace explained with a shrug, indicating it wasn't his doing.
"You should pay more attention to current events."
"You're right. I should stay informed," Steven nodded, acknowledging he'd been too focused on training.
When he'd first met Beldum, he'd only had it perform basic exercises and foundation building.
As a first-time trainer, he needed to proceed carefully. Training methods from books didn't necessarily suit every Pokémon—he had to adapt and learn through experience.
Back then, Beldum hadn't spent most of its day training intensely.
Though now, it was Metagross's own drive to grow stronger that pushed it so hard.
"Alright, that should be enough for tonight," Wallace said, slowly rising from his chair.
He'd shared numerous tips regarding Water-type moves.
He'd held nothing back.
"If you don't mind, let's be friends, Steven," Wallace said with a genuine smile.
"Of course!"
They exchanged contact information.
The next morning, Steven departed for Fortree City!
First, he needed to return to Mauville City.
"Hmm? Looks like there's breaking news today?"
Walking along the route, Steven curiously tapped on "Breaking News" in his Pokédex navigator.
SHOCKING! Sootopolis Gym Leader Wallace and newcomer Steven reportedly checked into the Pokémon Center together!
SHOCKING! Late at night, Wallace secretly entered Steven's room!
SHOCKING! Wallace remained in Steven's room for two hours!
[Who do you think is the bottom?]
[Stop with the wild speculation. They were probably discussing Contest strategies.]
[Bad news: My ship got caught in a scandal! Good news: It involves both halves of my ship!]
[Get your minds out of the gutter!]
The three bold "SHOCKING" headlines truly shocked Steven.
"No way. There are paparazzi for this stuff too?!"
Whoever wrote that article should report to a tabloid tomorrow.
Otherwise, Steven might personally invite them to the hospital's ICU.