Pokémon : Forced to Be a Ghost Champion

c15: Daigo

Alex walked just behind Ruby, who was proudly flanked by his elegant Gardevoir, as they arrived before the entrance of Granite Cave, its jagged mouth looming before them like a puzzle from the past.

"Gardevoir! Use Shiny!" Ruby declared with theatrical flair.

A dazzling light radiated from Gardevoir's body, illuminating the entire cave entrance with its Fairy-type aura.

"Tch. This Lu Chi really loves being flashy," Alex muttered under his breath. "My Trevenant's Will-O-Wisp could've lit up this place just fine."

The night before, following their intense battle, Ruby had finally relented under Alex's calm but persistent "persuasion" and agreed to a trade evolution session. Alex had known for a while that both his Haunter and Phantump had hit a growth ceiling. Without evolving, they wouldn't be able to access their full potential. And delaying their evolution too long might cap their stat growth or deny them access to key moves.

After four trades—ensuring both sides got their Pokémon back properly, Alex returned with two newly evolved powerhouses. His Level 39 Gengar had undergone a notable surge in power post-evolution, gaining not just speed and Special Attack, but also that dangerous Levitate-based immunity combo. But it was his Level 31 Trevenant that truly stunned Ruby.

Now equipped with Wood Hammer, a physical Grass-type STAB move with monstrous recoil and power, Trevenant had finally become the true tanky attacker Alex envisioned. Phantump, after all, had always leaned physical, being Brave-natured, with a base Attack of 110 upon evolution. Now, combined with its signature ability Vengeful Ghost, the haunting black-and-red Will-O-Wisp that emanated from its lone crimson eye and its heavy, tree-trunk limbs made it an intimidating presence.

Just imagining Trevenant barreling forward with Leech Seed, Will-O-Wisp, and Wood Hammer, Alex had to suppress a grin. This was the monster he had been patiently raising.

As for Dreepy, Alex still couldn't believe it. Last night it had been at Level 36, still one evolution away from its final form. But this morning, after a long night of silent effort, it had reached Level 41! It hadn't even evolved into Dragapult yet, but its sheer tenacity moved Alex deeply.

Unlike Haunter and Phantump, who merely required the right trade conditions to unlock their potential, Dreepy had no shortcuts. As a pseudo-legendary, its evolution line was built around grueling perseverance. Dreepy trained harder, carried the team through more battles, and yet because of its species progressed more slowly. Alex glanced at the loyal Dreepy perched quietly on his shoulder, his heart heavy with a swirl of admiration and guilt.

I need to find time to talk to little Duraludon, Alex thought. Dreepy's been holding in a lot… I hope it doesn't affect him long-term.

Before he realized it, Alex was lost in his thoughts for so long that he hadn't noticed they'd reached the inner chamber of the cave. Sunlight poured in through a wide, open-air crack above, giving the stone floor a soft, natural glow. At the far end stood a figure clad in military green work clothes, a headlamp resting atop his silver hair.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Steven?" Ruby called out across the cave, voice echoing.

The figure turned slowly.

Indeed, it was him, the man whose beauty and elegance were so profound even Professor Birch joked about it in Hoenn's League meetings. The man who had inherited both wisdom and wealth. The champion of Hoenn. The steel-hearted collector of rare stones.

Steven Stone. Known in the manga as Daigo, the most handsome man in the Pokémon world.

"I am Steven. Oh? Do you have a letter for me?" The two boys walked over and handed the sealed envelope from Devon Corporation to the silver-haired man. Their excitement was hard to hide after all, this wasn't just the former Champion of Hoenn, but also arguably the strongest current trainer in the region, and one of the top three trainers in the world, alongside names like Red and Cynthia.

"Ah~ It's you two. I saw your battle yesterday evening when I was returning from the lower caverns of the mine."

"Huh, Mr. Steven saw our battle?" Ruby and Alex both froze in place for a moment, caught between awe and disbelief. To be witnessed by Steven Stone the man whose Mega Metagross had once flattened entire enemy teams in televised League exhibitions was something they had only dreamed of. Ruby's heart thumped wildly.

Steven folded his arms, smiling faintly. "Watching you two reminded me of something… it took me back to when Wallace and I first began our journeys as trainers."

Being told that they reminded Steven of himself and Wallace the current Champion of Hoenn and master of Water-type Pokémon — felt surreal. Ruby, overwhelmed, clenched his fists and shouted with trembling hands and a voice full of emotion, "Yes! Mr. Steven!"

Only Alex's expression grew... strange.

He had a memory from his past life fragments of old Pokémon game dialogue, fandom theories, and certain suggestive quotes between Steven and Wallace that left their friendship open to interpretation. Combined with the way they were always described as "elegant" and "close companions"... Alex cleared his throat awkwardly, pushing the thought aside.

To thank Ruby and Alex for delivering the letter, Steven reached into his bag and handed each of them a TM for Steel Wing. "This is a move I once used with my Skarmory during my Gym circuit days," he explained.

Then, after briefly reading the contents of the letter clearly something urgent from Mr. Stone, President of the Devon Corporation Steven turned serious, tucked the letter into his coat, and dashed off deeper into the cave.

By the time the boys gave chase, they only caught a glimpse of Skarmory's steel wings glinting in the sunlight as it soared into the clouds.

Left with no one to speak to, Ruby and Alex exited the cave and decided to move on. They planned to find Haruki next — the rising Water-type Coordinator and if all went well, make it to Slateport City before nightfall.

Meanwhile, far from Granite Cave, in a quiet stone-walled room filled with rare fossils and crystals, Steven stepped out.

"Phew…" he exhaled, glancing at a hidden vault door. "Those two sleeping titans are stirring again... I need to prepare."

He turned and began walking down a corridor and just then, encountered a tall, blue-haired man wearing a ship doctor's cap and a flowing blue and white robe with Water-type embroidery.

"Oh? Wallace," Steven said with a soft smile. "I met two interesting youngsters on Wudou Island these past two days. One is Norman's son the Gym Leader's boy and the other seems to be a Ghost-type specialist with surprisingly sharp tactical instincts. They remind me a lot of how we used to be."

Wallace tilted his head slightly and smiled. "Oh? Is that so? How interesting. I always appreciate strong young trainers."

At that moment, a girl in a flowing long blue dress, with two plum-colored flower-shaped hairpins, stepped past them.

"What, what? What are you two talking about?" she asked in a teasing tone.

Steven replied, "Two promising youngsters. One's the son of Gym Leader Norman. The other specializes in Ghost-types."

"Oh?" she said, eyes lighting up. "A Ghost-type specialist? That I'm interested in. After all, I'm a Ghost-type specialist myself."

The girl continued walking, her silhouette vanishing into the corridor but the wheels were already turning.

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