Even Steven, a renowned gem collector, had never heard of this “White Stone of Gratitude.” Hikaru found this somewhat troubling.

Though Giratina had mentioned that an ordinary stone could work as a substitute, Hikaru still wanted to fulfill the client’s request properly—especially since the client was Giratina itself!

If he could build a good relationship with Giratina, he might get unlimited access to the Distortion World for rare materials. Moreover, as a descendant of the Shinto Ruins, he shared a psychic link with Giratina. By extension, they could be considered friends, right?

Meanwhile, Steven murmured thoughtfully, still unconvinced about the stone’s supposed significance. However, he pointed out that wishing stones might be considered a form of gratitude.

“Looks like I’ll have to ask Regirock about this. I’ve heard of the white stone in Mossdeep City, and it’s said to be a strange rock, but I don’t think it’s the White Stone of Gratitude.”

With that decision, Hikaru planned to consult another “rock excavator.”

“Regirock…” Steven’s expression shifted slightly as he hesitantly asked, “Speaking of which, I’ve been wondering for a while now—how exactly do you obtain ancient rocks from Regirock? And where did you learn its exclusive moves? Even my friend has never seen those techniques before. Just what kind of Regirock is this…?”

“Oh, well, due to some unexpected circumstances, Regirock woke up from its slumber in the Rock Peak Ruins. Its temple was severely damaged, so it sought me out for help with repairs. Actually, I was planning to leave and start fixing it right after meeting with you.”

“Who knows, you and Regirock might have a lot to talk about. The one I met is quite skilled at digging up rare stones—it even unearthed a second Eviolite.”

Hikaru’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“Steven, you also study ruins, don’t you?”

While Cynthia would have been the best expert on ruins, Steven frequently excavated minerals in the wild, often coming across various ancient sites. Perhaps he would have useful advice for restoring ruins.

Though Hikaru had mastered three major restoration techniques, he had never actually used them. Getting Steven’s input could prove valuable.

“Rock Peak Ruins…!”

Steven’s eyes glowed with curiosity and intrigue.

A Regirock actively communicating with humans? That was entirely different from the ones he knew!

Somewhere deep in his memory, he vaguely recalled encountering the Regis before. But the recollection was blurry—so much so that he wondered if it was just an illusion formed after meeting Brandon and his Regirock.

In the past, he had never imagined that Regirock could provide such useful ancient minerals. Even Brandon hadn’t mentioned anything about it—perhaps he didn’t know either?

And this Regirock… it could dig up rare stones?!

Another Evolutionary Stone!

Steven’s eyes burned with excitement.

“I’d love to meet this Regirock!”

“And please—let me help with the ruin restoration as well!”

As expected, the moment rare stones were involved, Steven couldn’t contain himself. He and Hikaru dove into an intense discussion about the formation of Evolutionary Stones.

Since Hikaru often excavated minerals in the wild, his experience could almost categorize him as a Hiker. While talking with Steven, he felt his knowledge rapidly expanding, branching into new insights.

『You have received guidance from a professional rock collector and have obtained Advanced Knowledge of Rocks!』

『Advanced Knowledge of Rocks enhances your craftsmanship skills, improving all rock-related techniques!』

Hikaru’s eyes sparkled!

He had obtained Steven’s knowledge!

By engaging in deep discussions with experts, he could fully grasp their expertise and even build upon it!

As their conversation continued, night began to fall. Suddenly, Hikaru remembered something important and quickly asked—

“Even if we don’t have any clues about the White Stone of Gratitude, Steven, do you know any Berry experts?”

“I’ve been struggling to find a particular material and was wondering if there’s a master in tree cultivation who could help.”

As he spoke, Hikaru took out a Golden Leaf and a Silver Leaf.

Steven examined the two shimmering leaves and once again fell into deep thought.

Yet another thing he had never seen before!

Even with all his field experience, he had never encountered materials like these.

“These leaves are beautiful… So, are you looking for the tree that produces them?”

Steven took the leaves into his hands, his expression becoming more serious.

Their texture wasn’t like regular leaves—they were soft yet durable, feeling more like fabric, while their sheen resembled metal.

Hikaru explained, “These leaves can be found in Kanto and Johto. You can occasionally find them among fallen leaves from various trees, but the exact tree that produces them remains a mystery.”

“That’s why I wanted to consult experts in tree cultivation. Maybe they have insights on growing special trees. I’ve even found these leaves among my own Berry trees, so I’m wondering—what kind of tree could be the best base for cultivating them?”

Steven smiled and handed the leaves back.

“They may not be stones, but rare materials intrigue me all the same. These leaves must be important crafting components, right? As your collaborator, I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

“That’s right! These two leaves are the key ingredients for two powerful items.”

Hikaru handed over two blueprints—Weakness Policy and Assault Vest.

After hearing about their effects, Steven’s smile immediately vanished, replaced by a serious expression.

“These items… they’re incredibly powerful! In that case, I must ask the best Berry experts to focus their efforts on cultivating these leaves. Devon Corporation will also allocate resources to research alternative methods of cultivation!”

At first, he thought the leaves were just rare collectibles, but now he realized they could be turned into mysterious battle-enhancing tools!

If Hoenn could be the first region to cultivate these trees…!

With exclusive access to these crafting materials, Hoenn would become a premier competitive battling hub, attracting investments from companies and the League itself!

This would be huge for the Hoenn League, which was often seen as a more rural, less influential region.

“Hoenn has the best climate and the most fertile land—no region is better suited for cultivating special plants!”

Steven was already formulating plans. He wasn’t an expert in tree cultivation, but he knew the right people for the job!

“Regi—”

A deep, booming voice echoed from outside the workshop.

The moment Steven heard it, he immediately recognized it—he had heard the same call before at Brandon’s training site.

There was no doubt—it was Regirock!

Outside the workshop, Steven’s Metagross was staring at the towering golem in confusion.

A Legendary Giant!

Metagross had encountered one before, but to see another one here…

Wait—what was it doing?

Regirock reached out and patted Metagross’s body, its H-shaped face glowing brightly.

Yo, you’ve developed quite well! Almost as strong as my brother, Registeel!

Metagross: “…”

Metagross stood still, staring blankly.

Are all the Pokémon in this workshop absolute weirdos?

“Regirock! You and Turtwig are back!”

Hikaru and Steven walked out of the workshop, just as Unown floated over, shaking its body indignantly since it hadn’t been called.

“Alright, alright, Unown, you’re back too.” Hikaru chuckled, and Unown E finally looked satisfied.

Exactly! You can’t just focus on those two—I did a lot today too!

“You’re both covered in injuries. Weren’t you supposed to be training?” Hikaru asked, frowning at Lilligant, who also shook her head, indicating she had no idea what had happened.

Regirock had multiple cracks across its body, with chunks of stone missing, though it didn’t seem to care much. Meanwhile, Turtwig was covered in bruises and scratches—but the medicinal herbs on its back were completely intact.

“Turtwig!”

Turtwig and Regirock exchanged looks and then laughed together.

That was some intense training today!

Good thing Unown created such a strong Pokémon to help us… and thankfully, it didn’t go out of control, right?

“Look at all these wounds—let’s get you patched up right away!”

Hikaru quickly pulled out herbal potions, repair tools, and recovery items, including Revitalizing Blocks and healing salves. The Pokémon stood patiently as he treated them, while Steven observed the unfamiliar medicine with great interest.

“What is that…?”

Hikaru explained, “A special herbal potion I made. It restores a Pokémon’s stamina while also healing hidden internal injuries and illnesses. The Unova Champion once bought some from me. If you’re interested, I have plenty in stock.”

Under Steven’s watchful gaze, Turtwig drank the herbal potion, and its injuries began fading almost immediately. The recovery speed was faster than a Hyper Potion—practically on par with a Full Restore!

However, unlike a Full Restore, this potion could also heal old, lingering injuries—something regular medicines couldn’t do.

Steven’s gaze instinctively drifted to Metagross.

His Metagross had been by his side since he was a child, enduring countless battles. Though his close friend, Wallace, was a top-tier Pokémon breeder and had helped it recover, Metagross had still accumulated many hidden scars over the years.

Thinking about that now… Steven suddenly felt guilty.

“I’m sorry, Metagross.”

“Metto?”

Metagross tilted its head, confused by Steven’s sudden words, but then noticed something in his eyes.

It was the same look Steven had given it many years ago.

“Metto.”

Metagross understood.

There’s no need to apologize. As the Champion, you have your responsibilities. Seeking strength is part of your nature—it’s what you must do.

Steven’s expression was complicated as he reached out to pat Metagross’s claw.

The two old friends silently reaffirmed their bond.

Then, Steven turned to look at the injured Regirock.

Regirock stared back, its H-shaped face glowing faintly.

So this is the one Hikaru was waiting for?

Hmm… but he carries the aura of rare stones…

“Reeegi?”

Regirock suddenly spoke up.

Steven blinked in surprise, and Hikaru listened for a moment before translating:

“Regirock is asking if you’re also someone who enjoys digging up rare stones—it senses an intense mineral aura from you.”

“You can understand Pokémon?!” Steven exclaimed.

Until now, Hikaru had never shown such an ability!

And Regirock’s language wasn’t like that of normal Pokémon—Brandon’s Regirock, for instance, was barely understood by others.

Hikaru smiled. “I have psychic abilities. I can understand the language of Ghost Pokémon, and due to certain circumstances, I can also comprehend the speech of ancient Pokémon.

“Regirock’s language is like human dialects—Pokémon from different regions may struggle to understand it, just as people sometimes have trouble with unfamiliar accents.”

Steven was still reeling from this revelation when Regirock spoke again.

Hikaru’s expression turned amused.

“Oh, this is interesting…”

Regirock had not forgotten one of its earlier ideas.

Now that it had seen Steven, it was getting excited.

So it’s true—stand users- I mean, rare stone diggers are drawn to one another!

“It’s asking if you have any special stones. It also has some stones and wants to trade with you.” Hikaru sighed.

“Previously, Regirock mentioned that after repairing Rock Peak Ruins, it wanted to turn the site into a place where Pokémon could trade items with one another—kind of like my workshop.

“Maybe because it once lived alongside the ancient people of Johto, its behavior is closer to that of humans.”

Steven’s face lit up in delight.

This Regirock was completely different from the ones in his vague memories, or even the one Brandon owned!

It was like… a kindred spirit.

Steven and Regirock locked eyes, their shared passion for rare stones forming an unspoken bond.

Then Hikaru suddenly asked, “By the way, do you know anything about the White Stone of Gratitude?”

Regirock’s H-symbol flashed.

“Shasha-lili—”

It responded that it had never heard of a ‘Stone of Gratitude’ specifically, but it had seen white stones before—near the Gracidea Flower Garden, in an ancient Johto burial site!

(End of Chapter)

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep