Grandma Caroline glanced at Cynthia, who was still sulking but eating nonetheless, and felt a little puzzled. She quietly leaned toward Steven and whispered:
"Steven, what's going on?"
The dining table was square. Steven and Cynthia sat across from each other, with Grandma Caroline occupying the seat in between on one side.
"Uh... it's nothing, really," Steven replied with a low, slightly embarrassed chuckle.
The truth was, Steven had no experience in matters of the heart. He was a bit slow when it came to things like that.
"Grandma! What are you two whispering about?" Cynthia shot a glare at Steven before turning her question toward Grandma Caroline.
"Oh, nothing much. I was just asking Steven why he arrived so late today," Grandma Caroline said lightly, picking up some food with her chopsticks.
"Right, I was just filling Grandma Caroline in on what I've been up to lately," Steven added with a calm nod, scooping a mouthful of rice.
Grandma Caroline glanced at him and gave a quiet, approving nod.
Good kid. He knows how to play along.
"Don't try to cover for him," Cynthia muttered, fixing Steven with another look before turning back to her grandmother. "Then, Grandma — what exactly has Steven been up to lately?"
Grandma Caroline's chopsticks paused mid-air.
My little Cynthia has grown up. She's not so easy to fool anymore...
A brief silence fell over the table.
"Grandma... you're not being straight with me."
"Ahem — well, truth be told, I was asking Steven what he did to upset my dear Cynthia," Grandma Caroline admitted with a couple of light coughs.
Wait a moment...
That didn't come out right, did it?
I'm supposed to be the elder here, aren't I?
Steven, who had been keeping his head down over his bowl, went stiff.
Another silence followed.
He could hardly admit that he had killed the mood, could he? He stole a quiet glance at Cynthia, who looked as though nothing had happened. It seemed she had no intention of bringing it up either — or perhaps she simply didn't know how to.
"Steven, you're the Hoenn League Champion now," Grandma Caroline said, smoothly changing the subject. "How does it feel?"
Cynthia perked up at that. She raised her head, curious to hear the answer.
"Honestly... I haven't given it much thought yet," Steven replied with an awkward smile.
He was still working out how to hand the title over to Wallace. Wallace had the talent and the strength for it — he had simply chosen not to pursue the position. Steven's situation was different. He couldn't step aside so easily. He was already the reigning Champion, and his name was well known across the entire region. The title of the youngest League Champion in Hoenn's history still followed him everywhere.
The Hoenn League would never approve a resignation.
His only real option was to pass things on to Wallace — except Wallace was nowhere to be found. The man wasn't even answering his calls.
With Grandma Caroline keeping the conversation going, Steven managed to get through the rest of the meal without too much trouble. The atmosphere, at least, stayed warm.
After dinner, Steven headed to the kitchen to wash the dishes while Cynthia settled in the living room to watch TV with Grandma Caroline.
"Aren't you going out to train?" Grandma Caroline asked, gently holding Cynthia's hand.
"Later... I'll go later."
Grandma Caroline studied the faint blush on Cynthia's cheeks and let out a small, helpless sigh. She reached over and pinched her granddaughter's rosy face affectionately.
"Oh, honestly. He hasn't even done anything, and you're already a mess."
"Grandma! I am not!" Cynthia protested.
"Heheh," Grandma Caroline laughed softly, without another word.
"Ow, that hurts~"
"Does it now?" Grandma Caroline teased, giving her hand a little squeeze.
"Grandma!"
Cynthia, her face bright red, yanked her hand back and quickly glanced toward the kitchen. Seeing Steven still busy with the dishes, she let out a quiet breath of relief.
"My little Cynthia was never very handy, was she~" Grandma Caroline mused with a fond smile. "That brooch you made just now was quite the effort, and those little dolls you used to make when you were small were just the same — mmph!"
Cynthia clapped her hand over her grandmother's mouth.
Why does she have to say everything?
"What dolls?" Steven called from the kitchen, his curiosity piqued. He walked out, drying his hands on a towel.
"Nothing at all," Cynthia said sweetly, giving him a bright smile. Then she turned back to her grandmother and dropped her voice to a whisper: "Grandma, please don't say another word!"
Grandma Caroline gave a small nod. Only then did Cynthia lower her hand.
"Honestly, trying to silence your own grandmother."
"I'm not! This is entirely your fault for bringing it up!"
Steven looked between the two of them, feeling a bit out of place.
I don't think I'm supposed to be standing here right now.
"I'll go check on the Pokémon out back," he said, then turned and headed toward the backyard, leaving the grandmother and granddaughter to their moment.
"I'm coming too!"
Cynthia slipped on her shoes and hurried after him before the door had even closed.
"Girls these days — can't keep them home for a minute~"
Steven had barely stepped into the backyard when he heard Cynthia's footsteps behind him.
"Hmm? Coming out to train?" he asked, turning to look at her.
"No, not really..."
"Oh — actually, I have something for you," Steven said. He reached into his jacket pocket and held out a lipstick.
"Lipstick?" Cynthia took it, turning it over in her hand. Something felt unusual about the bottom. She flipped it around — and there, set neatly into the base, was a Key Stone.
"This is..."
"A Key Stone. You mentioned before that you wanted to try Mega Evolution too, so I tracked one down for you," Steven said with a quiet smile.
"So you went to Kalos for more than just training with Lucario..." Cynthia said slowly, the pieces falling into place.
Steven had only told her that he had gone to Kalos to train under Gurkinn. If he'd told her the real reason, it wouldn't have been a surprise.
"But to Mega Evolve, don't you also need the corresponding Mega Stone for your Pokémon?" Cynthia asked.
"Ta-da!"
Steven held up a second item in his other hand — Garchompite, Garchomp's Mega Stone.
Garchomp, who had been glaring at Metagross from across the yard, turned its head sharply toward the stone in Steven's hand.
So that's what he was after.
Hmph. Does that blue-haired kid really think a shiny rock is enough to impress me?
Not a chance.
"That's Garchompite — Garchomp's Mega Stone. Want to give it a try?" Steven offered.
As Gurkinn had explained, Mega Evolution came down to the bond between a Trainer and their Pokémon. Steven had been able to form that connection with Lucario, though successfully achieving Mega Evolution had taken time. With Scizor, however, the process had gone smoothly.
"Absolutely!" Cynthia agreed right away, then tilted her head with a grin. "So — what's your pose when you Mega Evolve?"
"My pose? There's no set pose for it. You just do what feels natural," Steven said with a light laugh.
The movements came on their own. No particular stance would affect whether Mega Evolution succeeded.
"Never mind that — just show me what you do!"
"Alright, alright," Steven said with a helpless smile, then called out to his Pokémon. "Scizor, over here."
Scizor had been resting quietly in meditation. At the sound of Steven's voice, it rose immediately, crossed the yard in an instant with Quick Attack, and came to a stop at his side — a small gust of wind trailing in its wake.
"Show Cynthia and Garchomp how Mega Evolution works."
"Ha-shaa."
Scizor gave a short, composed nod.
Garchomp had moved to stand beside Cynthia by now, watching with focused, sharp eyes.
Steven unclipped his brooch, tilted his head slightly, and brought the Key Stone close to his lips — pressing a brief, gentle kiss to its surface.
The Key Stone lit up in a shimmering cascade of color.
The Scizorite set into Scizor's red scarf around its neck responded in kind, beginning to glow.
Four curved lines of light extended outward from both stones simultaneously, arcing toward each other until they connected.
Buzz!
A brilliant white light erupted from Scizor's body.
Wrapped in that radiance, Scizor's form began to shift and change.
When the light faded, a shimmering, double-helix pattern — like a strand of genetic code — materialized in the air before Scizor for just a moment before vanishing.
Mega Scizor stood before them. Its pincers had grown larger and longer, edged with three sharp points beneath each one — capable, it seemed, of crushing anything caught between them. Its head and shoulders were armored with heavy, angular plating.
"Ha-shaa!"
In Mega form, Scizor could briefly reach Champion-class power.
Cynthia looked at Mega Scizor, then turned to Garchomp.
"Garchomp — we can do this too."
"Kaa-oh!" Garchomp roared in answer.
Just watch us.