It was only when Wayne saw Steven open his briefcase that he realized Steven didn't carry it just for show.
Inside were his tools for studying ores, neatly arranged and embedded in fixed positions.
It even came with an entrenching tool and a short pickaxe...
Good heavens, he carried an entrenching tool with him!
As expected of Steven!
Wayne's mouth twitched.
Steven didn't notice Wayne's change in expression, focusing intently on the meteorite.
After a careful examination, Steven murmured softly, "There's light inside."
Steven looked up, his gaze inquiring.
"To make a more accurate judgment, a portion of this meteorite needs to be opened. This requires your consent."
Wayne nodded. "Go ahead."
Actually, Wayne had always wanted to open it, but he wasn't a professional and didn't have the right tools, so he might have damaged it.
That was why Wayne had never tried.
With Wayne's consent, Steven changed tools and began carefully chiseling along the meteorite's subtle cracks.
After Steven removed a piece roughly the size of a fingernail from the outer surface, the inside of the meteorite glowed with rainbow light.
Wayne didn't feel particularly surprised, as the appraisal result from the system was the same as before.
"A meteorite with rainbow light contained within."
Wayne knew what it was, but not its purpose.
Steven, however, was different. His pupils reflected the rainbow glow, and he stared intently at the light with burning eyes.
This kind of look was pure fascination.
Wayne didn't rush him. Steven stood stunned for a while before he began to study the meteorite more closely.
After a long time, Steven shifted his gaze from the meteorite. "This meteorite is indeed extremely similar to the meteorite in the legends..."
At this point, Steven's expression was still indescribably strange. "It's just too small."
The legendary Mega Stone meteorite was recorded to be dozens of meters high, called a megalith, and had not yet been found.
But Wayne's was only palm-sized.
At most, it could be called a Mega Stone meteorite fragment.
Was it really a Mega Stone meteorite?
Wayne couldn't help but frown.
If it truly was a Mega Stone meteorite, Wayne could roughly infer its purpose.
He remembered that Mega Stone meteorites were related to Rayquaza, but whether they were to be consumed or how they were used, Wayne had no clear recollection.
Steven then added, "To make an accurate judgment, the waveform needs to be tested with instruments. It certainly cannot be determined by the naked eye alone."
Wayne shook his head. "This is enough."
Steven didn't insist, laughing heartily. "Then you should put the meteorite away. It's not too late to examine it another day. I believe this meteorite didn't come into your hands for no reason. Perhaps it will serve a purpose one day, so please keep it safe."
Like Sinnoh, the Hoenn region also had many legends, and Steven, as an ore enthusiast, would naturally come across these legends.
A person or a family obtaining a specific item was not without reason.
Either it was fate, or they possessed exceptional talent.
Steven was very interested in this meteorite.
He also very much wanted to obtain it, but he believed it would be better if the meteorite remained with Wayne.
Wayne shared the same view.
After putting the meteorite away, Wayne suggested, "Would you like to stay for lunch?"
Steven was slightly tempted. "I'd love to stay, but it's really inconvenient today. I have to go to Oreburgh City."
Although Steven didn't appear in the chat often, he had heard Blue praise Wayne's cooking in the group.
Wayne's social media account had featured posts about Mapo Tofu and Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, which Steven was also very interested in trying.
On a side note, Wayne's account had recently stopped updating.
His three A-class dishes—Crispy Apple, Chopped Chili Fish Head, and Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish—were all in a bottleneck period.
It wasn't impossible to make one or two casual videos, but casual videos offered no benefit to Wayne.
What he wanted was recognition, not just account revenue.
In addition, Wayne was still participating in the Breeder Competition, so he simply took a break and became inactive online again.
Wayne was a little puzzled. "Isn't your competition only starting tomorrow?"
Steven's Masters League match was tomorrow, held in the adjacent Oreburgh City, which was why Steven had taken the time to visit.
Steven nodded. "The competition is indeed tomorrow, but have you heard about the anomaly in the Oreburgh Coal Mine?"
Wayne nodded. "I saw the news."
The anomaly in the Oreburgh Coal Mine had been in the news a few days ago, as it had been sealed off for a period of time.
Reporters from the Sinnoh Now television station had entered the Oreburgh Coal Mine and filmed a video.
Wayne had seen the news. From the video, it looked somewhat like an underground cavern, but apart from that, no additional information was revealed.
After that, Wayne stopped paying attention. It wasn't his field of expertise, and he wouldn't understand much even if he did follow it.
Steven explained, "I was invited to investigate the Oreburgh Coal Mine."
As a Champion and an ore enthusiast, and with a competition scheduled in Oreburgh City, it was perfectly normal for Steven to be invited.
Wayne felt a little intrigued.
"Can I go with you?"
Wayne wasn't interested in the anomaly of the Oreburgh Coal Mine itself, but rather because the meteorite had been found there.
Steven laughed heartily. "To be honest, I actually wanted to invite you to come along."
"Why?"
Steven glanced at his watch and suggested, "We still need to travel to Oreburgh City. How about we talk on the way?"
"Okay."
It was business hours, and there were quite a few people coming and going at the Breeding Center, especially after word spread that Steven had arrived.
Even Nurse Joy was no exception.
As Steven and Wayne walked out together, all eyes immediately turned toward them.
Dressed in a suit, with light blue eyes shining like polished gems, and a gentle smile that made people feel welcomed—it was Steven.
Wayne, dressed in black casual pants and a comfortable style, looked a bit younger and less formal than Steven.
Wayne's advantage was that he was taller.
Gasps and hushed discussions occasionally spread from all around.
Nurse Joy and Chansey's gazes moved back and forth between Wayne and Steven, as if comparing them...
The surrounding customers and staff, on the other hand, were overwhelmed. What should they focus on?
Wayne, a Master-Level Breeder who was accustomed to being the center of attention, truly encountered a rival for the first time.
Steven, accustomed to such attention, smiled and nodded at everyone around.
Wayne found Leon.
"Dad, I won't be back for lunch or dinner."
"Oh, okay." Leon was currently teaching Bullet Seed to a Pokémon, responding very absently.
Wayne looked helplessly at Alan.
"Alan, I'm going to Oreburgh City for a trip."
"Go ahead, don't worry about things here."
The morning training session for Lucario and Metagross was over, and it was easy for Wayne to call them back.
After Steven sent out his Shiny Metagross, Wayne and Steven each rode their Shiny Metagross and flew into the sky.
Alan gazed at their gradually disappearing figures. "Equally impressive, and both with Shiny Metagross. Well then."
Wayne's Metagross was larger than Steven's Metagross, and its surface had a higher luster.
That was because Wayne had just groomed it yesterday.
Looking at the Metagross shining brilliantly in the sun, Steven was slightly surprised.
"After the competition tomorrow, could I ask you to groom my partners?"
"Did you forget what I do for a living? Of course."