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The vast, futuristic hallways of the Mossdeep Space Center always had an eerie stillness about them. But now, with Magma Grunts occupying nearly every corner of the building, it seemed even more unsettling than usual. Moreover, judging by the burn marks scattered along the walls, it looked as though their takeover hadn't gone over smooth at all. And considering that Steven Stone the Champion of the Hoenn region as well as two young trainers from Littleroot Town managed to strong-arm their way into the building it seemed as though Team Magma was fairly weakened by their takeover. But not weak enough.
"Be cautious, Brendan, May. This could be a trap," Steven whispered as he carefully led the two young trainers forward, both followed closely behind the champion.
"Yeah, they could ambush us at any moment and use the element of surprise," May murmured, her voice steady but alert.
"Or maybe… they’ve just run out of grunts," Brendan suggested, sounding more anxious than optimistic.
"Perhaps." Steven closed his eyes briefly, then, after a moment of hesitation, continued. "We should split up. May, Brendan—you head straight to the main room. Maxie and his closest subordinates are likely there, and you must stop them at any cost. I’ll stay behind to handle any reinforcements."
"But, Mr. Steven, that's too dangerous! You don’t know who or how many they might send," Brendan whispered anxiously.
"We don’t have another choice. The faster we act, the sooner we can stop Team Magma and save Hoenn." May scanned the hallway, her voice low as if ensuring no one was eavesdropping.
"Thanks for your concern, Brendan, but May is right. Time is running out, and you need to move quickly. And besides, I am the Champion—if anyone can handle Team Magma's grunts, it’s me." Steven flashed a confident smile and motioned for the two to go.
"Good luck, Mr. Steven," Brendan whispered, sprinting off toward the main room.
"Yes, good luck Mister Steven. We’ll do our best, I promise," May added, with faked calmness as she followed Brendan into the main room.
Steven watched as the two young trainers slipped into the room, anxiously scanning for any sign of difficulty. But the hallway remained quiet, steeped in the same eerie silence the Mossdeep Space Center was always drenched in. For now, the kids seemed safe—or as safe as they could be, given the circumstances. And if it were to stay that way, Steven knew he’d have to ensure no reinforcements reached them. He sighed—eyes locked onto the staircase—the only point of entry, and their sole escape route.
Maybe Brendan was right; maybe Team Magma had simply run out of grunts. But that seemed unlikely. Regardless, the Elite Four and the gym leaders had been alerted to Team Magma’s plans. Even if Brendan and May couldn’t defeat Maxie, they just needed to curb him long enough for backup to arrive. That, Steven figured, should be manageable.
Instinctively, he reached for his belt and pulled out a Pokeball. He examined it for a moment before releasing his trusted Steel-type companion—his ace—Metagross.
"How are you feeling, Metagross?" Steven asked, resting a hand on his partner’s cold metal skin.
"Tense, huh? Don’t worry—I’m sure this will be over soon," he tried to soothe his Pokémon. "Brendan and May will stop Maxie, and then—"
Before he could finish, a blast of searing heat knocked him over, throwing him hard against the nearest wall. Dizzy but undeterred, Steven quickly rose to his feet, ready to face his attacker.
"Camerupt, Lava Plume!"
"Metagross, Psychic!" Steven commanded. However, Metagross caught off guard, took the full brunt of the Lava Plume and tumbled, but held on. Gathering its strength, Metagross unleashed a powerful Psychic blast, directly hitting a large Camerupt that had just ascended the stairs. The Fire-type staggered back, tumbled down the staircase and collided with a wall below—a one-hit knockout.
"Stay sharp, partner," Steven murmured, his eyes scanning the staircase for any sign of more foes.
Was that it? No, it couldn’t be over already. But the silence was deafening. Suddenly, a wall of fire erupted from the staircase, as if a bomb had detonated in the narrow corridor. A massive pressure wave slammed Steven and Metagross against the wall, forcing the air from his lungs. Bewildered and on the verge of blacking out, Steven fumbled for Metagross—or any of his other Pokémon—nothing.
"I expected more from the Champion of Hoenn," an odd voice sneered. Something gripped Steven’s hair, the pull was barely noticeable at first, then agonizing. He was dragged across the cold, metallic floor before being roughly pressed down.
"The precious Devon heir—such a disappointment. How amusing," the voice continued, punctuated by laughter that echoed through the hall. "Restrain him. And make sure he’s awake. Our dear Champion deserves front-row seats for Team Magma’s triumph."
As the haze from the impact lifted, Steven recognized the voice—Tabitha, Team Magma’s Admin. This was bad. But it wouldn’t necessarily stop Brendan and May.
The champions thoughts were interrupted by a sharp twist of his arm as a Magma grunt began tying him up. No matter how much he struggled, the grunts subdued him with ease, binding his hands and feet and gagging him with a rough cloth that cut painfully into his mouth.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Tabitha sneered, grabbing Steven by the collar and forcing him to his knees. "Perhaps the Champion would like to cooperate with us now." He hoisted Steven upright, his voice cold and mocking. "It would be in your best interest to align with the victors, dear champion. In our new world, there’s no place for those who stand against us."
But Steven continued to struggle. Punching and kicking as much as his restraints allowed him to.
"So, the Champion prefers to die for a lost cause," Tabitha remarked with a sneer. "What a shame." Turning away, he gave orders to the grunts. "Keep him secure. I’ll join our leader. And don’t kill him just yet; he may still be of use to us."
"Roger, sir," answered a grunt still gripping Steven’s hair. "We don’t treat our enemies too kindly, just so you know." There was a hint of amusement in his voice. "You had your chance to make the right decision." He signalled another grunt over, keeping Steven forced to his knees. "But some people just can’t be helped." The grunt placed a firm hand on Steven’s lower back and looked at his comrade. "Show him how we deal with nuisances."
Steven’s vision went black for a moment as the grunt’s boot slammed into his stomach, a wave of nausea overwhelming him.
"Had enough, Champion?" the grunt snickered. "Make sure he doesn’t vomit; wouldn’t want him to suffocate now."
"Yeah, yeah," muttered the grunt behind Steven, pulling a small device from his pocket. He listened to the garbled voices coming through it. "Hold on… the ground team isn’t responding anymore."
"What? Must be a mechanical error," the second grunt muttered, pacing nervously in front of Steven. "Hmm. Just to be safe, I’ll check it out myself." He turned to leave. "And don’t think you’re safe just yet, Champion. I’ll be back soon."
"Oh, I don’t think you will."
Before Steven could turn around or attempt to free himself, he felt himself thrown backwards again—but this time, the impact was surprisingly gentle.
"Stand down," a calm voice commanded. He heard the grunts scramble and flee, footsteps echoing down the corridor. The champion struggled to turn or rise, but with his hands and feet bound, any movement was nearly impossible. The wet floor beneath him only made things worse, sending cold shivers through his damp clothes.
"Steven!"
He twisted his head, straining to see. "Steven! Hey, Steve! Are you alright?" A hand gripped the back of his soaked jacket, pulling him upright. "Oh, dear, what have they done to you?" A familiar, serene voice asked—calming him, despite everything that had just happened. "Hold on—I’ll get you free." In a few swift motions, the ropes around Steven’s wrists and ankles were undone, and he felt control return to his body.
"Thank you, Wallace." Steven managed to flash a tired smile as he rubbed his bruised wrists. "But… why did you come here?"
"As direct as ever," Wallace replied a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "When I crossed paths with Brendan and May a while ago, I gave them my number in case of an emergency. Brendan reached out and said you might need some assistance. So, I came right away." He flashed a confident grin. "And here I am."
"Well, thank you, Wallace. I appreciate your help, though I had those grunts handled just fine," Steven said, though even as he spoke, a wave of dizziness swept over him. His knees buckled, giving way beneath him.
"Steven!" Wallace called out. "Steve, what’s wrong?"
"Nothing," Steven murmured, clutching his head. "We need to help the children. Hurry."
"We will," Wallace replied calmly, stepping forward. Gently, he lifted Steven’s arms and legs.
"What are you—?"
"I can’t leave you here, Steven. It’s too dangerous." Wallace pulled Steven close, steadying him against his chest as he began making his way toward the main room. Even while carrying the nearly unconscious Champion, Wallace moved with his usual effortless elegance, navigating the hallways with care.
Reaching the narrow metal door to the main room, he found the task of opening it more difficult than expected, encumbered as he was. But, to his surprise, the door swung open from the inside.
"They’re gone!" Brendan burst out, narrowly avoiding Wallace in his rush.
"But we defeated them, Mr. Steven," May added, stepping out of the room. Her eyes widened as she saw the Champion. "Mr. Steven?"
"Very good, children. A job well done," Steven murmured, his eyes barely open.
"Mister Wallace, what happened?" Brendan asked anxiously, circling around the two men.
"I came as soon as I got your message," Wallace explained. "By the time I arrived, Team Magma had captured the Champion and injured him badly."
"Why so formal, Wallace?" Steven whispered weakly, a faint smile on his lips. "And besides, it looks worse than it is. I’m fine."
"Silence," Wallace snapped, though there was a flicker of sarcasm beneath his irritation.
"So, what should we do now, Mr. Wallace?" May asked, obviously concerned.
The gym leader sighed, hesitating for a moment before answering. "Do you two know where Steven’s house is?"
"Yes," both trainers replied in unison. "He showed us some stones there before, so I’m sure we could find it," May added.
"Good. Then we’ll meet there. I’ll notify the other gym leaders and the Elite Four to gather as well."
"And Mr. Steven?" Brendan asked.
"I’ll take care of him. Now, you two just go on ahead. We’ll follow as soon as we can."
"Understood." The two nodded in unison and made their way toward the staircase.
"I don’t need to be ‘taken care of,’ Wallace," Steven mumbled, still draped over Wallace’s arm. "I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine."
"Of course, Steve. How could I think otherwise?" Wallace replied dryly. "Shall I just set you down, then? We can walk out together."
"Okay, okay. Maybe I’m not exactly fine," Steven admitted under his breath. "But we don’t have time to rest. We need to act fast."
"We might’ve moved faster if you hadn’t been such a stubborn fool," Wallace muttered, clearly more agitated than usual.
"I was just doing my job," Steven replied, mustering enough strength to lean forward until his nose nearly brushed Wallace’s.
"Oh, Steven Stone, you’ll be the death of me," Wallace said, rolling his eyes before leaning in and pressing his lips to Steven’s. They lingered there a moment before Wallace pulled back. "And by the way, I gathered all your Pokéballs. Really, you should keep better track of them. Losing them is hardly what I’d call elegant." He grinned. "Now, I think Metagross will be more than capable of carrying you home."
"I think I’d rather be carried by you, Wallace," Steven murmured, pressing his head closer to Wallace’s chest.
"I would not," Wallace replied, though a smile crept onto his face.
"Come on, I know you’re strong enough," Steven chuckled.
"It’s not about strength, Steve. It’s about convenience. Weren’t you the one in a hurry to get home?" Wallace said as he descended the stairs of the Mossdeep Space Center with swift elegance. "Besides, you shouldn’t expect rewards for being so stubborn. In fact, I might have to come up with some… consequences, just to help you learn your lesson."
"Oh no. How utterly terrifying." Steven smiled, his voice laced with sarcasm. "I’m shivering with anticipation."