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Steven Stone couldn't help but twitch his lips as he observed Cofagrigus, who seemed eager for its sarcophagus to be opened. Holding back his complaints, he sighed.
"Ma En, this is a resting place for the dead. Opening a coffin and disturbing a grave is a bit excessive. It's unlucky and outright disrespectful to the deceased," Steven said, shaking his head.
Ma En paused for a moment, considering Steven's words. He had to admit that there was some truth to them. Digging up a grave and opening a coffin was indeed extreme.
"Steven, you have a point. It would be inappropriate for us to open the coffin ourselves," Ma En agreed. But then, he smirked and added, "However, if Cofagrigus and the others bring the items out voluntarily, then it should be fine, right?"
Steven: "?????????!!!!!!!"
Shocked, Steven watched as Ma En casually spoke to Cofagrigus and the other Ghost Pokémon. Without hesitation, the Pokémon swiftly flew to the sarcophagus, opened the coffin themselves, and retrieved the burial objects inside. Cofagrigus took the most.
Breaking into a tomb was one thing, but making the very Pokémon that guarded it hand over the treasures? That was on another level.
Steven turned to look at Ma En, who was happily sorting through the items with a bright smile on his face. At that moment, Steven couldn't help but think—"Ma En, you're such a villain!"
Completely oblivious to the title Steven had just bestowed upon him in his mind, Ma En eagerly counted the treasures handed over by Cofagrigus and its fellow ghosts.
Steven, feeling overwhelmed, decided he had seen enough. His worldview was already shaken, and if he stayed any longer, he feared it might shatter completely. He turned on his heel, planning to leave the tomb.
"Ma En, I'll be heading out first," Steven announced.
"Wait, Steven! Cofagrigus and the others found a lot of ancient fossils. Want to take a look? I don't need them, so you can have them," Ma En offered casually.
"Okay, I'm coming right away!"
Steven immediately spun around and rejoined Ma En, his hesitation vanishing.
"Ma En may be a little bad, but he's really good to his friends," Steven thought to himself.
Though he had high morals, Steven was no saint. Since the Pokémon themselves had willingly handed over the fossils, there was no harm in accepting them.
Most of what Cofagrigus and the others had retrieved was gold, along with a handful of ancient fossils.
Ma En took all the gold for himself, while Steven received the fossils. However, Steven insisted on paying for them. After all, during this entire tomb exploration, all he had done was dig at the stone walls—he couldn't take the fossils for free.
Ma En didn't refuse. For someone like Steven, who was backed by the Devon Corporation, this small amount of money was nothing. There was no need for unnecessary politeness.
However, when Cofagrigus pulled out one final object, Ma En's eyes widened in shock.
The object resembled a glass bead, but within it, a DNA-like pattern swirled—something unmistakable.
A MEGA Evolution Stone!
In the Pokémon anime, MEGA Evolution Stones were first discovered in the Kalos Region. Ma En never expected to find one in Kanto.
"Wait… does this mean MEGA Evolution Stones exist all over the world, but Kalos was just the first to unlock their true potential?" Ma En speculated.
At this point in time, no one had publicly mastered MEGA Evolution. If that were the case, then these stones held massive potential and value.
Steven also stared at the stone with a thoughtful expression.
"This bead…?" Steven muttered.
"Ma En, have you seen something like this before?"
"Yeah, I have a few in my personal collection at home," Steven answered nonchalantly. "I haven't figured out what they're for yet, so I just keep them as rare collectibles."
Damn! This rich guy!
Ma En stared at Steven in disbelief. Here he was, losing his mind over discovering just one MEGA Evolution Stone, while Steven had casually stashed away multiple at home as mere decorations.
"Ma En, if you trust me, I suggest you start collecting more of these beads when you get the chance," Ma En advised.
He could have kept this knowledge to himself, but collecting MEGA Evolution Stones required more than just strength—it demanded connections. As a rookie trainer, Ma En lacked the influence needed to track them down effectively.
His grandmother, Elite Four member Agatha, was powerful, but her expertise lay in battle, not treasure hunting.
On the other hand, Steven, as the young master of the Devon Corporation, had the perfect resources for the job.
There was also a more personal reason—if the stone he just found didn't match his needs, Ma En could always exchange or buy one from Steven later.
"No problem, Ma En," Steven agreed without hesitation. "If you ever need one, just come to me directly. Forget about buying them—this is a business opportunity for our Devon Corporation. As a partner, you can have them for free."
Steven never even asked what the stones were for. Just like when Ma En had secretly used Haze earlier, Steven respected his friend's privacy. Everyone had their own secrets, and Steven wasn't the type to pry.
Ma En was momentarily stunned before a genuine smile spread across his face. At that moment, he realized something—Steven was his first true friend in this world.
After organizing their findings, Ma En and Steven prepared to leave the tomb. But before departing, Ma En transferred most of his dark energy to Cofagrigus and the other Ghost Pokémon, ensuring they would have a proper feast before returning to their slumber.
When Cofagrigus awakened next, it was likely to have reached the Elite level.
Emerging from the depths of Mt. Moon, the two trainers stepped into the daylight once more.
Before parting ways, they exchanged contacts via their Pokédex.
Ma En handed all the gold to Steven, who, in return, transferred its value in money to Ma En based on the current gold market price.
With that, Ma En resumed his journey towards Cerulean City, while Steven decided to head back into Mt. Moon to search for more fossils.
As Ma En disappeared from sight, Steven's Pokédex suddenly rang.
A message notification popped up.
The sender? Ma En.
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