Alex looked at Steven for a moment, and then suddenly started laughing. "Hahaha."

Steven blinked in confusion at first, but after a second he began to smile as well when he realized how ridiculous the situation had become.

After a few seconds, Alex finally managed to calm down.

Still smiling, he said, "I don't even know why I found that so funny, but… that was really funny."

Steven shook his head, though he was still smiling. "Even though I know you pretty well, you still manage to surprise me sometimes. I already knew your jokes were terrible, but I didn't think you could be this silly."

Alex shrugged casually. "Then you should feel honored. I only show these sides of myself to my Pokémon, Maria, and you."

Steven's grin widened when he answered.

"...Gay."

The moment the word left his mouth, Steven burst out laughing.

Alex looked genuinely surprised for a second. But when he remembered a very similar stunt he had pulled on Steven before, he couldn't help but feel slightly impressed that Steven had seized the opportunity to throw the same kind of jab back at him.

Alex thought for a moment. 'Maybe I really did influence Steven's character a little. Hmm… now that I think about it, it's quite possible that Steven influenced mine as well.'

When he had first arrived in this world, he had believed that his personality in this second life would be far more stable and controlled than before.

Looking back on that thought now, it seemed a bit arrogant.

Humans were never truly static.

No matter how confident someone was in their own character, people were always changing—sometimes in big ways, sometimes in small ones—shaped by the people around them and the experiences they shared.

Alex waited patiently while Steven finished his very genuine laughter.

"Are you done?" he asked.

Steven straightened slightly and looked at him. "Yes."

Alex nodded. "Good. Then take me somewhere with enough space where none of your butlers or maids can see or hear us. I have something secret to show you."

Steven immediately assumed Alex was referring to the SS-rank training plan, so he wasn't particularly surprised by the request.

He led Alex through several quiet hallways before stopping in front of a thick metal door. After entering a code on a small panel beside it, the door slid open with a soft mechanical sound.

The room behind it was enormous.

Its walls were reinforced with layers of insulated material, and thick acoustic panels covered most of the surfaces, making it completely soundproof. The floor was made of a durable battle-grade alloy that could easily withstand Late elite level Pokémon attacks without leaving more than a few scratches.

Bright ceiling lights illuminated the entire space, while several control panels were installed along the walls to regulate temperature, lighting, and safety barriers if a serious battle ever took place inside.

this Safety barrier were not as powerful as in official tournaments, but it were the best you can buy and strong enough for Pokemon moves below the Champion level.

It was clearly one of Steven's private training arenas.

Steven stepped inside and glanced around for a moment before turning back to Alex. "This room should be good enough. Nothing that happens here will be heard outside."

Alex nodded in approval. "Perfect. Then could you bring all your Pokémon here? And also the four stones you said you found for me."

Steven looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression. The request sounded a little strange, but he didn't question it further.

"Alright," he said.

He left the room again, still wondering what exactly Alex was planning.

A few minutes later, Steven returned. This time he carried several Poké Balls in one hand, while the other held a small metal case. He stepped into the room and placed the case on a nearby table before releasing his Pokémon one after another.

Alex also released all of his Pokémon from their Poké Balls while quietly checking the information on Steven's team.

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Steven's Team:

Metagross: Level 60 (Diamond)

Skarmory: Level 58 (Diamond)

Aggron: Level 55 (Shallow Diamond)

Cradily: Level 55 (Shallow Diamond)

Armaldo: Level 54 (Shallow Diamond)

Claydol: Level 53 (Shallow Diamond)

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Skarmory had managed to raise its potential from Shallow Diamond to Diamond after Alex had told Steven about the existence of SS+ and SS++ potential ranks.

Apparently, very few trainers in this world knew about these higher potential tiers. Trainers like Giovanni knew about them, but the knowledge clearly wasn't widespread at all.

Alex had initially been a little surprised that Steven's family didn't know about something like this. But after thinking about it for a moment, it made sense. Most members of Steven's family were probably businessmen and miners rather than high-level trainers.

Still, Alex had a feeling that Steven would eventually learn about these things through the Alliance anyway. Knowing it earlier would simply give him a small advantage.

And because of that, Alex suspected that Steven's future potential as a trainer might end up slightly higher than it would have been without his help.

Steven looked at Alex expectantly, clearly waiting for an explanation.

Seeing that everything was ready, Alex began explaining the basics of Mega Evolution. For several minutes he described the connection between the Key Stone and the Mega Stone, the conditions required for the transformation, and the temporary power boost it granted to a Pokémon.

Steven listened carefully. But even with Alex's explanation, the true impact of the discovery didn't fully sink in until Alex demonstrated it.

When Scizor transformed into Mega Scizor right in front of him, Steven's calm expression completely broke.

His eyes widened as he stared at the transformed Pokémon.

Steven said after a moment. "That's incredible, Alex, How did you even discover something like that?"

Alex simply smiled. "That's not important. What matters is that you try it yourself."

He pointed at the four stones Steven had brought. "The small one is the Key Stone I mentioned. The other three are Megastones. Take one of the three Mega Stones and give it to one of your Pokémon. Then see if it works."

Alex's smile widened slightly. "And don't forget to say the right words. Otherwise it won't work."

Steven stared at Alex suspiciously for a few seconds. The Fact sounded too ridiculous to be true. But after remembering that Alex himself had said something similar during Scizor's transformation, Steven reluctantly decided to trust him.

He took one of the three Mega Stones and gave it to Metagross. Metagross lifted the stone with its psychic power and carefully attached it to its metallic body.

Steven raised the Key Stone slightly.

"Metagross," he said firmly, "show your power. Mega Evolve."

For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then, to both Alex's and Steven's surprise, Metagross suddenly began to glow.

Alex, who saw Steven score on his first attempt, thought, 'This lucky bastard is truly a winner at life.'

Metagross lifted slightly off the ground as the energy surrounding it thickened. The metallic plates on its body began to shift and expand, the structure of its form changing as the energy forced its body to evolve beyond its normal limits.

Four massive mechanical claws extended outward as its body grew larger and heavier. The cross-shaped pattern on its face sharpened, glowing faintly with psychic energy, while its eyes burned with a cold blue light.

Alex felt the massive energy radiating from Metagross's body and was impressed by how powerful this level 65 Mega Pokémon felt.

It felt as if this Pokémon possessed enough psychic power or physical strength to lift up a small town.

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Pokémon: Mega Metagross (Shiny)

LV: 60 (+5)

Type: Psychic / Steel

Abilities: Light Metal (hidden ability) > Tough Claws

Gender: Genderless

Potential: Diamond (87%)

Moves:

- Take Down [E], Confusion, Magnet Rise, Metal Claw, Pursuit, Bullet Punch [E], Miracle Eye, Zen Headbutt, Scary Face, Psychic [M], Agility, Meteor Mash [M], Hammer Arm [E], Iron Defense [E], Hyper Beam

- (Perfect Talent) Earthquake [M], (Perfect Talent) Rock Polish [M]

- (TM) Ice Punch [E], (TM) Thunder Punch, (TM) Light Screen [E], (TM) Reflect, (TM) Protect [E], (TM) Sandstorm [E], (TM) Facade [E], (TM) Brick Break, (TM) Rock Slide [M], (TM) Psycho Cut, (TM) Rest [E]

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