Mysterious Crystal

It was late at night.

Having decided to try getting along with the Steel-type or Rock-type Pokémon on the mountain and see whether any compatible Pokémon were willing to leave with them, Nemona and the others returned to Steven Stone's residence first.

Guest rooms had been prepared for them here. After resting for the night, it would be more suitable to head out early during the day.

After all, nighttime was when most non-nocturnal Pokémon slept. Insisting on disturbing them would only leave a bad impression.

Lance had originally planned to set off immediately and ride Dragonite back to the Kanto League to report on his duties, but at Steven Stone's urging, he agreed to stay for the night so Dragonite could recover some of its energy as well.

As for Luo Mu and Takeshi, they were directly invited into Steven Stone's private Collection Room.

Though it was called a private Collection Room, its scale could already rival that of a small museum.

It even occupied its own separate building, situated beside that extravagantly luxurious mansion.

Steven Stone personally collected who knew how many priceless treasures, and the security in his Collection Room was equally stringent.

—Though probably not many idiots would set their sights on a Champion's collection.

After all, just one of the Champion's main Pokémon guarding the place could scatter their ashes to the wind.

And unless some criminal with black-tech equipment specifically needed a certain item from within, they could not be bothered to break in and needlessly make enemies of both a Champion and the Devon Corporation. That was hardly a worthwhile deal.

Only after a rigorous verification process did the door leading into the Collection Room open for the three of them.

Listening to Steven Stone apologize profusely, saying it was all because his