“Steven?”
Seeing who had walked through the door, Nathan Hale was somewhat surprised, but quickly remembered something.
Steven Stone wasn’t just the heir to Devon Corporation and the future Champion of Hoenn.
He was also a passionate rock enthusiast.
His greatest hobby was exploring, studying, and collecting all kinds of rocks.
And Dr.
Solans, a professor specializing in meteorites, rocks, and archaeology, happened to be in the same city as Steven.
It was only natural that the two would have some connection.
“I didn’t realize your office was here, Professor Nathan Hale.” Steven sounded surprised, but remained as polite as ever.
Nathan Hale simply smiled and glanced toward the sign outside the door that read “Pokémon Psychology Counseling Office.”
Following his gaze, Steven immediately understood.
But he hadn’t forgotten why he’d come.
“Professor Nathan Hale, have you seen Dr.
Solans?
He told me yesterday that we’d meet in his office after freshman registration, but I’ve been waiting for an hour and he still hasn’t shown up.”
Dr.
Solans’s office was right next to the counseling room.
“I haven’t seen him all day, either.”
Nathan Hale leaned against the desk and rubbed his chin thoughtfully before answering honestly.
“All day…?”
Steven looked surprised.
“Actually…” Nathan Hale walked over to the coffee machine and skillfully pulled out a digital scale.
He scooped coffee beans onto it and weighed them.
Then, as though he’d just thought of something, he turned around.
“Want some?”
Steven blinked, then instinctively nodded.
Nathan Hale gave a small nod in return.
“How many shots?”
Only then did Steven realize what he’d agreed to.
But since he’d already said yes, he didn’t hesitate.
“Two, please.
Thank you, Professor.”
Nathan Hale smiled.
“Looks like we have similar tastes.”
His movements were practiced and orderly as he continued.
“Actually, helping with freshman registration was supposed to be Solans’s job today, too.
But since nobody could find him, they pulled me in to fill the position.”
“So…”
Over the gentle gurgling of the coffee machine, Nathan Hale spoke calmly.
“Solans has been missing for a full day.”
Steven’s brows furrowed.
“The professor is a man of his word…”
“Maybe you should give him a call.”
Nathan Hale handed him a cup of coffee.
Steven quickly accepted it with both hands.
“Thank you.”
Then he gave a wry smile.
“I already did.
His phone is sitting in his office.”
“Ko-gee.”
From the ceiling, Gastly suddenly realized something.
So that’s where that sound came from.
It had come from next door.
It had thought it was the computer.
“Looks like something really did happen to Solans.”
Nathan Hale glanced subtly toward the ceiling.
He now had a pretty good idea of what had happened to the computer as well.
But that clearly wasn’t the priority right now.
His expression became serious as he sat down in his chair.
From what he remembered, Dr.
Solans really would eventually get caught up in some incidents.
But this shouldn’t have happened at this point in time…
“Something happened?” Steven’s expression changed.
He quickly asked, “Professor Nathan Hale, should we call the police?”
“The police?”
Nathan Hale shook his head.
“Solans has only been missing for a while.
It’s not the first time he’s suddenly disappeared.
He may have made some new discovery and gone digging for rocks somewhere.”
“That’s true…”
Steven sighed helplessly.
At Nathan Hale’s gesture, he sat down across from the desk.
“Don’t worry.
Solans is a grown man.
He’ll be fine.
The university staff know he’s missing, too.
They may already be looking for him.”
Nathan Hale’s words made Steven’s eyes light up.
They couldn’t call the police.
But that didn’t mean they couldn’t send people to look for him.
After apologizing to Nathan Hale, Steven immediately pulled out his PokéNav and dialed a number.
The call was answered almost instantly.
And the moment it connected, Steven’s expression changed.
The gentle, modest, polite student from earlier suddenly became a young heir with the presence of someone accustomed to giving orders.
“This is Steven.
I need you to send people to find Dr.
Solans…”
Watching the change in Steven’s demeanor, Nathan Hale looked thoughtful.
Does Steven have a split personality or something?
He waved it off inwardly.
Click.
Steven ended the call decisively.
Noticing Nathan Hale’s gaze, he smiled awkwardly and apologized again.
“Sorry, Professor.”
For a while, silence settled over the counseling room.
Nathan Hale took a sip of coffee and pulled out one of his papers to read.
Steven quietly drank his coffee as well, occasionally glancing over at the paper.
After a while, perhaps because the atmosphere had become slightly awkward—or perhaps because he simply wanted something to talk about—Steven broke the silence.
“Professor Nathan Hale, could I ask you to take a look at my Pokémon?
Recently…
it doesn’t seem to be itself.”
“Oh?”
Nathan Hale stopped what he was doing and raised his head.
“Did you bring it with you?”
“I did.”
“Let me see.”
Steven didn’t hesitate.
He took a black-and-gold Luxury Ball from his belt.
With a flash of red light, a Pokémon appeared in the counseling room.
Its entire body was gray-white, gleaming with a metallic sheen.
Its body was shaped somewhat like a disc, with two arms ending in enormous metal claws.
Its eyes were red, while a silver spike protruded from each cheek and another from its back.
The second evolutionary stage of Hoenn’s pseudo-legendary Pokémon line—
Metang.
And not just any Metang.
A Shiny Metang.
It was obvious that this Pokémon would eventually become Steven’s signature partner—
Shiny Metagross.
“It’s not often you see a Shiny Metang,” Nathan Hale remarked.
“Met…”
Hearing Nathan Hale’s comment, Metang’s body stiffened slightly.
Nathan Hale noticed.
But he didn’t say anything.
“Tell me what’s going on with it.”
Steven hesitated for a moment before explaining.
“I don’t know why, but Metang hasn’t seemed quite like itself lately.
It seems distracted, almost absent-minded.
But Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center and the equipment at home both say it’s perfectly healthy.
There doesn’t seem to be anything physically wrong, so I thought…”
“Met.”
Metang moved closer to Steven.
Steven smiled reassuringly and naturally placed a hand on its head.
Around Steven, Metang was still extremely affectionate.
Why can’t I see Metang’s information?
Nathan Hale was puzzled.
He had been able to see Gastly’s Pokédex-like information earlier, but he couldn’t see anything for Steven’s Metang.
Is it because Metang isn’t my Pokémon?
Or…
“Could you have it use a move for me?” Nathan Hale asked.
Steven nodded.
“Metang, Confusion.”
“Met!”
Metang immediately complied.
A pale blue glow appeared in its eyes, and the coffee cup on the desk slowly floated into the air, wrapped in a sphere of blue psychic energy.
As Metang used its Psychic power, lines of text slowly appeared before Nathan Hale’s eyes.
[Metang]
[Type: Steel, Psychic]
[Ability: Clear Body]
[Moves: Confusion, Metal Claw, Magnet Rise, Take Down, Pursuit, Bullet Punch, Miracle Eye, Zen Headbutt, Scary Face, Psychic, Iron Defense, Thunder Punch, Hone Claws, Ice Punch, Stealth Rock, Body Slam]
[Mood: Calm, Depressed (Perhaps it should have a little more confidence)]
[Condition: Excellent (Excellent training has resulted in excellent condition.
Perhaps it should be given an opponent)]
[Friendship: 0 (It doesn’t know you)]
So it’s not because Metang isn’t my Pokémon.
I can only see a Pokémon’s information when it’s using a move?
Nathan Hale studied Metang’s information thoughtfully.
Depressed?
Lacking confidence?
He quickly identified the problem with Metang.
His gaze returned to it.
But how could a pseudo-legendary Pokémon—especially a Shiny pseudo-legendary—lack confidence?
“Met…”
Feeling Nathan Hale’s gaze, Metang instinctively looked away.
Combining that with its earlier behavior and reactions, Nathan Hale smiled gently.
“Professor?” Steven asked tentatively, noticing his expression.
Nathan Hale withdrew his gaze, took out a folder and pen, and asked,
“Your family should have more than one Metang, right?
Or, more accurately…
perhaps an entire group?
Your Metang was originally one of them?”
Steven paused, then nodded.
“Uh…
yes.
There aren’t that many, but I suppose you could call it a group.
Metang was indeed originally one of them.”
“Where?”
“The mine outside the city.”
“Have you taken Metang back there recently?”
“Three days ago.”
“…”
As the two went back and forth, Nathan Hale’s pen scratched steadily across the paper.
Seeing how seriously he was working, Steven’s expression grew solemn.
Could Metang really have a psychological problem?
Unable to suppress his curiosity and concern, he couldn’t help glancing at the folder.
When he saw what was written there, Steven froze.
Because Nathan Hale was seriously drawing a picture of Metang.
It was standing at what could, generously speaking, be called a fork in the road.
And, well…
It was a little…
“Does it look like it?” Nathan Hale noticed Steven staring and looked up with a perfectly composed expression.
“It’s…
somewhat abstract.”
Steven struggled desperately to keep his expression under control.
Nathan Hale laughed.
“Abstract?
You’re being too polite.”
Scratch, scratch, scratch—
His pen finally left a line of writing on the paper.
Social isolation due to being Shiny, resulting in mild early-stage social withdrawal.
Social withdrawal?
Steven hadn’t expected that.
But after thinking about it carefully, he had to admit that it did seem to fit.
Aside from Steven himself, hardly anyone could approach Metang.
And when Steven had first caught it, back when it was still a Beldum, it hadn’t exactly been welcomed by the rest of the Beldum group.
This was actually a common problem among Shiny Pokémon.
Sure, players in Nathan Hale’s previous life had eagerly hunted for Shinies.
But for Trainers and Pokémon in the real Pokémon world, being Shiny wasn’t necessarily an entirely positive thing.
Being Shiny meant being different.
And those who were different inevitably received different treatment, even if it was nothing more than curious or unusual looks.
Without proper guidance, that could gradually develop into psychological problems.
Beep-beep!
Just as Steven was about to ask what should be done, his PokéNav suddenly rang.
He answered it.
A look of delight appeared on his face.
“Professor Nathan Hale, they found Dr.
Solans!”
“That quickly?”
Nathan Hale was surprised.
“Looks like you sent quite a few people.”
“No.”
Steven shook his head, his expression perfectly calm.
“I just bought a few detective agencies.”
Nathan Hale:
“…”
Yep.
That’s Steven all right.