"May I take a closer look?" Steven asked.
"Go ahead," Gary replied.
Gary trusted Steven's integrity. He was confident that Steven would never try to steal a Mega Stone.
Steven took out a magnifying glass, picked up the Manectite, and examined it carefully. Beneath the lens, the flame-shaped pattern embedded in the gem was clearly visible. It was unmistakably a Mega Stone—and one Steven had never seen before.
He set the stone back on the coffee table.
"Gary, I'm very interested in this piece. How much are you asking?"
"Mr. Steven," Gary said calmly, "please don't call a Mega Stone a 'strange stone.'"
Steven and his father, Mr. Stone, froze. They hadn't expected Gary to recognize it for what it was.
Steven gave a sheepish smile. "So you already know about Mega Evolution. I was hoping to buy the stone cheaply, but that clearly won't work."
Gary nodded but remained silent.
"Are you still willing to sell it?" Steven pressed. Even at a higher price, he still wanted the stone.
"I'd rather trade than sell. I'd like to exchange this Manectite for another Mega Stone," Gary replied.
"An exchange…" Steven hadn't expected that. "Before we continue, Gary, may I have your full name?"
"Gary Oak. My grandfather is Professor Samuel Oak."
"Professor Oak?" Steven and Mr. Stone exclaimed in unison. No wonder Gary was already familiar with Mega Evolution.
"Since you understand Mega Stones, you must also know their purpose," Steven said.
"I do. In return for the Manectite, I'm looking for Blastoisinite, Charizardite, Sceptilite, or Gyaradosite. Does Devon have any of those?"
Devon likely possessed several Mega Stones, though not a complete set, so Gary listed multiple options to increase his chances.
Outwardly, Steven remained composed, but he was impressed. Every species Gary mentioned had a known Mega Evolution.
"Is Professor Oak researching Mega Evolution too?" Steven asked.
"He studied it years ago," Gary replied. "He's focused on other work now."
"Any idea when he started?"
"Probably before I was born."
Steven and his father exchanged a glance. That meant Professor Oak had been investigating Mega Evolution more than a decade ago—far ahead of most researchers.
Shaking himself from his thoughts, Steven returned to business. "Of the stones you requested, we currently have only Sceptilite."
"That's fine," Gary said without hesitation. "Let's trade for Sceptilite."
"One more question—just to confirm: which Pokémon uses the stone you're offering?"
"This one is for Manectric."
Steven nodded. "Understood. Please follow me—I'll retrieve the Sceptilite."
Mr. Stone offered no objection, he had already begun turning Devon's day-to-day operations over to his son.
Steven escorted Gary to the seventh floor—a secure laboratory devoted to Mega Evolution research. Scientists bustled about, but paused when Steven approached a bespectacled middle-aged man.
"Professor Ward, could you bring me Sceptile's Mega Stone, please?"
Ward noticed the boy standing beside Steven and hesitated—children were never permitted in the lab—but Steven's presence overrode standard protocol.
"I thought field trials were still years away," Ward murmured.
"There's no trial," Steven said. "This is Gary Oak—Professor Oak's grandson. We're making a Mega Stone exchange."
"Oh! Professor Oak's grandson…" Ward's eyes lit up. Gary had seen that expression countless times on his grandfather and smiled politely in response.
"Professor Ward—the Sceptilite?" Steven prompted gently.
"Right—of course." Ward hurried to a wall safe, retrieved a velvet-lined box, and set it on the table. Inside lay a turquoise gem, its flame-leaf emblem glowing in shades of fuchsia, deep green, and light brown—the unmistakable Sceptilite.
Steven closed the box, handed it to Gary, and with his other hand, picked up the Manectite from the table.
"Deal?" he asked.
"Deal," Gary confirmed, completing the trade.
Both men smiled—satisfied with the exchange.