The sky has turned dark and the weather has decreased in its temperature due to the absent of the sun that gave its warmth but Rustboro City was an advanced city and it was very bright at the street of the city even tough it was at night. Rize and his friends found an inn to stay in and currently they are discussing about Aron's issue to find out about it and a solution for it as well.
"It was still okay when we battled with Schumi just now. It started to get weird when we started the training." Rize tried to recall what happened during the day.
"Maybe it's bored with your training sets." Said Rin.
"When did you first know Aron, Rize?" Asked Micah to know the background of Aron and Rize told them of how he met with Aron four years ago at the Petalburg woods.
"From your story, your Aron have quite a past issue. Maybe it affects its mental and psychological health." Micah shared to them of what he thought.
"What do you mean?"
"Why don't we call my dad tomorrow and asked him, maybe he know something. After all it was him who took care of Aron and the rest of your Pokemon while you were gone to other regions."
Rin's suggestion was well welcomed and accepted and therefore as the night passed and the new day arrived, early in the morning Rize made a call to Prof.Birch laboratory using the public phone service at the Pokemon Centre. He could have called using his Pokegear but for the sake of everyone can join in the conversation he uses the public phone.
"Well, I don't know much about your Aron and if you asked me what's wrong I afraid I could not give you a satisfactory answer. There are no weird signs or symptoms from your Aron all these times when I look after it." The Professor answered with an apologetic look as being unable to answer professionally beside his title as a Pokemon Professor.
"Dad, you're a Pokemon researcher expert, how come you did not know or at least tell us of what you think about this issue." His daughter spoke as if she's complaining and disappointed of his father.
"I'm not sure and I don't want to give a false answer and assumption and I may be a Pokemon researcher but my specialist is in Pokemon habitats."
They all turned silent after the last reply of Prof.Birch until Micah suddenly thought of something. "Hey if I'm not wrong, Prof.Oak from Kanto is a specialist on relationships between human and Pokemon right?"
"You're right!" Prof.Birch justified Micah's statement of question, "He might know the root of this problem. Rize why don't you give him a call and asked him instead."
"Alright Prof, I'll ask him. Sorry for the interruption."
"Not at all Rize, I get to see my.." Before the Prof could finish his sentence, Rize insensitively has disconnected the phone line. At the other side of the phone line, Prof.Birch was complaining to himself of Rizes' sudden termination of the line without a proper and polite goodbye.
Rize then made an inter-regional call to Kanto to Prof.Oak's place but his attempt was in vain as it was one of the assistant of the Prof that picked up the call only to tell that the Prof. was currently not in the place, it was said that he was having a certain meeting to attend. Having no other choice, Rize decided that they should continue their journey to the Desert Ruins.
"So then, which route shall we take now?" Asked Micah while he take another look at the region's map as he was a new foreigner in the Hoenn land.
"The nearest and fastest way is to take route 116 and head to Verdanturf Town first. It's going to be quite a long journey until we reach Verdanturf Town, probably about 2 days and that is if we kept going without any distraction."
"What kind of distraction? Asked Rin naively.
"Well.. wild Pokemon? The scenary? Who knows what will be on our way." Answered Rize while at the same time stood up and lifted his backpack preparing to leave for their journey.
"Anyway, since we are going to leave the city and will be sleeping on nature outside, we should re-stock our food supplies and other neccessary stuffs first at the market." Micah suggested and reminded his friends just in case they forgot.
After they have bought everything they needed at the market they walked towards the north-west of the crowded city which lead them to the exit and the entrance of route 116.
As they were walking, Rize nostalgically remembered of his journey four years ago and he was seeing an imaginary view of his past journey in this city when he was fighting one of Team Aqua's grunt from stealing some goods that was produced by the region's most famous and number one corporation, the Devon corporation.
Suddenly, the automatic door of the Devon corporation building opened and a familiar figure snapped Rize out of his imaginary vision of his past. The familiar figure turned out to be the Hoenn region's Champion, Steven Stone.
It was not only Rize who saw Steven coming out from the tall big building and Rin was amazed to see the champion with her own eyes, not in TV or pictures but in real! The real Steven Stone walking and moving in front of her. She let out her remark unintentionally, "Wow! It's Steven Stone the Hoenn champ! I heard that he's the heir of this Devon corporation."
Without really listening to what Rin have said, Rize immediately changed his course from heading to route 116 but walked towards the champion instead. "Mr.Steven! It's been a long time!" He approached him confidently as if a long time never see buddy. Of course, his two other friend was surprised especially Rin.
"Who do he think he is to approach the champion like that!" Said Rin sceptically.
Steven Stone was standing like a stone, confused and wondering of who the teenager boy that approached him so confidently. Judging from the look of his confused face, Rize knew that Steven must have forgotten of who he is and immediately introduced himself trying to make him remember. Afterall it has been a very long time ever since the last time they met.
"It's me, Rize! We first met in Dewford cave four years ago and we searched for rare stones thrre together. You even train and taught my Pokemon some new moves as well!" He then took out a Pokeball and sent out his Aron. "Look this is the Aron that you taught the move Metal Claw!"
The champion immediately remembered, "You're that Rize! Yes yes it's really you! I did not
recognize you immediately. Just look at you! You've certainly grown a lot."
His fellow travelling friends were surprised especially Rin for the fact that Rize actually knew Steven personally and interacting with him as she was stunned.
It was fortunate that Steven was going to the Rusturf Tunnel, a tunnel that Rize and his friends have to go through in order to get to Verdanturf Town. Rize guessed that the champion was probably going there in search of rare stones to collect. It was one of his pastime after all.
They now travel together and as they were walking along the grassy area on route 116, Rin and Micah was introduced to Steven and the same goes to Steven. Rize told his two friends of how he get to know the champion of Hoenn personally.
"By the way Rize, pardon me if you don't mind me asking you a question. What happened to your Aron? When you showed it to me earlier there seems to be something that was bothering it and not right."
As expected of the Hoenn champion. With just a glance look and he knew that there's a problem with Aron. Rin stopped walking and asked a question to the champ, "Mr.Steven, if I'm right you do have an Aggron right? So that means you must have an Aron too before right?"
The champion in respond to the question stopped his step of walking too and answered, "Well you are right. I raised my Aggron from a little Aron during my early years of becoming a Pokemon Trainer."
Rin then suggested to Rize for Steven to have his Aron examined by Steven. She thought that Steven might know something and perhaps the reason behind Aron's strange behavior. Rize agreed with the suggestion and have his Aron immediately out from its ball. He told Steven all the details of the problem like not listening to battle commands and have no motivation to train and battle at all in a sudden. Steven bent his knee down in order to be able to take a more careful look on Aron.
"Mr.Steven, if you still remember, how long did it take for you to evolve your Aron in the past?" Asked Micah.
"I can sort of see why you asked this question. First of all, every Pokemon's pace of growth and evolution are different and unique to each Pokemon. It took me about four whole months prior to my Aron's capture until it evolved into a Lairon." He paused for a while, stood up and faced to Micah and continued his answer. "You were probably curious of why Rize's Aron have not evolved at all even after four years prior its captured, am I right?"
Micah thought in his mind, "Amazing. He could now what I'm thinking." He was surprised that Steven was able to deduced his thinking correctly and although he did not answer to Steven whether he was right or not, his face pretty much have given the answer to it.
"Then why Rize's Aron have not evolve even to its first stage yet? I knew that each Pokemon are unique and different but four years? There must be something wrong. Rize's a fine Pokemon Trainer too which make it all the more strange."
"To be honest, I was wondering of why my Aron have not evolved yet too. However, I do have some other Pokemon that also have not evolved at all so the fact that Aron have not evolved did not really bother me then."
"Rize, when did the last time Aron won a Pokemon battle?" Asked the silver haired champion.
Rize stumbled a while before answering, "Now that I think about it, Aron have been losing its battle quite often. Don't tell me that its condition was actually have been bad from a long time and it gets worse and worse time after time, battle after battle!"
With both of his sharp looking eyes closed, the champ spitted out what he have assumed in mind. "That was possible. However.." Both his eyes suddenly were wide opened. "If my analysis is right, your Aron might be suffering from lost of confidence in its skill and power."
